Crustless Breakfast Quiche

A variation to the spinach and mushroom quiche...

1 T olive oil 
3 small red or mixed potatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper, diced
6 veggie breakfast sausage patties diced
8oz Feta (Make sure it is made of sheep's milk)
8oz jalapeno yoghurt cheese or goats cheddar or some combination of (shredded)
4 Whole eggs, whipped

Preheat oven to 325
In a medium non-stick frying pan, saute the garlic, onion, bell pepper, potatoes and sausage over medium heat in the olive oil. Once potatoes are soft, remove from heat. Stir in cheeses and eggs.

Once the whole thing is well mixed, level it off and wipe edge of pan above mixture. Place entire thing in the over for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Cut into 8 servings

This is an excellent dish to prepare for the week. I cut it up and place it on a cooling rack in the freezer for about an hour and then place in a large ziplock bag before returning it to the freezer. In the morning it is simple to pull out a piece and microwave for a couple minutes on 50% power.

Enjoy!

Gazpacho

MMMMMmmmmmm!

I love gazpacho!

1 bell pepper
1 29 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 jalapeno
2 cloves garlic
1/4 onion
1 T olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste

Blend all ingredients!

Refrigerate 1 hour

Done!

Serve with warm crostini....

Vegan Chili

I wanted to use some seitan that didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, so I chopped it really small and dried it out in the oven at 175 degrees. They process took several hours (mostly in the oven) but the results were great! Once dried I put it in a plastic bag and just put it in the cupboard. When I was ready to make the chili I brought it out and added it right to it. I am willing to bet this recipe could fool a staunch omnivore!

Here's the recipe.

1 T olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or other chili to taste)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

2 15oz Cans of beans. (I prefer chili or pinto beans and black beans but I know a lot of people enjoy kidney beans so just use what you like. I mixed it up with a can of pinto and a can of black.)

1 t cumin
1/2 t cayenne
1 t Mexican chili powder
1 T worcestershire sause
1 t tabasco or chili sauce (optional)
black pepper to taste
1-2 t Garlic salt
1 c dried, finely chopped seitan or TVP
tomato paste (optional)

In a 6 quart pot, combine the first four ingredients in a pan and saute until onions are translucent.

Add the tomatoes, beans, worcestershire, hot sauce, and spices.

Let simmer for about 30 minutes then add the seitan or TVP, simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. All the liquid should be absorbed but if not and you want a thicker chili just add some tomato paste.

Serve warm!

makes about 4 servings and can be easily doubled or cooked in a crock pot if you are so inclined...

As always, if you find a way to improve this recipe please let me know...

Enjoy!

Seitan Lettuce Cups

I adapted this recipe from one of my all time favorite cooks: Padma Lakshmi. Her cookbook, Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet, is a really great book full of delicious recipes. She definitely cooks a lot of meat but, like this recipe, some of the recipes are easily adapted...

Here goes!

2 heads butter lettuce
1 T oil (she calls for canola, but I use olive)
1 c. diced yellow onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 T minced ginger root
2 fresh minced jalapeno peppers (she calls for 4 serrano peppers, but they are too spicy for me :)
1 1/2 lb seitan finely minced (I make my own here)
2 T soy sauce
1 T madras curry powder
1 c. freshly chopped mint
1 c. freshly chopped basil
1 1/2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T toasted sesame oil

Separate the leaves of the lettuce, rinse, pat dry, set aside.

In a skillet heat the oil over medium heat, saute the onions, garlic, ginger, and peppers, until the onions are glassy.

Add the seitan, soy sauce, and curry. Cook over medium heat until everything is well blended. Turn heat down to low, simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 - 45 minutes. (this is important to get the seitan to dry out a bit and absorb the flavors of the spices. If it dries out add a small amount of water.

Stir in mint, basil, and lemon juice drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Serve in lettuce cups or in a bowl on the side and let everyone fill their own cups. This is also excellent as a salad served over baby spring mix lettuce that has been coated lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and a dash of sesame oil.

As always, please let me know what you think and what you found that makes this a better recipe...

No Crust, Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

I decided to make a quiche so I could have something delicious to eat in the mornings for breakfast. I searched the web and found a few Quiche recipes and then adapted my own from the basic ingredients. This was, to my surprise, super easy AND Super delicious. Enjoy!

1 T olive oil or Lactose free margarine
5 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 6oz bag fresh baby spinach
8oz Mushrooms, sliced
8oz Feta (Make sure it is made of sheep's milk)
16oz jalapeno yoghurt cheese or goats cheddar or some combination of (shredded)
4 Whole eggs, whipped

Preheat oven to 325
In a medium non-stick frying pan, melt 1/2 of the margarine and saute the garlic and the green onions over medium heat. Once aromatic (the kitchen smells like garlic, but no colors have changed) add the spinach and cover. Cook spinach for about 5 minutes or just until wilted, remove from heat and put in bowl.

Put remaining 1/2 margarine in pan and turn up heat to medium high. Add mushrooms, toss until lightly browned, remove from heat.

Squeeze liquid from spinach and return to pan with mushrooms, mix together, stir in cheeses and eggs.

Once the whole thing is well mixed, level it off and wipe edge of pan above mixture. Place entire thing in the over for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Cut into 8 servings

I ate one slice right away because it was so good but then I laid the other slices out on a tray in the freezer. Once they were frozen through I put them in a plastic bag and returned them to the freezer. I can easily remove just a slice and throw it in the microwave for a minute for an instant, delicious breakfast...

As for the ingredients, I found most of them at Trader Joes. They have a great selection of goat and sheep cheeses.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think, what alterations you made, and what you found works better. This is a learning experience for me and I would love the opportunity to hear your feedback...

UPDATE!

Add 4oz of Goat Cheese for an extra creamy, soft flavor that just makes this thing Amazing!