I love making hash browns and grilled cheese sandwiches in the waffle iron, and this frittata in the device was no exception. I turned the temperature of the waffle iron down-to the medium setting-and the frittata easily removed without the greasy mess I sometimes get with waffles. The recipe was inspired by Chilepepper Magazine.
Frittata Waffle
(Serves 2)
Beat eggs and milk.
2 eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
Add remaining ingredients:
1/4 cup Paremsan cheese, grated
1/4 cup arugula, snipped
1 garlic clove, minces
2 cremini mushrooms, diced
1 mini red sweet pepper
1/8 teaspoon Mrs. Dash
Pour onto heated waffle maker. Spread ingredients uniformly.
Bake on medium high heat until done.
My frittata (1 serving is 2 squares) is topped with Greek Yogurt and tomatoes.
Meatless Monday is powered by the vision of smart, creative, health-minded bloggers. I am now a "Blogger on Board".
Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns. It
launched in 2003 as a public health initiative with Johns Hopkins to get
people to cut down on meat for health and environmental reasons. Since
then it’s morphed into a truly global movement with grassroots programs
in 30+ countries and thousands of schools, companies, major media
outlets and restaurants.
Yesterday I purchased tomato and pepper plants from our own West Virginia University Greenhouse. We plant some 20 plants in containers on our back deck. That's just enough for 2 senior citizens, and we have a lot of fun doing so!
Have a great day!
These individual Shakshuka entrees have chickpeas in the mixture surrounding the baked egg. I make mine with the frozen garbanzo beans cooked without salt, so this meal comes together quickly. The dish is made with items I always have on hand, which makes it a winner too! The recipe is from Food Network magazine.
Shakshuka with Chickpeas
(Serves 2)
(Divide amongst 2 individual iron skillets) Cook onion and garlic in olive oil.
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Add chickpeas, cumin and a pinch of pepper. Stir to coat.
1 cup garbanzo beans, cooked without salt
1 teaspoon cumin
Fresh ground pepper
Add tomatoes and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
1 16 ounce can no added salt diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons water
Make wells in the sauce and crack eggs into each.
2 eggs
Transfer the skillets to a 375 F oven. Bake until the white is just set, about 8 minutes.
Happy Monday!
With nearly 40 years of cafeteria management behind me, I know that selling food was just as much about the setting and the service as it was the menu. That's no different than enjoying food at home. Which brings me to my final tip for meal planning:
Tip #10 for Meal Planning: Set a pretty table.
We eat at our snack bar, facing each other. Even when the boys were home, the four of us ate dinner at the snack bar. My sets of dishes are now in storage, and I have several pairs of pretty china plates, most of them smaller dinner plates. Placemats are a given. I actually have a couple placemats I made the first year we were married-39 years ago. The best of memories are made around the dinner table!
We've an 1100 mile road trip starting tomorrow, 5 nights in motels, then the return trip home. These are snack packs I made for the journey. Dried fruit-raisins, dates, figs and apricots, nuts-pecans, almonds, pistachios, mandarin oranges and "onsies" (dried prunes).
Tomorrow, I'll slice a few carrots and peppers to eat with my lunch along the way.
Tip #9 for Meal Planning: Make healthy snack packs.
I'm taking a pack of graham crackers with us too. While I can't take my Almond Butter (the natural kind has to be kept in the refrigerator once opened), I'm taking a couple individual packs of Peanut Butter!
I keep those individually wrapped prunes in my purse-and so many times, they have saved the day.
The mandarin oranges are stress busters. I usually eat 2 at a time!
Enjoy your evening!
Leaving on a trip in two days, I've just the right amount of luscious produce and cheese in the refrigerator to make a great dinner.
Zucchini-Veggie Boats
(Serves 2)
Cut squash in half lengthwise. Using a small scoop, remove flesh from squash. Chop.
1 zucchini squash
Chop other vegetables.
1/2 yellow squash
6 Cremini mushrooms
1 broccoli crown
3 garlic cloves
Saute vegetables in olive oil.
2 teaspoons olive oil
Mix in bowl with seasoning and cheese.
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 ounce shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Fill squash boats with sauteed vegetable and cheese mixture.
Garnish with shredded Gouda.
4 tablespoons shredded Gouda
On lowest rack of oven, bake squash at 450 F. for 10 minutes.
Ours is served with cucumbers and tomatoes, marinated in vinegar and oil with onions.
What to do with lots of pineapple? You've heard of carrot cake pancakes. . . how about pineapple pancakes? These are very tasty by themselves!
Pineapple Pancakes
(Serves 3-2 pancakes each)
Puree pineapple in food processor. Drain in sieve.
3/4 cup pineapple sauce
Beat eggs and sugar. Add vanilla.
2 eggs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
Mix dry ingredients.
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash salt
Add milk to egg mixture.
1/4 cup skim milk
Stir dry ingredients into wet, mixing just to combine.
Drop by 1/4 cup dippers onto griddle surface heated to 325 F. Bake for about 1 minute and turn to bake the other side.
My pancakes were topped with 2 tablespoons Greek Yogurt, nonfat, and grated whole nutmeg. I added 1/2 teaspoon honey.
Pineapple Caprese and Beef Noodle Soup among gorgeous tulip gardens set the scene for a perfect Sunday afternoon. We visited Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia just when the tulip gardens were at their best.
The soup was inspired by Rachael Ray. Here's how I made it:
Beef Noodle Soup
(Serves 2)
Place in crock pot:
1/4 cup onion, sliced
3 cups low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
2 anise stars
6 ounce sirloin tip steak, raw, sliced thin
Cook on high for 3 hours.
Add:
6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced in rings
Heat on low for 1 hour.
Cool quickly and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat soup thermos by placing boiling water in it and tightening lid.
Cook spaghetti in soup broth.
1 1/2 ounce whole wheat spaghetti
Heat soup.
Rinse spaghetti and add to soup.
Empty thermos and add soup. Seal tightly.
At picnic, when ready to serve, add spinach and fresh basil leaves.
1/4 cup fresh spinach leaves (remove stems)
2 fresh basil leaves
The Pineapple Caprese was inspired by Rachael Ray. Here's how I made it:
Pineapple Caprese
(Serves 2)
Slice fresh pineapple. Store in pineapple juice. Slice fresh mozzarella.
4 pineapple rings, cored and cut in half
4 slices fresh mozzarella
Make basil oil in mini food processor.
2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup fresh spinach
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
When ready to serve, arrange mozzarella between pineapple. Garnish with basil oil and more fresh basil leaves.
We brought some local New Day Bakery Bleu Seven Grain Bread!
We found a sunny picnic table on a hill:
The sun and the beauty of the gardens added the perfect touch!
Have a great week!
