Crustless Chicken Bacon Ranch Quiche

with Asparagus & whipped Purple Potatoes

 Ingredients

• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1 package ranch dressing mix

Directions

• In a small skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and green peppers; cook 1 minute longer. In a large bowl, combine eggs, ranch mix and cream. Stir in the chicken, cheese, bacon and onion mixture. Pour into a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate.

Mix all dry ingredients together

Pour mixture into a greased dish

• Bake at 375° for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serves: 6

Add your sides to the plate & enjoy!

After removing from oven,
 let it stand for 10 minutes

Yakisoba

If you are anything like me, looking for a satisfying meal that can be whipped up in 15 min... Yakisoba will be your best friend!

I love to overload my recipe with as many vegetables as possible!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast or steak, cooked & thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup soy sauce, reduced sodium
• 1/3 cup rice wine / Sake
• 1 1/2 tbs sugar
• 12 oz Chinese wheat noodles
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 1 lb napa cabbage, sliced very thin)
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 15 petite asparagus, chopped
• 2 zucchini’s, sliced
• 1 cup broccoli
• 2 stalks or celery, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
• Cilantro chopped for topping

Direction:

1. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, sake, and sugar, stirring till dissolved

2. Cook noodles in boiling water, until tender. Set aside

3. Cook chicken or beef in light olive oil & teriyaki sauce. Set aside

4. In a large wok, add oil and cook vegetables for about 3 min. Add the sake mixture and continue cooking until vegetables are tender.

5. Toss in noodles & meat and heat for 2 min.

6. Serve hot and top with cilantro.

ENJOY!

Heather

Mexican Meatball Soup

with Rice and Cilantro

&

Homemade Empanada’s

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 (main-course) servings

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbl olive oil
• 2 ¾ cups chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 small bay leaves
• 72 ounce beef broth
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• ½ cup chunky tomato salsa (medium-hot)
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

___________________________________________

• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• ¼  pound bulk pork sausage
• 6 Tbl yellow cornmeal (bread crumbs)
• ¼ cup milk (almond milk)
• 1 large egg
• ½  tsp salt
• ½  tsp ground black pepper
• ½  tsp ground cumin

_______________________________________

• 1 cup quinoa or long-grain rice

Preparation:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 ¾ cups onions, 2 garlic cloves and bay leaves; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes with juices, salsa and ¼ cup cilantro; bring to boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine ground beef, pork sausage, cornmeal, milk, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, then remaining 1 cup onions, 2 garlic cloves and ¼ cup cilantro in medium bowl. Mix well. Shape meat mixture by generous tablespoonfuls into 1- to 1 ¼ -inch balls. Add rice and meatballs to soup and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and meatballs are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with hot-out of the oven- Empanada's.

Empanada's

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½  pounds ground beef
• 1 ½  pounds ground pork
• 10 pickled cherry peppers/ jalapeños (take your pick, hot or mild), chopped
• 2 Tbl of the brine from the cherry pepper jar
• 2 Tbl of tomato paste
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat a large skillet to medium high, cover the bottom of the skillet with the olive oil, add the onion and garlic, and fry until the onions and garlic are transparent and starting to brown
• Add the beef and pork, stirring and mixing with the onion/garlic mix until they are fairly well done
• Drain the grease from the pan, then turn the heat to low
• Stir in the cherry peppers, pickling brine, tomato paste and mashed potatoes, and mix it well enough so that you have this gloppy concoction that sticks together

• Turn off the heat, taste your filling, and adjust with salt and cayenne pepper to your taste, stirring things up so that the salt and pepper are evenly distributed throughout the mixture

Now you will be ready to fill your pastries. I use Rhodes frozen dinner rolls dough. I use 1 roll per empanada. Same dough i use for my Runza's.

Place a large rounded tablespoon of the filling onto the dough, fold dough over and press seal closed with a fork. Bake for 10-15 min until the Empanada's are browned.

This soup has a KICK to it for sure! The garlic and peppers add so much flavor to the broth- it makes me wonder how may other delicious variations of this I can make!

Enjoy!

Heather

Baked Kale Chips

Need something crunchy & salty to snack on , but are trying to quit the store bought, hydrogenated oil saturated, carb filled snacks?!?!

You MUST try these!- So simple & delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon infused olive oil

(if you dont have infused oil, just use olive oil & 1 teaspoon seasoned salt )

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.               

ENJOY!

Heather

MSG

It does more than just add flavor…

It adds POUNDS!

 Interesting fact: In the wild, rats and mice don't get fat.

When they are full they stop eating. Most animals, including humans, are like that. When we are full our brain says, "Stop Eating." So… Why are people gaining weight? I know they are eating too much food, but the question begs to be asked, "Why are intelligent people eating too much food?" Why CAN’T they stop? ……

I kept running across research which involved "MSG treated" mice and rats. Bet you didn’t know that hundreds of reports indicate that scientists all over the world are creating obese rats and mice that they use in diet and diabetes test studies? What stood out was not that researchers were researching MSG, but that they injected or fed lab animals MSG to make them fat. That's how they do it! (National Institutes of Health)

That got me thinking…. Could there be some chemicals in our food that could be causing our tremendous obesity epidemic? So I did a little research…. Why are they creating fat rats and obese meese? I mean mice. Because there are few types of rats or mice that are naturally obese so scientists have to create them. How do you make a rat fat? It’s not at all difficult. When these rodents are first born, scientists inject them with a chemical that triples the amount of insulin created by the pancreas. This causes rats and mice to become morbidly obese.

I know you are waiting for me to get to the point. O.K. What is the name of the chemical they use? MSG- Monosodium Glutamate! They have even given a name to the race of fat rodents they have created: “MSG-Treated-Rats.”

Wait a minute, you may be saying…. which is what I was thinking….. Isn’t MSG in practically everything we eat? Bingo. You just hit the jackpot.

Check out the food in your cupboard, your pantry, your refrigerator. You can easily find MSG in Campbell’s “mmm, mmm, good” soups, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, frozen food dinners, flavored Pringles, Lipton noodles and instant soup mix, Progresso soups, salad dressings, even the low-fat versions, Doritos, Lays flavored potato chips, Planters salted nuts, canned tuna, Boar’s Head cold cuts – almost everything.

You may say- well, that’s old news to me! I shop at Trader Joes, Met Market or Whole Foods because I eat healthy….. Well stop thinking you will escape MSG if you shop at markets that claim to sell healthy food. Many of the bagged, bottled, frozen and canned foods at Whole Foods, etc contain MSG hidden under another name (see the list below). Some of the deli dishes as well as those on the hot bar and the take-out rack also contain hidden MSG.

Hidden MSG is not limited to use in food. MSG sensitive people have reported reactions to soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, and cosmetics that contain hidden MSG. The most obvious common hiding places are in ingredients called "hydrolyzed protein" and "amino acids."

Drinks, candy, and chewing gum are also potential sources of hidden MSG. Also, aspartic acid, found in aspartame (NutraSweet) ordinarily causes MSG type reactions in MSG sensitive people. Aspartame is found in some medications. Check with your pharmacist. Binders and fillers for medications, nutrients, and supplements, both prescription and non-prescription, and some fluids administered intravenously in hospitals, may contain MSG.

When talking about food labeling and avoidance, just as sugar can be hidden in myriad terms, so, too, does MSG go by various names? Following is a list of ingredients which either absolutely contains MSG or which often create MSG during processing:

glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Monopotassium glutamate
glutamic acid
calcium caseinate
sodium caseinate
hydrolized corn
gelatin
textured protein
natrium glutamate
carrageenan
natural pork flavoring
bouillon and broth
soy sauces, extracts and proteins
flavors and flavorings
natural flavors and flavorings
hydrolized vegetable proteins
autolyzed yeast
hydrolyzed yeast
yeast extract
protein isolate
malt extract
barley malt
bouillon

That’s at least 24 names that MSG is hidden under! Food companies that label their food as “No MSG Added” get away with marketing as such by using one of the additives above. This practice of getting away with miss-labeling is disgusting.

MSG is an addictive chemical (proven through laboratory testing) and is added to food so the consumer keeps coming back for more & MORE. Obesity kills more people than smoking or drug overdosing but nobody seems to care that children are eating this stuff up every day, every meal. It’s illegal to give a child a cigarette or a beer – as it should be, but it’s perfectly acceptable to give a child food & drink laden with MSG & other chemicals which causes obesity & diabetes and that’s perfectly ok because its FDA approved.

The FDA is EMPLOYED by the food industry people…. They aren’t there to help us- they are there to make their Bosses- the Food producers $$$$$$..... Think about it…. Just….think…..

Think before you put something in your mouth… or on your family’s dinner table.

I recommend that EVERYONE watches “Hungry for Change”. It’s FREE & online for the next 10 days on www.hungryforchange.com.

Heather

Grilled Roast Beef sandwiches

with sweet onions & jalapenos

Ingredients:

·         1.5 lbs sliced Italian roast beef

·         4 fresh rolls- your preference- ciabatta, french, sourdough

·         4 slices- Pepper Jacks Cheese

·         1 Walla Walla sweet onion- sliced thin

·         2 jalapeños- diced into rings

·         Mayo

·         Olive oil

·         Balsamic Vinegar

Prep:

1.    In a large skillet add olive oil and heat on high. Add in the onions & jalapeños and sauté. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar & stir. This helps caramelize the onions. Cook until they are soft and clear in color.

2.    While cooking onions, turn your oven to broil. Slice rolls open, add cheese to top of rolls and place rolls in oven and cook till cheese is melted and bubbling. Bread will be toasted brown.

3.    Take a small sauce pan, add 1 tsp olive oil and heat on high. Add roast beef to pan and lightly toss until meat is warmed and browned.

4.    Take your toasted bun, add small amount of mayo to bottom bun, then add beef and sautéed onions & peppers.

I served these spicy sandwiches with my Moroccan Potato Casserole

which I posted yesterday.- Enjoy

Heather

Moroccan Potato Casserole

This is a colorful dish with a dressing made from fresh herbs and spices that gives this vegetable dish a Moroccan flavor. This is also a great vegan recipe J

Ingredients

• 6 cloves garlic
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• ¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¾ cup chopped parsley
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 Tbls red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbls olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs red potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 cups grape tomato's, cut in half
• 3 Tbls olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Combine garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, paprika, cumin, and cayenne in a food processor bowl. Process until mixture forms a paste. Add herbs, and pulse a few times to blend. Add lemon juice, vinegar, and 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil; blend. Season to taste with salt.

1

2

4

3

3. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, peppers, and celery. Season with salt, and toss with herb sauce. Transfer to a large shallow baking dish. Scatter tomatoes among the potato mixture. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons oil over top, and cover with foil.

4. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil, stir and continue baking until vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 more minutes. Serve warm

Great side/main dish that is served warm

My mom always made this dish but its been about 10 years since i have had it- so i thought it was time for me to resurrect this recipe! This dish is SO flavorful & exotic I always want a second helping. - Enjoy

Heather

Posted:

Photographer:

Tilapia Corn Chowder

This light soup is a great way to slip fresh corn (and tilapia, of course!) into your menu.

Make it a meal: Enjoy with a mixed green salad and oyster crackers.

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ounces bacon, (about 2 slices)
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces Purple potatoes, diced

• 1 large Turnip, diced

• 2 cups fresh corn kernels, (about 4 ears)
• 1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbl chopped fresh chives

Preparation

1. Chop bacon and cook in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

2. Add oil to the pan, add celery, leek, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, turnip and corn. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender and the corn is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in tilapia and thyme; return to a gentle simmer. Cook until the tilapia is cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

3. Stir in half-and-half, lemon juice and the reserved bacon. Garnish with chives.

Serve with green salad and some crusty bread! - Enjoy

Heather

Nutrition
Per serving :288 Calories; 10 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 78 mg Cholesterol; 21 g Carbohydrates; 31 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 453 mg Sodium; 598 mg Potassium