Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

How to make easy individual mini quiches

 I love breakfast foods. However, I tend to have a hard time waking up and eating a meal right away. I like to enjoy a couple cups of coffee before I even get hungry and I find myself eating more breakfast foods at other times of the day.  However, my one year old is ready to throw down as soon as he wakes up. Since I have no appetite when I wake up, it can be challenging to cook a meal. So, I went on the search for some easy breakfast foods that I could pre-make and even possibly easily reheat for my little one in the morning. I have seen these little quiches around and thought I would give it a try. One of the biggest appeals for me is that they can be pre-made, refrigerated, frozen and then reheated again. These are also healthy if you use fresh healthy ingredients, like free-range cage-free eggs and veggies. However, use whatever your little heart desires. I won't tell. I already know how to make a quiche and I certainly know how to make an omelet. This dish combines the two, except there is not a crust, which is a good way to cut back on even more calories. 
Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe. It Is very simple.
 
Ingredients:
8 fresh eggs (if possible cage-free)
3 tbsp. Half&Half (you may also use heavy cream and even milk)
1/2 c diced tomatoes
1/2 c shredded cheese (I use sharp cheddar)
1/2 c fresh chopped spinach
1/4 turkey lunch meat (you may also use ham or omit meat all together)
a pinch of salt to taste
 
Utensils:
Large mixing bowl
Whisk/Fork
Measuring cups/spoons
Non-stick muffin pan
knife
cheese grater
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F
 
Using a whisk or fork, scramble the eggs in a large bowl. Add cream and salt.
Whisk again! Now add the rest of the ingredient all at once and whisk until thoroughly combined. You want to make sure every quiche gets a little bit of everything in it. 
Once the mixture is combined, you can pour some into each individual muffin spot. I filled mine up to the top. I also used a large Pyrex glass measuring bowl, which has a spout and handle and that made it really easy to pour directly from the bowl into the muffin pan. This recipes yields 9 individual quiches. I also added a little extra cheese to the top of each quiche before I put it in the oven. This of course is optional but I noticed it makes it a little more moist and yes, a little yummier.
Bake the quiche in a 350 F oven for 25 minutes or until cooked thoroughly and cheese is melted. 25 minutes cooked my quiche perfectly and the cheese melted just right. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before eating them because they will be steaming hot.
Voila! 
A perfect little mini quiche!
You can store the left overs in an air-tight ziplock baggie or container and put them in the refrigerator. I wouldn't leave them in the fridge for more than a day or two. You may also freeze them and heat them up as you need them. If you double this recipe you can make 1.5 dozen and store a bunch in the freezer for quick breakfasts. When you are ready to use them from the fridge, you can microwave them for about 30 seconds and from the freezer about 1 minute. I made these yesterday morning and refrigerated them. I took one out to eat this morning and heated it up in the microwave and it tasted just as moist and delicious as when they came out of the oven and that is what I like about these.
 
Here are a few other ingredient ideas to use when making these quiche.
The options are endless:
Mushrooms, onions, chives, swiss cheese, bacon, ham, peppers
 
As always, have fun in the kitchen and Enjoy!
 
 


Sunday, February 23, 2014

Eat & Drink


 
I love to cook. I have ever since I was a little girl. I was raised on real good southern food like buttery biscuits and creamy sausage gravy, chicken fried steak, enchiladas and all of the other fattening southern dishes you can think of. The older I got the more I loved cooking and the better I got at it. I can make some mean fried chicken and a delicious apple pie from scratch. I've always loved those southern favorites, and I still do. The older I get though, the healthier I want to eat. I do a lot of research and read a lot of articles on health and nutrition and once I became educated, I just couldn't go back to the way things were. The more I ate healthy, the better I felt. Foods that may have tasted disgusting to me before, soon became delicious and highly enjoyable. I feel great after I eat healthy food. I have become addicted to eating healthy over the past couple of years.
 
I am a baker at heart and I love sweets, so I still enjoy indulging occasionally and I still make less then healthy meals sometimes. However, the important thing to remember is always "moderation." Have some cake, but don't eat three slices. Have some bread, but not the whole loaf. It is okay to enjoy and indulge in moderation. Don't starve or deprive yourself. You will only pay for it in the end. There is some satisfaction and pride that comes from having a few bites and allowing yourself to enjoy something but then having enough self control to stop when you feel satisfied instead of gorging. Eating smaller meals throughout the day has proven to be the best way to keep the body's metabolism up and to maintain a healthy weight. It makes sense. 
 
"we all have a love affair with food"
 
You can check out my full collection of photos on my Food & Drink page. I am working on putting recipes to all of the photos. My 5 month old isn't interested in my recipes right now. So it'll take time. In the meantime, use them as inspiration to create your own healthy dish. Remember to have fun cooking! Experiment and play. Cooking is art and the expression of your soul through food. Whether you like to create or simply take part in the delicious creation someone else has made, we all have a love affair with food. We all associate memories and experiences with different events that revolved around food. Get the kids involved! It is a beautiful thing when a child is helping in the kitchen. I let my son help me cook and bake all the time and he really really loves it. Letting little ones help in the kitchen allows them to be creative and understand the process of making something with your own hands and then enjoying the fruit of their labor. It's teaching our little girls to be confident in their skills and they will take that with them to being a wonderful wife. I love cooking for my husband. I know he loves it. We are teaching our boys to be confident cooks as well, but also independent and a great husband. It's nice to know if I had a long day and don't feel like cooking every now and then that he can hold his own in the kitchen. So get cooking and enjoy the journey in the kitchen!
 
 
 
Tequila & Lime marinated Shrimp Tacos
 
 
My attempt at Chuy's Salsa Fresca
It came out REAL good! I think I may have liked mine better!!!
 
 
Giant Lump Crab Cakes
 
 
Shrimp Salad
I love making bowls. Rice, beans, cheese, veggies and sometimes a protein like shrimp or chicken. This shrimp salad bowl is so yummy. I use whole grain rice, black beans, pico de gallo, avocados, shrimp and sprinkle with a little cheese. Squeeze a little lime juice over the top. Enjoy!  I use very little fats and they are good fats. I sautee' my shrimp in extra virgin olive oil (coconut oil is a great alternative.) This reminds me of an Island dish. I love Island foods. I could probably survive off of fruits, veggies and fish.
 
 
Texas Teas at Chuy's
I love Chuy's. You may have never been there before. But let me tell you.... One, they make one of then best Texas teas that I have ever had and Two, they make some amazing salsa fresca and this delicious little concoction they came up with call "creamy jalapeno." Mmm, so good!
If you ever find yourself in San Antonio, you should stop by a Chuy's and enjoy some of their out of this world Tex-Mex dishes and taste bud tantalizing Texas Teas. You won't regret it. Spicy!!! 
 
 
A good hostess provides a collection of mixers and liquors!
Getting ready for the New Years Eve Party. I like to get at least a small to medium sized bottle of 4 to 5 liquors and at least 4 to 5 mixers as well. It is also a good idea to get a few citrus' together. Some lemons, limes and maybe oranges or pineapples for garnish too. It's always nice to have options.
 
 
This is what 21 well spent dollars at the produce market looks like. I love that I live in walking distance of the market. I put the baby in the stroller and we take a little walk. I will say that it makes it much easier to eat healthy and eat veggies when there is a convenient way to get them. A good reason to start a garden.
 
 
Banana Blueberry & Strawberry smoothies to start off the day. I love making smoothies. It is a great way to get a lot of fruits in at once if you have a hard time eating fruits. Use some sugar free natural apple juice or orange juice instead of milk. Other healthy options for smoothies include any other fruits, yogurt, honey, flax seed and kale. Their are smoothie combinations than I could even name. Have fun playing and experimenting until you find your favorite. Who knows you could come up with some amazing flavors.  
 
 
"Enjoy the Journey in the kitchen"