Awesomest Spinach & Pasta Salad

I am not even going to waste time chatting about the weather........I want to tell you about this salad I made today. It isn't flashy but holy cow its so good. I ate 1 1/2 servings and I would have easily kept eating it. The flavors are perfection together and just thinking about it, makes me want to eat some more. I used full fat ingredients & white pasta but there are so many other healthy things packed into this salad it is more then worth any fat & calories. I dont even really love blue cheese. In years past I wouldn't have even touched the container it was in, but slowly I realized if its put with the right flavor combo it adds this amazing flavor. I would have shocked my younger-self by telling it someday you will eat blue cheese.....and not want to vomit.

Awesomest Spinach & Pasta Salad

an original recipe

4 servings

***10 WW Point Plus***

Ingredients

Salad:

6 oz. bag of baby spinach

2 cups cooked pasta, cooled

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup blue cheese

1/2 cup craisins

1 large apple diced

Dressing:

1 Lemon Juiced

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together for the salad.

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing until blended and then toss into salad

** Little Note, if you want to cut back on some points/fat/calories/you could cut back on the cheese & walnuts they added a lot of the fat (even though it was some good fat) and you could even reduce the amount of pasta. I was in a major pasta mood so it was perfect for me. Also you might even reduce the Olive Oil to 1 tbsp. because you might not even need it or miss it. This was my 1st attempt at this salad so I didnt have a chance to tweak it and reduce the points yet.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

SOUP!!!!!!

I seriously am addicted to soup. It is my favorite food I think. I had another black bean soup recipe and I swore it was on here, but alas it wasnt, which was actually a blessing since it caused me to search for another and I found this gem. This SOUP IS RIDICULOUS! It is so delicious and so perfect with some chips and makes a filling lunch. This will be heavily featured in my lunchtime rotation from now on. AND HELLO, its Weight Watchers which makes me even happier.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

borrowed from Weight Watchers

***4 Weight Watchers Points Plus***

1 1/2 cup serving

INGREDIENTS

1 spray(s) cooking spray

1 medium onion(s), finely chopped

4 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced

45 oz canned black beans, undrained, divided (three 15 oz cans)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tsp ground cumin

14 1/2 oz fat-free chicken broth, or vegetable broth

10 oz canned tomatoes with green chilis, such as Rotel Tomatoes

11 oz canned yellow corn, drained

DIRECTIONS

Coat bottom of a large stockpot with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.

Add 2 cans of beans to the sautéed onion mixture, add broth, red pepper flakes and cumin. Use your immersion blender to blend together until mostly smooth.

**If you dont have an immersion blender, you can divide the mixture in 1/2 and use a regular blender to blend, but PLEASE get yourself an immersion blender, I have said it before and I will say it again, its one of my favorite tools in the kitchen

Stir third can of beans (do not puree first), tomatoes and green chilies, and corn into stockpot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Yields about 1 1/2 cups of soup per serving.

Cousin Beth's Pumpkin Pancakes

Let's me confess. I typically make boxed pancakes. Fiber One to be exact. They are DELICIOUS!

If you havent tried it I urge you to give it a try...after you make these pumpkin pancakes though.

These are Sunday Morning Pancakes. You need more time then the box stuff, but they are worth it. The kids helped me which was fun, which probably caused them to take even more time, but they ate them with such enthusiasm I think they need to help out in the kitchen more often. I think this has started what will now be known as Pancake Sundays. These seemed fitting since the weather has turned chilly in NJ and fall is in the air. I am glad to be rid of the humidity but so sad to see summer go. I can't believe that we swam the last swim and that's that. Least we have these pancakes to put a big smile on our faces :)

Before I go on, I must thank my Sweet Cousin Beth for posting the recipe. She is an amazing wife and mother, who works her behind off, recently completed her Master's Degree and still has time to make home made pancakes. I don't get to see her often enough, as she lives too many miles from me, but since facebook we get to be intertwined into one another's lives and share amazing recipes. I will be forever grateful for this recipe, and her forgiveness for all the horrible things I did to her when we were kids. XOXO!

isnt she the coolest?

onto these beauties!

Cousin Beth's Pumpkin Pancakes

Mix together

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 c. pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tbsp. veg. oil

2 tbsp. vinegar

In a separate bowl combine

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt.

Mix dry mixture into the pumpkin mixture until combined.

Call somebody who is actually good at cooking the pancakes to do that for you. Voila!

Health Salad

Its been a LOOOONNNGGGG summer. A long summer of eating, not working out and just basically putting the kids as number one because they never left me alone :)

I am so thrilled that school started again. I can get back into my routine, get back to my healthful eating, and get back to the gym. I only gained a few pounds in the end, but I feel like my muscles went mushy and my eating is pretty sucky. So back to work!

AND back to blogging my recipes. I have a running list of some of the good stuff I have made and so I will play catch up as quickly as I can.

So on we go, I wish I found this at the beginning of the summer. I had lunch at some restaurant someplace and they had this cabbagey vingery salad and I loved it. I cant for the life of me remember where the heck it was but when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I ate it for days and cant wait to make it again.

Health Salad

adapted from Weight Watchers

1/2 Cup Serving****1 WW Points Plus****

4 cup(s) shredded red cabbage, or green cabbage

1/2 medium English cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion(s), thinly sliced

1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), thinly sliced

1 medium carrot(s), thickly shredded

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 1/2 Tbsp sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp dill, fresh, chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, cucumber, onion, garlic, and carrot; set aside.


In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over vegetables and toss to mix and coat. Chill in refrigerator, tossing once or twice, for about 1 hour. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Tex-Mex Tabbouleh

I admit, I never had tabbouleh. The name sounds cool enough, but BULGAR, not so much. But I did buy a bag to add to another recipe so I had it in the house, this recipe kept popping up on my computer so I figured I would give it a shot because most likely I would end up tossing the rest of it in 2 years when I clean out my pantry.

So WOW, I cant believe I was nervous. We fought over the leftovers in my house and I lost when I was looking forward to them for lunch when I woke up in the morning, only to come down for breakfast and see the empty container in the sink. I was beat to the punch sometime around 10 pm the night before.

If you have ever wanted to try tabbouleh, this is a great recipe to start with because if you love tex-mex flavors it will be familiar to you, with a weird little twist. I loved it and cant wait to make it again. It can star as a main meal, a side dish to grilled chicken (like I did) or you could wrap both into a tortilla.

I cant wait to try some other flavors with the rest of my bag that now will not be tossed into the trash. They really do need to come up with a better name then Bulgar....Like Grits its getting a bad rap!

Tex-Mex Tabbouleh

From Weight Watchers

6 servings

***3 WW Points Plus***

Ingredients

1 cup water

3/4 cup(s) uncooked bulgur

1 cup(s) tomato(es), diced

1 cup(s) English cucumber, diced

1/3 cup(s) cilantro, leaves, fresh, chopped

3 Tbsp scallion(s), sliced

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin

3/4 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup(s) (sliced) avocado, Haas, diced

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the bulgur and then remove from heat. Cover pan and let stand until water is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. (I chose to follow these directions instead of the ones on the bag of bulgar)

Fluff bulgur with a fork and let cool to room temperature or until just slightly warm.

Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, scallion, lime juice, oil, salt and cumin.

Add cooled bulgur to bowl; toss to combine. Gently fold in avocado and let stand 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Serve, or cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes before serving. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.

Spicy Bean Burritos

For awhile I tried to make sure we ate one Vegetarian Meal a week. I need to get back into it, but it was so time consuming to find ones that I could make fast and that I knew would be tasty. I am still scared of tofu. I wish I knew someone who knew how to cook with it, so they could make me dinner and help me get over my tofuphobia. Until then its a lot of beans, beans and beans. I have made this meal a few times because I always have what I need, its fast, and if I make a batch I can eat it for lunch for a few days. It may not seem flashy but it's really delicious! Its a great topping for a salad as well.

Spicy Bean Burritos

borrowed from Annie's Eats

Yield: about 6 servings

****7 WW Points Plus****

Ingredients:

For the bean filling:

2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. minced chipotle in adobo sauce

1 tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. kosher salt

Dash cayenne pepper

1/3 cup water, vegetable broth or chicken broth

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

6 tbsp. fresh salsa

For serving:

6 (9- or 10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed***2 points each***

1 Cup Reduced Fat Shredded Cheddar cheese

Diced tomatoes

Shredded romaine lettuce

Chopped green onions

4 Tablespoon Low-fat sour cream

Directions:

To make the bean filling, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin, salt and cayenne; stir, cooking just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add the beans and the water or broth to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and mash the mixture with a spoon or fork.

Spoon about a third of a cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top each serving with a pinch of shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, green onions and sour cream. Roll the tortilla up tightly, burrito style, and serve immediately.

VERDICT--YUMMY meatless perfection!

Eggplant Veggie Extravaganza

First things First....the last picture that I took with both my kids I used on this blog....and it was from almost 2 years ago! How sad is that??!!! I need to get a new picture up there. We all look much cuter now

It was a beauty of a day here in NJ. Nice and warm and finally sunny at the same time. It was meatless Monday in our house and it was actually Monday....since sometimes it gets pushed back into the weeks rotation. I visited Trader Joe's for the first time yesterday. It was pretty cool, but I could see spending a small fortune on total impulse buys. I was reading labels like crazy and making sure only healthy things made its way into my cart. I also had done my menu planning and had my grocery list with me so if I could get what I needed for cheaper then that was great too. So far I really like the Cat Cookies and tonight I used my breaded frozen eggplant patties. I will be going back so far just for these 2 things. I also got many more recommendations of things too look for so maybe I can manage a monthly pilgrimage without doing too much damage.

As I said I got eggplant at Joes. I am obsessed with eggplant. I love it SO MUCH. But I can not make it myself. It never comes out good. To salt, or not to salt? The breading...what a time consuming mess. When I really want it, I will get some yummy take out and enjoy someone else's hard work. UNTIL......tonight!!! With Trader Joe's help I created such a yummy and healthy meal I could barely contain myself from eating 1/2 of the baking dish.

Eggplant Veggie Extravaganza

a Juliann Easy Eats Original

6 servings

***7 WW Points Plus***

(If you chose to divide by 4 servings it comes out to 10 points per serving, I didnt figure out the points before I cooked and ate so I divided by 6---but now I realize I could have eaten more :) )

Ingredients

1 box of Trader Joe's Breaded Eggplant Patties--or any lb. of breaded eggplant (but it might change point totals)

2 cups cubed zucchini

4 cloves of garlic minced

2 large carrots shredded

1-14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes

1- 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning

1 tsp. salt

1 package frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained of all liquid

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. reduced fat parmesan cheese

1 cup + 1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

*Place frozen eggplant on a sprayed cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees until browned and crispy

*Heat a non-stick large skillet on medium heat, add the olive oil

*Put garlic directly into the oil, then add the zucchini

*saute until zucchini is softened, about 6-8 minutes, then add shredded carrots

*continue to cook for another 3 minutes and then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt & Italian Seasonings. Let simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, then remove from heat

*In a small bowl, mix ricotta with 1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese, then combine with drained spinach

*Spray 2 Quart Baking Dish with Cooking spray and place 1/2 of eggplant in the bottom of the dish

*Spoon 1/2 of the spinach mixture onto the eggplant slices

*Cover with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and top with 1/2 of Veggie Mixture

*Repeat with remaining Eggplant, Spinach Mixture, 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, and Veggie Mixture.

* Top with remaining 1/4 cup of Mozzarella Cheese and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

*Bake at 400 Degrees for 20 Minutes or until Bubbly, let rest for 10 minutes and then cut and serve....AND EAT!!!

Black Bean & Veggie Enchiladas

I am trying to serve more vegetarian meals in my kitchen. I could never ever go vegan, I like cheese too much, but to eliminate some of the meat and still keep the protein seems totally possible for us.

I made such a mess out of this meal. I dont know why but I was hungry, rushing and it was a disaster. The picture is horrible. I am sorry. I was SO Hungry, that I literally plopped it on the plate and took 1 picture and that was that. I would try again with the leftovers but the 1 1/2 that wasnt eaten was smushed into a tiny container, folded over onto itself so that doesnt look too hot either. But dont let that stop you from making these. They were SO delicious. It took me awhile to figure out how to lower the points a little. The cheese was killing me. I wanted to be true to the recipe, but I also didnt want to have one serving be so high. I think I did a good job of keeping the flavors good, having it be cheesy goodness, but the points low.

Black Bean & Veggie Enchiladas

adapted from Dinner From a Year and Beyond

serves 6

***8 WW Points Plus***

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 (14 - ounce) can vegetable stock, reduced sodium

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoons canola oil

3/4 cup red pepper, small dice

1 cup zucchini, small dice

4 ozs. grated pepper jack cheese

1 ½ cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

1 (15 - ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup corn kernels

3 scallions, thinly sliced

6 low fat/carb flour tortillas (2 pts)

To make the enchilada sauce, in a small saucepan, combine cumin, chili powder, flour, and tomato paste. Whisk to combine and cook for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in stock, salt, and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 - 5 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a saute pan to medium high heat and add the canola oil. Add the red pepper and zucchini and saute for about 3 - 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Cool slightly. Add the pepper jack cheese, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, black beans, corn, and scallions and stir to combine.

To assemble enchiladas, spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Dip tortillas, one at a time, in the sauce. Place on a cutting board and fill with about 1 cup of the filling. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in baking dish. Continue filling and rolling the remaining tortillas. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.

At this point, the enchiladas can be baked, refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen. To bake, place uncovered dish in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

I recently started to have Meatless Mondays in our house. I love meat, I dont think I could and would ever go Vegetarian, I tried it once and I lasted like 4 days. But it is a good way to save on grocery bills, find a new challenge in my kitchen, and experiment with some ingredients I otherwise wouldnt notice.

This was my 1st weeks attempt.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

borrowed and slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

***6 WW Points Plus***

4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)

1 Tbs salt

1/2 C white rice (or brown if you want to take the time to cook it), quinoa also works (I used leftovers from the night before and that made it much faster)

1 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)

1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 green onions, sliced

1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted

1 1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar or mexi blend cheese, divided

3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

6 tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro. Stir to combine well and give it a taste. Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

VERDICT: LOVED LOVED LOVED, this recipe. It was SO filling, easy to make and I didnt miss the meat at all. I couldnt believe how full I got from it. It was also really delicious as leftovers the next day. I cant wait to make this one again

Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

Have you ever seen a recipe and had to make it immediately? I saw this recipe and instantly became obsessed with making these as soon as humanly possible. I even went to the farm market and spent $9 on 4 NJ Farm grown tomatoes because if I am making these dreamy bit of heaven I want them to be as dreamy as possible.

Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

www.thenovicechefblog.com

You will need:
4 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of your favorite breadcrumbs
2 tbl butter, melted
8 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parsley for garnish

Slice off top of tomato, hollow out (leaving 1/2 inch thick shell), and chop pulp and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, butter, basil, salt and pepper. Next stir in cheese

and tomato pulp. Fill each tomato shell and then wrap each tomato individually in foil.

Grill, or bake (at 400 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted.

Garnish with parsley and serve hot!

VERDICT-YUMMY! Perfect side dish for any BBQ this summer. My tomatoes were huge so they could have used a touch more stuffing and I would like to put some cheesy on top and let that melt next time too. I just think they are really easy but look super fancy and impressive on any plate

Springy Shells

I am BAACKKKKK!

I am a horrible blogger. This spring has been the busiest on record and while I have been still putting dinner on the table and trying new recipes, I have done very little blogging. So this week is my catch up week. The worst part is I have some photos of food that look so good but I have no clue what it is. Hard to remember food you ate a month ago.

Spring is upon us and its almost time for the summer grilling season to kick up. I have been noticing so much fresh produce on the shelves and it makes me Happy Happy Happy to be able to get more veggies into every meal. This is a great dish for such a meal......if you want to see really beautiful pictures of this dish click on the link. I only hope to take such lovely photos of my food someday

Springy Shells

borrowed from the Pioneer Women Cooks

Ingredients

• 16 ounces, weight Pasta Shells (medium) Or Other Short Pasta** I used the Barilla Whole wheat**
• 1 pound Asparagus (cut Into 1 1/2 Inch Pieces) Discard Tough Pieces
• ½ pounds Broccoli, Cut Into Small Florets
• ½ pounds Zucchini (about 1 Medium Zucchini) Diced
• ½ cups Frozen Peas
• 3 whole Green Onions Sliced (white & Light Green Parts)
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 20 ounces, weight Ricotta Cheese (20 - 22 Ozs.)
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-½ cup Parmesan Cheese
• Black Pepper, Freshly Ground
• Extra Olive Oil For Drizzling

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta until extremely al dente—with still quite a bit of bite.

Melt butter with the olive oil over medium-low to medium heat, then add in the garlic. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for five minutes. Sprinkle in a little salt.

Add the broccoli and cook for one minute, then add the zucchini and cook for one or two more minutes. Add the frozen peas, still together then turn off the heat. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, and pepper until well combined.

Assembly:

Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add half the pasta, then spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over the surface. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Parmesan over the ricotta, then ½ of the vegetables. Repeat with the rest of the pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the Parmesan. End with the rest of the vegetables and the rest of the Parmesan.

Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons olive oil, then bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees or until nice and hot.

Serve with extra Parmesan, crusty French bread, and chilled white wine. Yummy!

VERDICT

This was so easy. In the time it took to boil the pasta the rest of it was put together and then it was a simple pop in the oven and wahoo it was delicious. I loved the leftovers too. It is a great way to get more veggies into your family, perfect as a spring side dish with chicken and just an all around great dish. I would love to serve this to company because its so pretty with all the greens. I am happy to have this recipe in my book to use again and again

Spinach Quiche

In my effort to make more vegetarian meals I decided to throw a quiche in the mix. I saw the crust in the store and was inspired but had no recipes on hand so I figured I would take the crust home and see what I had in the house. Luckily I had all the fixin's for this recipe. It will now be featured heavily in the rotation. I wont make you wait until the verdict....you have a brunch....you make this quiche...you are a rock star. I do apologize for this horrible picture. I meant to go back and take a nice picture of it all dished out. I forgot that night since I was going out on the town with the ladies and only picked at this yumminess with a fork, then I forgot the other 2 times I ate leftovers.....so this lame pic is what you are stuck with. Click on the link and see what it can look like.....or just trust me because I am the expert.

Spinach Quiche

adapted from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

3 TbSP. Butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained**I omitted** 1 cup crumbled feta 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese salt and pepper to taste 2 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust 8 eggs, beaten 2 cup milk salt and pepper to taste MAKES 2 QUICHE DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 2. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Split mixture in half and put into pie crust. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 eggs and 1 cup milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into each pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture. Easier to do this twice instead of trying to split the mixture evenly. 4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving. VEDICT: FANTASTIC!!!! I dont know how the recipe would have been as is, but I followed some of the reviewers suggestions and it came out great. I do think there would have been too much mixture if you used the measurements they had listed in only one 9 inch pie crust. It made much better sense and taste to split it between 2, especially since the crust is sold in a 2 pack. It was great that night, it was great the next 2 days. It was so flavorful and the feta with spinach is such a great flavor combo. You could easily make this ahead and then reheat and it would be the perfect addition to any brunch buffet.

Black Bean Veggie Burger

I am trying to introduce more non-meat meals into our diet and in my research I came across about a dozen black bean burger recipes. I was thinking that was a great place to start because we love black beans. I compared all the recipes I found and this one stood out because it seemed the easiest. I didnt have time for soaking, and lots of weird ingredients I would never use again. And almost everything I have made from this blog has been some of my favorite new dishes. So if you are looking for something different, or you just want to have a new non-meat meal in your arsenal......

Black Bean Veggie Burgers
borrowed from Dinners for a year and Beyond

makes 6 4-inch burgers or 18 sliders

****WW Points Plus 4 points each****

2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for cooking the burgers
1 cup corn----I used frozen and didnt defrost it
2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped---I omitted because I dont eat the fungus
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 potato, peeled and grated
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed - mash 3/4 of the can and leave the remaining beans whole
salt
pepper
1/2 cup panko

whole wheat buns
mini potato rolls
any burger toppings you like - these would be good with guacamole or chipotle mayo

Directions
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and add corn, mushrooms, and scallions.

Cook for about 5 - 7 minutes until softened.

Add garlic, cumin and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute.

Add the spinach, carrot, and potato and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove for the heat and add the mashed and whole beans and the panko.

Stir to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

Shape into burger or slider sized patties and place on a large platter.
Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a skillet and cook burgers until golden brown and crispy on each side.

Serve on a bun, eat it plain, they are great just about any way you would like them.

VERDICT

I fought for the one left over!!! I absolutely loved this burger. It isnt a beef burger but since we are all trying to be healthier this is an awesome way to go. I ate the leftover with diced fresh tomatoes and avocado wrapped inside a tortilla. Now I am curious to try one in a restaurant and see if they can do better, since I am not scared of them anymore. This is going into regular rotation in our house. Loved this meal!!!!