Spinach Artichoke Dip Quiche

I love quiche. When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2005, one of the things I missed was eating pie crust. Over the years I learned to do without the pie crusts. I stumbled across a blog post about quiche and saw this idea for Spinach Artichoke Dip and thought to try and make a quiche. This recipe reminds me of the Greek dish Spanakopita pie made with Phyllo dough. The filling is awesome, I thought. Hope you enjoy the recipe.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Quiche
Created 12/13/17

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6 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
½ cup heavy cream
1 box thawed chopped frozen spinach (squeeze out all the water when thawed out)
½ jar (6 oz.) artichoke hearts chopped
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Fresh cracked pepper (I did not use any salt because the cheese has a lot of salt already)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9” pie plate with butter or olive oil, your choice. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Pour the egg mixture into the greased pie plate. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

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Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is set. Test the quiche by inserting a butter knife in the center and it comes out clean.

Total Carbs: 5
Note: if not want a lot of spinach in the quiche, can do 6-8 oz. instead of the whole box.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

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Lentil Kale & Potato Soup

Tried a new recipe today,
kept it very basic and super simple. The soup turned out fabulous and it is a very flexible kind of soup. I hope you enjoy it because I sure did.

Lentil Kale and Potato Soup
Created 09/07/17

LentilKalePotatoSoup

This makes 4-5 servings, freezes well

2 Carrots, diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium red potatoes or 1 large sweet potato, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil, vegetable broth, or water
1 cup lentils, picked through and cleaned
2 heaping handfuls of kale roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
4 cups of organic low sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
Salt and Pepper to taste
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (3 or 4 dashes optional)

In stock pot, saute the carrots, celery, onion. garlic for 5 to 8 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the lentils, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for at least 15 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes. The lentils and potatoes should be cooked through. Add the kale and cook for another ten minutes.

Toppings: Add grated cheese of choice, gluten free chicken sausages all optional.

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Versatile Sloppy Joes

This recipe works well with 3 different types of proteins. This dish has been made with lentils, vegetarian crumbles or grass fed ground beef. Loving the tangy flavor with the tartness of the vinegar, along with adding fiber, and vegetables creates this into a very healthy recipe. What’s so great about this? Tweaking the ingredients to suit your taste buds is the key in making this recipe most excellent!!

Pam’s Very Versatile Sloppy Joe’s
Created 3/20/17

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Basic Sloppy Joes Ingredients (for all the proteins) 
Prepare the proteins first before adding all the ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil, coconut oil, or vegetable broth
1 additional cup of water or vegetable broth
1/2 or 1 chopped large onion (depending on the protein used, ground beef – large onion, other proteins – 1/2 onion and it depends on how much onion-y flavor you want)
1 medium carrot
4 minced garlic cloves or 2 tsp garlic powder(For picky eaters, put carrot, garlic, and onion in food processor and mince, these things can be hidden well)Salt/Pepper (optional)
2 cups of organic ketchup
1/8 cup dark molasses (if not have, use brown sugar)
2 to 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (can use what you have in house)
2 or 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce 

Pick your protein
1 lb of protein (grass fed ground beef, vegetarian crumbles, or 1 cup of green lentils)

  • For ground beef or vegetarian crumbles add – 1 can of pink beans, drained. If you want, put beans in with vegetables in processor. If your family likes beans, no need to process the beans. Brown the ground beef with onions in oil or broth until cooked. Add the vegetables with or without the beans and cook until translucent about 7 to 10 minutes.
  • For lentils, cook the lentils with oil or the broth, vegetables with or without the beans, cook until translucent about 7 to 10 minutes.  You will need to add broth or water to soften the lentils with the other ingredients. You may need more liquid because lentils absorb liquids quickly.
  • For the vegetarian crumbles, cook with oil or the broth, vegetables with or without the beans and cook until translucent about 7 to 10 minutes. Broth or water may need to be added to prevent sticking.

Add all the rest of the ingredients with the water or broth, mix well. Adjust the flavors, as needed. Simmer for 20 minutes until all the flavors are combined and cooked. For the lentils, cooking time can be up to 30/40 mins.

Baked Tofu

This is a great recipe for vegans, vegetarians or a meatless meal with a salad and beans. This is also good in wraps with sliced tomatoes, pea shoots, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers and drizzled with olive oil. For me, I think that baked tofu has better flavor than stir fried or deep-fried tofu. I used Non-GMO, organic tofu for this recipe. Enjoy!

Baked Tofu
Made October 15, 2015

BakedTofu
Prep:
Drain water from the packaged tofu. Wrap the tofu in paper towels to remove the excess water, put on a bowl, then top with a plate and something heavy to help squeeze out the excess water, for approximately 1 hour.

While tofu is being prepped, make the marinade in a bowl.

3 tablespoons Braggs Amino Acids
1/4 cup raw honey (for vegans can use maple syrup instead)
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix well, and place marinade in a gallon Ziploc bag or a container with a lid. Slice the tofu in even 1” slices and place the tofu in the Ziploc bag or container with a lid, and marinate for 4 hours. Overnight is better, brings out the excellent flavor, when baked.

Put tofu on parchment lined cookie tray or Pampered Chef stoneware bar pan. Bake 350 degrees for about an hour till center is springy to touch.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Kale and Mushrooms Baked Spaghetti

I am always looking for good healthy recipes to test. This recipe is very easy to make and the pasta choices can be gluten or rice free. I found this on another food blog I follow called http://www.hummusapien.com and I tweaked and added to the recipe only because I know that I want these flavors in this dish. What is so great about this is there are no eggs or cheese needed. I loved the idea completely. My next dish will be with spaghetti squash instead of pasta. Watch for that one. Enjoy!

Kale and Tofu Baked Spaghetti
Created on 3/10/15

Kale and Tofu Baked Spaghetti

For the Tofu Filling
16 oz. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
½ cup of hummus (I made a huge batch in the beginning of the week so I used that)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried basil
½ fresh squeeze lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of the zest

Press and drain the tofu for approximately 15 minutes. You can put the tofu on top of the colander, and put a plate with a heavy can to press all the water out of the tofu. Crumble the tofu in a medium size-mixing bowl. Add the hummus, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and basil, and lemon juice and zest. Mix using your hands or a fork, the mixture will look like ricotta cheese. Set the bowl aside.

For the Baked Spaghetti
12 oz of spaghetti pasta (Gluten Free, Corn, Wheat or Rice Free whichever works for you)
32 oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I used Simply Organic Tomato Basil from Kroger)
2-1/2 cups of water
8 oz button mushrooms sliced
½ onion sliced
½ bunch of kale, chopped
2 tablespoons of water or olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium sauté pan over medium-high heat up water or oil and add mushrooms and onions. Sauté until the onions and mushrooms are soft.

In a greased 9 x 13-casserole dish, layer the uncooked spaghetti on the bottom. If using a stone, no greasing is needed. Break the noodles in half and cross over the pasta so the noodles do not stick while baking. Add the spaghetti sauce and water. Use a spoon and mix on top of the spaghetti. It will look very watery. Top with the cooked mushroom and onion mixture and the chopped kale. Sprinkle the tofu filling on top evenly.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, remove from the oven, and let the dish set for 10 minutes before serving.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Every year on Thanksgiving, I see my beloved Sweet Potatoes / Yams traditionally swimming in fattening things like butter, marshmallows, and brown sugar. Sorry, for the bluntness but I always think to myself, what a terrible way to ruin a perfect healthy food. This recipe I found on the Food Network with Chef Tyler Florence so I cannot take credit for this one. I was thrilled to see this recipe because it is Gluten Free and Vegan. It could be Paleo friendly too, if honey is on the Paleo list. I am still learning the Paleo way so this recipe may not be Paleo friendly. The sweet potatoes sweetened with just right amount of honey and the cinnamon really makes it wonderful. I love this recipe and it is definitely worth keeping.

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Created on 11/18/14

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Ingredients
Serves 4 people, Preheat oven to 375 degrees
(Double this, it is worth it for leftovers)

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ cup of olive oil or coconut oil
¼ cup of honey
3 teaspoons of cinnamon

Toss all ingredients well in a bowl and spread single layer on a cookie sheet or a Pampered Chef Large Stoneware Bar Pan. (Cook Note: invest in the Pampered Chef Large Stoneware Bar Pan – it is worth it and you will use it all the time). Roast for approximately 25 to 30 minutes until sweet potatoes caramelize from the honey. Serve with any meal. It does not have to be Thanksgiving. Most Excellent!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Vegan Cashew Cheese

This is the first time I made this and I was impressed. I am a huge fan of cream cheese but because my diet is changing, I decided to try this Cashew Cream. I found this recipe on “luminousvegans.com” I modified the recipe because of taste. I wanted more flavor than the original recipe. What an amazing thing to make. It is wonderful on toast, in mashed cauliflower and on crackers. I highly recommend this.

Cashew Cream

Created on 11/19/14

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2 cups of raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours)
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons almond milk
2 tablespoons tahini
1-tablespoon onion powder
1-teaspoon kosher salt

Drain cashews from water and put in a high-speed blender. Add the remaining ingredients and process on high until smooth. Adjust the seasonings to your liking. Store in a container for up to a week in the refrigerator.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Bites

The not eating gluten, sugar and keeping my food plan simple is a daily challenge but I will not give up. Today, I had a really terrible craving for cookies and have seen this posted a few times on Facebook and Pinterst. This recipe grabbed my interest so I went ahead and made the snacks. It is not sweet like I pictured but to keep things clean in my food plan it was good for me to try this. I cannot take full credit for this as the recipe has been floating around for a while. Enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Bites

Created on 10/04/14

 

Banana.Oatmeal.Raisin.Bites

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas mashed well

2 cups of oatmeal

1/3 cup of applesauce

1/4 cup of Almond milk

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of raisins

Directions
Mix all ingredients well and put tablespoon size bites on a cookie tray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 mins.

Note: you can substitute raisins with Vegan chocolate chips

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf

I have been looking an awfully long time for a decent Lentil Loaf that does not have cheese, gluten (wheat bread crumbs), and eggs. I was browsing the web and came across this recipe from Oh She Glows website and modified some ingredients to match my food plan. I cannot take credit for this, Oh She Glows rocks! This Lentil Walnut Loaf is just simply amazing. The texture reminds me so much of meat loaf, I ate 2 slices in one sitting. My only regret was not having enough glaze to dip the loaf in when I was eating it. Definitely making double glaze next time. I do not think I will ever try another lentil loaf recipe again and will attempt to make burgers out this recipe. Will keep you all posted! Enjoy!!

Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf
(From Oh She Glows, modified)
Created on 9/30/2014

Walnut.Lentil.Loaf
Ingredients
1 cup dry lentils, washed and picked through for stones, twigs
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 tablespoons of ground flax seed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ of a large onion, minced
1 large celery stick chopped, fine
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 medium apple, grated – I used Golden Delicious
1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon of flax seed meal
½ cup gluten free oats grounded into oat flour with food processor
¾ cup GF breadcrumbs – 2 slices of gluten free bread, toasted and processed with food processor

For the glaze
3 tablespoons organic ketchup
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup

In a medium pot, cook the lentils with vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 40 to 45 minutes until all the stock is absorbed. Stir often so lentils do not stick to the bottom. When the lentils are cooked and the stock is absorbed, set aside and cool.

While lentils are cooking, toast walnuts in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 6 to 8 minutes and cool. Prepare the flax egg, in a measuring cup add 3 tablespoons of flax meal with ½ cup of warm water, stir well and set aside. The flax meal will thicken some into a gel-like consistency.

In a large skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, garlic, carrot, celery, apple for about 5 minutes and add the walnuts. Season the sautéed vegetables with salt, pepper and thyme. Set aside.

Mix the processed oats, breadcrumbs and the 1 tablespoon of flax seed meal in a large bowl. Add the cooked vegetables and ¼ of the cooked lentils in the bowl. In the food processor, add the 3/4 of the cooked lentils and process until fairly smooth – there will be some lentils still whole. Add the mixture to the bowl. Add the flax egg meal and stir everything well. Use your hands to mix if need to.

In a lined with parchment paper loaf pan, dump the lentil mixture and press down well with fingers. Smooth out the top.

Mix the glaze ingredients together and top on the loaf. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the loaf set for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and slice into 8 or 9 nice thick slices.

Note: Oh She Glows had ¼ cup of raisins in her loaf and 1 tablespoon of apple butter mixed in the glaze. I did not have these ingredients in my pantry and just added another tablespoon of ketchup instead. I still thought the loaf was ahhmazing!!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

**repost** Roasted Pumpkin Muffins

I prefer making pumpkin recipes from pie pumpkins versus canned pumpkin. I think that the flavor is more intense and brings a lot of depth to the recipe. Every year I try to roast quite a few pie pumpkins, puree them and put the roasted pumpkin pulp in freezer bags and store them for future use. I made roasted pumpkin muffins tonight. I was in the mood to bake that has not happened in a while. I decided to be a little bad today. I did some research on the internet and came across one recipe but did quite a bit of tweaking because I like a lot of cinnamon and nutmeg in my pumpkin desserts. Enjoy!

Roasted Pumpkin Muffins, created on 9/29/ 2012

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2 cups of roasted pumpkin (1 pie pumpkin makes about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon of ground ginger
1-1/2 cups of light brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup of sunflower seed oil
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
½ cup of pumpkin (Pepita) seeds

In a glass bowl, combine with a whisk the roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar well. Add the eggs and oil. Mix well. In a different bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt together with a fork and then combine with the wet ingredients until mixed. Mix in the chocolate chips. With a large scoop, place the batter in muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. Sprinkle some pumpkin (Pepita) seeds on top. Bake at 425 degrees for about 9 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat can serve warm or cold. These muffins are most excellent with a cold glass of milk.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

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