Egg Quiche Muffins

 

Egg Quiche Muffins

Ingredients:
8 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk 
2 TBS scallions, chopped
1/4 cup red bell peppers, diced fine
1/4 cup shredded carrots, chopped
2 TBS grated cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese
2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup bread, cubed

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the inside of a cupcake tray (12 count)
2.  Beat eggs in a large bowl.  Whisk in the milk.  Stir in the scallions, peppers, carrots, cheeses, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fold in the bread.  Fill each cupcake well with the egg mixture, dividing into 12 portions.  Bake for approx. 20 mins.  

Makes 12 egg muffins

Fried Okra Fritters

 

While we were traveling through Georgia this summer, I noticed that they offered fried okra patties at one of the local restaurants.  I am not sure how they tasted because I did not eat at this restaurant.  I really do like looking at restaurant menus just to get ideas of foods to make for myself.  Plus, eating out has become difficult for me being gluten-free.  I was never a huge fan of okra in the past, but it kinda grew on me.  I thought the okra pattie was a good idea, but I just imagined something a bit on the crunchy side since okra is a little on the wet side.  I added corn for an additional crunch, some Southern seasonings, fried in oil, and served them with this lemon/garlic aioli.  

This certainly is a Southern Charm! 

Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup celery, diced fine
3/4 cup onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup creamed corn
1 egg, beaten
2 TBS lemon juice
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TBS dry parsley
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour (gluten-free)

Directions:
1.  Heat oil in a skillet on med/high temperature.  Stir in the celery and onions and cover.  Cook for 3-4 mins.  Stir in the garlic and add to a bowl to cool. 
2.  To the bowl, add the creamed corn, beaten egg, lemon juice, and spices.  Stir well.  Fold in the cornmeal and flour.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
3.  To the same skillet, add 1/2 inch of fry oil.  Heat on med/high temperature.  Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, drop approx. 1/4 cup of mixture into the hot oil.  Season with salt before flipping over to fry the other side.  
4.  Place the cooked fritters on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.  Serve with Aioli Sauce

Aioli Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup mayo
1 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TBS lemon juice
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Chill until ready to eat.  

Loaded Mac and Cheese

 

Are you craving a warm and hearty meal?  Want a tasty, creative Mac and Cheese?  Well, look no further. 
This Mac and Cheese is sure to impress and satisfy your hunger.  

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow or shell pasta (cooked al dente)
1 lb American Cheese 
4 TBS butter
1/2 cup half and half (or other milk)
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 lb bacon, fried (1/2 reserved)
1 cup sour cream (1/2 reserved)
1/3 cup scallions, chopped
2 TBS jalapenos, sliced

Directions:
1.  Cook pasta according to directions
2.  Fry the bacon according to the directions.  Place the fried bacon on paper towels to drain the excess grease.  Crumble the bacon into small pieces.  
3.  In a medium-size saucepan add the cheeses, butter, and half and half.  Simmer on low and stir until cheese is completely melted.  Stir in 1/2 of the bacon and 1/2 of sour cream.  Simmer for an additional 3 mins.   
4.  Pour cheese sauce over top of the cooked pasta and fold it together.  

Serve in individual bowls.  Garnish with remaining sour cream, scallions, bacon, and jalapenos.

Lemon Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

 

Are you grilling steak this weekend?  These have always been a family favorite.  These mushrooms are great to make for gatherings or as a side dish to any meal.  We don't always have crab on hand but if you love tuna, go ahead and use it in this recipe.  

Ingredients:
12 large mushrooms, stems removed
4 ozs cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
4 TBS lemon juice, divided
1/4 cup black olives, chopped fine
2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped fine
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
4 ozs crabmeat, reserve juice
4 TBS butter, melted

Directions:
1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2.  Remove any dirt from the mushrooms with a dry towel.  Remove stems.
3.  In a medium-size bowl add the cream cheese, garlic, 2 TBS lemon juice, olives, and parsley.  Mix well. I like using a fork to incorporate the flavors into the cream cheese.   Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add in the bread crumbs, and work them into the cream cheese.  Combine the crabmeat, making a stuffing.    
4.  Divide the filling evenly amongst the mushrooms by adding the filling inside the center of each mushroom.  Press to pack.  Top off the mushrooms with any filling that might be leftover.  
5.  Melt the butter and stir in the remaining 2 TBS lemon juice.  Brush the butter on top of each mushroom.  Bake for approx. 30 mins or until the stuffing browns on top.  

Ukrainian Pork Borscht

Many of my Ukrainian friends have said that borscht can be made in many different ways. 

It really depends on where you are from.

 I didn't realize how many different varieties there are. All I ever had was a pureed cold version.

  Some recipes call for beef, spicy sausage, pork, and meatless.

Some soups were pureed but some chunky. I also noticed many reviews suggesting no tomatoes, 

but some highly recommend it. I was intrigued to make this soup with the pork, 

and I am so happy I did.    Chunky bites of pork and beets in a vinegar-based tomato broth.  

The pairing of these ingredients is just unique.

Ukrainian Pork Borscht

Ingredients:

8 country-style ribs, boneless

1 cup carrots, diced

2 cups red potatoes, cubed, 

1 cup leeks, sliced

2 cloves, garlic, minced

2 TBS tomato paste

5 cups cooked beets

1 cup tomatoes, diced

2 cups cabbage, chopped

2 cups beet juice, unsweetened or sweetened

2 cups beef broth

sour cream

fresh dill

Directions:

1. In a large dutch oven or stockpot heat 2-3 TBS olive oil on med/high heat. Saute ribs, browning on all sides, approx. 10 mins. Remove from pot and let sit for 10 mins. Cut into bite-size chunks.

2. To the pot, stir in carrots, potatoes, and leeks. Cook for 5 mins. Add garlic and paste and cook for 2 mins.

3. Stir in beets, tomatoes, cabbage, juice, and broth. Stir in cubed pork. Cover and simmer for 20 mins or until veggies are soft. Serve with sour cream and fresh dill.

serves 12

Caribbean Meatball Papaya Stew

Caribbean Meatball Papaya Stew

This recipe is fantastic.  It has all the flavors you would

expect in a Caribbean stew.  Both the meatballs and the stew have

that smokiness from the cumin and slight sweetness from the papaya.  If papaya

is hard to find in your area, you may substitute it with another fruit, such as

pineapple, mango, or honeydew.  You can also use ground meat, such as

beef, lamb, or turkey, in this recipe.  But at some point, these Caribbean-style 

meatballs are a sure definite to make.  

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp curry powder

4 TBS tomato paste

2 cups red skin potatoes, cubed

4 cups beef broth

meatballs:  See recipe

1 cup black beans

2 cups papaya, cubed

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1.  In a large dutch oven pot, heat 2 TBS cooking oil on med/high heat.  Stir in peppers and onions.  Cook for 5 mins.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in garlic and spices and cook for another 2 mins.  Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 2 mins.  

2.  Add potatoes and broth.  Reduce temperature to med/low.  Cook for 20 mins or until potatoes are

 done.   

3.  Add meatballs, beans, papaya, and cilantro.  Stir, carefully not to break meatballs.  Simmer for 8-10  mins.

Caribbean Meatballs:

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, seasoned

1 egg, beaten

1 TBS Tamari (soy sauce)

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp onion powder

3 TBS cilantro leaves, chopped fine

1 lb ground beef, lean

Directions for meatballs:

1.  In a medium-size bowl, add crumbs, egg, and soy sauce.  Stir to blend together.  Let sit for 10 mins.

2.  Add spices to bowl, stir together.  Fold beef into bread mixture.  Roll into 1-inch balls

3.  Heat a skillet with cooking oil.  Drop meatballs into the hot oil.  Brown on all sides, approx. 5-6 mins.

Plant Based Stroganoff

 While creating this dish for a challenge, I had to use Impossible burger meat.  I knew this would be easy for me since I love this Plant-Based product.  Many times I would prefer a vegan burger over a regular beef burger.  Now, the funny part is I love bacon on my vegan burger.  So you see, it's about the taste which I enjoy, not the fact that I choose to eat vegan food.  Now, for this challenge, I thought, "who most likely would be eating plant-based meat?"  Well, besides me, who likes the taste, it would be someone who also might be omitting other ingredients from their diets, such as dairy, egg, or gluten.  

Vegan Meaball Stroganoff 

Pasta Ingredients:

1 flaxseed egg: See recipe below

1 cup cassava flour

1/4 tsp xantham gum

1/4 tsp turmeric, for color

3 TBS olive oil

1/8 tsp salt

Meatball Ingredients:

1 TBS flaxseed egg

1 tsp onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp parsley, chopped fine

1/2 tsp basil, chopped fine

1 TBS nutritional yeast

2 TBS toasted pine nuts, ground (optional)

12 ozs impossible meat

Stroganoff Sauce Ingredients:

3 TBS meatball drippings

1 cup onion, chopped

4 ozs mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 ozs English peas

4 TBS nutritional yeast

1 TBS parsley, chopped fine

1 can coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

Directions for Pasta:

1.  In a mixer, add dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Add wet ingredients and mix until all ingredients are blended and form into a ball.  Remove the dough from the mixer.  Divide the dough in half.  Wrap unused dough in plastic wrap.  Make pasta according to directions on manufacturers' instructions.  Pasta may also be hand-rolled and hand-cut into long strips.  Use extra flour to keep the pasta from sticking together.  

Cooking pasta:  Boil water in a medium-size pot.  Cook pasta for only 1-2 mins.  Drain and immediately at to your sauce.  Note:  You can also use any store-bought pasta of your choice.  

Directions for meatballs:

1.  Mix all ingredients (except meat) in a medium-size bowl. Season with salt and pepper.  Fold meat to incorporate other ingredients.  Roll into mini size meatballs.  (Keeping hands moist with water will help with the rolling).

Fry the meatballs in a non-stick skillet with olive oil, until brown on all sides, approx. 5 mins.  Remove meatballs from the skillet—Reserve 3 TBS of the oil for sauce.  

Directions for sauce:

1.  In the skillet, add the reserved oil.  Stir in the onions and mushrooms.  Saute or 5 mins.  Stir in the garlic, peas, nutritional yeast, and parsley.  Saute for 3 mins.  Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 5 mins.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.  Stir.  Add the meatballs into the sauce.  Let it simmer for an additional 5 mins.  

Serve with pasta.  Top with fresh parsley and scallions.

How to make flaxseed eggs:  For this recipe, you will need two flaxseed eggs, divided.

Mix 2 TBS flaxseed flour with 5 TBS water.  Let sit for 10 mins.  Divided in half.  

Garnish: Parsley and Scallions