Hide the Salmon

I found this recipe on the The Lean Green Bean.  It is one of those recipes that you immediately know was put there, just for you.  No ego here….

It has so much of what I like, salmon, spinach, eggs, tomato and feta cheese.  How could I not think, it was just for me?  It is perfect and actually, after making some changes that meet my family’s needs, it was perfect.  If you have a moment go over there and see the original recipe.  I do want to make it that way but I took a shorter route which is what I mean by my family’s needs.

I presented my husband with the plate which is a colorful presentation and he happily was eating.  I wondered out loud, if I should have put the salmon on the bottom or the spinach.  His head popped up and he said, “Did you say salmon?  Is there salmon in this?”  He prodded the vegetables and sure enough, he found the salmon.  He asked, “Why did you hide the salmon?”

Hide the Salmon  (adapted)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 cup frozen spinach

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 piece of salmon, cooked

3 – 4 eggs

4 slices tomato

1/2 cup Feta cheese

Heat  the olive oil in a large skillet over medium hear. Saute the pepper and onion  for  8 minutes.  Add the spinach (Defrosted) and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Push the vegetables aside and drop the eggs in the free side of the pan and let them cook to your liking.  I turned ours over but either way is going to be delicious.

I, also put the cooked salmon slice in the pan to heat up.  Yes, I used a very  large skillet.

Now is the creative part but I am not creative so do as follows:

I used a square soup bowl which may work better than a round one.  These are the layers.

Salmon on the bottom

Spinach, onions and bell pepper on top of salmon

Cooked eggs on top of spinach layer

Sliced tomatoes with feta on the very top.

This is a delicious combination.  My husband commented on the many flavors.

Thanks to the Lean Green Bean.

This is linked to Hearth and Soul Hop     Slightly Indulgent Tuesday      Fat Tuesday         Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday Link Party    The Gathering Spot            All My Bloggy Friends    Trick or Treat Tuesdays

Spaghetti Pie

Years ago (15 ish) the school, I worked for then, bought all the administration, planners.  We got the Franklin Covey planner,  which is quite comprehensive in how you use it and what is included.  We were “requested” to do it their way and someone came to speak to us about how to do that.  My organizations skills went to work and I did it “their” way and it was the best year, for me, organizationally speaking.  I, even, recommend it to someone who wants to organize his/her life and is willing to commit.

I love the school year, when I am pretty sure, what I will be doing at most times of the day.  I know what I can get done before and after school.  My day is organized without my planner, simply because I am employed.  I am comfortable with having a schedule.  I get more accomplished with those guideposts standing straight and tall.

This brings me to the summer, when I don’t live by regular commitments.  Sure, I may have an appointment or lunch with a friend but that does not routinize the day and certainly not the week.  In the mornings, I basically know what I want to do and I do it when it is convenient, rather than when it has to be done.  It is nice for a while but I doubt, I would be happy, doing this throughout the year.

This leads into cooking.  When my children were young, I could not have cooked, as I do today.  I have no idea how the young bloggers with children manage to make some of the fancy dishes, they present on their blogs.  I admire them for being able to accomplish so much.

Chopping and sauteing is time consuming and for me, the me with young kids, I wanted something that took little time, with few steps that was edible.  It did not have to be pretty and it did have to taste good……good not great.  Spaghetti with canned sauce (I am not sure they had bottles of sauce then), no spices, maybe some browned chopped beef was a good meal.  Shepherd’s Pie was another but it was a lot plainer than the one, I make now.  You get the idea.

You may ask, what am I talking about?  I am thinking about tonight’s dinner, Spaghetti Pie.  I made that years ago.  The recipe, I made today is from another blogger’s site.  It is probably different than the one I made years ago.  I remember using cottage cheese, not even knowing what Ricotta was.  For this pie, I did use Ricotta.  Things have changed.

Spaghetti Pie  Adapted from REC(ession)IPES

• 8 ounces gluten-free spaghetti
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with roasted onion
• 1 small onion , chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano
•  10 ounce  package frozen spinach
• 12 ounce container part skim ricotta
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella
• Black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put water on to boil. Lightly grease a 10 inch pie plate with olive oil or cooking spray and set aside.

Dice onion. Cook in 1 tablespoon olive oil until onions are just translucent, approx. 5-8 minutes. Add diced tomatoes with their juice, along with oregano.

Thaw spinach, then drain in colander. Place ricotta in bowl and combine with spinach by removing small clump of spinach from colander, squeezing vigorously to remove remaining moisture, and then adding to ricotta. Add a few grinds black pepper and stir to combine.

Cook spaghetti until just al dente, drain and toss in large bowl with one teaspoon olive oil. Whisk eggs with a fork in a small bowl with 1/3 cup shredded parmesan. Toss with spaghetti.

Add spaghetti to prepared pie plate. Shape into crust shape by using fingers to flatten center  and press up the sides of the plate. Add spinach-ricotta mixture to middle of crust. Top with tomato sauce and bake, uncovered, 25 minutes.

Top with shredded mozzarella and remaining shredded parmesan. Bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes, then slice into 8 wedges and serve.

This is l inked to

Allergy Free Wednesdays     Gluten-Free Wednesdays     Cast Party Wednesdays     DJs Sugar Shack   Whatcha Whipped Up Wednesdays?

Real Food Wednesdays

Mini Veggie Pizza Toppings

There is a pizza crust to go under the toppings but the fun is in the topping.  I keep, mini pizza crusts, in my freezer, for the times, we want pizza for dinner.  The two of us eat two each with a heaping bowl of salad.  What I started doing, was making two pizzas with one type of topping and a the other two with something different.  It makes the meal more interesting and enjoyable.

Tonight, we had a more traditional pizza with tomato sauce,broccoli, onions, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.   The other pizza had carrots, radish, spinach with ricotta, Parmesan and Cheddar.  This is a nice change from pizza as we knew it, a few years ago.

For two mini pizzas……

Pizza 1

1/4 cup Marinara sauce for each of the two pizzas

1 teaspoon chopped onion for each

sprinkle of Parmesan for each

1/4 cup chopped broccoli for each

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Lay out the mini crusts.  Pour marinara sauce on two of the crusts.  Cover with vegetables and cheese.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake completed pizza for 10 – 12 minutes or until cheese is browned.

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Pizza 2

1/3 cup Ricotta cheese for each of the two

1/4 cup thin sliced carrots for each

1/4 cup spinach

1/8 cup yellow tomato

few thin sliced pieces of radish

1 teaspoon of Parmesan

1/4 cup of cheddar cheese

Cover crust with Ricotta leaving a small space at the edge that is plain crust.

Spoon spinach on Ricotta.  Top with carrots, tomato and radish.

Sprinkle Parmesan and grated cheddar cheese.  I grate right onto the pizza.

Bake in the same manner as above.

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This is linked to

Hearth and Soul Hop     Slightly Indulgent Tuesday      Fat Tuesday         Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday Link Party    The Gathering Spot      Delicious Dishes      All My Bloggy Friends      Trick or Treat Tuesdays      Kids in the Kitchen       You’re Gonna Love it Tuesdays   Keep it Real Thursdays

Creamy Cheddar Potatoes

We had our crockpot  overnight with what would have been a delicious stew type meal, called chulent.  It had beef, sausage, potatoes, kasha, brown rice, a delicious sauce and beans.  It would have been a  warming and filling for lunch on the Shabbos (Sabbath) but —- dum de dum dum.  

My husband got to the kitchen first and saw that the clock was dark.  Then, he noted the microwave was also dark.  Then, he quietly panicked and touched the crockpot which was cool.  He poked his finger into the mixture in the pot and it was cold, stone cold.  There went lunch.

Since, we do not cook on Shabbos, I put together a lunch of leftovers which did not compare to the chulent.  They were cold and while tasty, they just did not fulfill hubby’s longing for a bubbling stew.

After Shabbos……… The conversation went like this.  I am not kidding.

Me: You must be hungry, not having your chulent today.

Hubby:  I am starving.

Me:  I know.  What would you like.  Name it and I will make it.

H:  I don’t care.  Anything will do.  I am starving.

Me:  No, I want you to tell me and I will make it.

H: Anything.  I am starving.

Me: Tell me.

H:  OK, pancakes.  I am starving.

Me: Great.  You got them.

He went on  his way and I went to the kitchen to make pancakes but I did not want pancakes.  Sweet was not for me, tonight, only savory.  How could I not make the pancakes?

Continued conversation:

Me: Do you really want pancakes?

H: I don’t care. I am starving.

Me: How do potatoes sounds?

H: Fine, I don’t really like pancakes.

me: Huh?  OK, potatoes it is.

I  did make the potatoes, nice and creamy and loaded with cheddar cheese.  I did this in the microwave to cut the time.  After all, the poor man was starving or have you missed that point?

Creamy Cheddar Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and diced)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup low fat sour cream

1/2 cup low fat milk

salt to taste

Method:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, place potato pieces and water to cover.  Cook on high for 6 minutes or until potatoes are completely cooked.

Drain potatoes and place back in bowl.  

Add milk and sour cream to potatoes and mix well.

Top with cheddar and return to microwave.  Microwave for 2 minutes.

Remove and mix well so that potatoes are coated with the cheese and cream.

This is pure comfort food.   The man is not starving.

     

 

See Ya in the Gumbo    Mop it Up Mondays        Made From Scratch Monday      Inspire Me Monday         Veggie Mama’s Meatless Monday     Mealtime Monday    My Meatless Monday        Marvelous Mondays

Creamy Sliced Potatoes

Recently, I got a mandolin, not a fancy one.  This is a  handheld one that works very fast and does have a protecting piece to use when you slice.  I love to use it because of the speed.  If I am slicing an English cucumber which is quite long, it take about thirty seconds.  Granted, I move quickly but it allows for that.  It has proven to be a time saver and a work saver.  It is also fun to use.  (as long as you don’t cut yourself)

The original recipe, I thought I was making, called for hash browns.  Chopping potatoes is not what I consider fun so I opted to make a slice potato dish.  Once, I deviated from that original recipe, I threw it away, and followed my instincts.  I firmly believe, it is hard, to ruin a potato dish.

Off, I went to play with my new toy.

Creamy Sliced Potatoes

4 potatoes, sliced thin

1 medium onion, sliced thin

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup organic vegetable broth

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add potatoes and onions and cook for 10 minutes, mixing every two or three minutes.

Add the soup and black pepper and cook for another minute or two until soup is hot.

In a bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese and cheddar.  Add to potato mixture and continue to mix until cheese has melted.

Make sure the liquid has cooked out.

This has a nice creamy consistency and good flavor.

 

Three Cheese White Pizza with Spinach

Although, we are on summer vacation, I decided to go into work today, to go through some new books, for my class.  I spent a few hours there, went shopping and came home exhausted.  I am not used to putting in the work time, I guess.

I really didn’t want to cook and checked out the refrigerator.  I found some leftovers which I planned to let hubby have.  The light went on and I remembered the mini gluten-free pizza crusts, I had gotten, last week.  Why have leftovers when we can have Three Cheese White Pizza with Spinach?  How foolish would that be?  Nothing much easier than pizza when the crust is already made……

I had printed up a recipe from Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen which she just posted, yesterday.  You should go over there and see her photo of a whole pizza opposed to my minis.  She has a lot of good recipes to check out, as well.  The original recipe came from Cooking Light, June 2012.

I almost always have fresh baby spinach, in the house, but today, I didn’t so I used frozen.  It probably, is not as good, but the frozen did a great job of subbing for the fresh vegetable  and was delicious.

Three-Cheese White Pizza with Spinach  (adapted)

4 mini gluten-free pizza rounds

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large shallots, sliced

2 cups baby spinach or 4 cups frozen spinach

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 

2 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

On a baking sheet, lay out mini pizzas.

Place shallots in olive oil in a large skillet.  Heat over medium-high heat 1 1/2 minutes. Add 4 cups spinach; saute 2 minutes. Set aside.

Combine cheeses in a bowl.

 Spread cheese mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Bake at 500° for 10 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is lightly browned.

Top with spinach; bake an additional 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from oven and take a big bite.

This is linked to Gluten Free Recipe Linky   What’s Cooking Wednesday @ The Kings Court IV;  Lil’ Luna Link Party @ Lil’ Luna   Recipe Box Linky @ Bizzy Bakes; Whatcha Whipped Up @ DJ’s Sugar Shack;  Real Food Wednesday          Beyond the Peel  Gluten Free Wednesday       Cast Party Wednesdays  Works For Me Wednesday;  Good Recipes Online

Chocolate Dream

This can be put into a chocolate crust but I like desserts better than pie so I  made this dessert to delight in, every spoonful.

Chocolate Dream

Ingredients:

1    cup semisweet chocolate chips                                                                                              
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon hot water
3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa

Method:

When you remove, the almost melted chocolate, stir until it is smooth.  Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in a the microwave or on the stove.

If it needs additional microwave time, put it back for only 5-10 seconds.  

Stir again.  Continue until smooth. 

Combine coffee granules and water in medium bowl. 

Add sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract; stir until sugar is dissolved. 

Stir in melted chocolate until smooth.
Beat cream, powdered sugar and cocoa in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form.Gently mix this into other chocolate mixture.Refrigerate or freeze, depending on your preference.  It is wonderful frozen as it melts in your mouth.  It is creamy when it is refrigerated.  

This is linked to What’s Cooking Wednesday                    Tastetastic Thursday         Full Plate Thursday      Something Swanky

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Vegetables

As long as it has veggies…………pasta is not fattening………..or so I tell myself.

1 pound thin spaghetti (gluten-free)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder1 cup low-fat sour cream
plenty of Parmesan                                                                                                                                salt to tastechopped parsley

1 zucchini, diced

grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Put olive oil in skillet.  Add zucchini, onions and tomatoes.  You may need more than one batch.

Add lemon juice to pan and cook for a few minutes.

Add sour cream and mix it through.

Place drained and rinsed pasta in a baking dish.

Pour over it the vegetables and sour cream and mix.

Bake covered for 15 minutes.

Remove covering and bake for additional 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese.

Italian Cauliflower Bake

I came across a recipe for an Italian Zucchini Bake and planned to make it for dinner with a main course salad.  Off I went to the kitchen and pulled out all of the ingredients and set them, on the counter.  I, then went to get out the zucchini, but the cupboard was bare.  No zucchini.  What is a woman to do?  

Substitute, of course……  Now, what to substitute?  What is like zucchini?  Nothing came to mind.  I thought onions and I knew, I would love it but I would probably  be the only one.  I jumped to tomatoes and I do want to try it but it was too far from zucchini.  Then, I noted the fresh cauliflower just sitting there, crowding the shelf and I knew, this was it.  My Zucchini Bake became an Italian Cauliflower Bake and I even used pizza cheese to keep to the theme.

The recipe came from  Jam’s Corner, a brand new blog to me and one, I want to visit often.  There is something about the spirit of the blog that speaks to me.  I bet, you would like it too.

Italian Cauliflower Bake

2 cups chopped cauliflower

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves  garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup  grated Parmesan

1/8 cup  chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup  shredded  Pizza Jack cheese

2 tablespoons cream cheese

 Method:

1. Saute garlic, onion and cauliflower in olive oil until tender
2. Meanwhile, chop the basil and parsley.
3. When the cauliflower mixture is done, remove from the heat.
4. Whisk the egg, basil, parsley, tarragon, Parmesan cheese and salt together in a large mixing bowl. After mixing well, add the cauliflower mixture, cream cheese and the Pizza Jack cheese. Mix well.
5. Add the mixture to a greased 1 quart baking dish  and bake at 350 for 25  minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let it cool slightly.  Cut into wedges and enjoy.

Cherry Almond Ice Cream

Time for another Improv Challenge and this month, we are using cherry and almond as our two ingredients……Yummy.  At first, I thought, I would bake a coffee cake or cookies but the weather is warm and ice cream sounds, even better.  The happy result, cherry almond ice cream, delicious cherry almond ice cream.

Kristen from The Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker organizes this great project, each month.  Thanks Kristen.

I make my ice cream without eggs since we avoid raw eggs.  I, also should be avoiding, all the cream, in this recipe.  I am now looking for a low fat ice cream, even if it isn’t as creamy.

 Please check out the cherry-almond recipes from all of the other participants.

 

Cherry Almond Ice Cream 

Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 cup  cherries, quartered

1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Procedure

Pour 1 cup of the cream into a 2 quart saucepan.  Add the sugar and salt and stir mixture until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the almond extract.  Then add the remaining cream.  Mix together.

Chill for 30 minutes and put into ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions.

Add the cherries for a few minutes, at the end, of the churning.

Sprinkle almonds on top of ice cream, in the serving bowl, for crunch.

Put into containers and see how long it lasts.

Scrumptious Sunday Link Party       Sweets for a Saturday        Sweet Tooth Friday