Vegetable Quiche

This recipe doesn't count towards our # because I've made it before and it's already on the blog (find the recipe here: Mixed Vegetable Quiche), but I got a little creative with it this time so I had to share my photo! I made an N out of the extra crust, and I piped sour cream on the top. Gourmet breakfast for the hubby today! :)

#60 :: Ricotta Ravioli with Spinach Pesto

Jamie loved this ravioli, but I didn't. I'm not a fan of nuts, and the only thing I didn't like about this was the hazelnuts. I guess that in my mind, crunch doesn't belong in ravioli. I loved it without them. I also loved the spinach pesto...very tasty! I could have eaten it on its own!



Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh ricotta
• 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 (12 ounce) package wonton wrappers
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 4 cups spinach, loosely packed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Special equipment: Food processor

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, 1/4 cup hazelnuts, nutmeg, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Lay several wonton wrappers on a work surface. Scoop a generous tablespoon of the ricotta filling into the center of each wrapper, and brush outside edges with egg white. Lay another wonton wrapper on top of each, and press firmly with fingertips to press out air and seal ravioli. Transfer ravioli to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling, making 18 to 20 ravioli total. Cover baking sheet with a damp paper towel and transfer to refrigerator to set up, about 30 minutes.

To make the spinach pesto:

In a food processor, combine remaining 3/4 cup hazelnuts, lemon juice, spinach, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and puree until smooth.

Fill a large pot with water, salt liberally, and bring to a boil. Cook ravioli in three batches, until they are cooked and float to the top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Strain and transfer to serving bowls with a dollop of spinach pesto.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe from Cooking for Real on Food Network

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#45 :: Eggs Florentine Sandwich

Jamie came up with this great idea. We're all about using up our leftovers, and hopefully using them in a different way than we ate them the first time. Jamie's idea was to use our leftover Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip on a ham, cheese and fried egg breakfast sandwich to create a Florentine sandwich. Excellent idea, it was yummy!

Ingredients

• 4 slices of crusty french bread
  
• 2 Tbsp. butter
  
• 2 eggs
  
• Sliced deli ham (we used honey ham)
• Sliced deli cheese (we used cheddar)
• Leftover Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Salt & pepper to taste
  
  

Directions

Over medium high heat, melt the butter in the pan (or on the griddle). Lay 2 pieces of bread in the pan to brown. Top one slice with your spinach dip, ham and cheese. At the same time, fry 2 eggs. Place the fried egg on top of the cheese, to help the melting. After the egg is placed, flip the 2nd piece of bread over and place it on top of the sandwich (browned side up). Flip the entire sandwich and cook for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted and gooey.


Makes 2 sandwiches

Recipe from: Jamie

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5

#32 :: Mixed Vegetable Quiche w/ Cheddar & Parmesan

Yesterday was Jamie's day off, so I got up early to find a good quiche recipe for breakfast/brunch. I have so many veggies in my fridge right now that I need to use up, so I was looking for something to incorporate all the veggies I had. I stumbled upon the BEST quiche recipe EVER. This has to be in the top 5 list of the best things I ever ate. Just the two of us ate the entire quiche, and were sad that we didn't have more! (I topped the quiche with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley, which wasn't in the recipe.)

Ingredients

• 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust (I made my own - see below for the recipe)
  
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup cooked stir-fried vegetables (we used a green bell pepper, a yellow squash and half of a medium red onion - all diced)
  
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Cheddar
• 1/4 cup low fat milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Press pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch, removable-bottom tart pan (or 9-inch pie pan). Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, stir-fried vegetables and place on top of uncooked crust. In another bowl combine ricotta, cheddar, milk, eggs, Dijon, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Spoon cheese mixture on top of vegetable mixture in prepared pie crust and top with Parmesan.

Bake 20 minutes, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and crust is golden brown.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Recipe from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller on Food Network.

Star Rating: 5+ out of 5 stars

Pie Crust:

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 to 10 tablespoons ice water

Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove 1 of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients. Yield: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts

#3 :: Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip

This dish, also, almost didn't happen. Grocery shopping on New Year's Eve was a nightmare, every store was packed. I should know, I went to three of them. I think I waited 10 minutes at Giant Eagle for a shopping cart, because they were all in use. I told myself if the third store didn't have a box of frozen artichoke hearts that I wasn't going to make this dish. Luckily, Heinen's came through for me and had my last ingredient!

Ingredients

• 2 (10-ounce) boxes chopped frozen spinach
• 1 box frozen artichoke hearts
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg, or to taste
• 1 cup Gorgonzola crumbles
• 1 1/2 cups shredded (a little larger than grated, available in tubs) Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Thick sesame bread sticks, celery hearts, or tortilla chips for dipping

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Defrost spinach 10 minutes on defrost setting in microwave then drain well by wringing out in dish towel. Defrost artichokes as well, 6 minutes on defrost in microwave then wring out and finely chop.

Heat a sauce pot with butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic to melted butter and stir 1 to 2 minutes, then sprinkle in flour and combine 1 minute more. Whisk in stock and milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Thicken 2 minutes then remove from heat and melt in Gorgonzola. Stir in spinach and artichokes and half the shredded cheese then transfer to a small casserole and top with remaining cheese. Brown and bubble in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with bread sticks, celery hearts and pita crisps for dipping.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

Recipe from 30 Minute Meals on Food Network.

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars