BIZZY BAKES

I had leftovers from the holidays for tonight's dinner but I came across this recipe on That Skinny Chick Can Bake and on Jovina Cooks Italian  and I must have been programmed to make it because I did, despite the fact, I had no need to cook tonight. I have no regrets. These little muffin like quiches are delicious and go with almost anything. I did make some changes to make these kosher (no meat and dairy at the same meal). I also had no mushrooms so I subbed avocado Individual Spinach and Avocado Quiches 1 small onion, diced 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry Olive oil 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1 avocado, chopped 1/2 teaspoon black pepper A few gratings of fresh nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 container (15 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 eggs, lightly beaten Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 12 muffin pan cups with nonstick cooking spray. In a skillet, cook an

I like making rice pilaf because they are easy to make, yet maintain a delicious flavor.  I usually cook mine in a broth but the alternative is to spice up the rice, in the pan and cook in water.  This recipe can be changed around, easily.  You could select any dried fruit, cranberries, apricots, apples or the nuts can be varied, pistachios, pecans, cashews, pine nuts. The option of fresh fruit is open, also, but should cooks with the rice for at least 15 minutes.  Add a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.  If you like heat, chili powder or chili peppers should make a difference.  I put Mexican chili which I have been adding to some dishes and that works well. I like the almonds and raisins so I stayed with them. Curried Rice Pilaf  --- adapted from allrecipes.com Ingredients : 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 3 cups organic low-salt vegetable broth 1 cup b

I have been thinking about a dessert for the Eggland's Best Brunch and I decided that homemade ice cream is simply the best.  I made some for the holiday and it was a treat for everyone.  I am about to make another batch.  I love the idea, I can stick it, in the freezer, ignore it completely and remove it for the brunch. I made my ice cream recipe and added some dark cherries, halved . You can cut the cream even more and use 1 cup whole milk and two cups cream.  I only keep the one percent milk, in the house. Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream   Ingredients : 1/2 cup one percent milk 2 1/2 cups heavy cream 3/4 cup sugar pinch of salt 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 - 2 cups halved cherries Method: 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 vanilla extract.  Then add the milk and remaining cream. Chill for 30 minutes and pour i

This may be a new badge to you as it was to me.  It is group with a great idea.  Each month they randomly select a letter and each individual picks a food that begins with the designated letter and bakes and shares the results.  It can be savory or sweet. It is hosted hosted on alternate months by Ros from The More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline from Caroline Makes. If you are interested, head over to one of the listed blogs and introduce yourself.  This sounds like lots of fun.  Join me.  On the first of the month, you can check out who has baked what.  This month, let's look for the H's. I discovered them, not too long ago, and promptly forgot about the letter for this month, which is H.  When did I remember?  After work, today.  The deadline is the 25th which means, I could participate.  With the holiday coming, where is there time to make something for an event?  There isn't but I was not going to be beaten. Dinner would be the solution althoug

 I am sure, I have said this before ---- Kristi of Mother Rimmy's Cooking Light Done Right never fails to have a recipe, for me, to make immediately.  That is what happened, this morning.  I went over there, looking for something for dinner and ended up making myself breakfast. Kristi has healthy recipes and proves that healthy eating is also good and tasty eating.  Flavor abounds in her dishes and at this point, I have made a number of them. - thanks to Kristi- As Kristi says, "Caprese salad is a favorite in this house, so why not add those big flavors to eggs?"  This fits my feelings about this recipe, perfectly.  After making it, I changed my mind to say, "this is even better than Caprese salad and that is high praise to the dish.   Baked Eggs Caprese Style (adapted from Mother Rimmy) Ingredients : 2 large eggs, sliced  1/4  large tomato, thinly sliced 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella ½ cup fresh spinach leaves salt and pepper to taste Method:

This was based on a crustless quiche with spinach and Cheddar but it didn't turn out close to the original recipe so I thank Spark for the inspiration but not really for this recipe.  It is wonderful how looking at recipes brings out our creative "genius" (yeah sure, genius).  It does bring out new combinations, mix and match recipes, daring trials and both successes and failures. It is noted that many foodies don't share their failures and frankly, I wish they would.  I learn a lot when I goof and I would learn from others, as well.  I also admit, I feel better when someone else, leaves out the sugar from a cake recipe.  Oh yes, I have done it and didn't know it until my husband was on the second piece and mentioning that the cake was the least sweet one, he has eaten.  Then, I turn my head, to the counter, and discover the measuring cup filled with sugar, hidden behind the flour canister. I am auditioning recipes for the Eggland's Best Brunch, the fi

If you look carefully, you will see little bits of red from the red pepper dip which makes this a super corn bread. Recently, I have been buying one or to dips to use, in different recipes, such as this one.  I add tomato dip to pasta dishes or meat.  I love dill and sneak it, into anything. I think, though, this red pepper dip is the best to cook with. Red Peppered Corn Bread ( adapted from Taste of Home) Ingredients: 1/2 cup Canola or Hazelnut Oil 3 eggs 1-1/2 cups low fat milk 1 tablespoon red pepper dip 2-1/3 cups gluten-free flour 1 cup cornmeal 4-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray two square pans with olive oil. In a large bowl, mix oil and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk.  Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture. Pour into two 8" square baking pan. Bake at 400° for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near th

 This is really a recipe for a quick bread.  I am hosting a brunch in conjunction with Eggland's Best .  More to come about this special brand and hopefully, my special brunch. The brunch explains why I fancied up the bread into mini bundts.  I hope to post recipes for the brunch, over the week.  I am freezing them, as much as, I don't want to.  I see no way, to bake and cook all the food, the day of the brunch.  I will have to make such items as omelets or pancakes, at that point so baked goods are being hidden, in the freezer to be brought out and hopefully devoured. I do want to mention that Eggland's Best is having a contest with cash prizes.  Check here and why not send in your favorite recipes.  You could be the winner.  I would be happy if anyone of you did win.  I posted a muffin, last week for this Muffin Monday, so I thought, it was appropriate to make a quick bread, in place of a muffin, today.  In my plans for the brunch, I decided to bake three different

 I am wondering if I ever posted a potato salad recipe.  I did a search and it brought up all kind of potato recipes but no salad.  It is hard to believe, somewhere along the line, I had not made one to post.  Then again, I rarely make potato salad.  I appreciate potatoes hot and as a result, a salad of potatoes doesn't usually appeal unless it is made of sweet potatoes. I am not sure, what got into me, but I made a potato salad from the Food Network Magazine 1,000 Easy Recipes.  I was looking through the book which is pure fun to do. Actually, I was sitting in the dentist chair, midstream of a root canal and whenever the dentist left, I checked out pages of the book which is where I saw the salad recipe.  I guess, it was in my subconscious and came out, when making dinner. You should not have to go through a root canal to look at this book.  Curl up in a chair and be prepared for an onslaught of ideas.  There were 41 potato salad recipes on about six pages.  The recip

Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash Ingredients: 2 acorn squash Spray olive oil 2 cups brown rice 1/4 cup minced onion 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped 1/4 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup  regular pecans 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and  pepper, to taste Method: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Spray inside of squash with olive oil and place on a baking sheet, cut-side down. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until soft.  Cook rice, according to package directions. Add diced onion during the final 5 minutes of cooking time. Remove  from heat and mix in the raisins, pecans, balsamic vinegar and olive oil . Season generously with salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste. Fill the acorn squash halves with rice mixture. * Next time, I would add a teaspoon of honey to the rice. Pennywise Platter           Scrumptious Sunday Link Party       Fit and Fabulous Friday   $5 Dinners

Yes, it is Thursday but I made strawberry cream muffins for the Improv which is Strawberries and Cream . Since, we unveil our beauties on this Thursday (today which is really tomorrow), I am posting early.  Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Housewif e does an admirable job with these delicious assignments and we have fun making a variety of dishes. If you would like to join us, let Kristen know. You won't be sorry.  This recipe is adapted from 1997 Taste of Home Annual.   Ingredients:   2 cups gluten free flour mix   1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds  1 tablespoon baking powder   2 teaspoons xanthan gum   1/2 teaspoon baking soda  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon  1 cups Rice Dream minus one teaspoon   1/2 cup heavy cream   1 teaspoon vinegar (I used white)   1 egg beater  2/3 cup light brown sugar  1/3 cup, oil  1 tablespoon grated lemon rind   1 cup cut up strawberries   Method:   Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the first five ingredients in a bowl

Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food, in my opinion, so when Hubby asked for it, for dinner, I didn't blink twice before I said, "Sure."   When, I came across a recipe using goat cheese, I couldn't resist.  I made a number of changes in this recipe and frankly as creamy as this was proved I made good choices. Sun Dried Tomato Mac and Goat Cheese (adapted) 1 cup low-fat milk 3/4 pound small shell shaped pasta   2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice flour 1  cup grated Gouda cheese  1 heaping tablespoon cream cheese 4 ounces  goat cheese black pepper, to taste 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped  1 cup sun dried tomatoes, snipped 1/2 cup  potato chip crumbs Method: Preheat the oven  to 400 degrees F.  Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions, cutting off  2 minutes.   Drain and rinse, keeping 1/4 cup of pasta water. Microwave milk for 45 seconds. In a saucepan over med-low heat , warm olive oil

Coffee cakes reign supreme in my house.  My husband does not like chocolate (there has to be one in every group) and he does not go for anything gushy.  His request is for cakes with nuts so coffee cakes are perfect for us.  That means this group is also perfect for me.  I can't wait to make as many of the cakes as possible. This is my second month as a member of THB and the choice of recipe is mine.  I didn't realize, when I chose the Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake, that it was the cover recipe of Lou Seibert Pappas' book, Coffee Cakes, simple sweet and savory.  The group was started by Joyce from kitchen flavours .  Check her wonderful blog out and take a look at the linky to see what the rest of the bakers made.  Another food group, hubby likes is fruit so blueberries was an excellent choice.  I love fruit in baked goods.  This had to be a winning recipe. This is an easy cake to make.  I did mix my blueberries with a little flour before adding them to the bat