Baked Eggs with Spinach

Sometimes when I sit down to write a blog post, I have a sense of deja vou.  Then I search my own archives.  Oh that’s right, I did make Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomatoes this summer!  Well this one is different, OK?

I found this recipe for Baked Eggs with Spinach and decided to try a miniature version in a loaf pan.  Unless you’re feeding a crowd, a 13″x9″ pan is pretty big.  I had just picked up a new carton of Land O’Lakes eggs from the store (see disclosure) and there’s always a box of spinach in my freezer.  Really, the most difficult part of the recipe is determining when the eggs are done.  You can use the old fashioned method of shaking the pan, but the eggs are quite hidden under the breadcrumbs and cheese.  So you might try the more modern method of a food thermometer.  Based on the picture below, I need to improve my skills in this area.  This still ended up a rich and delicious lunch, and I’ll be sure to practice again soon.

 

 

Baked Eggs with Spinach

1 T Smart Balance Light
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Land O Lakes eggs
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350F.  Place margarine in loaf pan, and bake for 4-5 minutes to melt.  Remove pan from oven, and stir spinach in melted margarine to coat.  Create two indentations in spinach, and carefully crack an egg into each space.  Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until eggs are set.

– Adapted from Serious Eats

Disclosure: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a coupon for 2 dozen free eggs from Land O’Lakes.  The opinions in this post are completely my own, and I was not compensated by any other method to write this review.

Crockpot Potato Vegetable Casserole

I declared this past Saturday a “No-Homework” day.  My house was a mess, the laundry was piled high, my refrigerator was empty, and I needed a break.  To celebrate the occasion, I told my friend Tara to come over for dinner.  OK, it was a little ambitious to think I could completely clean and organize my house in one day and get dinner on the table for us.  I am lucky to have friends who aren’t very fussy, and will pretty much try anything.

I decided to use my crockpot to make this Layered Vegetable Casserole.  No, this is not a typical Saturday night dinner, but it is a pretty decent meal and reminded me a little of potato skins.  I used mostly frozen vegetables here, but I see this as a dish that could be changed from season to season based on what’s available.  And of course, if you have homemade tomato sauce in the freezer, that would make it even better.  Next time I would use a little more sauce which I think would help the vegetables cook more easily.  There are a few more versions of this recipe floating in my head, but in the meantime enjoy!

 

 

Crockpot Potato Vegetable Casserole

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 c. corn
1/2 c. peas
1 T Italian seasoning
1/4 t black pepper
3 large potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1 (16 oz.) bag frozen broccoli
1 1/2 c. reduced fat shredded cheddar

In a bowl, mix tomato sauce, carrots, corn, peas, and spices.  Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray.  Layer 1/3 of the potato slices in the bottom.  Add 1/3 of the broccoli, followed by 1/3 of the vegetable sauce.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat layers (potatoes, broccoli, sauce, and cheese) 2 more times.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or until potatoes are soft.  Serve garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

-Adapted from Happy Healthy Mama

Taco Bowls

Do you need a really easy crockpot chicken recipe?  Then check out these Taco Chicken Bowls from Budget Bytes, one of my new favorite recipe blogs.  It looks like a great meal, whether you’re cooking for a family or just yourself and the freezer.

Do you need a really easy vegetarian crockpot recipe that uses only the ingredients which you have on hand?  Then check out my version below!  You don’t need to use your crockpot for this one, I am sure a pan on the stovetop would work.  But it is a lot easier to just turn the crockpot on High and forget about it until it’s dinnertime.  This dish may not be particularly unique, but it was a hot balanced meal that hit the spot.  And even better, it makes a great lunch for the next day!

 

 

Crockpot Taco Bowl

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (8 oz) package frozen corn
1 T chili powder
2 t cumin
1 t minced garlic
1/2 c. water
Brown Rice
Shredded Cheddar
Sour Cream

Place beans, tomatoes, corn, spices, garlic, and water in the crockpot and stir.  Cook on high for 3 hours.  Serve mixture on a bed of brown rice, topped with shredded cheddar and sour cream.

-Inspired by Budget Bytes

 

Whole Wheat Oat Bran Muffins

A few people mentioned that if I was going to take a break from blogging, then I should have made my last post something more exciting than Cranberry Tofu.  I see what they mean, it would have been more fun to look at chocolate cake or even a nice fall soup.  Sorry about that.  I am not entirely sure that Whole Wheat Oat Bran Muffins are exactly what you had in mind, but here they are.

I had oat bran on hand from the Dukan Pancake experiment, and thought it would be nice to make some muffins.  Because these days, sometimes I don’t even have the energy to make Overnight Oats for breakfast.  I used this Oat Bran Muffin recipe, and substituted whole wheat flour for the white flour.  I admit the muffins are fairly dense and not overly sweet, but I like them!  And I think they’ll be perfect with the Grande NonFat Misto that I seem to grab every day.  Next time I might add raisins to make them a bit sweeter, but since I now have a dozen 11 of these in my freezer, I’ll be set for breakfasts on the run for a while.  Thanks for sticking with me this month, I miss blogging regularly and can’t wait to get back to it.

 

 

Cranberry Marinated Tofu

You guys know I love leftovers, and this recipe for Leftover Cranberry-Soy Sauce Tofu is very creative.  Except I didn’t have leftover cranberry sauce, I had fresh cranberries leftover from this Butternut Squash Cranberry Rice.  So I modified things a bit and ended up with a few decent meals.  But if you do have leftover cranberry sauce, this recipe would be even easier.  Lunch the day after Thanksgiving perhaps?

My first meal with the tofu was the sandwich you see below, but I wasn’t that impressed.  I served the remaining tofu over brown rice, and liked that much better.  The tofu had a subtle taste that was more savory than sweet, and I liked that the marinade still had visible chunks of cranberry. This was a great idea, and I’ll be on the lookout for more from the Lunch Box Bunch!

 

 

Cranberry Marinated Tofu

1 heaping cup fresh cranberries, rinsed
1/2 c. apple juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T lemon juice
1 T brown sugar
1 block tofu, drained and cut into 9-12 slices
Oil

Mix cranberries, apple juice, soy sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar in a small sauce pan.  Simmer on the stove for 20-30 minutes, until most of the cranberries have burst.  Let cool slightly, and then place tofu slices in marinade.  Allow the tofu to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Add tofu pieces and sear on both sides.  Add the marinade to the pan, and continue to cook until the marinade is reduced.  Serve over brown rice.

-Adapted from the Lunch Box Bunch

Oat Bran Galette

Last week, a group of us got together to discuss the Dukan Diet.  As a future dietitian, I think it’s important to understand the various diets out there so you can speak intelligently to patients and clients.  So I am not in any way advocating the Dukan Diet, but I did think it was interesting that the diet recommends a daily serving of oat bran.  A popular way to get this serving is to make an Oat Bran Galette with oat bran, yogurt, and egg white.  I decided to trade in my oatmeal this week for some oat bran, and give it a whirl!

 

 

There’s nothing magical about this oat bran galette, but it did taste pretty good and was more filling than I expected.  Now that I have a whole container of oat bran, I’ll have to try some other variations.

 

Reusable Sandwich Bags

If you know me at all, you know my lunchbag.  It can stretch to hold breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus it’s washable, collapsible, and has a cool shoulder strap.  (OK, maybe it’s not that cool, but it’s easy to carry!)

 

But of course, what goes in your lunch bag is just as important.  As a back to school present this semester, my Mom made me a reusable sandwich bag and reusable snack bag.  You can purchase these from sites like Snack Taxi, but she wanted to try to make her own.  She used this pattern with a basic cotton print on the outside, ripstop nylon for the lining, and a Velcro closure.  Aren’t they cute?

 

 

I’ve used the larger bag for sandwiches of course, but I also put fruit in the bag sometimes to prevent it from being dented.  I’ve used the smaller bag for things like carrots and crackers.  If my Mom makes more of these, there may be a few tweaks to ensure they are more durable.  I’ll keep you posted, but if you’re crafty, you can probably give us tips!

Disclaimer:  To the best of my knowledge, the FDA has not specifically approved ripstop nylon or other fabrics as safe for food storage.  I am posting my personal experiences, but am not qualified to evaluate the safety of this product.

 

 

Crockpot White Bean Pumpkin Chili

My cooking club theme this month was “Soup’s On!” and we all made soup, stew, or chili.  I brought this White Bean Pumpkin Chili, and we also enjoyed Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Butternut Squash Apple Soup, Beef Stew, and Blueberry Soup served over vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Many spoons were used and a good time was had by all.

I saw this Crockpot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili on Skinny Taste, and wanted to make a vegetarian version.  I also swapped a jalapeno pepper for the canned chilis.  The chili came out great, and the beans were nice and soft and made the chili thick.  The recipe is easy, and remember that the crockpot can cook while you sleep!

 

 

Crockpot White Bean Pumpkin Chili

1 T canola oil
1 large onion, diced
2 t minced garlic
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
1 T cumin
2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
3 c. vegetable broth
1 T chili powder

Heat oil in a large frying pan, and saute onion, garlic, and pepper for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned.  Stir in cumin.  Place mixture in a crockpot, and add beans, pumpkin, broth, and chili powder.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

-Adapted from Skinny Taste

Lentil Meatballs

Lentils are such a versatile low maintenance bean.  I’ve made lentil soup, and lentil curry, but then I saw this Lentil Meatball recipe from In Jennie’s Kitchen.  I am not trying to pretend that these meatballs are the same as those that use beef and/or pork, but this version has much less saturated fat and is a lot less expensive to make.  Plus, they get nicely crisp on the outside and have a fantastic taste!  Jennie reported that she simmered these in sauce, and they held together nicely.  Mine did not seem quite that sturdy, but I admit that they were crowded in the pan which didn’t help.  Oh well, the one that fell apart first became an appetizer.

The best way to fit this recipe into a busy lifestyle is to consider it as 3 distinct steps.  On a day when you’re home, go ahead and simmer a batch of lentils.  On the day before you are going to cook them, assemble the mixture and refrigerate it.  On the following day, you can fry the meatballs in oil while you’re heating up the sauce and boiling the pasta.  And then you can sit down to a fabulous vegetarian meal.

 

 

 

As much as I liked these meatballs, they did soak up quite a bit of oil.  I’d love to make them just a little bit lighter, so next time I’ll try to bake them and let you know how it goes.