mushrooms + spinach + quiche recipe = love

i have a dirty love affair with quiche.  it's 'dirty' because i'd have quiche more often if i could...as long as it wouldn't add a few more pounds around my waistline or clog my arteries.  i'm a big fan of spinach and love mushrooms even more, so i was determined to create a recipe that would combine my love for vegetables and this pastry dish.  my vegetarian spinach mushroom quiche recipe is a healthier take on this typical brunch fare...and very easy to make.


spinach mushroom quiche

• 1/4 c. butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped (i used red, but it's your preference or whatever you have in stock)
• 3 c. fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped (pat dry completely before chopping)
• 2 c. fresh mushrooms, rinsed and chopped (i used baby bellas)
• 2 1/2 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 c. shredded cheddar
• 1/2 c. gruyere & cheddar cheese mix, shredded (Trader Joe's sells this kind)
• 1/4 c. green onions, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste (i used 'everyday seasoning' for less sodium)
• 1 9-in. unbaked deep dish pie crust (i used Pillsbury brand found in grocer's frozen section)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c. low-fat milk

stir completely in pan after adding feta and cheddar cheeses

this TJ's mixture is one of my favorite:  it comes in blocks, so easy to slice or shred

shredded gruyere + green onions

pre-heat oven to 375 deg. F.  melt butter in a large pan over medium heat on stove top.  saute onion until golden and then add garlic.  add 'everyday seasoning' to taste.  stir frequently and heat for additional 5 minutes.  add spinach and mushrooms until entirely cooked.  stir in feta and cheddar cheeses until melted.  spoon spinach/mushroom mixture into pie crust.  beat eggs and mix in milk and green onions (NOTE: i added the green onions with the cheese topping and the onions got burned, so add in the egg mixture instead).  pour egg mixture on top of spinach mixture, making sure that egg mixture gets to the bottom crust.  mix lightly.  place pie crust on lower rack (~6-8 in. above bottom of oven) for 15 minutes.  add the shredded gruyere + cheddar cheese to top of pie.  bake for additional 30-40 minutes until cooked thoroughly and top is brown.  remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.  i like eating mine cold, so i have it sit in fridge overnight and then eat.  it also allows the crust to soak up any leftover liquid and become more firm.  another very similar recipe can be found in allrecipes.com's spinach quiche.

breakfast smoothie, greek yogurt parfait + whole grain waffles

 starting the day with an early morning walk with the dogs and a healthy breakfast will prepare you for any busy day.  mondays are never my favorite since i always have errands, appointments or research for school to do.  so today, i thought i'd start out on the right foot with a favorite subject: food.  this morning, 'breaky' consisted of a veggie/fruit smoothie (minus milk products or sugar), 2 whole grain waffles,  and my version of the typical yogurt parfait (greek yogurt, pecan granola, and a touch of honey).  and always, remember to take your vitamins and/or supplements!

non-dairy breakfast smoothie

• 2 small carrots
• 1 small stalk of celery heart
• 5 strawberries
• 1/2 c. orange juice (i used Tropicana50)

after cleaning the produce and breaking the carrots and celery stalk into thirds, i included all ingredients in the Bella Cucina Rocket blender (it's a miniature blender that has personal plastic cups to blend in) and blended until the consistency was relatively thick.  serve immediately...or is easy to bring with you when you're on-the-run.

best C's: chocolate chip cookies + chili

'father winter' has finally set into my bones.  the cold weather makes me want to stay home and cuddle-up with my loved ones...and, of course, bake + cook.  this past week, i set-out to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.  looking through my cookbooks, i found the EXACT one i was craving, in the Better Homes & Garden cookbook.  the same recipe can be found online (BHG big chocolate chip walnut recipe).  

my 'big' dark chocolate chip-walnut cookies

NOTE:  i had a few personal changes to this online recipe because i wanted them 'big' so i followed the cookbook's instruction to fill 1/4 c. or scoop with the dough to place each on the un-greased cookie sheet approximately 4 inches apart from each other.  flatten each drop to circles to make each 3/4 inch in height.  bake them at 10-12 min. (or until lightly brown at the edges) in the oven at the recipe temperature.  the cookies will come out soft and absolutely delicious!  the 'big' recipe yields ~ 20 large cookies.  i love dark chocolate, so i used dark chocolate semi-sweet morsels and increased the amount just a bit.

i love vegetarian chili and this recipe has been a through-and-through sensation with family members who are carnivores.  so you know, it's darn good!  i needed a delicious bowl (or potful to freeze or put in the fridge for the rest of the week) STAT.  this recipe is easy, hearty, healthy and tasty!

vegetarian 3-bean chili  (found in The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook.  this cookbook is my ultimate go-to for anything vegetarian, and it can be found on Amazon.com at 'new' and 'used' prices.)

PREP: 20 min  TOTAL COOK TIME: ~30 minutes

*ADVICE: rinse your canned beans in cold water. 

it decreases the amount of sodium 

that's typically added to canned beans.

• 1 can black beans, rinsed + drained (i used 2 cans this time)
• 2 tbs oil (i use olive oil)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (i use red onion because it's sweeter)
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped (i use a tad bit more because i love garlic)
• 2 tbs ground cumin
• 1 tbs ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 can (13 oz.) crushed tomatoes (i use a little more because i like chili a bit 'soupy')
• 1 1/2 c. vegetable stock
• 1 can (13 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed + drained
• 1 can (13 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed + drained
• 2 tbs tomato paste (i used the entire can)
• 1 tbs sugar (i preferred brown sugar)
• *optional (serve with low-fat sour cream and corn tortilla chips)

1. heat oil and saute onion on medium-low heat for 5 minutes until golden, stirring. reduce heat, add garlic and spices (NOTE: i include paprika and dash of turmeric).  stir for 1 minute.
2. add tomatoes, all beans, stock with onion mixture and bring to a boil.  reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. add sugar and tomato paste (i skip the called-for 'salt and pepper to taste').  simmer for 10 more minutes.
4. serve with a gallop of low-fat sour cream and a side of corn chips.  i favor Trader Joe's blue corn tortilla chips.

one of my 'comfort food' breakfasts

my favorite meal of the day is breakfast, hands-done.  i think it stems from childhood: Mom always made a big deal about making sure we kids had breakfast, regardless of what we were going to do that day; and she'd go big.  i mean, BIG.  a typical breakfast in our family that was a big treat growing-up was the fried eggs, rice, and ketchup.  or else, we'd have to 'settle' for oatmeal or cold cereal.  but when Mom would whip up that frying pan to roast garlic in olive oil for the garlic rice.  whenever we visit my parents in CaLi, Mom still does a huge breakfast for us.

my favorite breakfast foods are eggs and rice; but i love to change it up.  this morning, i made the eggs medium-over-easy, turmeric with cilantro potatoes and a side of Morningstar vegetarian breakfast sausage.
turmeric-cilantro potatoes

• 2 small yukon potatoes, with skins on and chopped
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp chili pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed peppercorns (i used rainbow peppercorns, the multi-colored kinds)
• 1 dash of ground ginger

heat olive oil in medium frying pan on medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  add potatoes all at once.  stir and fry for 10 minutes, while adding all spices.  during last minute before removing from heat, stir in cilantro.  serve immediately (because the potatoes get cold pretty quickly if uncovered).  i like to eat mine with a tad of ketchup and Sriracha hot sauce to give the meal an extra kick.

Sriracha can be found in any asian supermarket

new year 2012 resolutions on food: um, kinda

it's the start of another year and that means another round of new year's resolutions.  let's be honest:  these promises to society, work, our family, friends and ourselves can either be far-reaching dreams or tasks that we just don't seem to keep to beyond valentine's day.  i have a few of such resolutions of my own, but most are related to food.  figures.

resolutions:

1. start a food blog and keep to it throughout the year, chronicling the food i make for myself and others. i guess i'm off to a good start here.  just don't expect much during project deadlines or final exams.  priorities, people...plus, i have a tendency to not have the best eating habits during those critical deadline events (e.g., crackers, cheese slices, soup, pizza, and LOTS of coffee).
2. try to make healthier choices about what i put in my mouth + chew.  i may be a pescetarian, but i still have to watch how much sugar and sodium is in the food i cook + eat.  this also means, i should try to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.  having this blog makes me not only accountable to my family and myself, but to a very public forum.
3. take my daily multivitamin and fish oil.  i'm awful about taking my vitamins.  since i don't eat meat, i try to incorporate enough protein in my diet without having to eat too much processed soy products.  fish oil supplements are excellent for skin, hair and cardiac (or heart) health.

i know these resolutions may not be much, but i am doing two things:  one, setting goals; and secondly, i'm being realistic about those goals.  especially, when it comes to food.

this past weekend, i've been feeling quite under-the-weather, so my taste buds have been outta whack.  the diet has consisted of very dry and bland food:  vegetarian erascaldo (the Filipino version of chicken noodle soup), hot lemon tea + honey, toasted english muffins, and lots of water.  nothing to really right home about.  

but last week (my first week back to school and the Midwest), i was able to make some simple dishes that are favorites, vegetarian (not vegan) and easy-to-do.

'S2V': simple spinach vegetable salad

• fresh spinach leaves (2 good handfuls)
• 1 persian (baby) cucumber -sliced
• 1/2 c. frozen peas (defrosted)
• 1/4 c. frozen corn (defrosted)
• 1/4 c. mixed finely shredded cheese (low-fat, preferably)
• crushed peppercorn to taste
• 1 tbs. dressing (i used Zia's caesar dressing:  65 cal; sugar 0g)

mix all in large bowl, that's it.  if you use a decent dressing (i prefer the thicker the better), a little bit goes a long way: i used only 1 tablespoon rather than the called-for 2 tablespoon (the suggested single serving).  i like Zia's since it's yummy and made from a local company right here in 'the HiLL,' an italian district in St. Louis.

'special K' casserole (my version)

vegetarian 'special K' loaf + side of fresh persian cucumber slices

• 4 1/2 c. Special K cereal (or generic rice flakes cereal.  i've tried a generic 'Rice Krispies' in the past, and it's worked well)
• 1 1/4 c. chopped walnuts (i grind mine in a food processor)
• 2 tbs. dry parsley
• 1/2 tbs. sage
• 1/2 tbs. cumin
• 1/2 tbs. paprika
• 1/2 tbs. crushed peppercorn
• 1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (i use Campbell's)
• 1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c. shredded cheese (any type you like; i prefer cheddar or mozzarella or combination of the two)
• 1/4 c. oil

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl.  mix all liquid ingredients in medium bowl, then combine with dry ingredients.  lightly spray a casserole dish and pour mixture evenly into dish.  bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until top is brown and toothpick stuck in center of dish comes out clean.  NOTE:  i placed dish to in the lower rack of the oven (at least 8 inches from bottom) for the first 35 minutes and in the top rack for the last 15 minutes to brown the top.

CaFeBustelo:  my favorite coffee EVER

a good friend of ours from MiaMi introduced us to cuban coffee, specifically this brand.  Café BusTeLo is made in MiaMi (i bought this vacuumed pack from a local Publix in SoBe) and you should be able to find it in any major supermarket.  unfortunately, i've been having trouble finding this in any sT. LouiS grocery store.  the fine grounds get put in an espresso coffee maker (mine is stove top one) and you have the strongest coffee imaginable.  my mini maker holds enough for 3 shots and i mix it with a bit of half-and-half and 1 packet of Splenda (or sugar).  a definite pick-me-up for those extremely difficult mornings, having to wake up.

best cuban coffee: fine grounds in espresso coffee maker

HoLidaY 2010-2011: food +decor

these are just a collection of pictures of projects + food from holidays past.  all were learning experiences and i cannot take credit for all projects (especially the gingerbread house) because M helped with the design and decorating.

GingerBreaD HouSe ProJecT, Christmas 2010

don't worry:  didn't use that tube of glue pictured here

as a newly engaged couple, M + i wanted to impress his family by making a homemade contribution to Christmas dinner.  after reviewing gingerbread house recipes and pictures online, we set out to design our won.  this house was made in our flat in Old TowN AleXandra (Va).  the cookie cutter + most candy were bought from the local candy shop, The Sugar Cube.  we made our own icing that would act as the mortar for the project.  the icing recipe we found online was 'okay' but we realized we needed to add more cream of tartar to make it thicker and less-runny.  it worked!  Note:  make sure to allow all gingerbread pieces to completely cool.  do not allow your icing to get too hard or dry:  place a wet towel over your bowl of icing if not in use.

NOTE: use 'leftover' gingerbread dough to make cutouts

NOTE: decorate roof before putting it on walls

my 1st (ever) gingerbread cutouts

NOTE: to create teardrop 'lights' in windows, put candy immediately after icing placed in windowsill

NOTE: we used pastry bags + decorating pipettes to add icing

our non-kit, homemade, gingerbread house, front view (Christmas, 2010)

rear of gingerbread house

ThanksGivIng -Vegan-style (+ real turkeY), 2011

M + i spent ThanksGivinG this past year with my Dad in northern CaliFornia.  it was only the three of us, since other family members were at an overseas funeral.  Dad became a vegan soon after his diagnosis of colon cancer, so this was my first time doing a completely vegan Thanksgiving, minus the eleven-pound bird that Dad doctored-up for M (my husband is a through-and-through carnivore but loves my vegetarian cooking).  M + i had to do our share of research online for vegan recipes and were able to come up with several we ended-up using for our dinner.  our menu was:

• regular quinoa with kale, red peppers and corn
• potato 'bread' stuffing
• mushroom gravy
• corn 'souffle' pudding
• ToFurky (bought from Trader Joe's)
• steamed asparagus spears
• no-sugar added apple pie (special ordered from Whole Foods bakery)
• Izzy sparkling soda

the turkey is a bit 'toasted' (because i wasn't watching the oven clock to well) 

quinoa dish:  the original recipe did not call for red peppers but we added it for color + flavor

potato 'bread' stuffing

vegan corn pudding: use pureed tofu instead of eggs as binding agent

 ChriStmaS 2011

i went on a baking rampage this past Christmas.  i mean, it was INSANE!  i baked several batches of cookies (sugar and gingerbread), first for our sT. Louis neighbors and then gingerbread cutouts for my in-laws in wesTern MaryLand.  i also tried out my first sponge cake recipe (using a bundt pan, a wedding gift), with dark chocolate icing.  i had forgotten to add the powdered sugar to the dark chocolate morsels that were melted and so it's on pretty thick on the cake rather than it being fluffy.  it still tasted good, so i can't complain too much.

sugar cookies:  pre-decorated (Christmas, 2011)

chocolate sponge cake: red sprinkles + powdered sugar

cookie-decorating station:  our dining room tablewe wanted homemade cheesecake for our pre-Christmas dinner in sT. LouiS before we headed out to my in-laws in Md.  i made 2 kinds:  regular (more like, lemon-flavored) and marble chocolate individual cheesecake.  the marble cheesecakes were given as gifts to friends while we kept the regular ones for our special dinner together.

we madeour dinner pretty 'formal' and decided to consult a party planning book for the appropriate place setting for our dinner.  we chose what the book called 'casual' silverware place setting.  i just added the cinnamon-scented real pine cones, the red chargers and candy canes as personal touches.

our pre-Christmas dinner before our long road trip consisted of the following:

• homemade mashed potatoes with skins (we used yukon because they're quick to cook)
• vegetarian duck (canned, found in most Asian supermarkets; sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with crushed peppercorns + smidgen of soy sauce)
• candied yams (we steamed our sweet 'tots, then baked then with chopped walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon-flavored marshmallows)
• simple fresh salad (romaine lettuce, steamed corn/peas, crushed peppercorns, shredded cheese and sea salt)
• rotisserie chicken (store-bought; we got ours from Sam's Club:  'the tastiest' according to M; and it's cheaper than other grocery/rotisserie places without having to give-up flavor)
• Welch's sparkling white grape juice

the following photos of the 2nd batch of gingerbread cutouts.  these were made after refrigerating our dough for 2 days.  we made these at mom-in-law's home.

gingerbread cutouts, Christmas 2011

past makings: baking, camping, simple dishes, + embellished creations

a typical lunch:  flash-fried cheese ravioli (store-bought), jicama + cucumber slices; spring salad mix, craisins, feta + poppy seed dressing 

 i love food.  but taste is paramount.  period.  being a pescetarian (a lacto-ovo vegetarian who eats fish) is not a 'palate handicap,' some might say.  i'm a firm believer that if it doesn't taste right, i downright refuse to eat it.  i don't think that taste should be sacrificed to attempting healthier food habits.  when i was 11 years old, i told my parents i wanted to be a vegetarian after reading a book about how animals are processed in meat factories.  i can't for the life of me, remember the name of the book, but it totally grossed me out.  being a 1st-generation Filipino-American, my declaration of a such a change in diet shocked my parents, who's daily meals consisted of at least a fish or meat entree.  (we grew-up in a Seventh-day Adventist home, so there were no shellfish or pork products in our kitchen.)  but Mom & Dad wanted to be supportive of my dietary choice, so they accommodated me by making my meals differently than the rest of the family's.  shortly thereafter, my meals came to be known as 'her food' or 'that's your sister's food' (to my brothers).
since then, i have been an on-and-off vegetarian.  since 2006, i've been a pescetarian.  my so-called weakness is sushi, so fish is a common ingredient in my diet.  once my husband, M, and i decide to start having children, i'm going to have to reconsider my eating habits and may need to take fish out entirely.  there are possible mercury levels found in tuna and salmon, that disrupt the neurological development of a fetus.  baby vs. sushi.  in this case, baby wins.  but that's not now, so i eat as much fish as i possibly can or want.
from exposing my parents to vegetarianism and vegetarian cooking, they've chosen a similar diet now:  Mom is also a pescetarian while Dad has recently become a vegan (e.g., no dairy, no eggs, no fish, or meat products).  veganism is a toughie for me, but i've learned some tasty recipes that doesn't include any dairy or eggs.
after returning from Nepal in 2005, i've found a renewed love for cooking...and cooking a lot.  i've always had a knack for cooking since i was a kid, but i really sucked at baking.  in boarding school, i dreaded the Home Ec. portion of baking.  i swear, i almost flunked the class because i couldn't bake a cake from scratch.  'give me Betty Crocker just-add-water mix any day', i would say.

banana muffins with sugar crumble top (autumn, 2010)

banana-walnut bread (autumn, 2010)

when i met my husband in 2009, i learned that he loved baked goods, especially homemade apple pie.  after several heart-wrenching attempts (and garbage bins of dough failures), i finally made the perfect homemade apple pie.  just in time for our family's ThanksGivinG potluck!  after that first pie, i fell in-love with baking.  i became a baking monster.  literally.  i've included just a couple of my baking creations from the past.

blueberry muffins (spring 2011)

camP cooKing

when M + i go camping, one of the major things included is are sturdy Coleman camp gas stove and a steady supply of fresh and nonperishable products to turn a simple camp meal into a gourmet camp meal.  some of our typical camp meals are the following:

• vegetarian spaghetti sauce with noodles (with sauteed squash + zucchini)
• pancakes, the store-bought just-add-water mix
• vegetarian and real hot dogs (pan-cooked or over a live fire)
• s'mores (Hershey chocolate bars, graham crackers, + vanilla-flavored large marshmallows)
• PB + J sandwiches
• Hungry Jack mashed potatoes
• steamed corn + peas



making dinner: steamed corn-on-the-cob, vegetarian hot dogs (4th of July, 2011)

• lots and lots of fresh salads

we've typically celebrated the JuLy 4th holiday by camping and just because we're camping, doesn't mean we leave our palates at home.  i prefer to bring a smaller portion of our kitchen to our campsite, wherever that may be.  the past few holidays we've camped, we've found ourselves in our favorite campsite, LofT MounTain campgrounds, in the Shenandoah VaLLey Nat'l Forest in VirgiNia.

making camp salads (4th of July, 2011)

camp salad:  romaine lettuce, baby carrots, strawberries, sliced mozzarella sticks + crushed peppercorns

EmBellisHed CreaTions

upon our engagement during ThanksGivinG weekend (late Nov. 2010), i started thinking of ways to creatively announce it.  in a bridal magazine, i saw a picture of 'Facebook cookies' done by a company, as party favors for an engagement party.  i took that idea and attempted to make our own.  after several hapless attempts and frustration with coloring and frosting consistency, i finally made the following cookies to hand-out to friends.  we hired a pastry shop in FreDeriCk, MaryLand, to make the 'Facebook cookies' as party favors for our wedding reception guests in MarCh 2011.

homemade 'Facebook' cookies (winter 2011)

wedding reception favors, made by local pastry shop (spring, 2011). pic taken by ferryhuangphotography.

my brother + sis-in-law recently announced their pregnancy and i think this would be an awesome way to make party favors for their baby shower.  what do you think?