Crispy Tortilla Cups

This beautiful, crisp tortilla cups would make a good dish for dessert, appetizer or fruit salad cups for breakfast. This morning I  filled up one of these tortilla cups with sliced strawberries, raisins, and chopped walnuts and gave it to my husband along with a piece of toast with butter on it and a hot chocolate drink. He loved it. It's simple yet so delish! 

Ingredients

4 whole wheat soft tacos

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoon xylitol or granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Direction

Combine xylitol or granulated sugar together on a plate. Cut out the tortillas using a 5 1/4-inch round cookie cutter. Brush both sides with butter and coat with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. 

Place each cut out tortillas in ramekins and bake for 10-13 minutes in a 350F degrees preheated oven. Let the tortilla cups cool completely in the ramekins.

Makes 4 serving.

Garlic-tomato Bruschetta

Bruschetta and garlic bread in one? Why not. This garlic- tomato bruschetta is tasty and is one of the simplest thing to make. A perfect appetizer or afternoon snack.

Ingredients

6 roma (plum) tomatoes, sliced

3 cloves minced garlic

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed

1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

4 slices whole wheat bread

black pepper (optional)

salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven on 350F degrees.

2. Slice the tomatoes 1/2 - inch thick. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the sliced tomatoes,then place the tomatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meantime, combine butter and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside. Cut the edges of each bread slice, then cut the bread in half horizontally. On a baking sheet, arrange the bread slices in a single layer. Broil for 1-2 minutes.

4. Top the bread with a layer of the butter mixture, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and a fresh basil leaf.

5. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

6. Remove from the heat and place on a serving platter. Serve immediately.

White Bean Soup

This soup is a delectable mix of white beans, vegetables and herbs -- economical, healthy and satisfying. It uses common pantry ingredients and comes together quickly.

Ingredients

3 cans(15 ounce) white beans

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

6 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

3 cups hot water

1 cube vegetable bouillon

black pepper (optional)

salt (to taste)

Direction

1. Puree about half of the beans in a food processor or blender, adding a little water if necessary, to create a smooth paste.

2. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and onion until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in carrot and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook another 8 minutes. Pour in hot water, cube of bouillon, beans and bean puree, tomatoes, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Spinach-Artichoke Quiche

This is the third time that i made quiche and i'm finally happy with the result. This savory quiche recipe is easy to follow and you can further customize it to your taste by choosing different vegetables or cheese. It's a good dish for breakfast, lunch, supper, or appetizer. 

Ingredients

Crust

1/2 cup butter, diced

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoon milk - add more as needed

Filling

1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped

6 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese. shredded, divided

1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated, divided

a pinch of Salt

black pepper (optional)

Direction

1. Crust.

• Process flour and butter into food processor till the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add salt. Add the liquid one tablespoon at a time until dough just holds together. 
• Make a ball of dough; wrap it in a plastic wrap; chill for an hour in the refrigerator.

2. Filling.

• Saute onions in a tablespoon of butter over medium high heat till it's soft. Set aside to cool.
•  In a medium bowl, combine cooked onions, spinach, 2 eggs, sour cream, half of cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, and parmesan) and artichoke hearts; season with salt and pepper. 
• Using 3 eggs, separate egg whites and yolk; beat the egg whites until stiff. Slowly fold in the egg whites to the eggs yolks.
• Fold in  half of the beaten eggs to the rest of the filling. Reserve half of the beaten egg whites for topping. 

3. Assemble the quiche.

• Combine the remaining cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, parmesan) in a bowl.
• Roll out the dough and fit into buttered ramekins. 
• Layer the crust with cheese; then spoon filling over the cheese and top with the remaining beaten egg whites. 
• Bake in a 375F degrees preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. 

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

This vegetarian shepherd's pie recipe is a hearty meal that will give you that warm feeling inside during the colder months. Freshly cooked vegetables add lots of savor and nutritional value to this baked pie. It is topped with mashed potatoes and sharp cheddar cheese. It is just a great tasting one dish meal.

Filling 

1 cup sweet onions 

1 cup celery 

1 cup carrots 

1 cup frozen sweet peas 

1 cup canned milk or half and half 

¾ cup Healthy request cream of mushroom soup 

½ teaspoon salt 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

¼ teaspoon black pepper (optional) 

Mashed potato 

1 pound red potatoes 

¼ cup canned milk 

2 tablespoons butter 

salt to taste 

Direction 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease six ramekins. Set aside. 

2. Steam the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Add milk, butter, and salt; mash until light and fluffy. Put it in a 250F degrees oven to keep it warm.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, add onions and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Add celery, carrots, and sweet peas and continue to saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add flour and stir until well blended. Add cream of mushroon, canned milk or half & half, salt and pepper; taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary. Simmer for 3 minutes.

4. Spoon vegetable filling in ramekins, then cover with a layer of mashed potatoes. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned, then take it out and sprinkle grated sharp cheddar or parmesan cheese on top. Bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve hot. 

Potato Gnocchi with Alfredo Sauce

Potato gnocchi are an easy and not to mention fun to make. Toss them with your favorite sauce and dinner is served!

Gnocchi

3 tablespoons olive oil or butter

1 pound russet potato

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, beaten

1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup self-rising flour

Alfredo Sauce

¼ cup butter

1 ½ cup heavy cream

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

½ cup Romano cheese, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 egg yolk

¼ cup fresh Parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

¼ tsp White pepper

a pinch of Nutmeg

Direction

1. Gnocchi. Scrub the potatoes and place them, unpeeled, on a aluminum foil lined baking sheet, in a 400F degrees preheated oven for an hour or until a knife passes all the way through with some resistance. Set aside to cool.

2. Cut each potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp in a large bowl; mash the pulp with olive oil or butter. Make well in center of potatoes and sprinkle all over with flour, using all the flour. Place egg and salt in center of well and using a fork, stir into flour and potatoes. Once egg is mixed in, bring dough together, kneading gently until a ball is formed. Roll into 1/2-in.-wide ropes. Cut ropes into 1-in. pieces. Press down with a lightly floured fork.

5. Cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted water until gnocchi are tender and rise to surface, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer cooked gnocchi to an oven safe dish and keep hot in an oven set to 225°F.

6. Creamy Sauce. In a large sauce pan, melt butter over low-medium heat. Add half & half, stirring constantly. Add in salt, white pepper, garlic, nutmeg; stir until well mixed. Stir in egg yolk, cheese, parsley and thyme; stir to incorporate . Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Spoon sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and additional grated parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Hints:

1. Use minimal amount of flour, too much flour will make the gnocchi too dense. 

2. Bake the potatoes instead of boiling or steaming them, so that they get pretty dried out. This way you use less flour.

3. Be sure not to work the dough too much or the gnocchi will be tough. 

Pasta and Vegetable Toss

This dish burst with bright colors and with just the right punch of flavors. I made this the other night, and it was yummy! In fact, hubby and I came back for seconds and we had it for lunch the next day. I found this recipe on the internet and modified it using ingredients I had on hand. Its a hearty, healthy meal that is quick and easy that comes together in no time!


Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked quinoa veggie curls pasta

1 cup sliced fresh mushroom

1 cup fresh asparagus (about ¼ pound)

¼ cup butter

1/3 cup hot water

½ cube gourmet vegetable bouillon

1 medium carrots, halved and sliced

1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced

¾ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon original ranch dips mix

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 medium sweet onions, finely chopped

1 medium sweet yellow pepper, julienned

2 tablespoons fresh parsely, minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

Direction

1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

2. Dissolve vegetable buoillon in 1 ½ cup hot water. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and ranch dip, Parmesan cheese, salt, basil and parsely. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, cook onion in butter for about 5 minutes. Stir in pepper, mushroom, zucchini, carrots, and onions; cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in vegetable bouillon mixture, sour cream mixture, and the pasta; cook until vegetables are tender-crisp. Serve hot or cold; sprinkle parmesan cheese over top before serving if desired.


Tips in buying asparagus:

Pick a bunch of asparagus with tight, compact, and very thin to fairly thin in diameter stalks; and has firm, unwrinkled heads. Any time a bunch of asparagus fails to meet one of these requirements, it’s a sign that the asparagus is old in one way or another.