In the Kitchen

Technically, I’m not sure if this is a crustless quiche that doesn’t have milk, or a frittata that doesn’t start on the stove. We tend to make it heavier on the veggies and lighter on the eggs, but you can vary your ratios to suit your taste.

Either way, it’s a favorite lunch meal at SuzerSpace.

I usually make this on a Sunday afternoon to clean up the leftovers languishing in the fridge.

Couple of eggs? Check.

Some wilty veggies leftover from salads during the week? Check.

Some spinach or arugula that is getting past it’s prime? Check.

Cheese? Are you kidding me? We always have cheese 🙂

This is great slightly cooled from the oven, or cool it completely and refrigerate it and reheat it during the week. Even though it’s already loaded with veggies, I usually serve it with a salad.

Soup and a sandwich is a classic meal.

But who really wants to take all that time to make soup? And soup from a can is always a little iffy – many of them are full of sugar (seriously?) or are weirdly oily when you open them.

Enter the magic of salsa soup.

Yup, that’s pretty much the entire recipe right there. A couple of spoonfuls of good salsa, any leftovers you want, and some water. (Jacques Pepin calls water “Chateau Faucet” in his great French accent which makes it sound so much more upscale!

Microwave until really hot, top with crushed tortilla chips and cheese if you like, and serve with a half sandwich of your choosing.  It might not be pretty, but it is super (soup-er?) tasty.

This also travels really well for lunch. Put all the ingredients except the water into a microwave safe bowl that has a tight fitting cover. Refrigerate until lunch time, and then add water and stir just before microwaving. Every time I make this at work at least one person comments on how good it smells.

I’ve previously admitted to my weakness for onion chip dip. The quick review – I love that stuff so much I have to put it on lock down and only eat it from Thanksgiving through New Year’s (with two exceptions  – Super Bowl and Daytona 500 weekends).

I have a similar control issue with the snack mix that is universally called Chex Mix, whether or not it actually uses the brand name cereals.

Last year, we took a look at what we were actually eating in that mix, and changed up the recipe. I can’t realistically call it healthier, but I’d be willing to call it “betterfied.” And because it now packs more nutrition and way more fiber than most snacks, I’ve removed it from the quarantine calendar system.

Continue reading…

For this dish I like to use veggie pasta (not spiralized veggie noodles – I do love those but here I’m referring to a dry pasta that contains vegetables in the ingredients.

I boil a two-serving size amount of the noodles. We actually use a scale and match the nutrition information on the back of the package for this. Pasta, even with veggies in it, is high in carbs and that is a number with work diligently around for meals since we are a Type 2 Diabetes family. I’ve learned that if I make a whole box of spaghetti, we will eat a whole box of spaghetti, no matter what the suggested serving size is.

When the noodles are close to being done, I add in about a half package of frozen mixed vegetables to the pot and cook until they are tender (usually doesn’t take very long).

I use a measuring cup to remove about a cup of pasta water and then drain the rest of the water from the pasta and veggies, and return the pot to the stove. Turn the burner off – we are just using the residiual heat here (if you somehow have a stove that is instantaneously cool to the touch after turning it off, you might need low heat).

I add about 1/3 cup of good peanut butter to the noodle and vegetable mixture. By “good” I mean not full of sugar. By “about” I mean measuring peanut butter is ridiculously messy, so I just use a knife and carve out a blob that appears to be around 1/3 cup. Add about a tablespoon of soy sauce (we use low sodium) and half that amount of cider vinegar. Stir pretty vigorously to get the peanut butter melting and then add in that reserved pasta water to create a sauce. I like to add a good dash of red chili flake at this point because we like it spicy.

Keep stirring until the sauce is the correct consistency. If it’s too thick, you can add a little more water. If it’s too thin, you might consider being OK with it as the pasta will absorb some sauce as it sits. And it’s slurpy good fun to eat with a thin sauce, and next time you’ll be able to guess better on how much water to put back in.

I dish this out into bowls and add a sprinkle of peanuts on top before serving.

This dish is best served fresh – it kind of keeps, but the noodles nearly completely absorb the sauce so it will be dry if served as leftovers.

This is a quick, light breakfast we like to make on weekends, especially when eggs are on sale.

For two servings:

Split a whole wheat muffin in half and toast. I’d say “English Muffin” but our favorite is the Whole Wheat British Muffin at Trader Joe’s.

While that’s toasting, I scramble two eggs in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. To stretch the eggs without adding calories/carbs, I add in water. You already know from reading my previous recipes that I’m an eye-ball cook. I’d guess it’s somewhere in the ¼ to 1/3 cup range. Mix this water in really, really, really well with a fork so that it won’t separate when cooked.

Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between each one until the eggs are scrambled to the consistency you like. I do not like runny eggs, so I cook mine fairly dry. Don’t be tempted to just turn the microwave on for 2 minutes straight, as this will cause the eggs to explode across the top of the microwave oven.

Ask me how I know 🙂

The toaster usually pops before the eggs are done – I sprinkle shredded cheese onto each muffin immediately so it gets a little melty from the muffin heat.

When the eggs are done I distribute them somewhat evenly between the two muffins. Their heat will further melt the cheese. Top with a spoonful of really good salsa.

We eat these with forks and knives, usually with some fruit on the side. And coffee. Definitely coffee.