A Rainy Sunday Brunch

During the week, my lunches consist of leftovers stuffed into tupperware or a sandwich made of whatever I can dig up in my fridge.  So for me, the weekend is a time to really put together a lunch I can enjoy.  On this rainy Sunday after a cold, early morning trip to the grocery store, I put together a fantastic brunch that is worthy of sharing. The original recipe for this crustless spinach quiche can be found at the link below, but like always, I made my own little changes :)

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/crustless-spinach-quiche/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=crustless%20spinach%20quiche&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Crustless Spinach Quiche!

What you'll need:

5 large eggs, beaten (We get farm fresh eggs from one of Michael's coworkers, YUM)

1 10 oz box of frozen spinach; thawed and drained

1 yellow onion (or white, whichever you prefer)

3 cups shredded cheese (The original recipe calls for muenster; I used 2 cups Monterrey Jack and 1 cup sharp cheddar, to add a little bite.  Basically, you can use whatever you like!)

Salt and Pepper

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

What to do:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

-Heat oil in skillet/saucepan over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and saute until soft.

-Add drained spinach into skillet, stirring into the onions.  Cook until excess moisture has evaporated.

-In a separate large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper (to your liking).  

-After onions and spinach are finished sauteing, add them to the cheese and egg mixture. 

-Mix thoroughly

-Pour into a lightly-greased 9 or 10 inch round pan 

-Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, and allow to cool for 5-10 before serving.

And there you go!! I ate a slice of this with some mixed fruit and mango juice for a healthy, inexpensive and satisfying vegetarian brunch :) It would also be quite delicious with hashbrowns or some other type of potato, and it keeps well in the fridge for leftovers.  Try it out, and let me know what you think! Happy cooking!

Black Beans and Rice!

After many requests for recipes after posting pictures of a WONDERFUL (and carb-tastic) dinner, I decided to share :) This was from the Betty Crocker Vegetarian book and can also be found online, but here it is again (with a couple additional suggestions).  Enjoy!!

What you need:

1 lb dried black beans, sorted and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped (I like red onions for this)
1 large bell pepper chopped (again, red is my favorite color!)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups water
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons (or one small) chopped jalapeno
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked rice

What to do:

Combine all ingredients except for the rice into a slow cooker.  Cook on high heat 6-7 hours (Mine were perfectly cooked in 6).  Serve over hot cooked rice.  A couple of little things I added that made it even better: I sprinkled some Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning over the rice before serving the beans on top.  This gave the rice its own little kick :)  I also topped the whole thing off with a little chopped cilantro, which made the dish pretty and added a wonderful flavor.  This is the closest I have been able to get to replicating the fabulous rice and beans I had in Central America, and it's super easy and quick! For those of us on a budget, this whole crock pot of beans cost less than $4, and it definitely feeds a LOT of people.  I hope you enjoy this as much as Michael and I did... Happy cooking!