Zucchini Casserole

A Facebook friend posted this recipe from the Bring 'Em On Home Cowboy Cookbook Facebook Page and I immediately thought of all y'all.   I have altered the recipe to make it P10 friendly by substituting ground flax seeds for the bread crumbs.

And since we’re on a zucchini kick let’s give this one a try!  It’s a perfect side dish to a grilled steak or chicken.

 STAGE 1 – please use ground flax seeds in place of the bread crumbs

STAGES 2 & 3 – please use ground flax seeds in place of the bread crumbs, they’re healthier for you…but really you could use the crumbs if you prefer…

 

photo courtesy of Bring 'Em On Home

Zucchini Casserole

recipe courtesy of Bring 'Em On Home
makes several servings

4 cups zucchini, sliced

1 cup mayonnaise
garlic powder, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 cup mild or medium cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
ground flax seeds or bread crumbs

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together mayonnaise, garlic powder, pepper, cheese and eggs.

Fold in the zucchini. 

Pour into a lightly buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.

Drizzle melted butter on top and sprinkle lightly with flax seed or bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 for 35 -45 minutes.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

photo courtesy of www.realmomkitchen.com

Thank you Karen K. for sharing this recipe – not only easy peasy but yummy!

And since it was already kinda sorta Cinco de Mayo and we kinda sorta missed it, you could still make this recipe and celebrate twice!

This recipe comes from www.realmomkitchen.com and it is VERY flexible.  Whenever I get a recipe from a website, I always take the time to read the comments and see how it worked for everyone and what other great ideas they might pop up with.

And you could put the fajitas on lettuce wraps (Stage 1) or tortillas (Stages 2/3) OR you could dump this on a bed of greens and call it Fajita Salad.

Remember – everyone’s tastes are different so feel free to spice up or down, use more veggies, etc.  This is just a jumping off point for you.  I have altered the recipe slightly for P10.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Makes 12 servings

1 pound thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies - DRAINED
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I use half a green and half a red)
12 lettuce leaf wraps (Stage 1) OR 12 flour tortillas (Stages 2 and 3)
Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, guacamole and fresh lime

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.   Use some extra oil to coat a 13×9 baking dish

Place chicken strips in the baking dish.

In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt.

Combine the spice mixture with the chicken and toss to coat.

Next, add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.  

Serve on tortillas/lettuce wraps or greens with desired toppings.

Pizza Quiche

Continuing on with pizza week - let's start Wednesday off with a slightly less easy recipe but still, delicious and it made GREAT leftovers - even for breakfast... 

This was a great warm dinner and an even better reheated lunch the next day.  I had a packet of Boboli pizza sauce in the freezer that I defrosted and used for a topping, and the funny thing is, it was too sweet for our tastebuds.  I used extra garlic and red onions and that was very good.  Pretty much anything you'd use on a pizza would be good in this except for maybe pineapple.

Pizza Quiche

makes 8 servings

adapted from Maria's Delicious and Nutritious Journal

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp oregano

6 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese ( 1 1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 clove garlic, mashed or minced

7 eggs

TOPPINGS:

3 links organic chicken sausage, cut into small chunks

Olives, peppers, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms...

Marinara sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, baking powder, salt and oregano.  Mix in the cheeses, onions and garlic.  Then stir in the toppings.

Beat the eggs in a separate mixing bowl and slowly stir them into the other mixture until completely combined.

Pour  into a 10” pie plate greased with olive oil.

Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. A knife inserted into the center of the quiche should come out clean. Let rest for 15 minutes.  Serve with a drizzle of marinara sauce.

Print the recipe:  Pizza Quiche

Spinach Mushroom and Swiss Crustless Quiche

Well it looks like we're focusing on make ahead breakfast foods this week...and why not?  What's better than a zip-zap breakfast when you're in a hurry?   I also made this for the gang at work one morning and they went crazy for it!

Here is another revamped Whole Foods recipe that also fits the make-ahead, grab and go breakfast for busy people when we don’t have time to sit down to eat in the morning.

I put together this casserole the night before and then baked it while I was walking on my treadmill the next morning.  It was really good and, for the purposes of our most important research, I then refrigerated the leftovers and also froze a piece to test them out the next day.  It reheated nicely and still tasted great.

I thought 16 pieces was plenty in the 9x9 pan. 

My quiche - served with a side of avocado.

Makes 16 servings

extra-virgin olive oil

1  yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

6 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1 (16-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove as much liquid as possible (wring it out inside a dish towel)

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square pan with olive oil; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes; set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add cheese, onion, mushrooms and spinach and mix well.

Transfer to prepared pan, spread out evenly and bake until set in the middle and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool 10 or 15 minutes; cut into squares and serve.

Print this recipe:  Spinach Mushroom and Swiss Crustless Quiche

Maybe a little too golden brown....

Baked Crabmeat Casserole

I'm back!  I'm baaaaaaaack!  And I missed you all so much.  It's been a hell of a past few weeks.  As you know, my Dad died and I've just been SO overwhelmed trying to take care of my very large family (mother, 2 brothers, 4 sisters, feeding them all and housing out of town visitors).   So your patience was very much appreciated.  And THANK YOU ALL so much for your kind words and prayers - believe me, I FELT them (and needed them).

I'd like to write a post about lifestyles and living and taking care of yourself and enjoying life but it's still percolating around in my head for now - so maybe later.  Meanwhile, I did make this casserole a few weeks ago and remembered to take a picture so this is a great way to jump right back in.

Bubba refused to eat this, saying it was 'too fishy' so The Kid just grabbed his plate and ate his portion as well.  So I guess it would just depend on your taste and what you enjoy.

I served it alongside a green salad, go easy on the side dishes as this dish is rich and decadent.   I used an 8x8 casserole dish for this recipe.  I went to Costco and got their refrigerated canned crabmeat.  Don't use the store bought canned shelf stuff, it's nasty.

Baked Crabmeat Casserole

makes 4-6 servings

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup diced onion

1 pound crabmeat, picked through to remove shells, drained well

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a skillet on medium-high heat melt the butter. Then add the onion and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

Remove skillet from heat and add the crabmeat, Worcestershire and Dijon. Stir until just combined. Add the beaten eggs. Stir again.

Coat a casserole dish with coconut oil or butter. Pour the crabmeat mixture into the dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Spinach Casserole

Imagine when to my utter shock The Kid suddenly announces that she "has never really liked spinach."  Well Kid, you are outta luck 'cause Mama is on a spinach kick.  I just can't seem to get enough of it. 

I made mine in the crockpot and it was very well done....I think I either need to oven bake this or get a smaller crockpot.  

 

Spinach Casserole

makes 4-6 servings

2 boxes of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 1/2 cups full fat cottage cheese

1/3 cup butter

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup ground flax meal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Coat the inside (of course) of the crockpot with olive oil.

Mix together all ingredients and spoon into crockpot.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Alternatively, you could probably bake this at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes if you forgot to load up the crockpot before you left in the morning.

Broccoli Pie

This addicting pie was great for dinner and it was even better for breakfast the next day.   It was quick to throw together and then you can get in some exercise while it's baking.  You could change this up in many ways, using different cheeses or spices or seasonings.  You could also portion out the slices and freeze for quick dinners or breakfasts.

You could use either frozen broccoli or regular broccoli, just put in microwavable bowl with a little water, cover and cook until steamed through.

And for pete's sake - DON'T FORGET TO GREASE THE PLATE...don't be like me....

Broccoli Pie

makes 6-8 servings

3 cups/10 ounces chopped broccoli, cooked and well drained

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

6 eggs

1 cup half and half

salt and pepper

Use oil or butter to coat a large glass pie plate.

Put the broccoli, onion and cheese in the bottom of the plate.

Combine the eggs, half and half and salt and pepper in a separate bowl and pour evenly over the broccoli mixture.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Zucchini Casserole



lovely artistry!





quick and easy!



Doesn't this sound like a yummy dinner or side dish?  See how pretty it would be with all the colors alternating in your dish?  Thanks to Jill Marie for submitting this recipe.  And now that we're into the summer months, you can get a lot of these great veggies at your local farmer's market.

I've also seen this dish referred to as a 'tian', which is a fancy name for a dish with layers of ingredients.

Zucchini Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Jill Marie

2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

1 large sweet yellow onion cut in half and sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

3 large Roma tomatoes

freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Dried basil and thyme, to taste

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a round baking dish with olive oil.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.

Slice zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly into a spiral, making only one layer. Season with black pepper, basil and dried thyme, to taste.

Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until browned.

Enjoy.

Chile Cheese Quiche

photo courtesy of Andrea Meyers

I've had this recipe for years - I got it from my boss, who had served it at a lovely brunch buffet at her house in Westwood.  I remember it vividly, the Ferraro Rocher candy tower, the lovely quiches, fruit and cheeses, and....the strawberry stain The Kid left on her white couch (she was only two at the time and our sitter had dropped out last minute...I should have known better).   And I remember thinking 'this is what rich people have for breakfast'....

I know many of you are tired of eggs - scrambled, over easy, over hard, etc. for breakfast.  Even I, who love eggs sometimes get a bit exhausted trying to think about how to make them again but in still a different way.  So while this recipe contains eggs, you will not be obligated to fry them up in a pan so you can have your eggs and eat them too. 

By the way Susie and Kelley - I can see your minds coming up with ways to make this spicier - you could probably use something stronger than the green chilies.

Remember, you want to try and find whole cheeses as much as possible for P10 recipes.  Do your best with what you can find at your local stores.


Chile Cheese Quiche

serves 4-6

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

5 eggs, beaten

2 cups cottage cheese

4 oz can diced green chilies, drained

Diced ham (optional)

Mix all ingredients, pour into an 8x8 casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve with a side of fruit.

Corned Beef 'Noodle' Casserole

At our house, we loves us some corned beef and cabbage.  On P10, we are supposed to step away from the nitrate laden meat and enjoy fresher healthier choices.  I made this with canned corned beef but once I started typing this post, I realized that was probably the worst choice (again-don't be like me).  Next time I make this I'll use real corned beef from the deli - and yes, I know that's not perfect either but it's waaaay better than the canned stuff.  I got this recipe from Maria's Nutritious and Delicious Journal blog.

I made some Dark Rye Buns to go with it.

Print Maria's recipe:   Corned Beef “Noodle” Casserole





Corned Beef “Noodle” Casserole

makes 6 servings

1 large head of cabbage

12 ounces cooked corned beef

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup beef broth

4 ounces freshly shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup chopped onion

Prepare a crockpot by lightly greasing the outside OR preheat oven to 350.

Slice the head of cabbage into long noodle-like strips. Boil the cabbage “noodles” for 5 minutes, drain well.

Combine “noodles”, corned beef, cheese, cream cheese, broth and onion.

Pour into the crockpot or a 2 quart casserole dish.

Let cook on low in the crockpot for 6 hours or bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Three-Cheese Eggplant Bake

This terrific casserole is courtesy of Dr. William Davis, author of “Wheat Belly”.  This recipe is located in Appendix B, page 256 of the hardback and reprinted with his gracious permission. 

I have been hearing rave reviews about this recipe and I finally got a chance to try it.  I had to wait until Bubba wasn't around to put it together (so he wouldn't see me peeling it), as you remember, anything that is 'enhanced' with eggplant is a secret at our house - I just have to remember that I called it "Italian Casserole" in case he wants it again...  And yes, of course, he really enjoyed it and it makes several servings so we'll get to have it a few more times this week or we can freeze the portions for another day.  This recipe is very similar to No Noodle Vegetable Lasagna.

This dish would be great as an entree or in smaller portions as a side dish for grilled steak, chicken or fish.

Print this recipe:  Three-Cheese Eggplant Bake


Three-Cheese Eggplant Bake
makes 8-10 servings
recipe courtesy of Dr. William Davis

1 eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

3-4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

4 to 6 cups of spinach leaves (about 6 oz bag)

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

2 cups tomato or marinara sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz)

dried basil (or 4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped)


Preheat the oven to 325F.

Place the eggplant slices in a 9x13 baking pan.  Brush both sides of the slices with most of the oil, reserving about 2 tablespoons.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the eggplant but leave the oven on.

While eggplant is baking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach and cook until onion softens.

Scatter the tomato wedges over the eggplant, then spread the spinach mixture on top.  Top the spinach with the tomato sauce.

Mix together the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl.  Spread the cheese mixture over the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the basil.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake uncovered until bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Lo siento, tengo mucho tarde para el Cinco de Mayo - but, it's never too late to celebrate with this absolutely delicious Mexican casserole.  This is one of our knock down drag out favorite meals.  Now, because it contains flour tortillas, this is not suitable for P10 Stage 1 and those of you who are not eating grains - but I'm thinking you could substitute a flaxseed wrap in place of the tortillas - just not sure how that would taste?

Depending on what kind of meat your family likes, this can be very versatile or you can make it vegetarian by just adding an extra can of black beans. 

Print this recipe:  Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

makes 6-8 servings

 4 (9-inch) flour tortillas

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 lb ground beef/turkey (OR use an extra can of black beans)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 (15-ounce) can refried beans

4 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

cilantro, chopped 

8 ounces cheese, shredded

salsa and sour cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400.

Using the bottom of the pan as a guide, use a paring knife to trim the edges of the tortillas so that they fit in a 9-inch springform pan.  

Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.  Sauté the onion and meat until no longer pink.  Add the garlic and taco seasoning, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  

Add the black beans and broth to the skillet, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.  Mix in the corn and scallions and remove from heat.

Spread a layer of refried beans on each tortilla.  Then lay one of the tortillas across the bottom of the springform pan (bean side up).  Layer with 1/4 of the meat/bean mixture, and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat 3 times, finishing with beans and cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and unmold the pie.  Garnish with remaining scallions and cilantro, and serve with sour cream and salsa.

Pizza Quiche

This was a great warm dinner and an even better reheated lunch the next day.  I had a packet of Boboli pizza sauce in the freezer that I defrosted and used for a topping, and the funny thing is, it was too sweet for our tastebuds.  I used extra garlic and red onions and that was very good.  Pretty much anything you'd use on a pizza would be good in this except for maybe pineapple.

Pizza Quiche

makes 8 servings

adapted from Maria's Delicious and Nutritious Journal

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp oregano

6 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese ( 1 1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 clove garlic, mashed or minced

7 eggs

TOPPINGS:

3 links organic chicken sausage, cut into small chunks

Olives, peppers, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms...

Marinara sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, baking powder, salt and oregano.  Mix in the cheeses, onions and garlic.  Then stir in the toppings.

Beat the eggs in a separate mixing bowl and slowly stir them into the other mixture until completely combined.

Pour  into a 10” pie plate greased with olive oil.

Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. A knife inserted into the center of the quiche should come out clean. Let rest for 15 minutes.  Serve with a drizzle of marinara sauce.

Print the recipe:  Pizza Quiche