Broccoli, Potato and Pepper Frittata

A good main dish egg recipe. I serve with toast and fruit.

Ingredients:
2 medium baking potatoes, sliced 1/8 in thick
1.5 c broccoli
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 large eggs
1 c low fat cottage cheese
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray pie pan with cooking spray
2. Arrange potato slices in a single layer in bottom of pie pan. Cut remaining slices in half and place around side of pie pan.
3. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Saute broccoli, onion and bell pepper 3-4 minutes (or until tender).
5. Beat together eggs and cottage cheese. Stir in vegetables and half of cheese. Pour mixture over baked potato slices and bake 20-25 minutes, or until egg is set. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for a couple of more minutes to melt cheese.

Country Potato Gratin

This is a good recipe to use up leftover holiday ham. A little bit of ham goes a long way. Notice that the dish bakes for awhile.

Ingredients
2 tsp butter
1 medium onion thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 c flour
1.5 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1.25 c diced ham
3 pounds baking potatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Combine milk, salt, pepper, and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan. Bring to a simmer; cook until slightly thick (about 2 minutes), stirring frequently.
3. Add half of cheese and all ham, stirring until cheese melts.
4. Stir in potatoes.
5. Place the potato mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle potato mixture with remaining cheese.
6. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until lightly browned and potatoes are tender. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Black-eyed Peas and Tomatoes

Perfect for New Years Day!

Ingredients
2 cups dried black-eyed peas (1 bag)
1 tablespoon oil
3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
8 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (optional, but adds a lot of flavor)
4 cups broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (leave out if you have a spice sensitive kid....)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) bag prewashed greens (I used spinach)
Brown Rice

Preparation
1. Sort and wash peas; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add sausage; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Stir in broth; bring to a simmer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in peas, salt, peppers, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until peas begin to soften. Uncover and cook 15 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken.
4. Stir in vinegar, tomatoes, and mustard greens; simmer 10 minutes or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.
5. Serve over rice

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

These muffins are remarkably good for being 100% whole wheat. I usually add pecans or walnuts.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 Tb wheat or oat bran
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 C oats
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup boiling water

1. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in oats, raisins, and cranberries.
2. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes.
3. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is not light and not vegetarian, but it is one of my husband's favorites.

2 c cooked chopped chicken
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped potatoes
1/3 c chopped carrots
1/3 c chopped celery
1/3 c peas
1 stick butter
1/2 c flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chicken broth
2/3 c milk
1 Pillsbury pie crust, thawed

1. Melt butter and cook onions and garlic until tender
2. Add flour and stir rapidly until a thick sauce forms.
3. Add chicken broth and milk, bring to bubbling and cook 1 min.
4. Add vegetables and chicken and pour into greased pie dish.
5. Top with pie crust (make slits in pie crust for venting)
6. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, until crust is browned and filling is bubbly.

Pinto Beans

One of the best recipes for beans that I've come across

2 Tb oil
1 c chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large jalapeno, cut lengthwise in half
1 Tb oregano
1 tsp cumin
8.5 cups water
1lb dried pinto beans, rinsed and soaked
1 Tb packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt


1. Saute onion in oil for 3 min (until translucent)
2. Add garlic, jalapeno, oregano and cumin and saute 1 min.
3. Add water and beans and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 1 hour.
5. Discard jalapeno. Add sugar and salt to beans.
6. Simmer uncovered until most of liquid has evaporated and beans are tender, about 1 hour.

Delicious served with rice and a side of jalapeno cornbread.

Quinoa with Salsa and Black Beans

This has become one of our weekly staples. Quick, easy and oh-so-tasty.

2 Tb olive oil
1 c dry quinoa
1 c salsa
2 c water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1. Heat the oil and brown the quinoa.
2. Mix in salsa and water and bring to a boil. Add beans, cover and simmer for 20 min or until quinoa is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.