Crustless Crab Quiche!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces imitation crab meat (or fresh meat), chopped
• 1 cup low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbles
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 4 large eggs (I use brown organic)
• 1 cup milk (I use organic)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 dash paprika

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Coat 9 inch pie/round cake plate with vegetable oil or Pam. 
3. Combine chopped crab, onion, and cheeses in a bowl. Press ingredients into pie pan.
4. Beat together remaining ingredients except paprika and pour over the crab. 
5. Sprinkle with paprika.
6. Bake 30 minutes.

Serve it with a tossed salad topped with lemon juice and a side of sliced and cleaned strawberries.

Enjoy!

24 Karrot Gold Cupcake Recipe!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups canola oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
3. In another medium bowl, with an electric mix on medium speed, beat the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and canola oil until light and thick. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating just until blended. 
4. Stir in vanilla, carrots, and walnuts until well blended.
5. Line 24 cupcake or muffin pan 2/3 full with batter. Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 26-30 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
6. For the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy (2-3 minutes). 
7. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar in 2 parts incorporating vanilla extract 1/2 way through and mix until incorporated (scraping sides). 
8. Add cinnamon and fold by hand into frosting. 
9. NOTE: Serve within 24 hours. 
10. Frost cupcakes and decorate with golden edible topping. 

Turkey Sausage, Shrimp, and Veggie Creation!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of large shrimp, peeled and devined
• 1 lb turkey sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Red pepper spice to taste
• 2 limes, juiced
• 10 ounces of mushrooms, chopped
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• Optional: rice or noodles (to serve the dish on top of)

What to do:

1. In a large frying pan, saute your sausage, breaking it into small bite size pieces. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, and any other veggies you'd like to add and saute, about 5-6 minutes. 
2. Add in the spices: red pepper, salt and pepper. Also, add the tomatoes and cover the pan. 
3. Simmer for 8 minutes until the tomatoes burst. Add 1 cup of tomato sauce, cook another 2 minutes.
4. Mix together thoroughly. Add the shrimp and lime juice. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque. 
5. Serve alone or on top of rice or noodles. 

Savory Pork Chops and Asparagus!

Ingredients:

Pork Chop Marinade-

• 4-6 thin pork chops
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinagrette
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Asparagus-

• 1 bunch asparagus, cleaned
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place asparagus on cookie sheet covered in foil. Marinade them with lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes until done. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp EVOO in a skillet on medium heat. Sear the pork chops and cook through, about 3 minutes per side. Make sure cooked through.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Crustless Mini Quiches!

Ingredients:

• Cupcake paper holders
• 1 head of broccoli, thick stems removed and separated into florets
• 12 large eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 4 asparagus stems, halved
• 12 cherry tomatoes, cooked and sliced

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly spray two 12 cup mini muffin pans with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. Briefly cook your broccoli at a boil for 1 minute, then cool immediately in cool water, pat dry, and set aside. 
3. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, salt, and pepper.
4. In each muffin cup, place a few small pieces of broccoli and a pinch of cheese (both types or mix and match). Pour the egg mixture over the broccoli and cheese in each cup, filling as many as you can just below the rim. Add a small piece of broccoli and a pinch of cheese to the top of each quiche. Mix and match by adding a tomato half or asparagus to the top of some for color, variety, and flavor.
5. Bake until tops are puffed and just beginning to brown, about 15-16 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool about 5 minutes. 

Easy Homemade French Apple Pie, for Pi Day!

In honor of Pi Day on March 14, I cooked two Apple Pi(e)s for my work celebration Thursday. Tomorrow I'm baking mini quiches as well. :) Stay tuned and don't forget to celebrate your Pi(e) Day! Let me know what recipes you come up with....

Ingredients:

Filling-

• 3 apples, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup original bisquik mix
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 milk
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 eggs

Streusel-

•  1/2 cup original bisquik mix
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp firm butter or margarine 
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 9 inch pie pan. In medium bowl, mix apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg, place in pan. 
2. In medium bowl, stir remaining filling ingredients until well blended. Pour over apple mixture in pan. 
3. In small bowl, mix streusel ingredients until crumbly, sprinkle over filling.
4. Bake 40-45 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clearn. Cool 5 minutes. Store in refrigerator. 

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 3 cups water
• 12 ounces cooked smoked turkey sausage links, quartered lengthwise and diced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 cups sliced okra (or other veggies if you don't care for okra)
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 cups hot cooked rice

What to do:

1. For roux, in a medium heavy saucepan stir together flour and oil until smooth. Cook and stir constantly over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook and stir constantly about 15 minutes more or until dark reddish brown color is reached. Cool.
2. Place water in slow cooked. Stir in the roux. Add sausage, chicken, okra (or other veggies), onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 hours or high heat setting for 3-3.5 hours. Skim off the fat. Serve gumbo over hot cooked rice.

Curried Chicken and Egg Salad!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 small chicken breasts
• Curry
• 5 spice chinese mix
• Salt and pepper
• EVOO
• 8 eggs
• 3/4 cup of light mayonaise
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp pickle relish
• Salad mix (whatever greens you prefer)
• Goat cheese for topping or whatever cheese you prefer, crumbled
• 2 tbsp almond slivers

What to do:

1. Boil your eggs until done, cool, peel, and chop into small pieces. Set aside.
2. Cook your chicken in EVOO on medium-high heat. Season with salt, pepper, curry, and 5 spice. Cook until done. Let cool, cut into small pieces. Set aside.
3. Mix together the chicken, eggs, mayo, lemon juice, dijon mustard, pickle relish, some salt and pepper, and almond slivers. Cool in fridge. 
4. Serve on top of salad mix and top with goat cheese crumbles and the other half of the lemon juiced.

Enjoy!