Baby Bella Mushroom and Onion Frittata (serves four)

According to my 13th edition of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook, “A frittata is the flat omelet served in Mediterranean countries that is often a background for spicy vegetables. It is easier to make (than separate omelets) for four or more.” This frittata can be made in advance, cut into wedges and reheated or served cold.


3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or ¾ teaspoon minced garlic
1 small onion, chopped
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
10 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
½ teaspoon thyme, crumbled
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper


Preheat the broiler.

In a medium-large bowl, mix eggs, mushrooms, parsley, thyme and ground pepper. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy 10 inch – 12 inch wide skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until soft. Reduce heat to very low.

Give egg mixture a stir in the bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet stirring to incorporate the garlic and onions. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes, until the edges shrink a little. Slip under the broiler to brown lightly.

Using spatula, slide frittata onto dinner plate and serve hot, or slice frittata into equal size wedges and serve wedges hot or let frittata cool sliced or un-sliced on a dinner plate for storage in airtight container in refrigerator. If reheating, place frittata or slices on non-stick cookie sheet in 350 degree farenheit oven until warm.

White Beans in Red Sauce or Skillet Vegetarian Baked Beans (serves 2-3)

As noted in my Hummus and White Beans on Toast for One or Two recipes, I've come to enjoy eating beans on a regular basis,--Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus or Apple and Hummus Triangle Pita Sandwiches, Black Bean Sloppy Joe, etc.. As a native of New England, I knew about baked beans and believed any successful baked bean recipe required salted pork, like bacon or ham. While I've seen cans of vegetarian baked beans in the supermarket while grocery shopping, the thought of making vegetarian baked beans from scratch didn't enter my mind until I was searching for beans on toast recipes.

My search led me to a vegetarian baked bean recipe from Delicious Everyday which serves 6, and which I suggest trying if anyone wants a recipe which serves more that what's listed here. If you compare the two recipes, you'll notice I swapped the crushed tomatoes for tomato sauce, cannellini (white kidney) beans for great northern beans, garlic clove for minced garlic, dijon mustard for spicy brown, skipped the salt and pepper. This recipe has a lot of flexibility.

If using dried beans, these can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. If doing this, start with step 2, “If using canned beans ….”

While Beans in Red Sauce or Skillet Vegetarian Baked Beans (serves 2-3)

½ cup dry or 1 cup canned white beans such as great northern cannellini, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ cup onion, diced
1/3 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon organic brown sugar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon soy or tamari sauce
1 teaspoon dijon or spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon paprika (smoked recommended)
¾ cup tomato sauce (Hunt's no salt added tomato sauce, recommended)

7 ½ -8 inch skillet with lid

1) If using dried beans, rinse beans then soak in 2 cups cold water in covered 3 quart pot for at least 8 hours. Drain, add two more cups cold water and cook beans over low to medium heat for 1 hour or until beans are at desired softness.

2) If using canned beans, in a 7 ½ -8 inch skillet cook olive oil, onion and garlic over medium heat until onion is translucent,--about 5-9 minutes.

3) Add beans, brown sugar or maple syrup, soy or tamari sauce, mustard, paprika, tomato sauce to skillet. Gently stir to combine ingredients.

4) Reduce heat to low, cover skillet and cook 25 – 45 minutes or until desired thickness. Serve. Store any leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator.

Beans ready to serve

Riced Cauliflower with Apple (serves 2 – 4)

I eat a lot of riced cauliflower these days, especially since I found a “quick” way to cook frozen riced cauliflower, it's a less starchy replacement for rice and is extremely low in calories and sodium but high in vitamin C and potassium.

In looking for a fast, from the refrigerator quick to heat lunch last fall, I decided to try riced cauliflower with an apple and hard boiled egg. Liking the combination of cauliflower and apple, I've made it several times since. The basic recipe is below and don't be afraid to skip the salt, substitute olive oil with butter or add your favorite cheese.

12 oz riced cauliflower, frozen recommended
½ cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/8 – ¼ tsp kosher salt (optional)
2 large sweet baking apples like a Cortland, peeled*, cored and diced

In a 3 quart pot, cook riced cauliflower and water over medium-high heat, stirring periodically. Cauliflower may solidify to frozen block but will thaw as pot is heated. Cook about 10 – 12 minutes until cauliflower is a “soft” rice consistency and water is absorbed. Remove from heat.

In a bowl mix cooked riced cauliflower, apple, olive oil, kosher salt (optional) until combined. Serve.
 
Option: Add two peeled and chopped hard boiled eggs to make a “meal in a bowl”.

*Peeling suggested but not required.

Riced Cauliflower, 

Apple and 

Hard Boiled Egg

Raspberry or Strawberry Shortbread Bars Recipe or No Eggs Needed

This is a variation of a recipe a girlfriend of mine gave to me many years ago. I made it for the first time last year as I had a jar of homemade strawberry jam I wanted to use. The only mistake I made I was not photographing as I didn't expect it to be consumed in under a day.


Raspberry or Strawberry Shortbread Bars Recipe (serves 12)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, margarine or shortening at room temperature or slightly melted
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ tablespoon water
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (2.6 ounces) – 1 cup (8 ounces) raspberry or strawberry jam
Extra butter, margarine or shortening or non-stick cooking spray if using non-stick baking dish

1) Place oven rack on middle rung.
2) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
3) If using non-stick 8 x 8-inch baking dish, grease baking dish with butter, margarine or shortening or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

4) In a large bowl, slightly melt butter, margarine or shortening.
5) Cream butter with sugar, canola oil, water and vanilla extract.
6) Combine flour with butter mixture.

7) Cut dough in half, pressing one half into greased or non-stick 8 x8-inch baking dish.
8) Spread jam over one half dough pressed into baking dish.
9) Flatten remaining dough with fingers in sections and lay on top of jam. Continue to do this until the jam layer is covered with dough in a crumb-like topping.

10) Bake for 30 minutes.
11) Remove from oven and cool.
12) When cool, cut into 12 squares and serve. Store any leftovers in airtight container.

Apples wrapped in Bacon

A sweet baking apple, like a Cortland, make this a two ingredient recipe.

8 oz. bacon
One large sweet baking apple, peeled*, cored and cut into 1” pieces.
Toothpicks
Non-stick broiler pan

1) Place oven rack on middle rung.
2) Pre-heat oven to temperature for baking bacon as instructed on bacon package.
3) Cut bacon slices in half.
4) Wrap one slice of bacon around almond stuffed date.
5) Push toothpick through bacon and date to hold this together.
6) Place almond stuffed bacon wrap on broiler pan.
7) Repeats steps 4 – 9 as many times as needed.
8) Bake as instructed on bacon package.
9) Remove from oven. Cool 1 -3 minutes. Serve.
10) Store any leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator.

*Peeling suggested but not required.

Unpeeled Cortland Apples 

wrapped in 

Turkey Bacon

White Beans on Toast for One or Two

As noted in my hummus recipe, I've come to enjoy eating beans on a regular basis hummus Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus or Apple and Hummus Triangle Pita Sandwiches. As a native of New England, I knew about baked beans and brown bread but didn't know about beans on toast until two years ago while watching the series “Food: Delicious Science”. The simplicity intrigued me.

White Beans on Toast for One or Two

2 slices of toast
butter
½ cup white beans (white kidney or great northern recommended)
garlic powder (optional)

If using canned beans, drain and rinse beans. If using dried beans, soak and cook beans according to package.

Toast bread to desired brownness. Butter toast and let it sit for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow butter to melt.

Put half of beans on slice of toast and remaining half on other lightly sprinkling garlic powder on top if desired, or put all beans on one slice of toast sprinkling garlic powder on top if desired and placing other slice buttered side down on top. 

Oven Roasted Celeriac/Celery Root for One or Try Before You Buy a Lot

Celeriac or celery root is a whitish bulb about the size of a softball which I spy frequently at local farmers markets. On a recent local farmers market visit I was informed roasting celeriac with the carrots I was buying was delicious. I took the recommendation buying one celeriac bulb, one bunch of carrots with the intention of roasting them and serving them together. Well the celeriac got roasted, was eaten immediately upon cooling.  The carrots had a different fate.

This recipe is a modification of Vava Berry's December 5, 2013 The Telegraph post for Roasted Celeriac.


Oven Roasted Celeriac/Celery Root for One

1 small to medium celeriac or celery root
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¾ teaspoon dried thyme.


1) Place oven rack on middle run setting. Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit.

2) Peel celeriac by using knife to remove top, bottom and then side. (For visual, see this 2010 post from thekitchn.com).

3) Cut celeriac into ¼ inch slices and then cut slices into thirds making them look like thin, fat strips.

4) Place celeriac strips in a medium-sized bowl.

5) Add oil, garlic and thyme. Toss until celeriac wedges are coated.

6) Spread wedges in a single layer on non-stick baking sheet

7) Bake 15 – 30 minutes until golden brown and easily pierced with a fork.

8) Remove from oven. Serve warm, storing any leftovers in air tight container in refrigerator.

Oven Roasted

Celeriac/Celery Root

ready to eat