Summertime Mango Salsa

I love summer. Fresh tomatoes. Fresh fruits. Fresh vegetables.  It's what we wait for all year. And then there are the BBQs and swim parties and holidays and weekend get-togethers. Everyone is always looking for a nice dish to take to a gathering of friends. This is one of my favorites. Quick and easy. Just chop, chop, chop. No cooking required. This is a big hit with the kids due to the slightly sweet taste provided by the mango.

Ingredients

2 mangoes, diced
10 plum tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
A generous handful of cilantro leaves (stems removed), minced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced small
juice of 2 limes 

Combine in a bowl and chill if desired.  Good with tortilla chips or other dipping chips.  Feeds an army of guests.  Delicious.

Spinach Fritatta

If you read this blog or know me, you know I love breakfast.  I am an egg eater.  An ovivore.  I love eggs, virtually any style.  And yes, I love quiche. But I am not a fan of the pie crust.  When served pie, I give away the rind of the crust.  It's just not my thing.  So when I discovered that one could make a crustless quiche, I was all in.

Enter the fritatta.

The thing about fritattas, about quiches, is that they are best when they are barely set.  They have the consistency of custard and they melt in your mouth.  This is just one of those kinds of recipes.

Ingredients:

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced and pre-cooked

1 large vidalia onion, julienned

1 pkg (10 oz.) spinach, wilted

12 eggs, beaten

4 oz. full fat sour cream

4 oz. Gruyere cheese
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

vegetable oil

1 well seasoned 10" cast iron pan

Dice and cook the potatoes in a small amount of oil.  Set aside to cool.  Julienne the onion and cook in a small amount of oil over low heat until onions are caramelized.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Wilt one package of baby spinach (stems removed) over medium heat.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Dice the Gruyere into small pieces.  Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat 12 large eggs with a wire whisk.  Add the sour cream and beat until homogeneous. Add the salt and pepper.  Oil the cast iron pan with a generous 2T of oil.  Use a paper towel to oil the sides of the pan. 

Add the potatoes, onion, spinach and cheese to the egg mixture and pour into the pan.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Check for doneness.  You want the center of the fritatta *just set*.  If not to desired doneness, bake on, checking every 5 minutes for donenes.  Do not overbake.  The fritatta will probably not have a browned top.  If you cook it until the top is browned, you have overcooked the interior of the thing and it will have the texture of a kitchen sponge.  Don't do that.  You are going to have to live with an unbrowned top this time.  

As soon as practically possible, run a knife around the edge of the pan removing the sides of the fritatta.  After 10 minutes, turn the fritatta out onto a plate and serve.

Ho hum Vegetable Lasagna and Kick Ass Eggplant Dip

I made a Weight Watchers recipe of roasted vegetable lasagna for New Year's Day at Bek's.  Spoiler alert:  I'm not impressed. 

Senegalese Peanut Stew (Vegetarian)

OMG. Stop what you are doing right now and go to the grocery if you have to because you have GOT to have this chowder and like NOW.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

This is one of my best kept diet secrets. This is a big-bold-flavor quiche and I promise that you won't miss the crust. The Gruyere cheese lends a slightly sweet, but not over-the-top cheese flavor. The spinach and onions are perfection. It's also a pretty meal. Just right for those mornings when you can enjoy a cup of coffee and the morning news.

Never having been a fan of pie crust, this really works for me. Pie crust is fattening! Why miss out on the things you love because they contain elements you don't? I understand I'm in the minority here. I get that some of you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE pie crust and might feel jilted, but I promise this is a good quiche. Also, there is no reason you couldn't use pie crust if you aren't on a diet. In that case, I'd add four slices of crisp cooked and crumbled bacon to the mix before baking.

Just a couple of notes.  My complaint with most quiches, other than the crust, is that they usually overdo the cheese.  One ounce of cheese is a slice about as thick as your thumb.  That's why I use a high-flavor cheese.  A little stretches a long way and does so without all those extra (and IMHO unnecessary) calories.  Also, you can use frozen spinach, just thaw and squeeze out as much water as possible.  However, I don't think the taste is the same with frozen spinach and use fresh whenever it is available at a reasonable price.  This is why we grow spinach in our own gardens, folks!  I make one of these a month--at least!

KCalories per slice: 94
Total fat: 5g; Saturated fat: 2g
Total carbs: 5g; Dietary fiber: 1g
Protein: 8g
Weight Watchers PointsPlus per serving: 2
One serving = 1/8 of pie; serves 8

Ingredients
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/2 cup egg white only, egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
10 oz. package of fresh baby spinach
1 whole onion, diced or sliced in thin strips
1 oz. of Gruyere or other strong cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fat-free milk
Pam spray
1/4 teaspoon of vegetable shortening (just enough to prevent sticking)

Coat the bottom of a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Caramelize onions over very low heat. Babysit the pan. You don't want french fried onions. You want tender onions with a good bit of caramel color. Remove onions from pan and set aside to cool. Spray the pan with non-stick spray and add the spinach in two batches. Turning constantly, cook only until wilted and remove promptly. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease the baking dish with the smallest amount of vegetable shorting possible. In a medium bowl, crack and beat the eggs. Add the egg whites and milk and stir well. When the onions and spinach have cooled (and not before unless you want scrambled eggs), add them to the eggs, then add the cheese. Stir well, and put the mixture in the greased baking dish. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes. The quiche is done when it is slightly brown toward the edges and just set in the middle. Do not overcook.

Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Can be served warm or cold.