Spinach & Mushroom Frittata (healthier version of quiche)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ brown onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
8 button mushrooms (100g), sliced
150g baby spinach leaves
4 eggs
2 egg whites
60 ml milk
Salt and pepper

Directions:

     1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 20cm round ovenproof quiche/flan dish with cooking spray.
     2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Stir in the spinach and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
     3. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool.
     4. Heat the remaining oil in the frypan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, cook for about 5 minutes or until softened, then remove from the heat.
     5. Squeeze the spinach to remove any excess moisture, add to the mushrooms and mix to combine. Spread the spinach and mushroom mix evenly over the base of the prepared dish.
     6. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until thoroughly combined. Add the milk, some salt and pepper and whisk again to combine. Pour egg mixture evenly over the spinach and mushroom mixture.
     7. Bake for about 35 minutes or until puffed and golden and the quiche no longer jiggles. Cut into wedges and serve with a mixed green salad.

Ham & Potato Frittata

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 2 lbs. potatoes 
• 1 bunch green onions 
• 4.5 oz. (1/2 of a 9 oz. pkg) deli ham 
• salt & pepper to taste 
• 8 large eggs 
• ½ cup milk 
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese 

Instructions

1. Wash, peel, and slice the potatoes into thin, ⅛" thick slices. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally so that the bottom layer has a chance to brown. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, slice both the green and white ends of the green onions. Add the white ends to the skillet with the potatoes as they cook. Also roughly chop the deli ham and add it to the skillet as the potatoes cook.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and parmesan cheese. Once the mixture is fairly smooth, stir in the remainder of the sliced green onions (the green ends).
5. Once the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart (about 10 minutes of cooking), pour the egg mixture into the skillet, making sure to cover all areas. Continue to cook the mixture in the skillet without stirring for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges are set.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, or until the egg has puffed up and eggs are set (firm, but still moist). The center of the skillet will firm up last, so test the center for doneness. Allow the frittata to sit for five minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

The cooking time in the oven will depend on several factors including the thickness/size of your skillet and how cooked the eggs were prior to transferring the skillet to the oven. Keep an eye on it and start checking for doneness at 15 minutes.

Step by Step Photos

I used about 2 pounds of potatoes, or just under half of my 5 lb. bag. I chose Russet potatoes, although I think Yukon Gold would also work well.

Wash, peel, and thinly slice the potatoes. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Season the potatoes with salt & pepper. Cook the potatoes in the skillet for about ten minutes, only stirring occasionally (this gives the bottom layer time to brown). Also start preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

While the potatoes are cooking, slice the green onions. I used both the white and green ends for this dish. Add the white ends to the potatoes as they cook.

Also roughly chop the deli ham and add that to the skillet as the potatoes cook.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and parmesan cheese. Once those are whisked together, stir in the green ends of the green onions.

After about ten minutes in the skillet, the potatoes should be tender, but not really falling apart. They’ll also be nicely browned in spots. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, making sure to evenly cover the potatoes.

Let the skillet continue to cook for one-two minutes more, or until the eggs are set around the edges, then transfer the skillet to the oven (make sure you’re using an oven safe skillet).

Bake the frittata for about 20 minutes or until the edges are all puffed up and the center is no longer liquid. You want the center to be firm, but still very moist. Allow the frittata to sit for five minutes before slicing and serving.

So filling, so good, and so inexpensive!

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/07/ham-potato-frittata/

Smoky Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika 
• ½ tsp oregano 
• ¼ tsp garlic powder 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper 
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan 
• 1½ Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 head cauliflower 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with foil and misting lightly with non-stick spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt, freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill), and grated Parmesan.
3. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, then cut into small florets. Place the florets in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the florets until they are evenly coated in oil. Add about ¾ of the Parmesan spice mixture to the bowl and toss the florets until coated again.
4. Spread the florets out over the surface of the baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer. Add any Parmesan and spices left in the bottom of the bowl to the top of the florets, then sprinkle the remaining, unused portion of the Parmesan spice mix over top.
5. Roast the cauliflower in the fully preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the cauliflower is tender. The parmesan will melt slightly and become crispy. Serve hot out of the oven.

Notes

Can be served plain or with dipping sauces like pizza sauce, marinara, or ranch dip.

Step by Step Photos

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bow, mix together 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp salt, some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill), and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan.

Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower, then cut it into small florets. I’m not sure how best to describe the size, just keep in mind that they will shrink a bit as they roast so you don’t want them TOO small, but larger florets will take longer to roast.

Place the florets in a large bowl and drizzle 1.5 Tbsp olive oil over top. Toss the florets until they’re evenly coated in oil. Add almost all of the Parmesan spice mixture and toss again. Save about 1/4 of the Parmesan spice mixture to sprinkle over top just before baking.

Spread the seasoned florets over a baking sheet covered in foil and lightly misted with non-stick spray. Sprinkle any Parmesan mixture from the bottom of the bowl, as well as the reserved portion, over top of the cauliflower. That kind of creates a crust on top.

Roast the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until they’re browned on the edges and the Parmesan has become a little crispy. Usually I stir vegetables at least once or twice while roasting, but this time I let it be so that the parmesan gets nice and crispy-brown on the bottom of the florets. It was SO GOOD.

Feed this to any self proclaimed vegetable hater and then see wha they say.

Also good dipped in a variety of sauces. NOM.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/08/smoky-parmesan-roasted-cauliflower/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Homemade Freezer Garlic Bread

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 Tbsp) salted butter 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 4 cloves garlic 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley 
• 1 16-inch loaf French Bread 

Instructions

1. Allow the butter to come to room temperature. Mince the garlic, then combine it in a small bowl with the butter, olive oil, salt, and dried parsley. Mix the ingredients together until they form a fairly smooth paste.
2. Cut the bread loaf into 16 one-inch slices. Scoop ½ Tbsp of the butter mixture onto each slice, then spread it over the surface with a knife. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and then place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes to allow the butter to firm up. Once firm, stack the slices two at a time and place in quart sized freezer bags. Store in the freezer up to three months.
3. To cook the frozen slices of garlic bread, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven is heated, take as many slices out of the freezer as you'd like, carefully separate the stacked slices, and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.*

Notes

*If using a different type of bread, the baking time may change.

Step by Step Photos

Start by letting one stick (8 Tbsp) of butter come to room temperature. Combine it in a bowl with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes.

Mix them all up until it forms a fairly smooth paste (a few chunks of butter are a-okay).

Take a 16 inch loaf of French bread and slice it into 16 one-inch pieces. The easiest way to do this is to first slice the loaf in half (2), then slice each half in half (4), then each quarter in half (8), and then each piece in half one last time (16). It’s much easier to eye-ball a “half” than to just start slicing one inch pieces from one end to the other.

 started with 8 Tbsp of butter, so I estimated I’d have about 1/2 Tbsp of the butter mixture for each of the 16 slices. Scoop the butter on to the slices, then…

Spread it out smooth with a knife. Place the buttered slices on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer for about 15 minutes, just to firm up the butter a bit.

Once the garlic butter is a little more firm, you can stack them two by two and place them in a quart sized freezer bag (6 to a bag). Freeze the slices for up to 3 months for best results. To cook the garlic bread, simply preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then take out as many slices as you’d like and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown (you don’t have to wait for them to thaw first).

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/03/homemade-freezer-garlic-bread/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Fudge Brownie Pots

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp butter 
• ½ cup granulated sugar 
• ¼ tsp vanilla 
• 1 large egg 
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• ¼ tsp baking powder 
• ⅛ tsp salt 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Cut the butter into chunks and place it in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir until the butter is fully melted. Add the sugar and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir again, then repeat the 15 second intervals until the sugar and butter no longer separate from each other after being stirred (about 30-45 seconds total).
2. Add the vanilla extract and egg to the melted butter and sugar, then stir to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
4. Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir just until a smooth, chocolatey batter has formed. Pour the batter into two 8oz. ramekins.
5. Bake the brownies in the preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the center of each brownie has risen up into a dome and the surface looks glossy and cracked. Let the brownies cool slightly before eating.

Step by Step Photos

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter in a microwave safe bowl. I usually microwave on high, then stir until the butter finishes melting. This and the next step can be done on the stove over low heat, if desired.

Add 1/2 cup sugar to the melted butter, microwave for 15 seconds, then stir again. Repeat the 15 second intervals until the sugar no longer separates out from the melted butter after stirring. This should only require 30-45 seconds total. (When you first add it, the sugar will look very granulated and the oil from the butter will seep out. After heating it a bit more, the sugar melts a bit and the two incorporate into a mostly smooth mixture. It may still looks every so slightly granular.)

Add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and one large egg.

Stir those in until the mixture is smooth.

To a separate bowl, add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir until they are very well combined and no clumps remain.

Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir until everything is combined and a smooth, chocolatey batter has formed.

Pour the batter into two 8oz. ramekins.

Bake the brownies for 25-30 minutes, or until the centers have risen up into a dome and the surface looks glossy and cracked. Mine could have gone for a minute or two longer because the center deflated a bit upon cooling, but I was okay with that because it just meant that the center was extra fudgey. 

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/02/fudge-brownie-pots-for-two/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29