Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Crustless Quiche

Ingredients

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms $1.99
• ½ tsp minced garlic $0.06
• as needed non-stick spray $0.02
• 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach $1.09
• 4 large eggs $0.83
• 1 cup milk $0.39
• 2 oz. feta cheese $0.87
• ¼ cup grated parmesan $0.39
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella $0.50
• to taste salt & pepper $0.05

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave. Empty the box into a colander and let it drain while you begin to prepare the rest.
2. Quickly rinse the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Place the sliced mushrooms in a skillet coated with non-stick spray, add the minced garlic, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Turn the heat on to medium-high and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet (5-7 minutes).
3. Spray a pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and spread it out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the cooked mushrooms and crumbled feta.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, parmesan, and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine. (This step can be completed while the mushrooms are cooking) Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, mushrooms, and feta.
5. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for easy transfer into the oven. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until it is golden brown on top and the center is solid. Every oven is different but this should take between 45 minutes and an hour. Slice and serve!

Step By Step Photos

The key to preventing a soggy quiche is to reduce the moisture in your vegetables. This is why the spinach is squeezed dry and the mushrooms get cooked before adding to the quiche. I start by draining the spinach in a colander and then squeeze the rest of the moisture out before adding it to the dish.

Next, move onto the mushrooms. Sometimes pre-sliced mushrooms are the same price as whole, but not this time around.

So I washed and sliced my own. I usually cut them in half first (to get a flat surface) and then slice them.

Mushrooms are like sponges that are secretly holding a lot of water, so you need to saute them before adding them to your quiche. I just placed them in a skillet coated with non-stick spray (and a little garlic for flavor) and then sprinkled them with salt and pepper. Just a touch. The salt will help draw out the moisture.

Turn the heat onto medium or medium high and saute them (cook while occasionally stirring) until the water cooks out. This picture is about half way through the process. You’ll notice that the bottom of the skillet is covered with water that has seeped out of the mushrooms. Just keep cooking past this point until most of that water has evaporated off and the bottom of the skillet is relatively dry. This should take about 5-7 minutes, depending on how hot your skillet is. You can prepare the custard (egg and milk mixture) while you’re waiting for the mushrooms to finish.

Coat the inside of a 9 inch pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and place it in the bottom of the dish along with the cooked mushrooms and feta cheese… in no particular order.

To make the custard, begin by whisking together four eggs until they are fairly smooth and uniform in texture.

Next whisk in the milk and parmesan cheese… and a little more pepper or any other herbs that you might like.

Pour the custard mixture over the vegetables in the pie dish. Oh, and the quiche is much easier to get in and out of the oven if it’s on a baking dish, so I put it on there before pouring in the liquidy custard mixture.

Sprinkle on more cheese (mozzarella in this case) if you want… again, I probably went overboard on the cheese but boy, was it tasty ;)

Bake the quiche in a preheated 350 degree oven until it is golden brown on top and the center is no longer liquid. This will take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven. Just start checking it at 45 minutes. You’ll notice as it cooks that it begins to puff up a bit. It will deflate once it comes out of the oven but the “puff” is a good way to tell which areas are cooked and which are still liquid.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/11/spinach-mushroom-feta-crustless-quiche/

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/

Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Frittata

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 3-4 packed cups baby spinach 
• ½ 12oz. jar roasted red peppers 
• 2 oz. feta 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional) 
• 6 large eggs 
• ¼ cup whole milk or half and half 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mince the garlic and add it to a 10" oven safe skillet, along with the canola oil. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Fill the skillet with fresh spinach (about 3-4 cups packed) and continue to sauté until it has wilted (1-2 minutes).
2. Remove the peppers from the jar and slice into thin strips. Add the sliced peppers to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes more. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Remove from the heat and crumble the feta over top.
3. Whisk together the eggs and milk, adding a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the vegetables in the skillet, then transfer the skillet to the fully preheated oven.
4. Bake the frittata for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is puffed and the top is light golden brown. If more browning is desired, place the frittata under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. This will quickly brown the top without over cooking the egg inside. Slice into 6-8 pieces and serve (1-2 pieces per person depending on size and appetite).

Step by Step Photos

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Mince two cloves of garlic and sauté them with 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil in a 10″ oven safe skillet. Sauté over medium heat for about one minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant and soft (try not to let it brown).

Fill the skillet with fresh spinach (about 3-4 packed cups) and continue to sauté until the spinach wilts. Spinach wilts fast, so it will only take about two minutes.

Remove 1/2 the peppers from a 12oz. jar of roasted red peppers, and slice into thin strips. 

Add the peppers to the skillet and continue to sauté for a minute or two more, just to remove some excess moisture. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (optional) to taste.

Crumble about 2 oz. of feta over the vegetables in the skillet. Remove from the heat. I buy my feta in an 8 oz. block, so it’s easy to just cut it into four pieces to estimate a 2 oz. chunk.

Quickly whisk together 6 large eggs and 1/4 cup milk (whole milk or half and half work best). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet over the seasoned vegetables and feta. The skillet should still be pretty hot at this point. Carefully transfer the skillet to the oven.

Let the frittata bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is puffed up and the top is light golden brown. If you want the top more browned than having just a kiss of color, place the frittata under the broiler for a minute. The broiler will quickly brown the top without overcooking the rest.

Brunch is served! You could also add some shredded mozzarella (before pouring in the eggs or sprinkled on top), crumbled bacon, artichoke hearts, or ham. Frittatas are extremely versatile!

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/08/roasted-red-pepper-and-feta-frittata/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

DRESSING

• ¼ cup olive oil 
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• ½ tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper 

SALAD

• 4 Roma tomatoes (or two medium tomatoes) 
• 1 medium cucumber 
• ½ small red onion 

Instructions

1. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl, or combine them in a jar and shake until mixed. Set the dressing aside to allow the flavors to blend.
2. Thinly slice* the tomato, cucumber, and red onion. Place them in a large bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the sliced vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat. The onions will become more mild as they marinate in the dressing.

Notes

*The vegetables can be cut into small chunks if preferred.

Step by Step Photos

Begin by making the dressing to allow the flavors a little time to blend. In a small bowl or jar, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. You can customize this dressing by adding some fresh minced garlic, changing up the dried herbs, or even using a different type of vinegar. I wanted this salad to have a REALLY light and fresh flavor, so I kept the ingredients simple and didn’t complicate the flavors.

Shake or whisk the ingredients until combined. This very simple dressing does not contain an emulsifying agent, so it will begin to separate as it sits. That’s quite alright. It will still taste great once it’s coating the vegetables. Give the dressing a taste and add more salt, pepper, or herbs, if necessary. If the dressing is too bitter or tart for your liking, you can always add a 1/4 tsp sugar to help mellow it out (I like my dressing to have a bite).

I try to get equal amounts of tomato and cucumber, with about half as much onion. So, I used 4 Roma tomatoes (because they were the best deal at the store that day), one cucumber, and half of a small red onion. Thinly slice the vegetables and place them in a bowl (you can cut them into a large dice if that’s easier).

Give the dressing a quick stir or shake, then pour it over the vegetables.

Then toss until everything is coated in the dressing. All done! You can serve it immediately, or refrigerate it for later. I find that the onions tend to mellow out a bit as they marinate in the dressing. So, if you have a hard time with fresh onions, making this ahead of time may help.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/08/simple-tomato-cucumber-salad/