SPINACH AND MUSHROOM CRUSTLESS QUICHE

Well, my quiche photos did not turn out the best. I cropped this one as best I could. Having finished off the quiche later I took more photos, but they were even worse. I do not know where my head was at that day! Not wanting to put you off, I'll just say if you go to the recipe site mentioned below, you'll get a better idea of how pretty this quiche is. It did taste excellent and my non-lover of cooked spinach gave it an 8 our of 10 which was high praise indeed. We served them with roasted green beans and a few cherry tomatoes thrown on the plate to brighten it up a bit. All a bit slap-dash but there you go. Onward!

I was immediately drawn to this quiche recipe when I saw that it had no crust. I used to make quiches all the time years ago, encased in pastry, but have been enjoying it without the last few times I have made it. You can find the original recipe here. I couldn't find the name of the cooking blog where I expected it to be, so I have taken the title out of the website address, Lily's Simple Recipes. You can see others offered at this link. 

I have added helpful notes from our host at the end of this recipe. You can go to the blog to read more.

Spinach and Mushroom Crustless Quiche

Servings: 4 slices

Calories per serving: approximately 300

From preparation to table: approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. (I only add this from the original recipe as a guideline as I go at my own pace.)

Equipment: skillet - 9-inch pie plate - mixing bowl

2 oz feta cheese crumbled

⅛ teaspoon salt adjust to taste

1 clove garlic minced

1 tablespoon cooking oil or olive oil

10 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry

8 oz mushrooms sliced into ¼-inch pieces

1 cup milk, preferably 2%

½ cup shredded mozzarella

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup grated Parmesan freshly grated preferred

4 large eggs room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350°F to prepare for baking that glorious quiche.

Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring until they’re golden and fragrant.

Add minced garlic and salt during the last minute, stirring until aromatic. 

Remove the mixture from heat and set aside.

Brush oil around a 9-inch pie plate. 

Spread the sautéed mushrooms at the bottom, followed by the squeezed spinach and crumbled feta for a delightful base.

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, grated Parmesan, and black pepper until smooth. 

Be careful not to overmix for a fluffy texture.

Gently pour the egg mixture over the layered vegetables and cheese. 

Top with shredded mozzarella.

Place quiche in oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until the center is set and reaches a lovely golden brown.

Once baked, let the quiche sit for 5-10 minutes. This allows it to firm up and makes slicing easier.

Slice warm or at room temperature.

Notes from our host

For a creamier texture use room-temperature eggs while whisking the custard mixture. It makes a noticeable difference.

The following are suggestions of what to serve with the quiche. 

A mixed green salad with a tangy vinaigrette.

A colorful assortment of seasonal fruits.

Serve with warm, crusty artisanal bread.

The host suggests a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc for a choice of wine.

Variations and Substitutions:

You can make this dairy-free: substitute the milk with almond or oat milk and use a dairy-free cheese to create a lactose-free quiche everyone can enjoy.

Add diced ham, cooked bacon, or shredded rotisserie chicken.

Mix in fresh herbs like thyme, basil, or dill to the egg mixture.

Substitute other vegetables like sweet bell peppers, zucchini, or sundried tomatoes.

Add red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños for more heat.

If you would like to make this vegan, swap out the eggs with a chia or flaxseed mixture (1 tablespoon of chia/flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of water per egg), use dairy-free milk, and choose plant-based cheese alternatives.

The next night we had another slice and this time I fixed it with a veggie salad, cherry-sized mozzarella balls that I found are called Ciliegine (pronounced "chee-lee-AY-jee-neh"). Excellent for snacking. I have some in the fridge right now, cherry tomatoes, a little grated carrot, cucumbers, sliced green onions and romaine lettuce. It was a tasty combination.

Below is the full address if you prefer to copy and paste instead of using the link at the beginning of the recipe.

https://lilysimplerecipes.com/best-spinach-and-mushroom-crustless-quiche

I think I have covered everything but if I have made it too confusing or if you have any questions, let me know in the comment section and I will do my best to answer.

This is how it is supposed to look, just like a painting! 

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE - STRAWBERRY, SPINACH SALAD WITH POPPY SEED HONEY-LEMON DRESSING - SERVES 4

It is a great time for salads with all the hot weather we have been having. I am also adding our 10-day forecast, occasionally, not all the time. Just a reminder for us to look back on. Here's ours starting tomorrow (I am writing this on 7-13-24). Happily we have some rain ahead. Good news for our farmers and good news for our gardens.

This recipe comes from Julia's recipes, hosted by Julia, who lives in Colorado, USA. Thank you Julia for this wonderful recipe. Great photos, great recipes if you would like to take a look, and the original recipe is at this link. She also has a lot of suggestions for other recipes to be served with it.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Honey-Lemon Dressing 

Serves: 4

Calories per serving: approximately 370

Salad dressing:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons poppy seeds divided

Spinach Strawberry Salad

6 oz baby spinach

12 ounces strawberries cleaned, hulled, and sliced (about 3 cups)

½ cup feta cheese crumbled

½ cup pecans toasted

Make salad dressing:

Combine olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, and 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds in a mason jar. Whisk well with a fork for 1 to 2 minutes until well blended. Add more (or less) honey or mustard to taste. (Denise’s note: I would also say go sparingly until you have added enough dressing to your salad for your own taste.)

Putting together:

Combine spinach, sliced strawberries, and toasted pecans (some whole some chopped) in a large serving bowl (or in 4 individual salad bowls).

Add salad dressing and toss to combine.

Top with crumbled feta cheese and sprinkle with extra poppy seeds.

Julia's Notes:

Toast the pecans on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes, until they turn slightly darker (be careful not to over-toast them). Toasted pecans are crunchier and have a fresher taste.

Other nuts that complement a strawberry spinach salad are walnuts, toasted pine nuts, or salted shelled pistachios. Candied nuts are also great additions.

For a nut-free version, simply substitute sunflower seeds.

Alternative leafy greens include a spinach/arugula mix or butter lettuce.

Nutritional information can be read at the original recipe.

I am adding the full address if you prefer to copy and paste instead of clicking on any links.

https://juliasalbum.com/strawberry-spinach-salad-poppy-seeds/

Make ahead tips (Denise’s note: it was a lot of prep work and I would do all this for next time):

Toast pecans up to 2 days in advance. 

Toast them in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 7 or 10 minutes (Denise’s note: I have had trouble burning nuts, so I was cautious and took them out at a little past the 4 minute mark). Once they are cool, keep them in a ziploc bag at room temperature or in the fridge.

Make the salad dressing in advance:

You can make it up to 5 days in advance and keep it refrigerated in a mason jar. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Assemble quartered strawberries, spinach, and crumbled feta cheese up to 5 hours in advance before serving.  

Add the nuts and the poppy seed dressing only when ready to serve. This will prevent spinach from wilting and will keep the nuts crunchy! (Denise’s note: I had added the dressing already for our meal. When we ate the two remaining meals the next day, it resembled a wilted lettuce salad, though we still enjoyed it. However, I wouldn’t make quite as much next time, and only enough for just two people to eat on the day of making.)

Storage Tips:

It's best to serve strawberry spinach salad right away, so it is recommended making just enough so that you have no leftovers. (See my note above.)

If you do have leftovers, the salad can be refrigerated for 2 days. It's best to refrigerate the salad and the dressing separately. 

What did we think? It was delicious and we enjoyed not only the ingredients but the salad dressing. You can play around with it if you think it is too sweet. We thought it was excellent, except I thought maybe to go easier on the poppy seeds as they seemed to be overboard on those. My advice for us next time is to use them sparingly until we have enough for them not to look too much. The following is a photo of what we thought was too much. That being said, it did not detract from the deliciousness.

Thanks for stopping by and as always, 

I hope your day is a great one. 

Bon Appétit!

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - TORTILLA BREAKFAST WITH EGGS, SPINACH, CHEESE, TOMATOES.

These recipes are everywhere so you might have something similar in your own repertoire. I made another like this one here.  I saw today’s at Instagram, not sure by whom as I lost it before identifying.  I tried to find it again doing a search on the website but came up with what I am sharing.  It is almost identical to the one I saw originally.  Very simple!

Made for 1 (easily multiplied)

Avocado spray

2 eggs, whisked

1 or 2 ounces of cheese (I grabbed a handful of already grated mozzarella)

Spinach leaves, stem ends picked off (personal choice and also the quantity depends on how much you like spinach - I like it and put on as much as the tortilla would accommodate)

1 medium tomato, sliced thinly

Pour your whisked eggs into a medium to hot frying pan that has been coated with Avocado spray (or olive oil).  The eggs should be approximately the same diameter as your tortilla.

Immediately top with spinach leaves, and on top of the eggs and spinach, place the medium-sized tortilla.

Flip over so that your eggs and spinach are now on the top and tortilla is on the bottom.  

Place tomato slices on top and sprinkle with the mozzarella.  If you find your tortilla browning too much, turn down the heat a tad and cover for a minute or two so that the cheese melts and the tomatoes are still firm but warmed through.

When cheese has melted, fold tortilla over in the pan, lift onto your serving plate and that's it.  

This is very nice sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro  I didn’t have any available as this was a last minute idea for breakfast.

You can add any favorite cheese and toppings.  Add salt if you like (I found it was fine without) and pepper to taste.   

My dear other half would add Siracha or some other hot sauce.  I do at other times, I just wanted it plain today.

I am thinking of adding sliced avocado and green onions (or diced sweet onions) when I feel like this again.

This is in our make-again folder.  It was very tasty.

Thanks for looking and have a great week.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - HOT CHEESY SPINACH-ARTICHOKE DIP

This is an old favorite of my Dear Other Half and I have made it many times since I found it several years ago. I got my recipe here at The Comfort of Cooking hosted by Georgia.   I have made it for company and all have enjoyed.

Hot Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Serves 15 (makes 4-1/2 cups)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella-Parmesan Cheese blend (I couldn't find the combined packet of cheeses so I bought two separate packets and mixed them together myself when measuring out ingredients)
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can small artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat or regular cream cheese
2/3 cup light sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit.

Measure out all your ingredients and have them within handy reach.

Prepare a casserole dish by giving a light coating on the inside with cooking spray.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend 1-1/2 cups Mozzarella/Parmesan cheese mixture, spinach and artichoke hearts until well combined.

Blend garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and salt into spinach mixture.

Pour into the prepared casserole dish and distribute evenly, leveling it off by lightly smoothing and flattening the top with the back of your spoon.

Top with the remaining half a cup of Mozzarella/Parmesan cheese mixture.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and dip is bubbly.

Serve hot with crackers, toasted bread or pretzels.  

What did we think?  This is a great way to incorporate more veggies into your day.   

I have mentioned this before but our oven cooks at a lower temperature for most recipes.  After 30 minutes the top of the dip still didn't have a golden crust.  I put the broiler on and watched it carefully until I was satisfied.  This created the most delicious crust but if this is too much, broil until it suits your own preference.

I served it with oblong-shaped Focaccia rolls that I cut into inch-and-a-half cubes.  

I have seen large, crusty round loaves hollowed out which acts as the bowl.  I would like to try this next time. Presentation is real pretty. The bread that has been taken from the center of the loaf can be cut or torn into pieces and used to scoop up the dip.  

There are leftovers so we will be having it for the next couple of days. It goes well with tomato soup or a side salad.  

It heated up very nicely in the microwave, or you can put it back into the oven until heated through.  

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your day and...

MONDAY RECIPE POST - SPINACH SALAD WITH SWEET ROASTED PECANS AND GORGONZOLA WITH SHERRY-SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

I have been looking for different types of salads to the ones we usually have.  We both have very similar tastes with only a few exceptions and lately, have been having a lot of easy fix-it meals that we don't need a recipe for.  But today was the day to try something new (to us), and here it is.

I found this recipe at the Food Network, and the original is here.  The recipe is courtesy of David Lieberman.

Spinach Salad with Sweet Roasted Pecans and Gorgonzola with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette - serves 4

It goes quickly from prep to table, though we take longer than the time stated, but not by much.  

1 package baby spinach

3 to 4 handfuls pecan halves

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (we used avocado oil)

Few pinches of salt

Few pinches of sugar

½ cup olive oil (we used avocado oil again)

¼ cup sherry vinegar

2 small shallots, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 small wedge Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 2 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

After washing and preparing the spinach, put in serving bowl.  (I always take the stringy part off the leaves, not necessary but my preference.)

Toss pecans with vegetable or avocado oil, sugar and salt. Lay out on baking sheet. Roast until a little more golden and fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes. They burn easily so check on them before time is up and give them a bit of a stir.  Set aside. 

Make dressing by combining oil choice, vinegar, shallots and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Whisk together.  If you are making ahead place in sealable container, put in the fridge and shake before putting on the salad.  I use an old glass peanut butter jar with a screw top lid just for this purpose, and it has been in the dishwasher many times with everything else.  

Toss spinach with dressing, Gorgonzola and pecans.

Serve and enjoy!

As far as salads go, it's right up there and we will be making this again and again.  We served them with Jumbo Coconut Shrimp. These were frozen in a box (SeaPak brand) and you may have had them before.  They are excellent but just to mix it up, next time we will try fresh and steam the shrimp.  This salad lends itself to any favorite protein you may prefer.  

We used walnuts but will try pecans next time.  

I am not one for a lot of dressing and didn’t toss the whole salad.  I added a tablespoon on top of my own bowl, stirred a little and put the shrimp on top and on the side.  

There was leftover dressing which I refrigerated, and we still have spinach and Gorgonzola left, so will have that again at our next meal, also toasted pecans.  

Thanks for looking and have a great week.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - VEGAN LEMON SPAGHETTI WITH SPINACH

My daughter-in-law sent me this recipe.  So glad she did and I want to thank her yet again.  She is wonderful in many ways, and on top of everything else is an excellent chef.   

Gregg and I gave this recipe a ten-out-of-ten.  It comes from Vegan ❤️ Vegan hosted by Sina, and can be found here.  I would also like to thank Sina for such a delicious recipe.  I can highly recommend a visit to her blog to see other equally delicious recipes.



Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach 
2 servings
497 calories per serving

Lemon spaghetti with spinach is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights.  It is a one pot meal, super delicious, comforting, and 100 % vegan!

Course: Entrée

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lemon spaghetti

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Total Time:20 mins

Servings:  people

Calories: 497kcal

Author: Sina

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)

9 oz spaghetti

3 cups fresh spinach

lemon juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon lemon zest

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

Instructions

In a large pot, heat some oil and sauté the onion for 3 minutes until it becomes translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the uncooked spaghetti, the vegetable broth, the coconut milk, and the lemon juice. Stir a couple of times and gently push the spaghetti in the liquid when they're soft enough (this might take a couple of minutes. Try not to break them when they're still too hard). Cook for 15-18 minutes.

When the spaghetti is al dente, stir in the spinach and the lemon zest. Cook for an additional 2 minutes and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Enjoy!

Sina's Notes:

"I usually cook my one pot lemon spaghetti on medium heat. Just make sure that the spaghetti are not sticking to the bottom once in a while. If this is the case, turn down the heat a bit. 

Don't be surprised that the cooking time is a bit longer than usual (15-18 minutes). The spaghetti won't be over-cooked at all. They just need more time as they don't have as much liquid as they would when you cook them in water. However, they will have a much deeper flavor this way!

It will take some time until all of the spaghetti are covered with liquid. Don't worry that's normal! Stir a couple of times and gently push the spaghetti in the liquid when they're soft enough. This might take a couple of minutes. Try not to break them when they're still too hard. 

I usually use full-fat coconut for my lemon spaghetti to make it extra creamy. However, I had some readers try it with light coconut milk and they said it still turned out very creamy."

You can find all the nutritional values underneath Sina's recipe.

Denise's notes:

Absolutely delicious, full of flavor.  This is the first time I have not cooked spaghetti in a separate pot.  The spaghetti absorbs all the flavors and made it extra special.

A meal with two servings but we found it more than enough and have set aside leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.  Might add a salad.

This is a vegan recipe but we garnished with a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese.  If you want it entirely vegan you will leave that off .

Gregg decided to add the whole can of coconut milk, and it worked out well, very yummy.  Of course the calories change and you'll have to factor that in if you are counting.

I added extra fresh spinach leaves on top, just because I'm always trying to pretty it up, and I like raw spinach.

Sliced green onions would have been nice also.

I would have no trouble leaving the Parmesan off next time to go totally vegan.  

This recipe is now added to our favorite recipe folder and can see making this again many times.

Thanks for looking and enjoy your week.