Mini Hash Brown Breakfast Quiche

Yes - I have this in the blog from last year, but with a slight twist.  I've added bacon to it this year.  Plus, my lighting is better, so I decided to re-post!

Individual Mini Hash Brown Breakfast Quiche

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of hash brown (pressed between two paper towels to drain excess water)
• garlic salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chopped, sliced ham
• 2 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)
• 1/2 cup cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425*.
2. Arrange & press hash browns around sides and base of 1-cup Pyrex dish or ramekin.
3. Season with garlic salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Drizzle butter around the sides and over bottom of hash browns.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Meanwhile, dice ham and bacon. Mix eggs and milk.
7. Remove ramekins once done. Reduce heat to 375*
8. Layer ham and cheese over hash browns.
9. Pour egg mixture over top.
10. Sprinkle bacon and any remaining cheese on top.
11. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes (until knife comes out clean).

Breakfast ~ Wednesday, July 27

Spicy Sausage Purses

Ok - funny name, I know, but this little appetizers packs a big punch!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a 17.3 oz package of puff pastry (one sheet)
• 6 oz. of sausage, diced (I used the mini chicken apple sausages, but I'm going to try a hot link next time for a super spicy kick)
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon dijon-style mustard

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400*.  Spray 24-cup mini-muffin tin.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix sausage, marmalade and mustard.  Set aside.
3. Unfold pastry and roll into 10 X 15 inch rectangle on lightly floured surface.
4. Cut pastry into 24 (2 1/2 inch) squares. Place squares into mini muffin cups.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of sausage mixture into each cup.
6. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.  Serve warm!

Appetizer ~ Tuesday, July 26th

S'mores Indoors!

Craving s'mores but you aren't camping?  Have an oven?  Then I've got the recipe for you!!  You can make your s'mores indoors. :)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups graham crackers, crushed
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 cups mini marshmallows
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*.  Spray a 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish.
2. Crumble graham crackers and mix with sugar and melted butter.  Press half into the bottom of the baking dish.
3. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and the marshmallows across the top.
4. Sprinkle the remainder of the graham cracker mixture over the top and press down gently with the back of a spoon.
5. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and immediately press the top down firmly with the back of the spoon.
7. Let cool completely, then cut into squares.
8. Enjoy!!

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 Dessert ~ Tuesday, July 26th

Lemon-Oatmeal Lacies

YUM!!

Ok, so I'm just getting into the whole lemon thing...  never really liked lemon.  However, lately, I've been making lemon desserts. (You will find some Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares in the blog later this week!)  And I love oatmeal anything.  So, I was searching for a "lacy" recipe, and found this one. However, it didn't have lemon in it, and it just HAD to have lemon! So I added lemon zest, and the Lacies were FANTASTIC!!

I'm up in Tahoe with Dione and the girls, (Amanda, Alyssa, Emily and Julian) for our annual trip, and I'm back into my cooking/baking marathon! (7 days, 21 meals & 7 desserts). This recipe was SOOO good, and the picture was just perfect...  I know I'm driving them crazy with my obsession with this picture, but isn't it BEAUTIFUL???   Trust me when I tell you that it tastes as good as it looks...sooooo YUMMY!   :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest of one lemon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325*.  Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder.  In large bowl, cream sugar and butter until fluffy.
3. Add egg, vanilla and lemon zest. Blend well.
4. Mix in flour & oat mixture until just combined.

5. Drop small amount of dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, 2 1/2 inches apart. (Yes!! This is a very important step.  My first cookies came out as a "bar" because is all melted together as they were too close!)
6. Bake at 325* for 10 - 12 minutes, or until edges turn golden.
7. Move entire piece of aluminum to a cooling rack and let cool.  Once cool, peel cookies off gently with your fingers. (You can pull the aluminum away from the cookies.)  Be sure to re-spray bakng sheets with non-stick cooking spray between batches.
8. ENJOY!!!

Dessert ~ Monday, July 25th

Spinach Salad (Super Healthy!)

Ingredients:

• Spinach, fresh, whole
• Feta cheese
• Strawberries, quartered
• Candied Pecans (or walnuts)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Juice from one "Cutie" (little orange)

Directions:

1. Mix spinach, strawberries feta and pecans in a bowl.
2. In small bowl, add the olive oil and squeeze the juice from the Cutie into the bowl.
3. Mix and poor over the salad.  Mix all ingredients!
4. Enjoy!

Spinach salad w/ OJ dressing, Mashed Cauliflower &

 Crescent-Sausage

Smashed Cauliflower

 

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbls butter
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Boil the veggie broth (can be chicken or beef broth, too).
2. Break cauliflower into small pieces and put into the pot. Boil for about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Drain excess broth (but reserve some to add, depending on the consistency you want) and mash cauliflower as you would mashed potatoes.
4. Add the butter, cheddar and Parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Enjoy!
6. To reheat later, sprinkle a little more Parmesan and bake at 350* for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon Croutons

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F(200 degrees C). Combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread butter mixture evenly over one side of each bread slice. Place bread, buttered side up, on a baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until bread is crisp and topping is bubbly. Cut each slice of bread into 8 small triangles or squares.
2. Saute onion in butter in a medium saucepan until tender. Add 1 can chicken broth; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Transfer broth mixture into the container of a blender or processor. Process until smooth. 
4. Return mixture to saucepan. Add remaining can of broth, pumpkin, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground pepper; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally..
5. Stir in whipping cream and heat through. Do not boil. Ladle into individual soup bowls. Top each serving with Cinnamon Croutons.