Crustless pesto mini-quiches with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes

I’ve never been a huge egg fan, but they are pretty much the perfect food, so I am learning to like them, especially since we eat them pretty much every day. For our household of 3 adults, we usually go through about 4 dozen eggs a week! In my quest to cook some things out of our normal routine, I thought that making mini pesto quiches would be a good idea. And you all know I love pesto. Making these quiches was also a good way to use the leftover goat cheese/pesto/spinach mixture from the stuffed chicken breasts I posted yesterday.

I looked up a million different quiche recipes, all different, yet all very similar, so I just winged it. One recipe said to add Parmesan cheese at the bottom of the cups, as it acts like a little crust, but I was all out. I meant to add a little heavy cream, but I totally forgot about it and they turned out fine. So fine I actually ate two out of the oven the night I made them instead of waiting until the morning. My favorite were the ones with the sun-dried tomatoes. These were great to make ahead. I wish I would have made a few different kinds for Lenten Fridays. The next morning I popped a few in the toaster oven and they were just as good as they were fresh! I really loved the ones with the sun-dried tomatoes, so I think I will make another batch and put in the freezer for weekends we don’t feel like making breakfast… or if we don’t feel like cooking dinner, either.

mini quiches

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Recipe Review: Overnight, Slow Cooker, Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

I’ve been eyeing a cinnamon apple slow-cooker concoction for a while now, and I finally settled on trying The Yummy Life’s Overnight, Slow Cooker, Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal (say that 5x fast). My husband declined to eat it (too many carbs and oats are a grain), but being pregnant and carbing it up, I said “bring it on!”

Here is her recipe:

Ingredients
  • 2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)
  • 1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground flax seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter
Directions

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup fat-free milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot.

Recipe can be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.

I picked up some of the tastiest apples recently and thankfully I bought a whole bag! I had to use 3 apples to equal 2 cups and I wish I would have used more! I love apple cinnamon and not a big fan of oatmeal, so I probably would enjoy it even more if it was cinnamon apples with oatmeal and not cinnamon apple oatmeal (I want a little oatmeal with my apples, not a little apple with my oatmeal). I also used whole-fat milk because low-fat milk doesn’t exist in our house.

I didn’t add any flax seed, but I did add some vanilla granola just on the top while it was still cooking to add some more texture and vanilla in the mix because I love vanilla. I let mine cook for 6, not 7 hours.  I also added half the water because I like my oatmeal really thick.  I also didn’t add the salt, but that was because I forgot, not because I am anti-salt. I added a lot of cinnamon, not sure how much.

Leftovers, heated up with some milk

It was so nice to get up in the morning and not have to walk back and forth in the kitchen, opening and closing the fridge for 30 minutes while I decide what to eat for breakfast (bad, I know).  I now have leftovers that will last me all week and the only real work involved in making the dish was prepping the apples.

Until I go back to low-carb eating, I am sure I will make this again!

Easy Breakfast Casserole

My husband wakes up quite early to get ready for work and sometimes he gets tired of eating eggs and bacon every morning (and since being pregnant, I am not a fan of the smell of bacon lingering in our home, either).

Last night he prepped and cooked a simple, grain-free breakfast casserole (inspired by this recipe) and had it ready to go the next morning. It was a quick, easy, and healthy solution to breakfast!

Grain-free Spicy Breakfast Casserole

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