Crustless Quiche

You will never miss the pie crust. You can obviously use any combination of ingredients you want for this recipe. I personally like onions, mushrooms, bacon and Cheddar cheese along with the Parmesan cheese, but have gone as far as using steamed asparagus and various sausages. I do not have a food processor and so I beat the crap out of it with a whisk; whatever works is all good. I use a glass pie plate that belonged to my Grandma. It just seems right. Be sure you let the oven come all the way up to temperature before baking this quiche. You really need to let this sit for 10 minutes or so after you pull it from the oven to set up properly. I freeze what's left in single servings and microwave for a minute or possibly two.

2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 c. small curd cottage cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 drops Tabasco sauce
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 c. chopped cooked ham, bacon or sausage

1. Heat butter in a skillet until melted. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 min.
2. Process the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, flour, salt and Tabasco sauce in a food processor. Pour into a bowl. Add the cooked onion mixture, Monterey Jack cheese and ham and mix well.
3. Pour the ham mixture into a buttered 9-inch square pan. Bake quiche at 350°F for 45 min.

Cincinnati Chili Mac

This dish does not contain meat. I'm pretty sure I got it out of a Vegetarian Times magazine many years ago. This is my effort to consume less meat. If I can find one meal a week without it, that would be a good start. My husband liked it. I love the chili/spaghetti combination. I always use all three garnishes.

1 c. chopped onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 med. green bell pepper, diced
1 med. red bell pepper, diced
1 fresh hot chili pepper, minced (optional)
1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 (16 oz.) cans kidney beans, drained & rinsed
salt & black pepper, to taste
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
8 to 10 oz. spaghetti

Optional garnishes: diced tomatoes, chopped onions or scallions, grated cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, sauté onion in oil over med. heat until translucent, about 3 min. Add bell peppers and continue to sauté until onion is golden, about 5 more min. Stir in chili pepper, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and allspice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 min. Season with salt & pepper.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Place a small amount of spaghetti in a wide, shallow bowl and top with chili. Garnish with tomatoes, onion and cheese, if desired.

Such a Pretty Fat

or why pie is not the answer; one narcissist's quest to discover if her life makes her ass look big. This book by Jen Lancaster is really fun to read. I laughed out loud several times. On the back cover it states "It's possible that my high self-esteem is bad for my health." and "I hate the message that women can't possibly be happy until we all fit into our skinny jeans." You can buy this book at Amazon

Jen Lancaster also has a blog "Land of the Free, Home of the Bitter"