Smoked Ham Frittata with Caramelized Onion & Potato

Who doesn’t love ‘breakfast for dinner’? Simple, easy, delicious. The frittata I made today has a very short ingredient list, proving once again that flavor doesn’t require complexity. The smoky ham and the sweet, caramelized onions pair beautifully with the creamy Yukon gold potato. Top that off with goat cheese and you’ve got pure perfection. You may be thinking: “What is a frittata? I’ve heard that word, but not sure what it is.” A frittata is basically the Italian version of an omelet that’s cooked over a low heat in a skillet until the edges have solidified, finished in the oven or under the broiler. The ingredient list usually includes: eggs, meat, cheese, vegetables or pasta and often includes herbs. The ham I use here is fully cooked, so if you wanted to, you could dice it up and throw it in without the browning step. I love however to get a bit of caramelization on it and really develop those flavors. Since you’re already taking the time to make caramelized onions, you may as well brown up the ham while you wait If you’d like to lighten it up a bit, feel free to use all egg whites and reduce the amount of cheese. Also, if you’re not a fan of goat cheese, you can use any kind you like here. Serve with hot sauce and a green salad.

What You Need:

6 large eggs (or 1 ½ cups egg white)
6 oz smoked ham, diced
1 large onion
1 medium Yukon gold potato
4 oz crumbled goat cheese

¼ tsp salt and pepper, divided (or to taste)
1 Tbs olive oil, plus 1 tsp (divided)
Medium sized oven safe skillet (10”)

What To Do:

Pierce your potato with a fork several times and cook in the microwave on high for about 8 minutes or until fork tender. Cook times may vary here as it depends on how large your potato is (mine was 11 oz). Set aside and allow to cool a bit while you work on the rest of the ingredients.

Thinly slice your onion while you heat 1Tbs oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, carefully add onion to the pan and reduce heat to medium low. Season the onions with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper.

Cook onions over medium low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often. When the onions have about 5 minutes to go, heat up your broiler.

While the onions cook, heat 1 tsp oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the diced ham and reduce heat to medium. Cook the ham for about 8 minutes or until well browned, then set aside.

Next you’ll want to cut your potato up into bite sized chunks and set aside.

Season your eggs with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper and beat with a fork or whisk in a small bowl.

Combine potato, browned ham and caramelized onion in the skillet you used for the onions and gently mix so that all the ingredients are well distributed.

Pour your seasoned eggs evenly over the meat and vegetable mixture and top with cheese.

Allow the frittata to cook most of the way on the burner over medium low heat. This will take about 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the edges begin to look cooked, but the center is runny.









Transfer the frittata to the broiler to finish cooking. This will only take about 4 minutes, so don’t go far because you’ll want to watch it so the top doesn’t burn. Serve with hot sauce and a green salad.




Serves 4-6

Print this recipe !

**Edited to add: here are the nutritional stats for 1/6 of the recipe.**

Bon Appétit!
Mary

White Chicken Chili in your Crockpot

My white chicken chili is another easy "chop 'n dump" style Crockpot meal.  After you chop the onion and peppers, the only thing left to do is put it all in the Crockpot.  If you prefer, instead of putting the chicken in whole and then shredding after four hours, you can cube the meat and just put the chicken pieces right into the mix and not have to worry about it later.  The reason I like to shred the chicken is purely a textural thing.  I like the way the shredded pieces of chicken seem to soak up the flavors of the chili.  Just a personal preference, but it would turn out well either way.  Also, any bean would work here.  There’s no reason you have to use navy beans, it’s just what I had on hand.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado, green onion and freshly squeezed lime juice.  I purposely took the picture below with no toppings because there are so many and I wanted you to see how thick and delicious this chili is.  If you’ve got leftovers, not to worry… this chili freezes extremely well. 

What You Need:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (2 large breasts)
½ of a softball sized brown onion (or one large – 2 cups), ½” dice
2 large poblano peppers (2 cups – bell pepper would work also), ½” dice
3 small cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp prepared minced garlic)
2 – 15 oz cans salt free white beans, **edited to add - drained** (I used navy)
1 – 16 oz jar salsa verde/ roasted tomatillo salsa (or two cups homemade)
1 - 12 oz room temperature beer (one you would like drinking)
2 – 4oz cans hot diced green chiles (use mild if you prefer a more mild chili)
½ - 1 Tbs cumin (to taste - I use a full Tbs)

Optional toppings: sour cream or Greek yogurt, avocado, green onion, cilantro & lime juice

What To Do:

Combine onion, pepper, garlic, beans, salsa, diced chiles, **edited to add** beer** and cumin in your Crockpot and mix well. Sink the chicken breasts into the mixture and cook on low for four hours.

Remove chicken and shred with a fork. Return the shredded chicken to the chili and cook for an additional two hours before serving. (If you cubed your chicken, skip this step.)









**Edited to add: makes 8 - 1.5c servings

Nutritional Info for 1 Serving

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Rustic Clam & Vegetable Soup

I was going to call this recipe ‘clam chowder’, but let’s face it… it’s not loaded with cream and it certainly isn’t white.  Instead I call this rustic clam and vegetable soup because I think that title suits it much better.  While still thick and creamy, my clam chowder is a heartier and lighter version of what you get when you’d order it at a restaurant.  I usually start this soup by frying up a couple of slices of apple wood smoked bacon, but I was out.  If you’ve got some, after frying… use a tablespoon of the drippings to cook your vegetables in instead of olive oil.  It gives the soup a really smoky flavor.  Also, when I have it on hand, I use fresh thyme, but today I went with dried.  Use whatever you’ve got on hand.  I don’t recommend freezing this soup as the potatoes will break down quite a bit when trying to reheat and the soup will become mushy… which nobody wants.  Serve with a bit of minced Italian parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.

What You Need:

2 small cans clams and their juices (I like Snow’s or Crown Prince)
4 cups chicken stock – I used homemade (broth would work also)
½ - ¾ cup ½ ‘n ½ at room temperature (to taste – depends how creamy you like it)

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (any potato would work here)
2 large stalks celery, ½ “dice
4 small – med carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium – large brown onion, ½ “dice
6-8 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
¼ - ½ tsp kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)
½ tsp dried thyme

3 Tbs butter (I used unsalted, but any kind would work)
3 Tbs flour (I used whole wheat pastry, but any kind will work)

What To Do:

Sauté carrot, celery and onion in olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot for 10-12 minutes or until veggies are deeply browned. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme.

Push the vegetable mixture to the sides of the pot and melt butter in the well you created. Once the butter is mostly melted add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.

Slowly add stock in 1 cup increments, scraping the browned bits off the bottom, over medium high heat until thick and bubbly. This will take about 4 minutes.

Add the potato to the pot and simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Depending on the size of your potato chunks – the smaller you cut, the faster it cooks.

Remove from heat and add your ½ ‘n ½ and clams (with juices). Serve soup garnished with fresh Italian parsley and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.



Makes 7 – 1 cup servings


Bon Appétit!
Mary

Creamy Turkey & Potato Soup with Spinach

When you’re tired of being frozen on a day where you’re totally snowed in and its storming like crazy… you’ve got to make this soup to warm up!!  If you use all of the listed ingredients, this recipe will remind you of a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts in a bowl.  B and I enjoyed this Sunday evening while watching movies.  I highly recommend it.  I know that using ground meat in a soup in definitely not ‘normal’ turkey soup, but trust me… this turns out wonderfully.  I will warn you… There are several ingredients and this soup cannot be made in 20 minutes or less, but it’s SO good… you’ve gotta try it just once!     

What You Need:

1 – 1.25 lbs ground turkey

1 – 32 ox box chicken or turkey stock (broth works too)

2 cups milk, at room temperature

3-4 small Yukon gold potatoes, 1” dice (or any other thin skinned potato)

6 oz grated cheese (I used garlic infused jack)

½ large brown onion (about a cup), ½ “dice

3 medium carrots (about a cup), thinly sliced

3 small stalks celery (about a cup), thinly sliced

8 oz baby spinach

6-9 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

2 Tbs Italian parsley, minced (dried would probably work here also)

2 Tbs butter

3 Tbs flour

1 Tbs + 4 tsp olive oil

1 tsp 21 seasoning salute (or your favorite salt free seasoning blend - to taste)

½ tsp poultry seasoning (optional, but highly recommended)

2 bay leaves (optional, but highly recommended)

½ tsp salt and pepper, divided (to taste)

 

What To Do:

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the celery, carrot, onion and bay leaf. Sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until softened. Season the vegetables with ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add another 2 tsp of oil into the pan and turn the heat up to medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and bay leaf and sauté for 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with ¼ tsp salt and pepper, 21 seasoning salute and poultry seasoning.


Push turkey and garlic to the outside of the pan and melt butter in the center with 1 Tbs olive oil. Once the butter is mostly melted, add the flour in and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.


Add the carrots, celery and onions back into the pan and slowly add the chicken stock a little at a time, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.


Bring to a simmer and add potato for 10-12 minutes or until potato is fork tender.


Add the milk and bring up to temperature without boiling or the milk could curtle.  Remove from heat and add spinach, mix and then put the lid on until wilted. Add cheese and parsley. Serve with crusty bread.




Edited to add: makes 10 - 2c servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 Serving

Bon Appétit!
Mary

**cook’s note: I don’t recommend freezing this soup as it has a creamy broth and also potatoes which tend to break down quite a bit when defrosting and then cooking again…**



 

Thai One On - Five Ingredient Crockpot Dinner

This Crockpot recipe is as simple as they come and needs only FIVE ingredients and FIVE minutes to prep. I like to call these types of recipes chop ‘n dump style. You may be wondering what the heck that means… Well, it means you chop… and then you dump it into your Crockpot. Fun, right ?? I used a bottle of premade Thai style red curry sauce as I didn’t have time to make my own. This literally came together in about 5 minutes, I kid you not. Turn your Crockpot to low and cook for 8 hours. If you’re not a fan of tofu, I think chicken would be fabulous in its place. Top with a little hot sauce, fresh cilantro and thinly sliced green onions if you have them on hand and serve over brown rice or quinoa.

What You Need:

1 lb extra firm tofu cut into ½” cubes
1 – 11oz bottle Thai red curry sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)
1 medium brown onion, ½” dice
1 medium russet potato or sweet potato, ½” dice
4 medium carrots, roughly chopped

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and cook on low setting for 8 hours. It will seem like there's not enough liquid, but as the vegetables cook they will release liquid making a thick, gravy like sauce.  Don't add water or broth! Serve over brown rice with hot sauce, cilantro and green onion.



Serves 4-6



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Mexican Chicken Soup

This spin on chicken soup came to me this chilly winter day after peering into my pantry and spotting a can of fire roasted tomatoes with roasted garlic, a jar of salsa verde and a can of green chilies.  I knew right then that I wanted to make a soup with Mexican flavors in it.  I had just gone to the market yesterday and picked up a package of chicken tenders, so I decided I should make a Mexican twist on good old fashioned chicken soup to warm us up.  This soup has deep smoky undertones of cumin and a hint of beer in its broth.  I really wished I had had some tortillas, because I think that toasting some in the oven with some cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne would be lovely.  Also, if you have a ripe avocado and some fresh cilantro, I highly recommend adding both of these accompaniments.   Promise you won’t be disappointed!   This recipe can also be made in the Crockpot by reducing the amount of garlic by half and combining all ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.  This soup freezes extremely well.  Serve with chopped avocado, thinly sliced green onion, sharp shredded cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, minced cilantro and hot sauce.

What You Need:

1 lb chicken rinsed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 – 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes with roasted garlic
4 cups ( 1 – 32 oz box) chicken stock (broth would work also)
1 cup salsa verde (I used Henry’s Store brand – Sun Harvest)
¾ cup beer (I had a Bass on hand)
2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 cup corn kernels (canned, fresh or frozen)
1 – 4oz can green chilies
1 medium brown onion (about 2 cups), ½“dice
6 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp salt and pepper plus a pinch of each

What To Do:

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and season with ¼ tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and ½ tsp cumin.

Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove from pan. 

Turn heat down to medium and sauté onions for 8 minutes adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add chicken to the onions and garlic, then deglaze pan with beer by turning up the heat to medium high and slowly adding the beer, scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a  wooden spoon. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. During this time, the alcohol will burn off.

Next, add all remaining ingredients and simmer covered, over low heat for about 15 minutes.












Makes 4 (2 cup) Servings


Bon Appétit!
Mary

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

I first made this soup in September after my husband has his wisdom teeth taken out. I had no plan other than I wanted to make a creamy potato soup that would be easy for him to eat with ingredients that I had on hand. We both ended up loving it so much, I decided I should make it again for blogging purposes. If you prefer your soup be chunky, use an immersion blender or a potato masher to get the soup to your desired consistency. I used beef stock because that’s what I had on hand, but any broth or stock would work well here. I recommend using a low sodium variety as stocks and broths can pack a lot of sodium. This is also why I don’t season the soup with salt and pepper until after blending. Some stocks will be really salty and you may not even need to add any additional salt. I didn’t have any bacon on hand, but highly recommend frying up a few slices and crumbling it on top of this soup. This recipe makes a generous amount, but does not freeze well so feel free to half this recipe is you desire. Serve garnished with Greek yogurt or sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, hot sauce and crumbled bacon.

What You Need:

 

5 cups stock or broth
2 cups milk, room temperature (I used whole milk)
3 lbs russet potatoes, washed and cut into small pieces (about 5 medium)
1 large brown onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
8 cloves garlic (or to taste), minced
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
1 ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, divided
Optional Garnishes: Greek yogurt or sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, hot sauce and crumbled bacon.

What To Do:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the onion and carrot, season with ½ tsp salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking.

Create a well in the center of the vegetables and melt butter.

Once butter is melted add the flour and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Slowly add stock or broth stirring constantly, scraping browned bits off the bottom.

Once all of the broth has been incorporated, throw the potato in the pot and simmer for 10 minutes or until mostly tender.

Add milk and return to simmer. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

In batches, puree the soup until smooth. Taste and see if you need more salt and pepper. I added 1 tsp of salt and pepper.  Top with garnishes and serve immediately with a garden salad.
















Yields 13 ½ - 1 cup servings



Bon Appétit!
Mary



**Behind the Scenes:  Had to share a picture of my cat/ fur-child trying to help me blog about this recipe :)**

Turkey Lentil Stew

This hearty Crockpot stew recipe came to me as I walked by the roasted chickens at the market. You’re thinking… ‘chicken… I thought you said TURKEY lentil stew… ?’. You’re correct! I glanced at all the roasted chickens and spotted some turkey breasts sitting toward the back of the shelf. For dinner tonight, I had originally planned to make a vegetable lentil stew, but now knew that I needed to try to incorporate some roasted turkey breast with the idea that I would use this recipe after Thanksgiving with the leftovers. I use bay leaves here, but if you don’t have any I think it would still taste fabulous. I highly recommend buying a package as they last a very long time in your pantry in a sealed container. Look for the plastic packages versus the bottled kind as you can save quite a bit of money. This stew freezes nicely. Take it out of the freezer the night before and by the next night you’ll have dinner waiting and ready to be heated in the microwave. This recipe does make a generous amount so if you desire, half it.  If you don't have a Crockpot, see the cook's note at the bottom.  Serve with warm bread, a little green onion and here at our house… we like ours with a bunch of hot sauce!

What You Need:

2 cups green lentils, rinsed and picked through
4 cups roasted and shredded turkey breast (or chicken)
1 – 32 oz box chicken or turkey stock (or broth if unavailable)
1 medium to large brown onion, diced
4 carrots, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 – 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 large russet potato, diced (about 4 cups)
6 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
2 bay leaves (optional)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large Crockpot and set to low for 6 hours. Stir after 3 hours if possible. Serve with freshly baked bread.












This stew serves a crowd.



Bon Appétit!
Mary



**Cook’s Note: If you don’t have a Crockpot… Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large heavy bottomed soup pot. Sauté vegetables (except garlic & potato), bay leaves (if using), salt and pepper for about 8-10 minutes over medium/high heat. Once vegetables have softened, add the tomatoes, potato and stock. Simmer over low heat with the lid on until lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes or until desired consistency.**

How to Make Homemade Spicy Pinto Beans in Your Crock Pot

I know that making beans yourself can be a pain, but if you use your crock pot, I promise it isn’t as bad as it sounds. I will say, homemade beans taste almost the same as canned beans. Not gonna lie. So you may ask… Why bother ?? Well, my recipe has a little pizzazz that regular old canned beans just don’t have. I like to add a whole jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic and bay leaves to season my beans. With those quick and simple additions, you can have yourself some seasoned, homemade beans made effortlessly in your crock pot while you’re at work. If you’re wondering why I didn’t add any salt before the cooking process, let me explain… I have read many articles about how to best cook your beans and consensus is, adding salt before you cook them can hinder the cooking process and leave you with beans that are tough, even after you’ve cooked them according to the packages instructions. I also did not specify how much salt to add. I prefer my beans to be less salty and therefore leave it up to you to decide how much is right for you. I recommend adding 1 tsp… tasting, then adding more in small increments until they taste just the way you like them. I also like to make a huge batch and freeze small portions for grab and go convenience during the week.

What You Need:

1 bag dried pinto beans, soaked over night
Water (enough so that the water is 2”-3” higher than beans)
½ brown onion, diced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped (to taste)
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (remove seeds if you prefer your beans more mild)
2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker (except salt) and cook on high setting for 4 - 5 hours, or until beans are tender.  Add salt to taste once beans are done.











Bon Appétit!
Mary



Cabernet Meat Sauce

I have been wanting to make a homemade meat sauce for ages as it is one of my husband's favorites meals. Today the weather cooled down a bit and a spaghetti night on the back porch was starting to sound great, so I picked up the essentials at the market. Unlike most of the recipes I post about, this one can’t be whipped up quickly, but what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in flavor.  Promise.  Any time I use meat in a red sauce, I can't resist adding some red wine to add just one more layer of flavor. So today I introduce my cabernet meat sauce. If you prefer to omit the wine, you could substitute broth in its place. Serve this sauce over long pasta or spaghetti squash with lots of red pepper flakes, Italian parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.

What You Need:

1 lb lean ground turkey (or ground meat of your choice)
2 – 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice (San Marzano)
1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
½ brown onion, very finely chopped
1 carrot, very finely chopped
1 cup cabernet sauvignon
3 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt, divided
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, divided

Red pepper flakes, Italian parsley and parmesan cheese (optional)

What To Do:

Heat the oil in a large high sided skillet over medium heat and sauté onion and carrot for 6 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with ¼ tsp salt and pepper.

Add turkey to the pan and turn up the heat to medium high. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and season with remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 6 minutes.

Next, add tomato paste into the center of the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Gently fold the tomato paste in with the meat mixture and add wine. Allow the alchohol in the wine to cook off for about 3-4 minutes or until thickened.

Carefully add the tomatoes. Using your hand or the back of a wooden spoon, break up whole tomatoes into small pieces.



Simmer sauce for 1 hour or until desired thickness.








Serves 4 - 6




Bon Appetit!
Mary