Crustless Ham, Cheese and Spinach Quiche

I subscribe to Cooking Light magazine. Usually I have trouble finding something that interests me because I have such simple tastes. But this month page 160 just jumped out at me, so before I recycled my magazine, I tore this page out and set it aside. This golden nugget is for a Crustless Smoked Turkey and Spinach Quiche - of course, I had to adapt this recipe because I've never before seen smoked turkey ham as the recipe calls for, and the swiss cheese I had in my house seemed to have gone past its expiration date.

But after coming up with a mix of cheeses that I did have in the fridge - 4 cheese mexican blend, american cheese, and keeping with the reduced fat cheddar - this turned out FANTASTIC. I was so happy with the results as it was my first quiche ever. So if I'm ever craving a quiche again, this will definitely be my go-to recipe!

Crustless Ham, Cheese and Spinach Quiche

Adapted from Cooking Light, June 2008

3/4 cup cubed ham

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

3/4 cup shredded mexican cheese blend, separated in 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup

1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

1 slice of american cheese chopped up

3/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese

1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup baby spinach leaves

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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ham, onion and pepper to pan and saute 4 minutes until ham is lightly browned.

3. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mexican blend cheese in pie plate. Top with ham mixture.

4. In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, remaining cheeses, cottage cheese, and evaporated milk.

5. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add flour to egg mixture and gently stir in.

6. Add spinach to egg mixture and gently mix in.

7. Pour the egg mixture over ham mixture in pie plate.
8. Bake for about 45 minutes until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Sunday Morning Breakfast

It's a tradition (of the Polish variety) in my family. Every Christmas morning we have kielbasa and eggs. One day I got to talking with my friend Jess about how much I can't wait for Christmas to come because it's one of the few times we indulge in the fatty goodness which is kielbasa. She was intrigued and wanted to know how to make it for breakfast Thanksgiving morning since she would be spending the holiday with family.

The only thing is that you can't just buy any old kielbasa. No, ladies - Hillshire Farms DOES NOT CUT IT. You have to go to the polish deli. Fortunately there are a number of those in Philadelphia. The one my family always goes to is in a part of the city called Bridesburg. The deli: Lachowicz. I bought 3 pounds. It's good stuff. But make sure you buy the SMOKED kielbasa.

So I took Jess there, and we each bought some, along with the traditional super fresh loaf of rye bread. I brought her back to my house to show her our method of cooking it.

And so I shall share it with you!

KIELBASA AND EGGS

Slice your smoked kielbasa into thin coins. Stack them up and then cut them into half circles. Lay them flat in your pan. Cook over medium heat until browned. Flip and brown the other side.



Add your scrambled eggs to the kielbasa in the pan. Scramble the eggs, trying to keep it in sections. Here are some pictures of the stages from runny eggs to ready to eat eggs.








When serving it for breakfast this Sunday morning, I also wanted to make some home fries because my husband always likes potatoes with his eggs. I wanted to bake them because I hate frying in oil. So here's what I threw together.



BAKED HOME FRIES

3 white potatoes, scrubbed and diced

2 Tbsp canola oil

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste



1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and sprayed with Pam.
3. In a ziploc bag, add your diced potatoes, oil and spices. Shake to coat.
4. Spread the seasoned potatoes flat on the baking sheet.
5. Bake 15 minutes. Flip and bake an additional 15 minutes (30 minutes total).
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



And so here's a complete breakfast. Serve with a tall glass of OJ!