Judy's Spinach Pie

This is the most delicious frittata casserole type recipe (originally enjoyed at a brunch at friend, Judy Shabbert's house)! It makes enough to serve 8-10 in a 9x13" pan. There's quite a bit of prep work so if you're serving it early in the day, say for a brunch, do all the chopping and preliminary cooking the day before. Store the vegetables together and all the cheeses and beaten eggs together. Then, in the morning you just mix it all together and add the dill.

3 Tbsp olive oil, more as needed
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
Sea salt
3 red or orange bell peppers (I added this and I like the extra flavor and color)
2 pounds (yes, 2 of the big, big boxes of pre-washed) spinach
Vegetable oil or non-stick spray for the baking dish
1 pound feta cheese, rinsed in cool water, then crumbled
12 oz ricotta cheese
5 oz (about 2 cups) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
5 large eggs lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill, or to taste

1. In a large skillet over low heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and pinch of salt and sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Return pan to medium heat. Working in batches, and adding 1 Tbsp oil or a little water to each batch, sauté spinach until wilted, then transfer to strainer and squeeze hard to remove as much excess liquid as possible. (I wait for it to cool off a bit or use clean rubber gloves). Chop spinach and add to mixing bowl.
3. (optional) Grill or broil 3 red bell peppers until skin is blackened. Peel, remove seeds and stem and chop. (do not use water!) Add to mixing bowl.
4. In another large bowl, combine feta, ricotta, Parmigiano, eggs and a generous amount of pepper.

At this point you can just put everything in the fridge until about 1.5 hours before you want to serve the next day. You've really done all the work.

Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly oil a shallow 9x13" baking dish. Mix all ingredients together, stirring well, and add dill. Spoon into baking dish and pat down evenly, drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Bake pie for 30 minutes. Raise heat to 350° and bake until lightly firm in center (test with knife) and golden on top, about 20 more minutes. To serve, allow pie to cool slightly before cutting into squares. It may also be served at room temperature.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Apple Thyme Muffins

2 cups blanched almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 medium Gala or Pink Lady apple, peeled (I don't bother), cored and roughly chopped
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup or blend of both
2 large eggs
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 350°  (convection 325°) Line 10 cups of a standard muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, ground ginger and salt.

In a good processor or blender, combine the apple, honey or syrup, eggs, olive oil, and thyme. Blend until smooth.

Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix well to combine. Divide the batter among the lined cups

Bake for 20-25 minutes (convection 15 minutes) until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving. Store in refrigerator in air-tight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10 muffins.

Prosciutto Egg Cups

You bake these tasty little morsels in muffin cups and we've noticed 2 things: 1. The eggs are very difficult to wash out of the cups and 2. Ordinary muffin cups are not big enough to hold a large egg, let along an x-large or duck egg. Andee came up with the solution: a silicon muffin pan. The egg easily washes right out and they're plenty big enough for the largest eggs without overflowing. Another option which works equally well is to use a paper muffin cup liner and spray it with vegetable spray before you add the prosciutto. They'll pop right out. They are delicious right out of the oven, while the eggs are still in the medium cooked stage but they can also be eaten at room temperature or even stored in the refrigerator and reheated a bit in the microwave. This is a perfect light breakfast or lunch you eat from your hand.

avocado oil or melted ghee for greasing the muffin pan (with the silicone pan you can skip this)
8 slices prosciutto
3 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
3 1/2 oz grated cheddar cheese (optional, but we always add it)
8 eggs
salt and pepper to taste (if your prosciutto is salty skip the salt altogether)

Preheat oven to 375° and lightly grease 8 muffin cups.

Line each muffin cup with 1 slice of prosciutto, covering the bottom and sides as much as possible. Divide the chives and cheese among the cups then crack 1 egg into each cup, being careful to keep the egg IN the cup.

Season each egg with salt and pepper (careful with the salt) and bake for 15 minutes until the egg whites are opaque. Loosen from the muffin cups carefully with a butter knife and serve immediately, or store in fridge for up to 4 days.

Serves 4 - 8
 ALTERNATELY:
10 slices prosciutto, cut in half
1 med. sweet potato, roasted and diced
2 peppers, poblano or bell (I use one of each)
7-8 mushrooms
1 onion
4 cups spinach, chopped
12 eggs
salt & pepper
hot sauce, optional

Sauté onions and peppers and mushrooms. Add spinach and roasted sweet potato. Cook until spinach is limp. Beat eggs, add salt, pepper and veggies. Line cups with prosciutto, pour in egg mixture.
Oven 350° 15 minutes
Makes 12-20

Sausage Souffle

I first had this when a clever friend brought it all prepared and frozen, ready to pop in the oven, on a Tahoe ski trip, years ago. I have since served it time and again, at home and away. Thank you, Wynne! It's also good substituting half the sausage with sauteéd mushroom pieces.

8 slices firm white bread, crusts removed, cut in 1" cubes
3/4 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. little sausages, browned and cut in 1" pieces (I like to use the fresh ones, not in a casing, but with seasonings)

4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/4 cups milk (1 or 2%)
salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard

1 can cream of mushroom soup
paprika


Butter a 9x12" dish. Spread bread cubes on bottom, then the grated cheese, then the browned sausages. Mix eggs, milk, salt and mustard and pour over the first three. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Spread soup on top and sprinkle with paprika. Freeze or bake at 325° for one hour.

Serves 8-10

Baked Oatmeal

Combine:
3 cups oatmeal (not instant)
4 1/2 cups boiling water

Combine dry ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar or less (my sister's recipe calls for 1/3 cup)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine wet ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 slightly beaten eggs

Optional: dried or fresh fruit and/or nuts. I like dried cherries or cranberries, dried blueberries, raisins, some chopped walnuts

Mix all together and pour into 9x12 Pyrex dish and bake at 350° for 30 minutes

Alternately:
Mix everything together and let stand overnight in refrigerator. Bake as above or slightly longer.

Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in microwave or freeze then thaw and reheat in microwave.