Three Crust-less Broccoli/Cheese quiches

Here are three variations of Broccoli/cheese quiches that I have made in the past
Crust-less Broccoli Fennel Quiche, Crust-less Broccoli Red Pepper Quiche, Crust-less Broccoli and Turkey Bacon Quiche. I usually make crust-less quiches because they are easy; I don’t have to buy the pie dough or make it from scratch and I use items that I have on hand. It’s something that’s quick to put together and by serving it with a side salad you have yourself a meal, either for lunch or for a light dinner.

The first quiche published is the Broccoli Fennel quiche. Fennel has a distinct taste, more like anise or licorice but it’s not as strong. Some fresh produce or super markets will also name fennel anise. Fennel is used widely in Mediterranean cuisine. The stalk of the fennel plant is white and the leaves resemble fresh dill. In Greek fennel is called “Marathon” and it grows wildly in Marathon the place where the battle of Marathon took place (300 Spartans).

Enjoy all these three variations of crust-less quiches for either lunch or dinner.

Crust-less Broccoli and Turkey Bacon Quiche


Makes 16 servings

7.7 oz smoked turkey bacon chopped (approx. 1 cup)
2 red onions chopped (about 1.5 cups)
¼ cup olive oil
1 red pepper sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cups fresh broccoli chopped
2 tbs chopped parsley
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups low moisture park skim milk mozzarella (16 oz)
1 cup egg beaters
+ (plus) 4 eggs
1.5 cups skim milk

Chop the turkey bacon and sauté in a frying pan. Remove from pan when browned and add the 1/4 cup olive oil. In the oil, add the chopped red onion, the diced red pepper and the broccoli flowerets. Sauté until the pepper is slightly softened, and the broccoli turns bright green color. Remove from the heat.

In another bowl, combine the shredded mozzarella cheese, the milk, the eggbeaters and the eggs. Add the broccoli/turkey mixture to the cheese/milk mixture. Stir together and pour into two 9" plates evenly. Bake at 350 degree F oven for 45-50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and serve.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 4.536 oz (128.6g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 193
Calories from Fat 128
Total Fat 14.2g
Saturated Fat 6.3g
Cholesterol 75mg
Sodium 436mg
Total Carbohydrates4.5g
Dietary Fiber 0.8g
Sugars 2.3g
Protein6.5g



Crust-less Broccoli Red Pepper Quiche


Makes 12 servings

1 red pepper sliced (about 1 cup)
24 oz frozen chopped broccoli (2-12 oz bags)
5 green onions chopped (about 6 oz)
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup dill
¼ cup parsley
1 cup Colby Monterey Jack cheese shredded
½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese shredded
6 eggs
1 cup skim milk
1 cup low moisture part skim milk mozzarella shredded
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  
Saute the green onions and red peppers in the olive oil. Add the frozen broccoli and heat through till it's warm and slightly soft. Add the parsley and dill. Stir. Remove from heat. Combine the shredded colby chesse, mozzarella skim milk cheese and romano. Add the eggs and milk. Pour into the cooled broccoli-red pepper mixture. Mix together. Pour into two 9" pie plates. Bake at 350 degree oven for 45 min or till toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 5.686 oz (161.2g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 227
Calories from Fat139
Total Fat 15.4g
Saturated Fat 6.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 113mg
Sodium 453mg
Total Carbohydrates 8.7g
Dietary Fiber 2.6g
Sugars 2.9g
Protein 15.3g










Crust-less Broccoli Fennel Quiche

Makes 8 servings 

2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups sliced red onion
1 cup fennel cleaned, washed and sliced
12 oz frozen broccoli defrosted
2 tbsp fennel leaves chopped
1 cup low moisture part skim milk mozzarella cheese shredded
¾ cup Pecorino Romano shredded
1 ¾ cup egg beaters (approx. 1 carton)
1 cup skim milk

Saute the onion and fennel in the olive oil. Add the broccoli. Set aside to cool. Mix together the egg beaters, shredded mozzarella, romano cheese and milk. Add to the broccoli/fennel mixture. Butter a 9x2 inch pie plate. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and bake for 1 hour or till a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 7.09 oz (201g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 227
Calories from Fat 112
Total Fat 12.4g
Saturated Fat 6.0g
Cholesterol 31mg
Sodium 469mg
Total Carbohydrates 9.6g
Dietary Fiber 2.1g
Sugars 3.8g
Protein 19.9g















Greek Chicken Lemon Rice Soup


This is the traditional way of making Greek Chicken Lemon Rice Soup.  I’ve seen recipes that will add cornstarch or a can of cream of chicken soup to make it thick, but this is the original recipe, more natural and very authentic.  You can omit the chicken altogether and have the plain version of Lemon Rice Soup, by using chicken stock.  I often make this soup with a whole chicken and I don’t add the chicken stock at all.  The whole chicken adds more flavor to the soup.  On this version, I added the chicken stock since chicken breasts don’t have much flavor.  You can also use chicken legs and thighs instead of breasts for more flavor.   

Greek Chicken Lemon Rice soup                

10 servings (approximately 2 cups = 16 oz each serving)

1.25 lbs chicken breast (2 large chicken breasts)
2 quarts water (about 8 cups)
4 cups chicken stock
6 cups additional water
1 cup rice (not parboiled rice but regular long grain rice)
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (or the juice of two (2) lemons)

Wash the chicken breast and place them in a pot with the water.  Let it cook for ½ hour to 45 minutes.  Make sure it doesn’t boil over.  Skim the froth that collects on the surface of the water till it’s clear. 

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot.  Add the chicken stock to the pot, the rice, the additional water, and the salt.  Let the rice cook completely to the point where each grain is almost split in half.  This will release extra starches thus making the soup thick. 

In the meantime, cut the chicken breast into pieces and add to the soup.  Let it heat through and remove the soup from the heat.   

Egg and Lemon Sauce:

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.  Set the egg yolks aside.  Squeeze the juice of two lemons.  Set that aside.  In a bowl whisk the egg whites till frothy.  Add the egg yolks while you continue beating.  Add the lemon juice while still beating.  Slowly ladle some of the soup into the egg/lemon mixture while continue beating.  Add more of the soup to bring the egg/lemon mixture to the soup temperature.  (The soup should not be too hot or the eggs will curdle).  Then slowly pour the egg/lemon mixture into the pot.  Stir and serve.  The soup will be thick and creamy.  Enjoy!

Note 1: The soup freezes well without the egg/lemon sauce.  You can freeze it, and when you are ready to use it, heat it through and then add the egg/lemon sauce.

Note 2:  When heating up the soup, heat it in medium-low heat.  Otherwise, the egg/lemon mixture will curdle the soup. 

Note 3:  If you are using a whole chicken, when the chicken is cooked pour the stock into a fat separator container.  The container will separate the chicken fat from the actual chicken stock.  Then pour the chicken stock without the fat into a pot and continue making the soup. 

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (476.4 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 192
Calories from Fat 32
Total Fat 3.6g
Saturated Fat 1.0g
Cholesterol 81mg
Sodium 369mg
Total Carbohydrates 16.3g
Dietary Fiber 0.3g
Sugars 0.7g
Protein 22.0g


 If you try this recipe and like it please comment below.  If you like what you see on this blog, feel free to follow it.   If you have any questions post them in the comments box.  

Mexican Bean salad with a Greek twist

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday. 

I made this dish the other day to go along with the chicken fajitas. Beans are a popular dish in Greece but not the black beans or the corn. There are bean salads made with cannellini beans. I ended up incorporating some Greek ingredients into this dish. Instead of cilantro or lime juice, I used parsley and lemon juice. I also added the cannellini beans to the mix. We ended up with a wonderful bean salad that gave us both a bit of Mexican flair with a Greek twist. Enjoy!

Mexican Bean Salad with a Greek twist

Eight (8 servings) approximately 7 oz each

1 can – 15oz black beans
1 can -15.5oz cannellini beans
1 can – 15 ¼oz corn
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ c fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped shallots
½ cup grape tomatoes cut in half or quartered – depending how big they are
¼ tsp cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse the beans and the corn under cold water. Place them in a bowl. Mix together the beans, the corn, the olive oil, the lemon juice, the grape tomatoes, the parsley, the shallots, salt and pepper and the cumin. Refrigerate till ready to serve or leave at room temperature.  

Nutrition Facts  Serving Size 
1 serving (186.4 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 447
Calories from Fat 49
Total Fat 5.4g
Saturated Fat 0.9g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 26mg
Total Carbohydrates 77.9g
Dietary Fiber 23.4g
Sugars 4.5g
Protein 26.4g






Melomakarona – Greek walnut cinnamon honey cookies

I remember my grandmother making these when I was young. I distinctly remember the occasion when she came over showing my mother how to flatten the cookies in your palm, add the filling and then shape them into ovals. I was very young around 5-6 years old. From then on my mother used to make these honey morsels every Christmas. When I started my own family, I too began the tradition of making these cookies.  

Melomakarona or Greek walnut-cinnamon-honey cookies are very traditional cookies during the Christmas holidays. They are also healthy since there is no butter in the recipe. You can substitute the vegetable oil with olive oil. I always used vegetable oil when I made these cookies. Now I make sure that the vegetable oil I use is free of soy, so I use canola oil. I am hesitant in using olive oil for desert type cooking, since olive oil can be a bit overwhelming. Even though the olive oil in the United States comes from some European countries, I find it a bit stronger than the Greek olive oil that’s produced in Greece.  

You can substitute 1 cup of vegetable oil with 1 cup melted butter. But even with the vegetable oil these cookies are delicious. Enjoy!

Melomakarona – Greek walnut cinnamon honey cookies                       

Makes 56 cookies (approximately 1.3oz each)

Filling and topping
15 tbsp ground or finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar

Cookie batter
2 cups vegetable oil (like canola oil)
1 cup sugar
½ cup orange juice
½ cup brandy or cognac
1 tbsp orange zest (peel of 1 orange) 
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
6 cups flours
2 tbsp extra flour for kneading

Syrup
2 cups honey
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick

Finely chop the walnuts. Add the ground cloves, cinnamon and sugar. Mix well and set aside.  

Beat together the vegetable oil with the sugar, orange juice, brandy, cinnamon and orange zest. Shift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add to the wet ingredients. Blend. Knead with your hands and add flour, as needed (about 2 tbsps). Take portion of the dough about 2” ball and roll it between your hands. Flatten it in the hollow of your palm and add about ¼ tsp of the filling. Pinch the dough together to seal it and shape it into an oval shape. Place the cookies in a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350° oven for 25 minutes until coppery brown.  

Make the syrup
Bring honey and water to a boil – about 5 minutes. Skim off any foam. Lower the heat and drop the cookies one at a time in the honey. Do not overcrowd. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place them in a platter. Continue simmering the cookies in honey until done. Sprinkle with the rest walnut-cinnamon mixture. Drizzle the cookies with any syrup that might be left over. 

Nutrition Facts 
Serving Size 1 serving (38.3 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138
Calories from Fat 81
Total Fat 9.0g
Saturated Fat 1.6g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 45mg
Total Carbohydrates 14.5g
Dietary Fiber 0.3g
Sugars 14.0g
Protein 0.6g



Right out of the oven



Dipped and drizzled with the honey syrup and the nuts. 
Merry Christmas! Enjoy!

















Chocolate Rum Balls/Truffles

I’ve been making these chocolate rum balls for many years. Another Canadian recipe that I had to convert from the metric system to the American system. After many trials and tribulations and before the internet, I was able to convert this recipe to the American standard system of measurements. So for many years now I use the recipe measurements below.
 
These chocolate rum balls are quite unique. The rum gives them that extra punch. Even though it’s a ¼ cup you can taste it in them. It’s not enough though to get you drunk. So enjoy them…with the rum.   

Chocolate Rum Balls/Truffles

Makes 34-50 rum balls (approximately 1” in diameter; 0.7 oz each)

4 squares unsweetened chocolate -- 4 oz (like Baker’s cooking chocolate)
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature
1 ½ cups ground almonds
1 ½ cups icing sugar
¼ cup rum*
1 tsp instant coffee

Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Let it cool. In the meantime, blend together the cream cheese, the ground almonds, the icing sugar, the rum and the instant coffee. Add the melted chocolate and mix. Refrigerate for a couple hours so that you will be able to form the mixture into a ball.

Once cooled take a melon scooper, dip it in water and scoop a bit of the mixture. Shape it into 1” balls and set them aside. You can dip them in your favorite coatings like icing sugar, ground almonds, chopped walnuts, cocoa, green sugar, chocolate sprinkles. 

*Note: You can omit the rum altogether if you would like, and add 2 tsp. of vanilla

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 0.653 oz (18.5g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 76
Calories from Fat 45
Total Fat 5.0g
Saturated Fat 2.0g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 7mg
Sodium 19mg
Total Carbohydrates 6.5g
Dietary Fiber 0.7g
Sugars 5.1g
Protein 1.5g

Merry Christmas! Enjoy!

If you try this recipe and like it please comment below. If you like what you see on this blog, feel free to follow it and share with your friends. If you have any questions post them in the comments box.





Kourabiedes or Greek Almond Cookies in Icing sugar

During the Christmas holidays in Greece, my mother used to make these traditional Greek cookies called Kourabiedes drenched in icing sugar. I used to love these cookies growing up. The only problem was that you had to have a plate to eat them otherwise the icing sugar will be all over your clothes or on the floor. I used to sneak in the dining room where my mother kept the kourabiedes on a glass tray to just sample one, but I had to make sure that I didn’t drop any of the icing sugar on the floor or I’d be in trouble. Kourabiedes are very customary cookies to make during Christmas in Greece. Over the years I began making these icing sugar drenched delights for my own family traditions.  Enjoy!

Kourabiedes Greek Almond Cookies in Icing sugar      

Makes 64 cookies (approximately 1oz each)

1 lbs unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup icing sugar
1 cup ground almonds, toasted
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
3.5 - 4 cups flours (keep the 1/4  -1/2 cups separate)
4 cups icing sugar or as much or less as it takes


In a nonstick frying pan toast the ground almonds with ¼ tsp. of the icing sugar. Toast it for about 5 minutes but do not let it brown. Remove from heat and let it cool.

With an electric mixer beat the butter till soft. Add the icing sugar while continue beating. Add the egg yolks, the vanilla, the baking powder, the whiskey and the cooled ground almonds, while beating continuously. Gradually add the flour and beat well. Turn the mixer off. With your hands knead the dough lightly. Pour a little bit of the 1/4 cup flour on your hands so the dough won’t stick to your hands. Keep kneading the dough by adding the 1/4 cup flour over your hands, till done. Add more flour as needed. When the dough pulls away from the bowl stop kneading.   The dough will be sticky.  If it's too sticky, place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes so it will be easy to form the cookies.

Take about a spoonful of the dough and roll it between your hands into 1'' ball. Shape them into 1/2 moons or ovals or rounds. Place them in an ungreased cookie sheet and bake them in a preheated 350° oven for 18-20 minutes. The cookies shouldn't brown. They should be almost white on top. When the edges become lightly browned take them out of the oven. 

While still warm, place them in a bowl that’s filled with the icing sugar. Coat them well with the icing sugar and place them in a platter. Shift the remaining icing sugar on top. You will have extra icing sugar left over. You can use it as you serve the cookies to freshen them up.  You can drench them in icing sugar or dip them in melted chocolate. Either tastes equally good. The Greek way is with icing sugar.

Nutrition Facts 
Serving Size 0.878 oz (24.9g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 119
Calories from Fat 60
Total Fat 6.7g
 Saturated Fat 3.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 22mg
Sodium 41mg
Total Carbohydrates 13.7g
Dietary Fiber 0.4g
Sugars 8.4g
Protein 1.1g



Right out of the oven


 
Drenched in icing sugar


  
Or half dipped in chocolate!




Merry Christmas! Enjoy!


Cherry Cheesecake with Almond thin cookies for crust

I’ve been making this cheesecake for the past 35 years. It’s a Canadian recipe that I used to use. Both my daughters love this cheesecake. It’s light, easy to make and needs no baking. The original recipe asks for graham crackers crust. I found out though that graham crackers have soybean oil and since I am trying to stay away from any foods that contain soy, I experimented with a different crust. I found these almond thins at the European section of our local market. They are called Anna’s almond thins and they are Swedish.

 They contain no soy or any hydrogenated products (I used only one box).  This is a great desert to take to pot luck dinners or holiday parties. Enjoy!

 Cherry Cheesecake with Almond thin cookies for crust

Makes 35 pieces (approximately 2.4 oz each)

Crust:
1.5 cups crushed almond thin cookies
4 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp sugar


Filling:
1 – 8 oz pkg cream cheese at room temperature
1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Realemon Lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla


Topping:
1 – 21 oz can cherry pie filling

Preparation: 
For the crust, crush the cookies by placing them in a ziplog bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. In a 12x7.5 pyrex pan pour the crushed cookies, add the melted butter and the sugar. Mix well and pat it at the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate.

For the filling: in a bowl put the cream cheese and beat with an electric beater. Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk while beating. Add the lemon juice and the vanilla and continue beating till light and fluffy. Take the crust out of the refrigerator and pour the filling in. Smooth the top and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. It chills quite fast, but overnight will chill it quite firmly.  

When chilled pour the cherry pie filling on top and serve. You can cut it into individual pieces and then top with the cherry pie filling. 

Note 1: The above ingredients will also accommodate a 9” pie plate
Note 2: You can substitute the almond thins with graham cracker crust or nila wafers crushed. They are both equally good.  
Note 3: For topping, you can substitute blueberry or strawberry pie filling. They both taste good.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (66.6 g)
Amount Per Serving 
Calories 233
Calories from Fat 82
Total Fat 9.1g
Saturated Fat 5.4g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 30mg
Sodium 218mg
Total Carbohydrates 33.6g
Dietary Fiber 0.6g
Sugars 19.5g
Protein 4.5g


If you try this recipe and like it, please comment below.  If you like what you see on this blog, please feel free to follow it. Thank you.