Spaghetti Squash Quinoa Veggie Bake

So I've been trying to eat healthier lately and as a result have been checking out some veggies I hadn't really tried before.

Spaghetti Squash... sounded interesting... Tawny said it was good... why not?

So I picked one up.

But what the heck am I supposed to do with it?

I started browsing recipes and found one on Artsy-Foodie.

Spaghetti Squash PLUS quinoa?! Wow! This totally fills the bill! So that was the base for this recipe.

As you can tell, I haven't really been blogging lately, so I didn't take the step by step pics I usually have. But this recipe is just way too good not to share!

Spaghetti Squash Quinoa Veggie Bake (printable recipe)

4 C cooked spaghetti squash (1 squash)
2 C cooked quinoa (cooked in veggie stock)
16 oz lowfat cottage cheese (I used Fiber One)
1/4 C chopped bell pepper
1/2 C chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 C chopped mushrooms
1 can Rotel, drained
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
1 TBLS herbs (I used Penzeys Fox Point)
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 375F.

Pour a drizzle of olive oil into a medium skillet and cook peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms until tender. In a large bowl mix cooked veggies with all remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased lasagna pan. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until it's set and golden.

This smelled amazing while it was cooking. I really didn't know what to expect for the flavor. I figured it would be kinda frittata-like... and it was. But it was also hearty and light all at the same time. The mushrooms were savory. It had a bit of mild spice to it from the pepper jack and the Rotel. It was moist and creamy and satisfying.

Add a nice crisp salad and this is a perfect meal. And crazy healthy! When I was looking for cottage cheese, I found some by Fiber One. More fiber? Yes please!

This makes 8 hearty servings.
311 Calories
14.3g Fat
1.3g Saturated Fat
28.2g Carbs
5.8g Fiber
8.3g Sugar
20.1g Protein
8 WWPlus points

This would also make 16 or more delicious appetizer servings.

Wicked Good! Wicked Healthy! It was so good, that I sat down to post this right after dinner!

Why don't I eat like this more often??

Curry & Chips Omelet

Let's say you were at Piper's Pub watching the USA vs Algeria football (soccer) match. You ordered some Curry & Chips to snack on, but were too wrapped up in the game to eat them. At the very end of the game, in stoppage time, Donovan swoops in and kicks the ball into the net for a game winning goal for USA! Woohooo!!!

Yikes! You told the boss you'd be in by noon and it's noon now. You're gonna be a little late already so you ask the bartender for a to-go box to take your Curry & Chips home for later.

Long afternoon at work, but all's well because USA is on to the second round!

It's so hot and you need a dinner plan. You have some leftover Curry & Chips from Piper's Pub, but that's not really enough for dinner... or is it?

How about a Curry & Chips Omelet?


Get out your leftovers from Piper's.


Pour the curry into a small sauce pan to reheat it. Or you could do it in the microwave.


Whisk up some eggs with a little milk and salt & pepper; then pour them into a hot non-stick skillet.


Foraging... can't have an omelet without cheese. Well, I guess you can, but I don't want one like that!

Found some muenster.


Break up your leftover chips and put them on top of the cheese


Let's add some more cheese while we're at it!


Close it up


Slide it onto a plate and top it with hot curry and it's dinner time!

Huevos Rancheros ~ Three Ways

Hey... remember me??

Please forgive my recent absence. I've embarked on a new healthy lifestyle. I'm eating balanced healthy meals and exercising EVERY day! Some of my balanced healthy meals have been a major FAIL... others are tasty and delicious. But it takes a LOT more time and planning to be consistent. So, I think I finally have the healthy eating and exercising thing down. (I've lost over 30 pounds and 22 inches this year!) Yay me!

But I think I can finally get back to blogging!

So anyway... It's Cinco de Mayo!

I LOVE Cinco de Mayo!!

I really don't know anything about The Battle of Puebla, other than the Mexican Army beat the French. I just love Mexican food and tequila! Also it's my mother-in-law's birthday. (Happy Birthday Judy!) I wish it was my birthday! But then I wouldn't be an Aries... hmmm... nevermind... I'll just eat Mexican food and drink tequila on my birthday... but I never seem to do that, now that I think about it. Ok... that's why I try to always have a Cinco de Mayo party! Although technically it will be Ocho de Mayo this year.

Anyway... today is Huevos Rancheros... Three Ways!

The perfect way to get back to blogging on Cinco de Mayo!





First you'll need to make a Rancheros Sauce. It's wicked easy!

Rancheros Sauce
2 small yellow onions, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 large jalapeno, diced
1 large can of diced tomatoes (about 3 cups)
1 TBLS fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp chile powder
1 big pinch cumin
a little veggie oil

Heat a little veggie oil in a skillet. Saute onions, garlic and jalapeno until tender. Add tomatoes. You can totally use fresh tomatoes, but I made this during the winter, in Pittsburgh and the tomatoes around here at that time of the year aren't very flavorful. Simmer that for a few minutes and add chile powder, cumin and cilantro. Simmer a few more minutes. Blend with a stick blender. I like it to still be a little chunky. But blend to your chunky preference.

That's it! Wicked easy, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chop up the veggies.


And get them sauteing in a little bit of oil.


Add tomatoes and simmer a few minutes.


Add chile powder, cumin & cilantro and simmer a little more.


If it's too chunky, hit it with the stick blender a little. I gave it the smallest whir.


Now you have Rancheros Sauce!

It's time for Huevos Rancheros!

First I went classic.

Fry up a couple of Over-Easy Eggs.


Heat a couple of Corn Tortillas.


Add some heated Refried Beans.


Slide those beautiful Over-Easy Eggs on top of the Refried Beans.

(not sure what happened to the light here!)

Add some of that gorgeous Rancheros Sauce and some fresh Cilantro and breakfast is served!!



I had plenty of Rancheros Sauce, so the next day I put a Mexican spin on my Eggs in Purgatory.

Pour some of that lovely Rancheros Sauce into a ramekin.


Crack in a nice fresh egg.


Sprinkle with a little cheese.

Cojito would have been nice, but I only had Colby/Jack, so that's what I used.

Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes for a soft yolk.


And why exactly did I neglect to put cilantro on this??

Serve with warm corn tortilla wedges.


Mmmmmm.....


And on the the last version...

Huevos Rancheros Pizza!!

Thanks to Shane of Culinary Alchemist for the idea!

First you need pizza crust.

Make your own or use a prepared crust.

I used a prepared crust, because I had one.


Spread on some refried beans.


Some of that gorgeous Rancheros Sauce!


I made little wells in the sauce, then cracked in two eggs.


Sprinkled on some Colby/Jack Cheese.


Some fresh Cilantro


And into the oven until the eggs are set and the cheese is melty!


Breakfast for two!


I have to say, I loved all of the versions of Huevos Rancheros that I tried that week. But my favorite would have to be the pizza!!

I'd LOVE to have one of those right about now!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Hotdog & Cheese Fries Omelet

So I was trying to decide what to make for breakfast yesterday.

What I really wanted was a Breakfast Burrito, but I didn't have any sausage.

So while standing looking into the freezer, waiting for something to jump out at me, I noticed half a bag of frozen french fries.

Then I remembered Bob's post over at Cooking Stuff, about using leftover fries.

I figured to a family of five, half a bag of frozen fries counts as leftovers, then tried to think of something cool to do with them.

For whatever reason, probably the lack of sausage, I thought I'd add them to hotdogs in some kind of egg thing.

Yeah... hotdogs & fries in an omelet... with cheese! Isn't everything better with cheese?



So I cooked up the fries really fast in the toaster oven.


Fried up some hotdogs and a shallot that was just sitting on the counter.


Then I poured some eggs whisked with a milk and salt and pepper into my non-stick skillet and let them start to set up.


When the eggs were mostly set... I added some sliced hotdogs, cut up french fries, fried shallots and shredded cheddar cheese.



Then fold it over...


Yeah... first one... not so pretty...


But they get better looking as I go!


By the time I got to the 5th one... they look pretty decent!


Now when I was almost done making these, it occurred to me that these would have been a million times better with chili!! For Chili Dog & Fries Omelets. But I didn't think of it in time. Maybe next time!

You might think this sounds weird or gross... but I'll tell you what... they were pretty damn good!

My picky family of five all ate them, with no adjustments... to me that counts as a crowd pleaser!