Vegetable Quichetata with Roasted Garlic Hummus and Goat Cheese

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Sabra, I was invited to create an original recipe suitable for a cocktail party using Sabra hummus.  My head has been swirling with several tasty ideas ever since, and I am very excited to share with you my creation!

We all know the basic difference between a crustless quiche and a frittata.  A crustless quiche is made with milk (or cream or half & half) and mixed with your veggies/meats.  A frittata is made with no milk and with whatever mix-ins you want to use.

Well, when you use hummus, but no milk, is the hummus a substitute for the milk, or is it considered a mix-in?  The answer wasn't quite clear, so I married the two, and the 'Quichetata' was born!

Rosemary Parmesan Dipping Oil & Crisco Olive Oils

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I got the opportunity to sample three olive oils from Crisco: Light Tasting, Pure and 100% Extra Virgin.  Since I use olive oil often, I was excited to give them a try.  But then I wondered...what would I possible do with these three olive oils?  What's the difference? 

Alida's Weekly Recap - 8/21-8/27

It's almost September, and fall will soon be upon us.  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about that.  I love fall - cooler temperatures, leaves changing colors, pumpkin recipes, Halloween.  Yep, I'm already excited for Halloween!  Last year was Adam's first, and we dressed him up as a puppy (evidence below).  We'll see what he will let us do to him this year, as he definitely has an opinion these days!  It will be fun to watch his excitement build with each year.

The beginning of fall also serves as a reminder that I am running my first half marathon at the end of October.  I will therefore be revving up my training efforts, which also means I can rev up my eating efforts, right?  I knew you'd have my back on that one!

Let's recap the week.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

I was asked to make cupcakes for a very special birthday party...Mike's grandmother turned 90!  How cool is that!  She is an amazing lady, who I know loves chocolate.  As this request came shortly after I made Zucchini, Banana and Flaxseed Muffins, I had zucchini on the brain.  Then it hit me - Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes.  Perfect!  

Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

As Mike was sprinkling cheese on his tacos, he could see it in my eyes and knew what I was about to do.  I couldn't help myself - I had to do it!  I stole his dinner so I could plate it for pictures.  Who knew he was such a food stylist!  In all fairness, as I ran away with his dinner, I told him to take mine.  Off I went to snap away and he got to enjoy a warm dinner.

So is the life as a husband of a food blogger. He sometimes gets cold dinner. He sometimes loses his dinner to pictures.  But there are some perks, with the most obvious being...actually getting to have dinner (or lunch, or muffins, you get the idea).  Mike is definitely a good sport...even if sometimes he has to give up his tacos for the craft.   

Zucchini Bread

Childhood summers, playing in the vegetable garden, my 3rd birthday "cake", that's what this zucchini bread tastes like. 

Throughout my childhood, my parents had a vegetable garden.  I remember they grew cucumbers, green beans, various other vegetables, and of course zucchini.  Zucchini plants are the gift that keeps on giving.  Even better, lots of zucchini meant lots of delicious zucchini bread!

Ravioli with Roasted Zucchini

For the second recipe of 'Zucchini Week,' I am very excited to share this Ravioli with Roasted Zucchini recipe.  This dish has immediately vaulted its way into our rotation, and frankly we have been trying to find excuses to make it again and again and again.  It's that good and easy too!

Zucchini, Banana, and Flaxseed Muffins

New magazine day is one of my favorites days of the month.  Since I subscribe to several magazines, this translates into several favorite days a month!   Actually, I think Mike might like new magazine day more than I do.  Especially when after just one quick perusal, it looks like this...

Alida's Weekly Recap - 8/14-8/20

Hello everyone! It's hard to believe that it's mid-August already.  If you are lucky enough to have a vegetable garden, then you are probably up to your ears in zucchini.  And if that is the case, I am SO jealous!   To channel my zucchini envy, I have been supporting our local farmers and very busy in the kitchen.  As a result, I will be featuring delicious zucchini recipes all throughout next week!

Magic Burgers

We don't eat a lot of meat in this house, but it's been a while so why not, right?   Mike is a huge burger fan and often gets a stuffed burger of the day from a local restaurant.  Even though he loves to get those burgers out, he has been requesting I make Magic Burgers for some time now. I'm not sure where the term Magic Burgers came from...actually I remember years ago I made these and after one bite somebody said they're like magic. :)  So anyway...

Mushroom and Spinach Frittata with Smoked Gouda

On Monday, I shared with you a summery dessert that uses 4 egg yolks.  I also promised you a healthy way to use up those remaining egg whites.  A promise is a promise!  This Mushroom Spinach Frittata with Smoked Gouda uses exactly 4 egg whites.  How is that for even-steven!

Lime Tart

While I'm a peanut butter and chocolate lover by trade, I would happily eat this Lime Tart for dessert every night. Truth be told, Mike and I may have enjoyed this tart for 4 nights in a row.  I am still dreaming about it.  It is refreshing, the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, creamy and just plain good! 

Baked Penne with Cheddar & Leeks

Hi friends, are you still with me? In yesterday's food-free post, I promised you a tasty recipe. What can be more tasty than cheese...and lots of it! Not much if you ask me. This upscale version of macaroni and cheese has plenty of cheese and a twist to boot.

Kodak Photo Book: A carb-free, calorie-free post!

Hey everyone, as you may have guessed, today's post is not about food. But it is pretty exciting, and there is something in it for you at the end. I promise you a tasty recipe tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy this carb-free, calorie-free, [insert here whatever you want]-free post!

Pasta with Grape Tomatoes and Mozzarella

The first time I made this pasta, I was a little underwhelmed. It was good, but not great. While I love pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella and chickpeas, there was something that just wasn't doing it for me. However, I was not willing to give up on this recipe so easily. It had all the potential to be something fantastic, just clearly needed a little tweaking. 

Strawberry Vanilla Pancakes

My Adam is a pancake-eating machine.  Though he is pretty set on eating his favorite Cottage Cheese Pancakes every morning, I like to encourage a little variety.  So when I had some extra strawberries, I decided to give strawberry pancakes a whirl.  I figure Adam loves strawberries. Adam loves pancakes. It just might work. I scoured the internet, found some inspiration, and crafted this recipe with fingers crossed it would be a success. 

I had Mike test the first pancake. After one bite, he asked for another. :)

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

My maternal grandmother was incredible in the kitchen and notorious for her baking.  She always had a vast array of 'Grandma Goodies' on hand, which certainly pleased her lucky grandchildren!  She knew everyone's favorite goodie (granted it was near impossible to choose just one) and loved to make sure those favorites were always available.  One of my favorite goodies was a peanut butter rice krispie treat she made.  Much to my delight, she once told me it was okay to have one for breakfast.  "It has cereal after all!" is what she told me.  Who was I to argue with such reason!  I tried using that rationale to convince my parents, but it didn't quite go over the way I hoped.  I found myself faced with yet another bowl of cereal for breakfast.

Balsamic Blueberry Salad

On a hot summer night, nothing beats an abundance of fresh produce.  We have 10 pounds of blueberries from our most recent farm visit and have been enjoying delicious blueberries by the fistful.  While I have also been busy baking away, I have especially been looking forward to making Balsamic Blueberry Salad.    

Chipotle Black Bean Tacos

At first I was planning to make Chipotle Black Bean Burritos, per the original recipe.  Then I got to thinking...I don't care to add sour cream/yogurt to my burrito.  But maybe Mike would...or maybe you would.  I quickly realized that I had a completely different vision for this recipe and then it hit me - tacos!

With tacos, each person can customize the toppings to suit his/her preferences, and I like that.  You know what else I like?  These black bean tacos!  I have never had a black bean taco before, and boy have I been missing out.  They are awesome!  

They were really quick and easy to make, and the result was fabulous!  In addition to changing the recipe to a taco concept, I also added more veggies and changed up the spices a bit.  Next time I will add 2 chopped bell peppers to the mix (a welcome addition to my beef taco recipe - to be posted).  I have written the recipe below accordingly.  Enjoy!

Chipotle Black Bean Tacos
Yields 6 tacos

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1-2 teaspoons chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
1/3 cup vegetable broth
2 15 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup salsa
6 10-inch whole wheat tortillas

Topping ideas for serving: spinach or lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, chopped green onions, salsa

1. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and peppers to pan and saute for 3-5 minutes, until crisp-tender. 
2. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and chipotle chilis, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
3. Add beans and broth, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat until medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until mixture has thickened. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in salsa.  Mash lightly using a potato masher (or fork).  
5. Stack tortillas, wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 45-60 seconds. 
6. Serve 1/3 cup filling for each tortilla along with desired toppings.  

Adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from Cooking Light