Red Bell Pepper, Onion and Spinach Frittata

Since our daughter is getting married this year, I have been spending time every month at her house in Texas.  She did not take much interest in cooking when she lived at home, but with trying to learn to live on a budget and her upcoming marriage, she is now asking questions and trying some recipes.  She needs meals that cook in a crockpot or can be made in under an hour, since she has a short attention span.  Does anyone else find this an issue with your kids?  Anyway, as I was at her house one morning recently, I knew when she woke up she would be hungry for breakfast so I open the refrigerator to see what I could find.  I found eggs, cheese, red bell pepper, onion, spinach and half and half.  I immediately went to frittata.  A frittata is basiclly an Italian version of a omelette or crustless quiche that you bake in the oven.

Frittatas are also a great option for low carb for my husband when I substitute unsweetened almond milk for the half and half.

Red Pepper, Onion and Spinach Frittata

Serves 6

2 cups of fresh spinach (fill the bottom of the pie plate)

10 eggs

1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 large yellow onion, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried thyme

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

3/4 cup grated monterey jack cheese

1 cup half and half (substitute unsweetened almond milk to be low carb)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray the bottom of a deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.  Place fresh spinach in the bottom

Chop the red bell pepper and onion.

Sautee red bell pepper and onion in a skillet.  Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried thyme.

Crack 10 eggs in a bowl.

Add half and half with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Beat together.

Grate the cheeses and add to the beaten eggs and mix.

Add the sauteed red bell pepper and onions and mix together.

Pour over the top of the spinach.  Place in the oven at 400 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes.

This is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven.

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Texamerican Crockpot Pinto Beans

I make these beans often instead of baked beans.  Baked beans have a large amount of sugar and since my husband is diabetic, this recipe is a better side dish.

Texamerican Crockpot Pinto Beans

Serves 8-10

1 lb. dry pinto beans

1 onion, chopped

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

1 Tbsp. granulated garlic

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. salt

Rinse the beans and cover with water to soak overnight.

Rinse thoroughly after overnight soaking.  Place the beans in a crock pot.

Chop one onion.  Slice half a pound of bacon into pieces.

In a skillet, cook off the bacon.  When the bacon is done, add the chopped onion and cook until soften.

Add the garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, oregano and black pepper in the crock pot.  Do not add salt.

Add the cooked bacon and onion in the crock pot with the bacon drippings.

Pour 5 cups of water on top of the beans.  Cook for 4-6 hours on high or low for 6-8 hours. Check the beans at 4 hours.  If not tender, continue cooking and check every 30 minutes. Add the salt when the beans are tender and not before.  If you add salt in with the beans too soon, they will not become tender.

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Sauteed Swiss Chard

As my kids were growing up, I cooked and we ate dinner together as a family at least 4-5 times a week. I made a main dish, two vegetables and a starch or salad in place of one of the vegetables. I thought we ate a pretty balanced diet with different vegetables. It wasn’t until about 3 1/2 years ago when my husband was really letting his diabetes run out of control that his doctor looked at him and said,  You have to “unfriend” pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and dessert that I came to the realization that there were quite a few more vegetables for us to try.

One of those was Swiss Chard. My husband had always liked collard greens and we already liked green vegetables like broccoli and asparagus. Since pasta is now out for him, sauteed leafy greens, like Swiss Chard is what I go to now when I want make something Italian that I use to make a side of pasta to go with.  Swiss Chard is low on carbohydrates and is a great source of vitamins A and C.  It is also a quick vegetable to make with dinner.

Sauteed Swiss Chard
2-3 servings

Olive oil
1 bunch of Swiss Chard
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 small lemon
1 tsp. Salt (I use kosher salt)
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

Make sure the chard is washed and dry.

The first thing I do is cut out the red rib so I have just the leaves left.

Stack the leaves on top of each other and cut them into ribbons.

Slice the red onion and minced the 2 cloves garlic.

Heat large saute pan on medium high heat and add olive oil.  Add sliced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften the onion, then add the minced garlic.  You want to wait on adding the garlic because it will burn.  Keep your eye on it and stir.

Add the chard.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Stir.  Add lemon juice and continue to stir.

Cook for 3-4 minutes.  It cooks down like spinach.  If you need to serve more than 2-3 people, you will want to use to another bunch.  The chard cooks quickly so you want to do this when everything else for dinner is ready.  If you leave it on the heat, they will continue to cook down and the darker the color will become.  The darker color may not be eye pleasing.

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Guacamole

Whenever I make Mexican food, I love to make guacamole.  I can eat guacamole and chips as a snack or a meal.  I like straight up guacamole.  I do not need any fancy ingredients or twist, just good ole guacamole.

Guacamole

4 avacadoes, mashed

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

handful of cilantro, chopped

1 lime, squeezed

salt

pepper

garlic powder

hot sauce (I use Texas Pete)

Cut avocados in half, take out the pit and scoop out the flesh using a spoon.  Throw away the avocado skin and pits.  Place in a large bowl and mash.  Chop the red onion, jalapeno and cilantro.

Squeeze in the juice of one lime.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a few dashes of hot sauce.  Always start with less and adjust to your taste.  Stir well, cover and refrigerate for an hour.  Serve with tortilla chips.

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Fresh Salsa

I started making this a few years ago instead of buying jarred salsas.  It is chunky more like a pico de gallo, but my family likes the freshness of the ingredients.

Fresh Salsa

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1 lime, squeezed

salt

pepper

sugar

Chop the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and cilantro.

Add the juice of one lime.  Sprinkle a couple of pinches of salt, 1 pinch of pepper and 1 pinch of sugar.  Stir and taste.  Add more salt, pepper and sugar as needed for your taste.

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