Kale Frittata

I have been overrun with kale recently in my veggie box from Seasonal Roots. We like kale but we've had a lot of it and I'm always looking for new recipes that use it since we're not really green smoothie lovers. This was a crustless quiche recipe but I made it into a frittata, partly because I'm lazy and didn't want to have to wash a pie plate. This is a good breakfast and would make a great dinner with the addition of some sourdough bread or a crusty baguette.

Kale Frittata
serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 c kale, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 oz breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
4 eggs
2 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c shredded cheddar or more mozzarella
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350*. Cook sausage in a cast iron or oven proof skillet; set aside. Heat oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat; add kale, tomato, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is wilted and the rest are softened. Stir in sausage. Let mixture cool.

Combine eggs, cheeses, pepper, and garlic powder. Add to skillet, stir so everything is mixed well. Bake 25-30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

modified from a Seasonal Roots recipe

Pecan Tassies

This is the Pampered Chef classic recipe. We usually have a pecan pie, among others, for Thanksgiving but there's only a couple of us that eat it. I have also found that it's too sweet; tastes change. These are just the perfect bite or two, the perfect taste of pecan pie.

Pecan Tassies
makes 24

1/2 c butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c flour
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c pecan halves, finely chopped
powdered sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350*. For the tart shells, beat the butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add the flour, mix until a soft dough forms. Scoop the dough into 1" balls and place  into ungreased cups of a mini-muffin pan. Using a mini-tart shaper (or the back of a spoon), press into the dough with even pressure until the dough rises slightly above the rim of the pan (flour the tart shaper before using).

For the filling, in a small bowl combine the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Finely chop the pecans, add to the filling and mix well. Fill each tart shell with filling (do not overfill). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tarts are light golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes. Remove the tarts from the pan to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Instant Pot Creamy Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

It's been a while since I've tried anything besides hard boiled eggs in my instantpot. A friend posted on facebook that she was making soup today and that inspired me to look at my pinterest board since I knew I had several instantpot soup recipes saved. It was the perfect day for soup - windy, blustery, and cold! Colder than in Maine. Wow, I'm glad I decided to give this a try. It was SO good and once all the veggies are chopped you just throw it all in the pot, let it cook, then add in a creamy sauce you make separately so it was very easy, too.

Creamy Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
serves 6

5 medium carrots, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c uncooked wild rice
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 c vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp dried thyme

6 Tbsp butter
1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c milk (I used 1%)

Put all ingredients through the thyme into the instantpot. Cook 45 minutes (manual, high pressure). Release steam using the valve.

When the soup is done, melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Let the mixture cook for a minute or two, then whisk in the milk a little at a time until you have a smooth, thickened sauce. Add a pinch of salt.

Mix the creamy sauce into the soup.

NOTES:
- Make sure you use wild rice, not a wild rice mix.
- Poultry seasoning is a mix of thyme, sage, garlic, onion, etc. I didn't have any on hand (and didn't think to get it when I was hunting for wild rice) so I used thyme, sage, garlic and onion powder, rosemary, and marjoram.

If you don't have an instantpot you can make this on the stove. Saute the vegetables in oil until a bit softened. Add the rest of the soup ingredients and simmer until the rice is cooked (1-2 hours). Make the creamy sauce and mix in.

from Pinch of Yum

Spiced Gingerbread Muffins

These were very tasty, just like gingerbread. They're a more dense muffin, kind of like the apple butter muffins. Another quick easy breakfast muffin.

Spiced Gingerbread Muffins
makes 12 muffins

1 small/medium very ripe banana, mashed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/3 c molasses
1/3 c milk
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c flour

Preheat over to 400* and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease then set aside. In a large mixing bowl use the back of a fork to mash the banana together with the egg until completely combined and only small lumps remain. Use a spatula to stir in the vanilla, spices, and salt. Add the oil, molasses, and milk, stirring until completely combined between each addition. Add the sugars and stir to combine. Add the baking powder and baking soda and stir; fold in the flour until just mixed. Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 10 minutes at 400*, then turn the temperature down to 375*, turn the pan around and bake for an additional 7-9 minutes until the muffin tops are set and a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

slightly modified from fork, knife, swoon

Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

I made this the other night and thought it was really good. A change from the usual beef/tomato chili. Leftovers heading to a bowl near me tonight!

Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, trimmed excess fat

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
24 oz. low sodium chicken broth
2-15 oz. cans great Northern beans, drained & rinsed
2-4 oz. cans diced green chilies
1-15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
4 oz. reduce fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c half and half

toppings:
sliced jalapenos
sliced/diced avocado
sour cream
minced cilantro
tortilla strips
shredded Monterey jack or Mexican cheese

Add chicken breasts to bottom of crockpot, top with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Add diced onion, minced garlic, beans, green chilies, corn, chicken broth, and cilantro. Stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Remove chicken and shred then return to crockpot. Add cream cheese and half and half, stir, then cover and cook on high for about 15 minutes or until chili is creamy and slightly thickened. Stir well and serve with desired toppings.

Japanese Fried Chicken

Um, this was so good! Not your standard American fried chicken at all! A friend has been watching a lot of PBS recently and saw a cooking show I think called "Milk Street" and was telling me about this recipe, said I had to try it. I checked around the web and found the website, but then went looking at the library and found the cookbook. Really flavorful foods. I copied a few other recipes before I returned the book to the library.

Like anything fried, this takes time and does make a bit of a mess. Plan this for a Saturday when you have a lot of time since you have to marinate the chicken for 30-60 minutes then coat it and let it sit for another 30-60 minutes before you can fry it. The flavors are so good it's totally worth the time it takes to make it.

Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage)
serves 4

for the chicken:
3-oz. chunk unpeeled fresh ginger, coarsely grated
1/4 c sake
1/4 c tamari
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into thirds
2 c cornstarch
1 Tbsp shichimi togarashi
     (or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and 2 1/2 tsp sesame seeds)
1 tsp ground pepper
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil

for the dipping sauce:
1/4 c tamari
1/4 c unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil

To make the chicken, gather the ginger in your hands and squeeze as much juice as possible into a large bowl. Add the ginger solids to the bowl and stir in the sake, tamari, and lemon zest. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour.

Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, shichimi togarashi, and pepper. Working 1 piece at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off, then dredge in the cornstarch mixture, pressing evenly to adhere on all sides. Transfer to the rack and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil to 375*. Add a third of the chicken to the hot oil and fry, stirring to prevent sticking, until the chicken is deep golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean wire rack, return the oil to 375* and repeat twice with the remaining chicken.

For the dipping sauce, whisk together all ingredients.

from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street: The New Home Cooking