Corn, Cheddar and Tomato Quiche

(recipe from Betty Crocker)

1 cup soy milk

4 eggs or 1 cup fat-free egg product

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup Cascadian Farm frozen organic sweet corn, thawed

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (3 oz.)

1 medium tomato, seeded, chopped (3/4 cup)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, stir all ingredients except corn, cheese and tomato until blended. Stir in corn, cheese and tomato; pour into pie plate.

3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Makes 6 servings.

My suggestions:

• Instead of using frozen corn, I would try using canned corn instead. I think the juices/extra water or whatever from the frozen corn made the quiche a bit more liquidy than I had anticipated. And yes, I did thaw the corn and it still turned out that way. Maybe if I had actually used the organic version instead of the normal frozen sweet corn... :-)
• I used regular milk instead of soy milk like the recipe called for. Next time, I would try the soy milk. I don't think the regular milk was thick enough for this recipe.
• Fresh cilantro is cheap, but you have to buy a lot more than you need. So if you really want to make this recipe...call me, I've got a whole bunch.
• Next time I make this (because I did get that request from the husband), I want to try using sharp cheddar cheese. I think it will give the dish a little extra flavor.

Overall, we REALLY enjoyed this dish. So so simple to make and very healthy! I will definitely be making this again.

Chicken Sausage with Peppers & Basil

(recipe from Rival Crock-Pot)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, minced (1/3 cup)

1 pound sweet or hot Italian chicken sausage

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, drained and seeded

1/2 red pepper, julienned into 1/2-inch strips

1/2 yellow pepper, julienned into 1/2-inch strips

1/2 orange pepper, julienned into 1/2-inch strips

3/4 cup fresh basil

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until translucent.

2. Remove sausage from casing and cut into 1-inch chunks. Add to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Transfer to crock-pot slow cooker with slotted spoon, skimming off some fat.

3. Add tomatoes, peppers, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to crock-pot slow cooker and stir to blend. Cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until peppers have softened. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

My suggestions: Frankly, I have several. Where to start...

• a) I very much dislike cooking with whole tomatoes. Use diced tomatoes. Whole tomatoes make the entire dish look sloppy.
• b) Chicken sausage is weird. I would have substituted Italian Sausage instead to give the dish more flavor. Chicken sausage is bland and tastes EXACTLY like chicken, but with a sausage texture. Definitely not worth the $3.99/lb, which, by the way, I could only find at Sunflower Market.
• c) Any bell pepper that is not green, is a fairly expensive vegetable. You can find red peppers on sale for a good price, but yellow and orange peppers are a bit pricey. I bought a 3 pack of the peppers (orange, yellow, red) at Macey's for $5.00 which is usually cheaper than buying them individually.
• d) Fresh basil is hard to find! I was only able to locate it at Sunflower Market in PLANT form- you know, just in case I want to grow my own. I would have tried using dry basil leaves instead. Cheaper and probably do the same trick.
• e) Slow cooker time was WAY off...at least for me. I cooked it for 2 1/2 hours and the peppers and tomatoes looked wilted. Make sure to adjust your cooking time to the size of your crock-pot, which is something I should have done.

And if you're still thinking about making this dish after all that, here is my last suggestion...

• f) Don't waste your time. Really.