Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

I knew I would have an overabundance of cooked brown rice this week due to making Glory Bowls for lunch, and I wanted to try a new recipe.  I searched "brown rice" in all of my favorite recipe spots and nothing piqued my interest, so I asked my awesome cook friend at work.  She said she loved anything with a brown rice crust - casserole, quiche, etc.  Hmmm... this had promise.

Quiche is so flexible with choices of filling that I had to try it.  It's also a good way to empty your fridge of old veggies sneak extra veggies into a meal.  I didn't go to wild with this filling.  I just used tried and true combos.  But there's so much potential!

Of course, I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, so I didn't take any pictures while I was making it.  I thought it was blog-worthy when I got a text from the husband at lunch with the comment, "Good quiche, hun!"

The verdict: Good!  A flexible recipe that can suit anyone's tastes, and it's healthy to boot.
The husband's thoughts: Very good, and great with a little hot sauce.
Changes for next time: None, just trying a different filling combo for fun, and maybe an herb or two.
Difficulty: Easy

Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust
Makes 6 servings

Crust:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 egg white (keep yolk for filling)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Filling:
4 whole eggs + 1 yolk, beaten
1 cup milk (I used skim)
2 cups of your veggies/meat of choice (I used caramelized onions, mushrooms, garlic, ham, and sauteed kale)
1/4-1/2 cup cheese, shredded (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
Additional seasonings to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat egg white a bit and mix in rice and cheese.  Press into greased pie plate (mine happens to be deep-dish).  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and let cool while you mix together the filling.

If your filling needs to be sauteed or cooked, now's the time!  I caramelized my onions first, then added in garlic, mushrooms, and kale to soften a bit.  Then the ham, just to meld the flavors.

Beat the eggs, yolk, and milk in large bowl.  Add seasoning of preference (I like seasoning salt).  Mix in your veggies, meat, and cheese.  Pour into crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until the top is golden-brown and filling is set.  Let cool a few minutes before cutting and serving.  It's great with a green salad on the side!

Enjoy!

Black Beans & Rice with Chicken & Apple Salsa

This recipe was shared with me by a coworker of mine, who happens to be an amazing cook.  Seriously, she astounds me each week with the quantity, creativity, and quality of dishes she whips up in a 4 hour chunk of time on Sundays.  It's like she's in her own personal Iron Chef competition.  Anyway, I'd been putting off making this dish for no apparent reason, but after she reiterated that it was fairly quick and easy, I decided to make a go of it.

Plus, if I made a large batch of brown rice, I could use the rest of it for a Glory Bowl.  Sold.

The husband made quick work of shredding the rotisserie chicken (with some very insistent furry critters demanding some of the bounty).  I had a fair amount of chopping to do, but I don't mind that prep work.

The original recipe called for the apple to be peeled before it was chopped, but I thought that was needless, extra work.  Plus, the green of the skin with the red onion and cilantro was very visually appealing.

The verdict: VERY good!  Another healthy, quick, and easy recipe to add to the rotation.
The husband's thoughts: They were excellent flavors that all worked together.
Changes for next time: None!  Well, maybe the addition of some queso fresco, because cheese makes everything better...
Difficulty: Easy!  Just requires a bit of prep.

Black Beans & Rice with Chicken & Apple Salsa
(from Epicurious)
Makes 4-6 servings

1 cup chopped Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided
1 teaspoon (or more) fresh lime juice
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 2–3-pound rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4–6 lime wedges

Combine apple, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons onion, and 1 teaspoon lime juice in a small bowl; toss to coat. Set apple salsa aside. 

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6–7 minutes. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of the beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired. 

Divide rice and beans among plates. Top with some chicken and apple salsa. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and lime wedges. 

Enjoy!

Glory Bowl (Vegan)

One day I was lamenting about not having any fast and healthy recipes for weeknight dinners.  We always resort to mac n cheese... anyone else?  My friend of mine offered up this recipe.  I was a little wary and only because I feared it would taste too... hippy-dippy healthy.  I was pleasantly surprised!

There is a bit of prep work, but it's very easy, and once you have everything ready you can throw together a meal in record time.  I was in luck that the Husband was cooking up some tofu for a favorite - Tofu & Veggie Stir Fry.  So I batted my eyelashes and asked that he cook up another package.  Cooking the brown rice was a snap because we have a rice maker.  That only left the dressing.

When I set out all of the ingredients for the dressing, I thought it seemed like an odd collection of things.  Tossed it in the blender and bam, done.  I dipped in a spoon to taste it, like a good chef, and nearly fell over from the strength of flavors.  Did I do something wrong?  I only forgot the water.  Oops.  Needless to say, a little goes a long way with this dressing.  Tread carefully!

It seems very unassuming, but the combination of the ingredients and the dressing come together wonderfully.  It was tasty, healthy, very satisfying, and as I hoped - easy.  It's also very flexible in your preference of veggies, so you can adjust it to your tastes.  In fact, next time I think I'll also add some chopped apple, for a bit of added sweetness.  This has earned a place in my lunch/dinner rotation!

Glory Bowl
(from Whitewater Cooks)
Serves 4

1 cup dry brown rice
Baby spinach
Shredded carrots
1 can julienned beets (or you could shred raw carrots)
Mini sweet peppers (Not in original recipe, but I love them and it tasted great)
1 pkg extra firm tofu
Toasted almonds (or your favorite nut)

Dressing:
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil (original recipes calls for 1 1/2 cups, which seems extreme!)
2 Tbsp almond butter or tahini paste (I used tahini, since I had it)

Cook brown rice in your preferred method.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in wok over medium-high heat.  Add tofu, and cook until golden brown.  Transfer to a plate (and set on paper towels to drain if you're concerned about excess oil).

Put all dressing ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Store in airtight container in the fridge.

To serve, place 1/2 cup cooked brown rice in bowl.  Top with 1/4 cooked tofu (warmed), and layer with veggies and toasted almonds.  Pour dressing on top just before serving.

Enjoy!