Ok, the qualifier in the title of this recipe is for people like me who apparently missed the fact that “dairy-free” cooking can still include eggs!

Yeah, my milk allergy friends have taught me that the little “dairy” section of the food pyramid we were taught in elementary school was a bit of a misnomer.  And while the term does include all milks, cheeses, etc., it most definitely doesn’t include eggs.  (As they said, “eggs are poultry!”)

Lesson learned for this food blogger.  :)

So for all of you out there who eat dairy- or milk-free, I have a stellar quiche recipe for you!  I was wanting to make a quiche for a brunch a few weeks ago, and in lieu of cheese and cream, decided to instead throw in a ton of veggies and sub in some almond milk.  And holy cow!  I think I liked this recipe better than my typical quiche recipes that have literally cups of cheese thrown in!!  The veggies made it absolutely delicious, and I also loved the little seasoning blend that I improvised.  Super tasty.  Thankfully everyone else loved it too — a definite winner of a recipe.

Even (ahem) dairy-free.

Dairy-Free Vegetable Quiche Recipe

Ingredients:

Quiche Ingredients:

• 1 recipe pie crust (you can use the dairy-free recipe below, or a store-bought crust, or go “crustless”)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 handfuls fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped if desired
• 1 small white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 5-10 asparagus spears, ends trimmed then chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup plain rice milk or almond milk
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Dairy-Free Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3-4 Tbsp. ice water

Method:

To Make The Quiche:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a prepared pie crust in an ungreased pie plate.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, chopped red peppers, and asparagus, and saute for 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the asparagus is cooked.  Remove from heat.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder, rice or almond milk, salt, paprika, thyme, chipotle powder, and black pepper.  Stir in the sauteed vegetables and fresh spinach, and stir until well combined.

When pie crust is ready, take out from oven and pour the egg and vegetable mixture into the crust, and use a spoon to even out the top.  Place in oven and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted  comes out clean.  Quiche will rise while baking, but should settle back down once you remove it from the oven.  Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to set for at least 5 minutes.  Then slice and serve immediately.

To Make The Dairy-Free Pie Crust:

Combine salt and flour in a bowl.  Cut shortening into the salt and flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until it is well-combined.  Add water, then stir with spoon until mixture clings together in a ball.  Dough may be slightly moist.  If dough is too dry or moist add additional water or flour as needed.  Don’t over mix.  You should see thin swirls of shortening throughout the dough.  Lightly dust your rolling surface with flour, and roll the dough out as desired.  To transfer the crust from the rolling surface to the pie pan, fold the crust in half twice.  Lift and unfold crust over pie pan.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to substitute in whatever vegetables you would like!  This would also be good with some (cooked) chopped bacon added in.

Source:

Adapted from Milk Allergy Companion.

Of course after a rockin’ meal of corned beef, roasted cabbage, soda bread, and three Bailey’s desserts, we of course had a fewwwww leftovers.  :)

This was good news, though, because I was super stoked to make some corned beef hash!  Yep.  It’s not rocket science.  Just leftover corned beef, hashbrowns, onions, and a few fun seasonings to make it super-spectacular.

And oh man.  It was seriously good.  I’m pretty sure that I justified eating the leftovers of the leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  So easy and delicious.  Definitely a great way to continue with your St. Patrick’s Day feasting!

Corned Beef Hash Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups small-diced potatoes (I used Yukon gold)
• 2-3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-cracked black pepper
• pinch of cayenne and dried thyme
• 2-3 cups shredded or diced (cooked) corned beef
• chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Method:

Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water, and bring it to a boil.  Add the potatoes and boil for 5 minutes until they are partially cooked.  Drain and set aside.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and saute for 3 minutes.  Add potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme.  Continue to saute for another 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that the potatoes can brown but not stick to the pan.  When the potatoes are ready, add the corned beef and saute for an additional few minutes to warm the beef.  Sprinkle or toss with chopped fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

For a shortcut on this, feel free to use frozen small hashbrowns instead of chopping your own potatoes.

Many of you longtime followers know that I’m not a big believe in “recipes” when it comes to smoothies.  My method of choice is always “a little of this, a little of that”, usually based on whatever fresh produce happens to be hanging around my house.

But a smoothie I made this week happened to be exceptionally tasty.  So I decided to snap a quick pic and share it with you all.

It’s basically a simple pineapple smoothie, featuring some healthy Greek yogurt, banana, and my favorite smoothie ingredient — fresh ginger!  All in all a delicious, light, and wonderfully fresh tasting citrus smoothie.  Feel free to substitute in your favorite citrus fruits, but I happen to be partial to my beloved piña.  So pineapple it is for me!  Enjoy!!

Pineapple Ginger Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt (I used vanilla, but you can choose your favorite flavor)
• 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice or water

Method:

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

For a different twist, try adding in a pinch of ground cinnamon to this smoothie!

Last month I hopped out for Breckenridge for a weekend, to go skiing and catch up with my good friend Courtney.  For years, she has been one of my favorite crafty/cooking friends.  So when she mentioned that she brought along some yummy “energy bites” for us to take on the slopes, I was intrigued.

Upon first glance in the fridge, I admit I commented they kind of looked like meatballs.  :)  But after one delicious bite, I realized they were basically a healthy version of my favorite no bake cookies!!  I’m not kidding.  For any of you who have ever loved no bakes, these little guys taste amazingly similar, but without the tons of butter and lots of other fun healthy ingredients thrown in.  And they’re perfect for breakfast, snacks, or even as we all agreed — dessert!

All of our friends totally loved taking these little guys along on the slopes.  And then I of course immediately came home and made a batch, and have been keeping them in the fridge for snacks and breakfasts-on-the-run ever since.  Such a great recipe.  Thank you, Courtney!

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Ali’s Tip:

Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients!  Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter.  And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flaxseed.  I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.

Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

• chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
• dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
• chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds
• other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, M&Ms, etc.)
• other grains (different kinds of oatmeal, rice cereal, etc.)

Source: Slightly adapted from Smashed Peas & Carrots.

Courtney & I on the slopes!

Growing up, my family absolutely loved cranberry-orange bread.  All of the goodness of sweet cranberries, paired with that yummy citrus zest and loads of glorious carbs — it was always a definite crowd-pleaser!  The only tiny downside was that this deliciousness came from (ahem) a box mix.

So when I had a cranberry-orange craving last week, decided to make some cranberry-orange muffins from scratch!  Sure enough, found a quick recipe online that didn’t even require me to pull out the mixer.  It was a basic muffin recipe with a handful of cranberries plus lots of delicious orange zest thrown in.  And then (the best part) you dip the muffins once they have baked in a fabulous sweet orange glaze.

Honestly, these required little more time together than the box mix.  So quick and easy!  And my friends agreed that they were super tasty!!  Definitely a fantastic recipe for a small loaf of bread, or a dozen quick muffins.  Look forward to making this old favorite with the new recipe again soon!

Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:

Muffin Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Glaze Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 orange juice (freshly squeezed from the orange you zested, if you would like)

Method:

To Make The Muffins:

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or prepare with baking cups; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk until the mixture is thick and thoroughly combined. Stir in the orange zest until evenly distributed. Slowly whisk the vanilla and butter into the mixture until combined. Add half the sour cream, whisking until just combined, repeat with the remaining sour cream.

Add the flour to the sour cream mixture and fold with a spatula until the batter comes together. Add the cranberries (and nuts, if using) and continue folding the mixture until the berries are evenly distributed.  Do not overmix.

Evenly divide the batter in between the cups of the muffin pan (about 3 tablespoons of batter per cup). Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until light golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes before glazing.

To Make The Glaze:

While the muffins are baking, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and orange zest in a bowl until the zest is evenly distributed; set aside.

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the remaining sugar (1/4 cup) and the orange juice, bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar and continue simmering until the mixture becomes syrupy.

Generously, brush the tops of the muffins with the orange glaze. Once all of the muffins are glazed, dip the top of each muffin into the orange sugar, being sure to cover the top of each muffin. Serve warm.

Ali’s Tip:

These are heavenly when also paired with my favorite Crustless Spinach Quiche!

Source:

Adapted slightly from Bakingdom.

I have fond memories of grapefruit breakfasts growing up.  Every year, the kids in the youth group at church would have a “fruit sale”, and my mom was always that parent you could count on for a fantastic order of grapefruit.  Our family loved it!!  I remember flying down the stairs many a morning before school, and seeing my dad or mom standing there segmenting out a grapefruit for me to enjoy.  (I know, I know, I was a spoiled grapefruit eater!)  And then of course, squeeeeezing out every last bit of delicious juice after all of the slices had disappeared.  Mmmmm….

Nowadays, of course, I have to segment my own grapefruit!  But I still love it, and love experimenting with different ways to enjoy it!  Without a doubt, broiled grapefruit is one of my favorite go-to breakfasts.  It literally just takes a second to slice the grapefruit, sprinkle on some brown sugar (or some other add-ins I’ve mentioned below, if you want to get fancy!), and then pop it in the broiler or toaster oven for a few minutes.  And then a heavenly, warm, and wonderful sweet but tart grapefruit is yours to enjoy.

Healthy, quick, and delicious.

My kind of breakfast or snack anytime!  :)

Sugar-Broiled Grapefruit Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit, sliced in half
• 1-3 tsp. brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to “broil”, with the rack on the top shelf (so that the grapefruit will be about 1.5 – 2 inches from the heat).

Arrange grapefruit halves, cut side up, in a broil-safe pan.  (You may need to use a knife to slice a small part off the bottom of each half to make sure they are sitting level in the pan.)  Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.

Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until the sugar is melted and the edges begin to brown.  Remove and then use a knife to segment the grapefruit slices.  Serve at room temperature.

Ali’s Tip:

Some other ingredients you can mix with the brown sugar include:

• crystallized or ground ginger
• vanilla extract
• cinnamon or other spices
• agave nectar

Why hello, new favorite muffins!

Seriously — I did not expect this recipe to be this good.  But these muffins rock!!

For the fourth recipe in “Zucchini Week”, I decided to try a random one I found online for breakfast this week.  The ingredients sounded delicious, and definitely a little healthier than many muffins.  And since I happened to be craving some ginger, I added in an extra pinch to round out the seasonings.  Ha – the one kitchen lesson I learned, though, is that “shredded” carrots are definitely different than freshly “grated” carrots.  The only thing I had in the fridge was a bag of shredded carrots, and those little guys are as crisp and strong as little twigs!  As you can see in the photo below, they were poking out of the muffin batter all over the place!!

However, once they baked up, the silly orange spikes gracefully cooked into the muffins.  And lo and behold, they turned out delicious!!!  Definitely exceeded my expectations.  And since I made a double batch (which I definitely recommend — you can always freeze the extras), they were especially enjoyable knowing that there were four cups of carrots and zucchini in there.  I will most definitely be making these again soon!

Carrot & Zucchini Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)
• 1 cup white whole what flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Method:

Preheat oven to 375.  Prepare a pan with 6 standard muffin cups (or 20 mini-muffin cups) with paper liners or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, salt, and egg.  Add zucchini, carrots, cinnamon chips (if using) and pecans.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the batter.  Stir until just combined.  Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.  Let the muffins rest for 10 minutes before placing them into the oven.

Bake the muffins until the edges are lightly browned and they feel firm if gently pressed, about 18 to 25 minutes.  A cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean.  Cool muffins in the pan for 10 minutes; transfer to a rack, and cool completely.

Makes 6 standard muffins, or 20 mini muffins.

Ali’s Tip:

If you only have zucchini or carrots on hand, you could just include 2 cups of the one vegetable (instead of 1 cup of each).

Source: Adapted from Multiply Delicious.

I can’t help but smile when I hear the word “waffles”.

Waffles.  Waffles.  Waffles.

Definitely as much fun to say as they are to eat.

And you’ll have all the more fun eating this delicious recipe knowing that they are made with a mound of shredded zucchini and white whole wheat flour!  But I promise that the only hint of a veggie your kids may notice will be the cute green flecks decorating the waffles — the zucchini taste all but disappears in that vanilla-cinnamon-y goodness.  They are absolutely delicious, and the perfect waffle fluffiness too.  :)

Keep checking back for more delicious recipes during “Zucchini Week” here at Gimme Some Oven!

Zucchini Waffles Recipe

Ingredients:

(Makes 8 waffles)

• 1 large zucchini, ends trimmed
• 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose unbleached flour)
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat waffle maker to 400°F.

Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Use a strainer or dishtowel to then squeeze some of the moisture out of the zucchini, then set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Stir together.

In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients (the flour mixture), and beat until smooth. Fold in the zucchini and mix well.

Spray the waffle maker with cooking spray (top and bottom plates). Spread half of the batter evenly over the bottom of the waffle maker (generally about 1/2 cup per waffle), and close the top. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the waffles are as crisp as you like them. (Different waffle making equipment will cook at different rates, so please follow the instructions that come with your machine.)  Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve hot, topped with butter and maple syrup.

Ali’s Tip:

These can be made with an electric mixer, but they are also totally easy with just a whisk and a mixing bowl.

Source: Adapted from The Perfect Pantry.

Ok, I know I just did a post about making 2011 a healthy new year.   But hey…traditions are traditions.  :)  And this is one of my all-time favorites!  So allow me to present to you…the famous….monkey bread!!!

I admit that I only allow myself to make this utter deliciousness three times a year — for Sunday brunch on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter weekends.  And I only make it when lots of friends/family are coming over to help eat it (and spread out the calories!).  But my friends and I eagerly look forward to it every year!

For anyone out there who has never tried monkey bread before, you must. This buttery, cinnamon-and-sugary goodness is wonderfully irresistible!  (I’m pretty sure we have never had leftovers!)  It’s also quite simple to make too — perfect especially for any kiddos who like to help out in the kitchen.  And it only calls for 5 ingredients.  Always a nice plus.  :)

So for anyone out there who has never tried monkey bread, or for anyone who’s looking for an excuse to try it again (“all things in moderation!”), here is my favorite tried-and-true recipe.  I guarantee you’ll love it!

Monkey Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large cans (16 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (be sure that clumps are broken up)
• 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• (Optional: 1 cup pecan halves or walnuts)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan generously with non-stick spray.

Prepare two dipping bowls.  In the first, pour the melted butter.  In the second, whisk together the sugars and cinnamon until well-mixed.

Place the biscuits on a cutting board, and use a large knife to cut them into quarters.  Then dip each piece first in the melted butter, then transfer it to the second bowl and roll it in the sugar until well-coated on each side.  Then place each piece loosely in the bundt pan.  (Don’t press the pieces together — they will expand when baked!)  Repeat.  If you would like to add in pecans/walnuts, just add them in with the dough at random.  Then pour the extra butter over the top.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top springs back when touched. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully invert onto a plate, and serve immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

Be sure that your butter stays well-melted and thin during the dipping process.  If it begins to cool and thicken, just pop it in the microwave for another 10-15 seconds to warm it up.

My goal is to make this December a considerably healthier month than in years’ past.  And so far — thanks to a little self-control, and less time in the kitchen than usual (December is kind of a busy season working in a church!) — that mission has been mostly accomplished.  :)  But I can’t let December go by without a little gingerbread in my life.  So in addition to making a batch of cookies this week, I also decided to try this recipe I stumbled across for gingerbread pancakes.

It’s not that often that I eat (or much less, make) pancakes, but when I do, I like them to be flavorful.  Otherwise, I tend to add on a little too much butter and syrup to compensate!  So when I saw that this recipe called for all of my favorite gingerbread spices, and included some healthier ingredients such as whole wheat flour, low fat milk, and only a small amount of brown sugar — I was stoked!

As a proud gingerbread fan, I’m happy to say they were a total success!  Easy to prepare, nice and fluffy (although a little thinner than most pancakes), and full of that delicious gingerbread flavor.  I did top them with a little syrup and butter (not quite as much as in the picture!!), but as hoped, found they were flavorful enough to hold their own well.

So if you’re also a fan of gingerbread, or are just looking for a new and healthier breakfast idea for the season, I definitely recommend these!

Gingerbread Pancakes Recipe
(Adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures & Gingerbread)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour (white or regular)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 5 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and orange zest.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl melt 3 tablespoons of the butter.  Let cool a bit then whisk in the milk, egg and vanilla extract.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined (some lumps are fine).  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

***If you want to make all of the pancakes before serving, preheat oven to 200 F.  Place a baking sheet lined with foil on the middle rack.***

Using the remaining butter, heat about 1 teaspoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add 1/4 cup of batter to the pan for each pancake (you can probably make 2 at a time if your pan is large enough).  Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes and they begin to brown just a bit around the edges, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes more.  Move the pancakes to the warm oven (if you need to stack the pancakes on the baking sheet, do so between layers of parchment paper).  Wipe the pan with a paper towel, melt another teaspoon of butter and repeat the cooking process.

Makes about fourteen 4-inch pancakes

Ali’s Tip:

To cut down on butter, you can also just use cooking spray to cover the skillet before cooking the pancakes. :)