Fiesta Frittata

This past weekend, I was invited to Chicago by the "Beef. It's What's For Dinner" folks. Yep, you read that right. This little blog, which started out as a way of sharing recipes with friends, has just kept growing in popularity as it helps busy parents feed their families well {even on the busiest of days}... enough so, that it caught the eye of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Now, I'd like to think that my invitation came because they too agree that I missed my calling as a cowgirl, but I think it was more based on my simple, healthful, family-friendly recipes. Hey, a girl can dream...  

So, they flew me out to Chicago for a weekend of tasting, learning, and networking with some of their Colorado contingent and 18 other rockstar bloggers. Pinch me, right? One of the weekend's activities was a culinary challenge. They split us into small groups and we had to come up with healthful takes on classically less-than-healthy recipes, like nachos, jalapeno poppers, things like that. My group was given the challenge of coming up with a breakfast casserole-type dish, that incorporated lean ground beef. Not one to usually add beef to my breakfasts, I will admit to being momentarily stumped. 

The breakfast casserole also had to incorporate:

• at least 2 servings of fruits or vegetables
• 1 serving of whole grains
• use as few pans as possible
• and have only 6 additional ingredients*, beyond the lean ground beef, our choice of cooking oil, spices, salt & pepper.

* You'll note that in the recipe below we went a little crazy (a.k.a broke the rules) and added an extra veggie to our recipe. We're kind of reckless like that.

My teammates and I perused the ingredients we could choose from...

and then we got to work!

We decided to make a protein packed Southwestern-inspired frittata. So, we sautéed the lean ground beef in a bit of grape seed oil, along with onions, colorful bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of cumin, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder and a little high quality sea salt. We added one can of black beans. And because we had fresh corn at our disposal, my teammate, Amy, decided to grill it. (But if corn weren't in season, you could always use frozen corn as a substitute.)

Then we thinly sliced some whole wheat tortillas, and added those to the pan. 

That's one of the weekend's presenters, Dayle Hayes, from School Meals that Rock, oohing and ahhing over the smells in our side of the kitchen. 

After quickly sauteing all of the ingredients and whisking in our eggs, we popped the skillet into a 350 oven, and our team just relaxed while the frittata baked. {Gotta love those recipes that are so darn easy!}

And, voila! Here's my whole team (left to right: yours truly, Amy from Momma Hen's Coop, Biz from My Bizzy Kitchen, and Heather from Then Heather Said) with our Fiesta Frittata. Gorgeous, right?

Then, we tried our hands on styling the dish,

and it got the royal photographic treatment by Food Photographer, Jennifer Marx.

I know what you're thinking.... now you want the recipe, right?

Fiesta Frittata

Serves 12

This recipe may be halved, but it's a wonderful make-ahead dish that can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner, so I recommend making a big batch like this on a weekend and enjoying the rest during the busy school/work week ahead!

• 1 Tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• southwestern seasonings of choice, to taste (we used: cumin, smoked paprika, ancho chile powder and some high quality sea salt)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 whole wheat tortillas, thinly sliced
• 18 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet or fry pan, saute the onions and ground beef, over medium heat, with your choice of seasonings. Drain excess fat from the pan, if necessary. Add chopped veggies (bell peppers, tomatoes, and corn), the rinsed and drained black beans, and the tortilla strips to the pan. Continue sauteing for a few minutes, until veggies are just tender. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add whisked eggs to the pan, and stir to combine. Transfer skillet to oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, until center of frittata is set. Serve frittata slices warm or room temp. 

Optional garnishes: fresh avocado, salsa, Greek yogurt, and/or baked tortilla chips. 

I hope that your family enjoys this new recipe! I am excited to make a batch for my family next weekend! 

two new food crushes... garlic and almonds this go round. mmm.

Every so often, I get a food crush. It's rarely planned... some gorgeous packaging or seemingly genius idea catches my eye as I am winding my way through the supermarket aisle. Sometimes they're fleeting. I like whatever it is, but wouldn't buy it again. But these two, oh, they make me swoon. The first is this coconut-infused almond milk. The curvaceous bottle caught my eye as I was buying our normal carton of organic whole milk, and into the cart it went. Yum. I've added it to coffee, and enjoyed it solo both cold and warm. Delicious. My new favorite beverage. Behind wine. Kidding. Sort of.     

Different shopping trip, but same eye-catching tact.... I was in the produce aisle picking up, oh now I forget what, and the wax seal of Tessemae's roasted garlic caught my eye. I'm a sucker for good packaging. And for ingredients that can quickly transform a loaf of bread into something amazing.

That first night, I paired it with some shredded Parm and a baguette, wrapped it in foil, popped it in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, and it quickly became the best garlic bread. Ever.

Since then, I've dolloped it into lasagna, spread it on a piece of grilled chicken, made the kids quick open-faced broiled cheese toasts with it for an after-school snack (so they go to tennis and tae kwon do with dragon breath) and stirred it into a hearty veggie soup soup. And then I got curious about the company, checked them out, and liked the product even more.

Fall 2013 Kitchen Coaching: 4-Weeks To A Freezer Stocked with Deliciousness

As you know, if you've been following posts over on the full plate blog's Facebook page, I've been busy testing and re-testing make-ahead meals for my upcoming Kitchen Coaching Program. It's a very tough job.... but someone must whip up simple recipes, stock the freezer, then roll in after a busy afternoon of chauffeuring, open the freezer, pop the frozen goodness into a skillet, pot or the oven, and let the magic happen.

To say I am onto something would be an understatement. I've got 20 busy parents testing the program out right now, and giving me feedback on each and every aspect. As soon as I know it's as helpful, easy-- and downright awesome-- as it can possibly be, I'll let you guys sign up.

If you'd like to mark your calendars, the "Stocking Your Freezer in a Snap" Kitchen Coaching program will be available, Monday, October 14, 2013.

I can tell you, firsthand, that after a crazy afternoon of driving too and fro, there is nothing better than knowing I am coming home to a freezer full of homemade meals. I used to stock the freezer like this for my personal chef clients, but never thought to get totally organized and do it for myself. It took years and years of friends asking me to help them figure out this whole "cooking ahead thing" for me to take my own advice and come up with an easily doable plan. I cannot wait to share the plan with all of you soon!! Mark your calendars and check back here on the full plate blog for sign-ups. I cannot wait to share it with you all!  - Eila 

new fav after school snack: baked (portable) bean and cheese tostadas

We have a new favorite snack around here.  It's quick, protein-packed and portable. 

My kids now get home at 2 different times, both famished. 

I want to come up with a stash of snack ideas that I can make once (in a minimal amount of time... like 10 minutes max) and serve twice.

And feel good about serving. 

 That's a biggie. I'm not going to give them crappy snacks.

And if it's something I might like to munch on too? Even better. 

Baked Portable Tostadas

(makes 4 tostadas / 2 after school snacks)

4 small organic corn tortillas
about 1/2 cup shredded cheese
about 1/2 cup black beans
optional: 1/2 cup sliced veggies, pickled jalapenos and/or salsa

Preheat oven to 375. Place tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese, then black beans. Bake on lowest rack for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp (so you can easily pick it up). Serve warm or room temp.

grilled cheese sandwiches with savory roasted apples + roasted sweet potato wedges

Last night, I made a dinner so good that even the babysitter asked for the recipe.

It started with (leftover) savory roasted apples. Each month, I am hired to create a recipe for our local market, Walter Stewart's. In addition to running into a handful of friends every time I shop there (making grocery marketing a-- dare I say it, fun-- social outing as well as a necessity!), I agree to do this because I know the family-owned market takes pride in stocking and showcasing seasonal-- and often local-- ingredients.

This month, I whipped up a batch of savory roasted apples to highlight local apples. It was a variation on a recipe I concocted back in 2011, when we had a glut of apples from a weekend apple-picking adventure, and I was trying to use them up in every possible form. This super easy side dish has now become one of our go-to's in the Fall because it's so easy, and my children LOVE it. (Another favorite apple side is Cider-Braised Cabbage and Apples.)

OK, so back to the sandwiches! As you all know if you read my blog, I've kind of been a cooking maniac this week, squeezing all of the recipes that will be spread over my 3-week Kitchen Coaching Program into a few days of testing them all-- and then some that didn't make the cut-- one more time before a test group of busy parents gives them a whirl. (They get 3 weeks to leisurely stock their freezers... I gave myself 2 days.) So, you'd think that I would have just hauled one of those meals out of the freezer for the sitter and kids to enjoy while I was at Middle School Parent's Night, but no....when I opened my fridge and saw a big bowl of leftover savory roasted apples, I knew I should use them up. And so, it was the incarnation of a gooey, sweet and savory sandwich...

And they were a hit.

I assembled them before running to pick up at after school activities, then baked them in 10 minutes so they were ready when the sitter got there.

Grilled Cheese with Savory Roasted Apples

(makes 4 sandwiches)

8 slices of your favorite bread
16 slices of your favorite cheese (I made 1/2 with brie and 1/2 with a smoked cheddar)
1 cup savory roasted apples
non-stick baking sheet

Preheat oven to 400. Place 1 slice of cheese on each slice of bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of savory roasted apples. Then, place another slice of cheese and second slice of bread on top of that. Bake for 5-7 minute, then flip, and bake for another 5-7 minutes, until bread is toasty and cheese is melted. Serve warm or room temp.

I also had a sweet potato in the pantry, so as a side dish, I quickly made:

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

(serve 4)

1 large sweet potato
canola oil spray
cinnamon
chili powder
cumin
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Cut sweet potato (skin on or off, your choice) into 1" wedges. Spray rimmed baking sheet with a bit of canola oil, place a single layer of sweet potatoes on baking sheet, sprinkle with spices, salt and pepper. Give the baking sheet a shake to distribute everything a bit more evenly. Roast for 10 minutes, turn the wedges over, and roast another 10 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be fork tender, meaning a fork pierces the sweet potatoes easily. Serve warm. 

Like I said, the meal was a total hit. So much so that the sitter asked for the recipe before she went home! Hope your family enjoys this casual Fall dinner as much as mine did.

kitchen coaching: getting ready to test run the make-ahead meal program!

Oh my gosh folks, I am getting so excited. Now that my kids are back in school, I've been spending my time cooking, writing down recipes, freezing, reheating, and of course sampling, a variety of ahhmazing-- if I might say so myself-- make-ahead meals to share with all of you!

A group of lucky-- and super busy-- parents is giving the 3-week {with their feedback, it was upped to} 4-week Kitchen Coaching program a whirl starting this weekend.

I can't wait to work with them and get their feedback. I want to make sure it's as awesome a program as it can possibly be. As soon as it is, I look forward to sharing it with all of you.

Until then, you can delve into a stash of some freezer-friendly recipes here. Enjoy! And stay tuned for details on the Kitchen Coaching program soon.... get excited! Details will be posted here on the blog, so be sure to subscribe posts, or check back soon.

make-your-own pizza

The night before school started, I offered to let my kids choose their favorite dinner. What did they choose? "Pizza!" {Visions of take-out menus dance in my head...} "Make our own pizza!" {Insert the sound of squealing brakes.} Actually, that simplifies the conversation. Here's what really transpired between the front seat and backseat, which I relayed (in frustration) on Facebook:

driving to the supermarket this afternoon:
me: "ok, you two, you can choose what we're having for dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow, and dinner tomorrow night"
them: "do we have to?"
me: "what do you mean?"
them: "i mean, do we HAVE to eat? {insert moan and dramatic pause between each word} why do we always...have...to...eat?"
seriously??

Lest any of you think it's all broccoli rabe and rainbows around here, let me assure you that meals take a lot of effort to get down little hatches here too.

Still, I believe in good food. So, I keep making it a priority to give my kids nourishing meals even if no one seems to care what I make for dinner-- or if we even have dinner-- these days!!

So, back to the pizza. Usually I make one meal, and that's what we have for dinner. But on occasion, I'll go through the extra effort and lay out some sort of "make-your-own" meal. Whatever the meal may be (pizza, baked potatoes, tacos...), I'll put out a bunch of topping choices, but then I truly let the kids make their own. Sometimes I have to bite my tongue... and remind myself that it's "make-your-own", not "let-your-mama-micromanage-your-meal" night.

I told them the kids they could pick whatever they wanted out of the produce aisle, then if anything else caught their eye as I did the rest of the marketing, they had carte blanche to add it to the cart. We ended up with:

• multi-grain pizza dough (in the refrigerated section)
• tomato sauce
• two kinds of shredded cheese (whole milk mozzarella and a Romano-Parmesan blend)
• multi-colored cherry tomatoes
• broccoli
• organic peppers (red & yellow)
• pineapple
• onion
• olives
• peperoni
• ham
• and a package of cupcakes. "You said if anything else catches our eye...."

A crust for each kid: avoids "that's not what I want on my pizza!!" and ensures leftovers for another meal.

And-- voila-- two pizzas... as different as they are.

annual apple crisp making

It's that time of year...

Given that no one wants to hold my hand at cross walks anymore, I am relishing the fact that the Johnson boys are still keen to spread some start-of-the-school-year cheer. May they never been too cool for this happy tradition.