Meatless Monday: Mini Frittatas with Asparagus and Hollandaise

I've been seeing a lot of variations on the frittatas made in muffin tins, so I decided to go ahead and try it last week when I had some spinach I needed to use up. I suddenly got a craving for Hollandaise sauce as well, which may not be the healthiest of sauces whatsoever, but it's one of my favorites, and I hadn't enjoyed it in a very long time. The outcome was quite lovely...

 
Mini Frittatas
(serves 3-6)

6 large eggs (you can double-up on the eggs to make them bigger)
1 cup baby spinach, rinsed and packed
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the garlic and onion in a medium pan with 1 tbsp of the olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Beat the eggs, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add in the sauteed onion and garlic, along with the spinach and broccoli. Last, fold in the cheese, or else you could just add it to the muffin tins once you pour the mixture in them. 

Once combined, lightly grease the muffin tin cups with the rest of the olive oil, then pour some of the egg mixture into each until they are all equal. Add the cheese if you have not done so already. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. You can also use the toothpick method and stick one in the middle of one of the mini frittatas to see if it comes out clean. Once ready, the frittatas should pop out easily with a fork after you allow them to cool for a few minutes.

Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
(serves 4)

20 asparagus spears, trimmed
4 egg yolks 
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, unsalted, or butter substitute
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
  
For the asparagus: After rinsing and trimming the trunks of the spears, place in steam basket in large pot over about 1 inch of water. Bring water to high simmer, cover pot, and steam asparagus for about 5 minutes or until to desired tenderness. Alternatively, you can use a tabletop steamer for the same amount of time.
 
For the sauce: Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Once melted, set aside, and place the egg yolks and lemon into blender. Blend on high setting until smooth, about 5-8 seconds. Add in the melted butter and seasonings, and blend again for another few seconds. Reheat in sauce pan if needed and serve over the asparagus.If allowed to cool down to much, the sauce may separate; just whisk and reheat again if needed when this happens.

All pretty easy, huh? It all tasted really yummy and gourmet...I was quite impressed with myself. You can throw in anything you want to the frittatas; I actually wished I'd had fresh tomatoes and/or bell peppers to add to them at the time. The Hollandaise complimented the frittatas very nicely, as well. Lily and Paul enjoyed it, too. Success!

Alongside some gouda

Like I said, and as many of you may know, Hollandaise sauce is in no way a healthy sauce. Butter is loaded with cholesterol and yolks are obviously fattening- or are they? Did you know egg yolks- albeit loaded with the "taboo" cholesterol -are actually more nutricious for you than the white part? The yolk holds all the nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin C, just to name a few! In fact, eating an egg yolk everyday could work just like taking a multi-vitamin! So, forget that old adage of egg yolks being bad for you, and next time go ahead and eat it. I like mine nice and runny :)

P.S. If anyone knows of a healthier version of Hollandaise sauce that tastes just as good, let me know!

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! Share your turkey-alternatives or other yummy Thanksgiving favorites. No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 
          

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Meatless Monday: Pan-seared Asparagus

Today I'm keeping it simple with this easy, yet dinner crowd-pleasing, side dish. Sometimes you just want something that tastes gourmet, even though it only took you a few minutes to prepare it. Search no further- this is it, and it can be done with other vegetables too.

Pan-seared Asparagus
(serves 6-8)

1 lb asparagus, trimmed and rinsed
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once heated sprinkle some of the salt and pepper over the oil, then place the asparagus spears on top. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper and thyme, then cover, cooking for about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir the spears around, allowing to cook on each side for a period of time until slightly blackened. During the last minute of cooking, toss the lemon juice in and stir the spears around once more. The object is to cook them well enough so that they are crisp, yet soft in the middle. Serve hot with extra seasoning if desired, with some rice and eggplant or other main course. Although this is Meatless Monday, I must add that this side dish goes excellent alongside steak.

Thyme is quite lovely with asparagus, and even better with the added lemon juice. It really brings out its flavor while subduing some of its sharpness. Thyme is full of vitamin K, antioxidants, and iron, as well as antimicrobials that have been used for years to help preserve foods. Fir this dish, you can use it fresh or dried, it will taste good either way. Although, its beneficial properties will be more preserved if used fresh.

Over the weekend we attended a young relative's birthday party, and I was pleased to see Lily pass over her pizza for raw veggies and ranch dip. This was especially good for her since- as you may have read in a previous post -she's been fighting a nasty cold for the past nearly week and a half. We even considered not taking her to the party, but she was having fun with the rest of the group bouncing around at Bounce U! All that's left of the cold now is a cough.

Choosing veggies over pizza

Affirming the values of healthy eating habits for children is a lesson that can last far into adulthood. It is so important for kids to eat healthy and balanced, and including fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily diet is a must. Variety is best, but sometimes there will be types of veggies that they just don't like, or won't even try, such as brussel sprouts. I believe it's important to never give up, and just keep trying new ways to serve it, and even when that doesn't seem to be working, give it a break then try again some other time. Taste buds grow and develop along with your child, and one day they may hate broccoli, then the next thing you know they're asking for seconds!

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 

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Meatless Monday: Asparagus Baked Eggs with Golden Yukons

Asparagus may not be in season here in NJ, but after viewing this lovely recipe on Miki's Scrapbook (adorable blog, check her out!), I just had to try it! I paired this simply delicious and easy baked dish with some equally simple to make sauteed Yukon potatoes, and dinner was served! It was a big hit with the whole family, and I think yours would enjoy it as well :) Lily and Paul are not usually the biggest asparagus fans, but they both ate this up, and especially enjoyed the potatoes covered in crunchy, flavorful garlic.

Asparagus Baked Eggs with Golden Yukons
(serves 2-4)

For the asparagus:

12-20 asparagus spears, trimmed and rinsed
2 large eggs
1-2 tbsp bread crumbs (depending on how crusty you want it to be)
1-2 tbsp grated Parmessan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to broil. Spread some of the olive oil onto bottom of ramekin or baking pan, then the rest onto the spears. Lay spears onto the ramekin or pan, then carefully crack eggs over top, keeping yolks in tact. Next, sprinkle the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper on top of that, then place in oven on center rack. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until eggs are set and topping is lightly browned. Serve right away, cracking the yolks if desired.

For the Yukons:

4 medium Yukon potatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the Yukons into quarters, and then slice into thin slices. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium pan over low heat. Add two-thirds of the garlic and onion to the pan and heat until fragrant. Raise heat to medium-low, the add the potato slices, layering them on top of garlic and onion. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top, and add the rest of the garlic and onion. Cook over low heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes, then cover. Cook for about 10 minutes until potatoes are tender, then uncover and cook, frying until slices are lightly browned. Serve alongside the asparagus baked eggs.

Clearly, I had way too much fun taking pictures of this beautiful dish

Although eggs are used, this is still a meat-free dish, albeit not animal product-free. Use cage-free, organic eggs to keep it in line with eating a diet bettering the environment for Meatless Monday. Also use organic Parmessan if you can find it! (organic everything for that matter).


Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 

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Some things to think about for Meatless Monday

Something to think about....

When I used to be pure veggie, people used to often ask me- as you may have already guessed -why? They'd also ask me things like, But, don't you like the taste of meat? Is that why you're so skinny? Do you ever feel FULL? Really ridiculous things to ask, I felt at the time, but I guess if you are not educated on where your food comes from, those are reasonable things to ponder.

Most Americans- most people in the world, in fact -are omnivores. And most omnivores don't care about where their meat comes from, as long as it's cooked right and tastes good. Sure, most people probably are at least somewhat aware of the health risks involved with eating meat, especially red meat and pork, but I think that even more people think it's a greater risk to not eat meat at all.

Case in point- when I was pregnant, I told my boss I was planning to raise my child vegetarian. He winced in obvious disagreement and told me he didn't think that was a good idea. His reason? Children just need meat to grow since meat provides certain proteins that other foods just don't have. I explained to him that this was simply not true, that for one thing, plenty of children (especially in parts of Asia) are raised purely vegetarian and have no health issues concerning a lack of protein or B vitamins since they eat plenty of eggs, beans, nuts and vegetables containing them to make up for it. Also, those children have much lower risks of diabetes, obesity and heart disease, and maintain a balanced weight and function just as well as any meat-eating child, in some cases probably better. My boss was at a lack of argument, and I realized after speaking to a few other people about it, that his concern was not singular. In fact, many people think that raising a child on a meat-free diet is a poor decision. Many of these people read Dr. Spock's works as well, but somehow must've missed the part where he recommended raising children vegan.

As I've written in a previous post, I was a vegetarian on and off for a long time, and I'm sure I'll get back on the completely meat-free bandwagon again someday. Yet, because I have not erradicated meat from diet again since giving birth, I decided it was only fair to allow my daughter to eat some meat as well. You should also know that we eat very little meat in my house, usually 1-3 times a week. Some weeks we don't eat meat at all, but might eat fish. And Lily is in the 75th percentile for weight and height and has no health concerns whatsoever.

What prompts me to suddenly go on a slight tangent about healthy meatless eating? Well, other than the fact that it's Meatless Monday, in a recent issue of my beloved Eating Well magazine, there was an article that included the image below.

It's taken from the Environmental Working Group's- who I've mentioned and referenced before -report for meat-eaters. The report covers the environmental and health-related circumstances surrounding each type of food we consume, going on to say that raising and processing meats, cheese and some fish emit the largest amount of greenhouse gases due to large intakes of fuel, pesticide usage, and feed, as well as other elements. The chart explains it in a clear and prompt manner, marking lamb as the most significant carbon footprint maker and lentils at the least (here's Nanny Rose's lentil soup recipe and my red curry in a hurry with lentils!).

Clearly, if you are a meat-eater who is also concerned about the environment, hopefully this chart and EWG's report will at least encourage you to make more well-informed choices about what you choose to eat. Lamb is a poor choice for so many reasons other than the ones the EWG lays out: not only is it the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, but being a red meat, lamb is very fatty and high in cholesterol because- remember -this is the flesh of a baby animal, often just weaned from its mother. I don't know about you, but that has always been enough to turn me off from it. Sure, not all lamb is exactly infant meat, but lamb meat is usually taken from a sheep that is around 1 year old or less; in some countries I have been told the flesh of a lamb just weaned from it's mother is considered a delicacy. This just grosses me out on so many levels.

So, now learning that raising lamb as livestock leaves the largest carbon footprint, I am inspired to share with others who may be ignorant or uncaring to the origin of their food. I know lamb is not a common thing for most people to eat, and I will also admit that it actually does possess quite a bit of nutrition despite the fattiness, I would recommend if you are thinking about lowering your consumption of meat, removing lamb from your diet completely would be a great first step. Eating less steaks and cheeseburgers would be a good idea too!

Now, in honor of this important information brought to light, please enjoy this lovely Meatless Monday dish:

 

Fusilli and Asparagus with Creamy Lemon Sauce

Ingredients

8 oz package of fusilli

½ lb asparagus

1 tbsp butter

2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cup light cream

Juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Lemon zest for topping + extra pepper

Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Meanwhile, rinse, trim and chop the asparagus into 1-2” sections; add the chopped asparagus to the pasta water right before you turn off the heat; allow the asparagus to sit in the water and blanche for about 1 minutes, then drain it all and return to pot.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat, then sautee the garlic for about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch into the cup of water until it forms a white, pasty liquid, then mix into boiling broth until the mixture thickens; make and add more until it reaches desired consistency. Add the lemon juice and cream, cook for 1 minute then remove from heat. Allow sauce to cool for a minute, then add to the pasta and asparagus and mix in. Serve with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Delicious...this is a new favorite of ours,including Lily. Your kids should like it, but if they are a little picky about it, sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top too and that might give the dish an impression of an Italian-style mac 'n cheese.

For baby, serve up some mushy pasta with cheese. If baby is 8 months or older, serve them some asparagus too. Younger babies, especially those who are prone to gas, may not take well to the asparagus. Although asparagus benefits older digestive systems due to its large content of fiber, for younger digestive systems the fiber can be a little hard to digest and cause gasiness. Asparagus also contains a large amount of vitamin K and folate, as well as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Enjoy your Meatless Monday and day off if you have one for this "holiday." Take care of yourself and your family!