Italian Sausage and Spinach Potstickers

I've been exposed to a lot of different foods this summer. Easily my favorite thus far has been Asian style dumplings, or "potstickers". I had them for the first time at Umami during restaurant week and again at Taste of Madison last weekend. I've heard great things about the Soho food cart  and couldn't turn down buffalo chicken dumplings.

I knew at some point I needed to try and make these myself, or at least some variation of them. This recipe came about as the answer to "What do I need to use up in my fridge?". I had some leftover wontons after making my Baked Jalapeno Popper Wontons for NFL kickoff on Thursday, so today became the day. 

Admittedly, they are kind of a pain to make as it's a little time consuming to wrap up the wontons. That being said, they're TOTALLY worth it. 

Quinoa and Italian Sausage Potstickers

Makes 8 potstickers

Ingredients:

• 8 wontons
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 2 oz cooked Italian turkey sausage (1/2 a link if you use that instead of ground)
• 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup water

Chop basil and spinach.

Combine turkey sausage, basil, spinach, and quinoa in a bowl. 

Divide mixture evenly between the wontons. 

Brush egg white on outside edges of wontons. Fold in half and crimp edges if needed. 

Heat pan to medium-high heat, spray with cooking spray, and place wontons in pan for 3-5 minutes

Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and steam until water is gone.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

I've tried making mashed cauliflower in the past, and failed pretty miserably. After having it a few weeks ago, I decided I needed to try making it again. This was a good excuse to finish off some leftover cauliflower after making cauliflower crust pizza last week. It turned out great (both this and the pizza - I highly recommend it). This is becoming once of my new favorite sides. Low carb and tasty!

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size cauliflower head
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp low fat cream cheese
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 tbsp asiago cheese
• a few drops sriracha (optional)

Boil cauliflower until tender. It should mash easily.

Drain and combine with remainder of ingredients. 

Mash cauliflower into smooth, faux potato goodness.

Farmer's Market Frittata

I'm excited to start blogging again now that we're all moved into our new place. It's great having a kitchen with some fighting room and decent lighting. We have more counter space and cupboard room than I know what to do with.

The other great part about moving is I'm two blocks from the farmer's market, which as I've mentioned before has been one of my favorite things to do this summer. This morning's breakfast recipe was inspired by the massive amounts of vegetables waiting to be used in my refrigerator from my visits last week and yesterday. I love quiches, but they're a little time consuming. A frittata (or open faced omelette as I like to think of them) gives you that egg-bake goodness with less than half the time commitment.

The key to these bad boys is temperature. You've got to cook them low and slow, which is exactly opposite of how I typically cook. You're gonna have to trust me when I say it's worth the wait though. You can either flip your frittata if you're feeling adventurous or throw it in the oven for a few minutes like I did at the end to crisp up your top.

It's going to be a pretty lazy Sunday today. We've got one more week of summer before classes start, so today is basically consisting of watching Badger football replays on Big Ten Network to get me ready for next Saturday and blogging. Life is rough, I know.

It looks like it will be a hot one in Madison this weekend, so make sure you're staying hydrated and being smart if you're working out. Listen to your body!

Farmer's Market Frittata
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup egg whites
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1/3 cup diced green pepper
• 1/4 cup diced mushrooms
• 1 diced Roma tomato
• 2 slices turkey bacon
• 1/3 cup asiago cheese
• 1 sprig rosemary leaves
• Salt/pepper to taste

Beat eggs and egg whites in a large bowl with a whisk. The more air you get into the eggs the fluffier your frittata will be. 

Spray a medium skillet and place over medium-low heat. Add onion, green pepper, mushrooms, tomato, bacon, and rosemary leaves. 

Pour the eggs over the vegetables and bacon, add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, cover, and let cook until eggs begin to set. The top of the frittata should still be slightly runny. 

Transfer frying pan to the top rack of an oven at 400 degrees for another 3-4 minutes, or until eggs have firmed up. 

Microwave Mini Quiche

In case you haven't been able to tell from the massive amounts of quinoa I've been posting about, I made this stuff in big batches and use it all week. Breakfast gets skipped a lot. People are in a hurry and either neglect to eat at all or settle for something quick and easy that isn't necessarily healthy.

This is a nice way to get rid of leftovers from Food Network's California Rice and Beans, should you make it; which you should. If you already have the vegetables precooked in your fridge, this takes about three minutes to make in the morning. You could probably even throw them in raw and it would still be really good.

Microwave Mini Quiche

Serves 1

• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon cooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons combined diced zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms
• pinch of salt

Layer quinoa and veggies in a four ounce ramekin (a coffee mug is perfect for this too). 

Beat egg whites and salt with a fork and pour over quinoa and veggies. 

Microwave 1-2 minutes on high (time will vary depending on your microwave).

Kickin' Guac - Don't forget to lock your avocardo...

I've been loving avocado's lately, and am going to be having a little more fun with them in some upcoming posts. For now though, head over to the grocery store, pick up a few avocado's, and make a batch of this guacamole up. It's even sort of NFL season, so you can make it before the game, put it out at kickoff, and it'll be gone by end of the quarter and the start of the time the game isn't worth watching.

I like my guac to have a bit of a kick, but if that's not your thing skip the cayenne. The cumin and paprika give it a little bit of a smokey southwest flavor, so give those a shot if you're feeling adventurous.

Pro tip: keep a batch of cooked quinoa in your fridge at any and all times. I put it in anything and everything, and the possibilities are endless when it comes to a quick, easy meal with it. Throw a nice dollop on top of some quinoa and chicken breast for a quick dinner.

Kickin' Guac

Makes about 1 cup

• 2 ripe avocados, mashed (learn how to open one up here if you don't know how)
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1/4 of a jalapeño, diced, seeds removed (add a few for heat if you're feeling bold!)
• 1/2 a lime/lemon juice, your choice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cumin (optional)
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

Mash avocado in a medium sized bowl. 

Fold in remainder of ingredients.

Simple as that!

Goodbye, Bushi

Anne Fochs
July 26, 1930-August 1, 2013

This morning the world lost one of the most beautiful people I have ever known. After a long battle with various health problems, my grandma passed away this morning. It's hard to do this right now, but writing is the only thing I know how to do in times like this.

To her grandkids, she was Bushi, which I was always told was Polish for "grandma". I have more memories than I can count going to Bushi and Papa's house growing up. Living just down the road, I often found myself there on a weekly basis, whether I was just stopping in for a second or there for the weekend while my parents were out of town. During the summer it was an almost guarantee that when you pulled into their driveway she would be elbows deep in her garden, covered in dirt. If she wasn't there she was taking a break on the deck, enjoying the weather and the birdsong coming from Papa's bird feeders. As time went on, that transitioned from her garden to her recliner, but I always got the same greeting when I walked up, and I'll never forget her old country accent calling out "Hey Tyler!" for as long as I live. 

She was tough. Man, was she tough. She built houses, picked blueberries, and hauled sap to make maple syrup as well as any man could. She loved to fish, and without fail would complain about the neighbor having tip-ups in her "spots" every winter. She had no filter, and I loved her for it. 

It's because of her that I even have this blog. She taught my mom how to cook, and my mom taught me how to cook. I'm pretty sure she thought everyone was constantly starving; you couldn't walk in the house without getting some type of food thrown at you. She loved to bake, and even when she stopped being able to eat her baked goods herself, it never stopped her from pawning them off to us or my aunt next door. 

Her big heart was especially melted by two things: dogs and babies. When my family first got our dog, Tracker, she made the biggest deal about us bringing him over so she could smell his paws, because apparently puppy paws are the best smelling things in the world. I wasn't about to tell her otherwise. Dogs were welcome in her house anytime, and if she could have taken care of one she would have had a Springer Spaniel by her side through her golden years. 

She loved her six kids and adored her seventeen grandkids and twelve great-grandkids. As we were all gathered in her room yesterday, a friend of hers stopped by with his three week old baby, and the surge of life that washed over her was remarkable. That scene of old meeting new, one life leaving as another just began, was a powerful moment. I'm incredibly appreciative to that man for bringing his child, even though I don't even know who he was. I truly believe that breathed a few more hours of life into her. 

While the next few days will be tough, at the same time I feel a sense of relief. The last 10 years haven't been easy for her, and she fought long enough. It's time to rest. RIP Bushi. We love you and will miss you more than you could ever know. I just hope there's a deck of cards and a romance novel up there waiting for her. God help heaven if there isn't. 

Tuscan Quesadilla

Quick post here. This was a little something I whipped up for lunch a few days ago with no expectations, and it ended up being wonderful. It's a simple, delicious, and fast way to incorporate veggies and whole grains without ever feeling like you're being healthy. I wanted to add in some fresh basil as well, but I'm out at the moment. Such is life. Keep on keeping on, Friday is near!

Tuscan Quesadilla
Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 six inch whole wheat tortillas
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 4 cherry tomatoes, diced
• Oregano
• Garlic powder

Lightly spray a small skillet and heat over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the pan and top with cheese, spinach tomatoes, a three finger pinch of oregano, and light sprinkle of garlic powder. Place the top tortilla and flip when the bottom one is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Cut into wedges and serve with your favorite pesto, salsa, or enjoy the flavors by themselves!