Spinach & Mushroom Quesadillas

Normal cheesy delicious quesadillas don't really need a recipe, but this one is filled with spinach, mushrooms and cheese. They were eaten very quickly tonight. I'm also looking forward to making these ones with kale and mushrooms with cream cheese next time I buy some kale.

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SPINACH AND MUSHROOM QUESADILLAS

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman

1 tbsp butter

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

salt & pepper (& red chili flakes?)

1 bag baby spinach or 1 package frozen spinach

6 medium flour tortillas or about 10 small ones

2 oz fontina or cheddar, grated

2 oz goat cheese

butter for skillet

hot sauce or enchilada sauce (or both, like we did) and sour cream for serving

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Apparently yesterday (March 1) was National Peanut Butter Lovers' Day! I missed the boat, so today is belated National Peanut Butter Day for me. I first found out about this glorious day on A Nerd Cooks' facebook page, where Lauren posted this recipe for chocolate peanut butter cookies from Averie Cooks. Those look AMAZING and I will definitely be making them soon, but while I was on that website I saw this recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies. And I starting making them right away.

I like this recipe a lot because not only are the cookies sooo wonderfully peanut buttery, but it's also secretly gluten-free, which is interesting for me since I don't usually bake gluten free. I generally don't feel inspired to bake anything if the recipe name makes a bigger deal of what is not included than what is. But these cookies do not have any butter, flour or white sugar, so that's different. It's nice to bake with so few ingredients!

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PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

From Averie Cooks

Averie Cooks' note about what peanut butter to use: "Although natural peanut butter or homemade peanut butter may work, I recommend using store-bought peanut butter like Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan or similar so that the cookies bake up thicker and spread less. Using natural or homemade peanut butter tends to result in thinner and flatter cookies that are prone to spreading while baking."

1 cup creamy peanut butter   

1 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

6 oz chocolate (semi-sweet, dark or bittersweet - chopped or, as I did, chips + peanut M&M's!)

Baked Eggs on Spinach

Other blog posters: do you sometimes accidentally delete your entire post without understanding how it happened?? Or being able to undo it? That has happened to me a couple time now. I think it's the iMac's fancy trackpad's fault. Boo. Anyway, Saturday breakfast! 

I've had my eyes on this recipe for Fontina and Spinach Baked Eggs with Garlic Brown Butter Breadcrumbs for a while, but it looked too complicated for this morning's breakfast. Instead, I made a simpler version more like Saveur's Baked Eggs. It turned out to be pretty delicious/nutritious but there is something to keep in mind: if you are sharing your baked eggs with a crazy person, like my mother, who likes their eggs hard, but you are a sane person who likes their eggs runny, like myself, you should probably cook your baked eggs in separate ramekins and adjust the cooking times.

Adorable pillow or lazy doggie?

This baked egg recipe from Alexandra's Kitchen also looks very delicious and is served on toast, which sounds like a great idea. Next time!

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BAKED EGGS ON SPINACH

Adapted combo of Saveur's Baked Eggs and How Sweet's Fontina and Spinach Baked Eggs

1 or 2 eggs per person

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1-2 tomatoes, diced or quartered

a couple tbsp of some cheeses: provolone, ricotta, mozzarella...

2-3 tbsp ham or bacon

2 tbsp heavy cream or half and half

Bread crumb topping:

3 tbsp panko or bread crumbs

2 tbsp parmesan

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp dried thyme

salt & pepper

Almond Flour Brownies

This recipe is from Bob's Red Mill (a company that is worker owned and has really great grains). It is actually pretty similar to the standard brownie recipe that I use fairly often. I would definitely make it again since almonds and chocolate are delicous. The only picture I have of these brownies is just a little corner of them because when I came home from work one day, that's all that was left. Nick and Brittany...

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1 cup granulated cane sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup almond meal/flour (got mine from Trader Joe's)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried lavender flowers (just because I couldn't resist throwing these in)
1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Mix the dry ingredients including the lavender in a mixing bowl. Then mix the butter, eggs, water, and sugar together. Then add the almond extract. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, whisking until no lumps remain. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.