Foodbuzz Family Bites: Tuna Patty with Broiled Mayo Topping and Glazed Carrots

I believe this was either the last dinner recipe created for Family Bites, with the help of my mom because I was at a loss. Using a variation of a salmon patty recipe, we decided to replace the salmon with tuna fish (basically coming up with a different way to use tuna outside of the traditional sandwich way) and adjust the flavorings other ingredients to suit our preference.

Using Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing, she also thought that a broiled topping would add a unique twist to the patties. Whipping egg whites and adding mayonnaise, yogurt, the dressing, and lemon pepper seasoning, you then dollop the mixture on top of the cooked patties and broil until browned.

There's also a simple side dish of glazed carrots, also using the oil and vinegar dressing, as well as honey, salt, and pepper.

Recipe after jump

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Tuna Patties with Broiled Topping and Glazed Carrots
Recipe by Christina Provo

These moist, flavorful tuna patties are topped with a special broiled egg white-mayonnaise topping. Served with glazed carrots on the side.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-8 servings

Ingredients -

Glazed carrots:

4 cups carrots, diced
3 tablespoons Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Tuna burgers:

4 can tuna, drained
1 1/4 cup bread crumbs, plus 1/4 cup
1/4 cup cornmeal, plus 1/4 cup
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons jarred ground horseradish
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning (with salt)
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Broiled topping:

2 egg whites, reserve egg yolks
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning (with salt)

Directions -

1. Heat oil and vinegar dressing over medium heat and add carrots, black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt.. Cook until tender, tossing occasionally. Add honey and cook for 3 minutes, or until liquid has slightly thickened. Check for seasonings.


2. In large bowl, combine tuna, 1 1/4 cup bread crumbs and 1/4 cup cornmeal, eggs, mustard, horseradish, seasonings, and onion and parsley. Add reserved egg yolks from egg white topping if mixture is too dry. Shape into 8 patties. Mix remaining bread crumbs and cornmeal together and coat patties. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in skillet on medium. Fry patties until golden, about 3-4 minutes on each side, adding additional oil as needed. When cooked, place patties on rimmed baking sheet.


3. While patties cook, mix together mayonnaise, yogurt, oil and vinegar dressing, and seasoning. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold in mayo mixture. After patties have cooked, dollop with egg white mixture and broil on medium high until golden. Serve patties with carrots.

Foodbuzz Family Bites: Creamy Broccoli, Mushroom, and Spinach Soup

This recipe, filed under "lunch", is a quick, creamy vegetable soup that can be whipped up very quickly. The trio of vegetables in this soup is accented by white wine vinegar and white pepper, both adding a subtle taste that brightens the flavors along with the addition of lemon rind to finish.

Also, there is no cream here. The "creamy" texture is achieved by oatmeal being cooked with the simmering soup mixture before being pureed. I used a blender, but an immersion blender would speed the process up more. I did find that a dollop of sour cream stirred into each individual portion also added a nice smoothness to the soup, so adding about 1/4 cup to the entire soup would also work.

Recipe after jump

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Creamy Broccoli, Mushroom, and Spinach Soup
recipe by Christina Provo

A comforting soup that's packed full of healthy vegetables. While the soup contains no actual cream, the addition of oatmeal helps to bind the soup together after it’s pureed.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 35 minutes

Ingredients -

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water mixed with 2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable bouillon
3 cups water
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups coarsely sliced portobello mushrooms
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoons plus 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup oatmeal
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Sour cream for serving
Finely grated lemon zest

Directions -

1. Bring chicken broth and water to a boil in a medium-sized pot on high heat. Once boiling, add broccoli and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and maintain a rapid simmer.


2. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add onion and saute for 1 minute. Stir in basil, white pepper, and salt. Add mushrooms, spinach, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil; saute for 2 minutes or until spinach has reduced and mushrooms have cooked down a little. Deglaze the skillet with white wine vinegar and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer content to the pot with broccoli and stir in oatmeal. Simmer on medium for 15 minutes.


3. Carefully ladle a third of the soup into a blender or food processor. Cover and puree until smooth, pouring the soup into a bowl. Repeat with remaining soup. (You can use an immersion blender instead, pureeing soup right in the pot until completely smooth.) Pour back into pot, taste for seasonings, and simmer until heated thoroughly. Serve with parsley, sour cream, and lemon zest.

baked chicken fingers with chili-garlic potatoes

This, I believe, was the second-to-last recipe I created for Family Bites. I wanted to create a healthier chicken and fries combination, and I think this hit the mark.

The chicken is marinated in an egg white-corn starch mix with some seasonings to tenderize the meat and keep it moist, then the strips are rolled in rice krispies and baked until crisp and cooked through. The coating remains crunchy while the chicken inside isn't dry at all.

My favorite way to make crispy baked potato wedges that mimic regular fries is to boil the potatoes briefly before baking. This sort of partially cooks the potatoes and takes away from the baking time. Make sure you pat them dry or else they'll end up steaming instead of roasting.
The next step is to toss them with only enough oil to coat the outsides. This kind of just helps the browning without the excess oil soaking in. To finish, you saute butter with garlic and chili powder and pour it over the finished potatoes.

Using Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing, my mom suggested making a quick sticky sauce to dip the chicken strips and potatoes in. She got this idea from a sticky chicken recipe she makes, but instead of using it as a marinade-sauce, we just boiled the dressing, soy sauce, and sugar together until slightly thickened. Ours came out rather salty, but I think that's because of the soy sauce I used. It really added flavor to the chicken, though.

This was probably the longest recipe I created, but obviously it's more of an entire meal than just the entree. Looking at the other Family Bites recipes, it probably wasn't necessary to do this, though I had the idea and decided to go with it. Serve this with a salad for greenery.

Recipe after jump

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Baked Chicken Fingers and Sticky Soy Dipping Sauce
recipe by Christina Provo

Baked chicken fingers with a crispy rice cereal coating and roasted potato wedges. Served with sticky dipping sauce featuring Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients -

4 chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise into 4-5 strips
4 egg whites
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2-4 cups rice crisp cereal
2/3 cup Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing, well shaken
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl whisk egg whites until frothy. In separate, small bowl whisk cornstarch with salt, basil, and cayenne pepper. Whisk into egg whites until completely smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in chicken strips, making sure the egg white mixture coats chicken evenly, and marinate for 25 minutes.


2. While the chicken is marinating, whisk Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing with soy sauce and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a steady boil for 6-7 minutes. Lower heat; cover and keep warm.


3. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread rice crisp cereal out in a pie dish and roll chicken strips in cereal, coating evenly. Place on baking sheet. Move sheet with potatoes onto lower oven rack and put sheet with chicken fingers on middle rack. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip chicken fingers over. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until the chicken fingers are a light golden brown.


4. During last 5 minutes, melt butter in a skillet. Saute garlic with chili powder for 2 minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Drizzle over potatoes on baking sheet with potato wedges and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley. Divide chicken fingers and potato wedges. Serve with sticky soy dipping sauce.

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Chili-Garlic Potato Wedges
Recipe by Christina Provo

Yields 4-5 servings

Ingredients -

2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt.


2. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, then each half into quarters or thirds depending on the size. Add half the potato wedges to the boiling water and boil for 1 minute 30 seconds. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon to a colander; pat dry with a paper towel and place on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil over potatoes and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt; toss to coat evenly. Roast for 30 minutes, turning potatoes over halfway through.


3. Decrease oven temperature to 400°. Move sheet with potatoes onto lower oven rack. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then flip potatoes over. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.


4. During last 5 minutes, melt butter in a skillet. Saute garlic with chili powder for 2 minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Drizzle over potatoes on baking sheet with potato wedges and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

Foodbuzz Family Bites: black bean burgers with honey mustard cole slaw

This was another Family Bites recipe, and for this I wanted to create a black bean burger that was substantial, yet not dense, and the end result was really delicious and one of the best non-meat burgers I've made. To increase the nutritional value, the burgers include both whole oats and oat flour, which also helps bind the bean mixture together and helps with the texture. The burgers have a Mexican flavor, so if you ate this as a sandwich you could serve it with guacamole and sour cream.

I want to experiment with freezing these. I'm guessing I'd have to cook them first, then freeze. To reheat I'd probably heat up some olive oil in a skillet, lightly sear both sides then add some water to the skillet, cover with a lid, and let steam until thoroughly heated, finishing by removing the lid and cooking until the water evaporates. I guess. But these would be great to have on hand.

As an accompaniment, I made a cole slaw with lime juice and honey mustard dressing with cole slaw, shredded carrots, and onions. Since I used Newman's Own dressing for the recipe, feel free to replace it with whatever you can find.

This is all I have to say because I have a migraine, and you'll find the recipe after the jump.

Wait. This was a latter-stage recipe, and I'm a bit disappointed because I felt like I lost my creativeness and copped out by making the cole slaw. They were looking for salads, but more along the lines of a meal salad than a side dish, and this wasn't very creative at all. What I realized throughout the entire process was that creating recipes was more difficult than I had originally thought, but for the most part in the time I had I think I did a good job, even if some of the recipes seem lackluster.

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Black Bean Burgers with Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard Cole Slaw
recipe by Christina Provo

A flavorful, hearty black bean burger paired with a crunchy honey mustard coleslaw is the perfect light, make ahead lunch that’ll take you through the day.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients -

Vegetable oil
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1/2 cups whole rolled oats
2 1/2 cups cooked black beans (if from a can, drain and rinse)
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup whole rolled oats, finely ground in food processor
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 carrot, julienned
zest from 1 lime
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard Dressing, plus additional for serving
Black pepper
Chopped cilantro for serving

Directions -

1. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add bell pepper and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add in oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt and saute for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and let cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Pour in 1 tablespoon lime juice and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in 1/2 cup whole rolled oats and cook, stirring, for a minute. Remove from heat.


2. In the bowl of a food processor, add 1 1/2 cups black beans and vegetable-oat mixture; pulse 5 times or until the black beans are broken up and no whole pieces remain. Scrape down the sides of bowl; add remaining 1 cup black beans and cilantro and pulse for about 7 times until mixture is blended (some black beans may remain whole). Dump mixture out into a medium bowl and stir in ground oats. Refrigerate for 25-30 minutes.


3. Meanwhile, mix together green cabbage, onion, carrot, remaining lime juice and zest. Stir together. Pour the Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard Dressing on top and sprinkle with black pepper. Stir to coat and refrigerate until ready to serve.


4. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium heat. Measure out 1/2 cup of black bean mixture per burger and pat out to a rough 3 1/2-inch diameter. Place in skillet. Repeat with burger mixture until 4 burgers are in skillet. Cook for 3 minutes; flip over and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove burgers to a plate and continue cooking remaining black bean mixture.


5. To serve, divide coleslaw between plates and place a black bean burger on top. Serve with additional Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard Dressing and chopped cilantro.

Foodbuzz FB: Caramelized Onion-Bacon Dip in Mini Bread Bowl

I can't remember when I made this one, but it was near the end and my brain was absolutely fried. My mom already helped me out with one recipe (which I'll post later) and she also helped me add up the times for everything, which was almost worse than making up the recipes!

So we kind of were all sitting around and someone decided to "brain storm" by throwing out a bunch of stupid ideas. Along the way my dad said something about a dip in bread bowls, though the exact wording sounded dumber (yes, it did, and I wish I could remember it because I first gave him sort of a Spock stare minus the Dramatic Spock Eyebrow Raise before laughing), though for a split second it all made sense and I realized that having your own dip in an edible bowl would make the perfect party appetizer. If you whip up a pot of chili, after eating the dip with crackers you can fill the bread bowls up with chili and you've got a meal!

My concern for this was that I didn't have mini bread bowls, and I most definitely did not feel like waiting around to bake bread for 2 hours. After a quick Google search I found a recipe for hamburger buns from All Recipes. The dough comes together and kneads very quickly, and the only rise is after you form the balls of dough, so really quick and perfect for my time crunch.

With that out of the way, I proceeded to make the dip. Bacon, for sure. What else? Caramelized onion. It gives it a bit of sophistication while lending a really delicious flavor to the bacon. A combination of spices, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke makes the flavor a unique and very hard to resist. For the creaminess, I used fat free cream cheese and plain yogurt. The yogurt sort of thins the mixture out while maintaining the tangy flavor. A sprinkle of sliced scallions at the end and your party, or movie night, or game night, is all set!

Recipe after jump.

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Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Spinach Dip in Mini Bread Bowls
recipe by Christina Provo

A festive, flavorful onion dip served in individual bread bowls.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients -

1/2 pound bacon
2 cups diced onion
1 1/4 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
8 ounces fat free cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature
1/4 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
12 small dinner rolls, tops removed and reserved, the inside of the bottoms scooped out to create a 1/2-inch deep hole
1/4 cup sliced scallions
Crackers for serving

Directions -

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon on medium heat until browned and crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and crumble; set aside. Remove all but 3 tablespoons bacon grease from skillet. Add diced onion, salt, and black pepper and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced and caramelized (the onions will look brown because of the bacon bits, but they shouldn't look charred or browned around the edges; adjust heat accordingly).


2. To onions, stir in chili powder, celery salt, and paprika; stir to coat onions and until the seasonings coat the bottom of skillet. Toss in spinach and stir until completely wilted. Add Worcestershire sauce with the liquid smoke, stirring up the fond from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream cheese until completely smooth and blended with onion mixture. Stir in yogurt and crumbled bacon.


3. Either hot or at room temperature, spoon about 2 tablespoons onion dip into hollowed out dinner rolls. Garnish with scallions and a sprinkle of paprika and top with lids. Serve immediately with crackers; alternatively, you can refrigerate until serving time.

Foodbuzz Family Bites: Greek Eggplant Dip

I wanted to include some really good snack recipes with my submissions, and one of my favorites out of the bunch is this Greek Eggplant Dip, a take on moussaka (a lamb-eggplant casserole of sorts with a bechamel sauce) and tzatziki (a fresh yogurt-cucumber dressing). I wasn't going to use lamb, so I switched that out with turkey because I like it and it has a milder flavor than beef. My first take was roasting the eggplant separately, then tossing it with the finished turkey-tomato mixture. The result was tasty, but some tasters didn't quite like how the flavors stood out more (some allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg) and we all felt the texture of the eggplant didn't blend well. Moussaka is cooked for at least 45 minutes, and that's plenty of time for the eggplant to achieve sort of a creamy, melty texture. Here, the eggplant wasn't roasted long enough for it to fall apart. My next try was to add the eggplant to the simmering turkey mixture. This proved to be the winning method, as the flavors melded much better and the end result was completely delicious.

To make the "cheese" part, I decided to strain yogurt so it wouldn't be very runny, then mix it with peeled, seeded, and grated cucumber (which has quite a bit of liquid, hence the strained yogurt). I then added fresh garlic along with oregano and salt, then set that aside while I prepared the filling. You can serve this with whatever you'd like, though pita chips are definitely preferable.

The great part about this recipe is that although it's a bit time consuming, you can make it the day before you need it, even two days, and the flavor will only get better with time.

Thinking back on this, I have some eggplant I need to use up and I'm now hungry.
(recipe after jump)

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Mom on the Run is having a wonderful giveaway over at her blog for Le Creuset Pinch Bowls, a set of brightly colored bowls that hold just a little of an ingredient. I can't think of how many times when prepping ingredients I'm looking around for a bowl that's small enough for the amount needed, it gets aggravating sometimes! Check it out.

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Greek Eggplant Dip
recipe by Christina Provo

Moussaka, the classic Greek eggplant-lamb dish, has been turned into a savory dip for snacking. The lamb has been replaced by ground turkey, and instead of the cheese topping there are layers of tzatziki, a fresh cucumber-yogurt sauce.

Prep Time: 50 minutes
Serves 6-10

Yogurt layer ~

2 1/2 cups yogurt, strained for 2 hours or overnight
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, finely minced

Turkey layer ~

1/2 pound ground turkey
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, pulverized with liquid briefly in food processor
Pita chips, soft pita wedges, baguette slices, crackers, or chips

Directions ~

1. For yogurt: Grate the cucumber (if the yogurt has not been strained for at least 2 hours, press the liquid out of the grated cucumber with paper towels) and mix with yogurt, oregano, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Place in fridge.


2. For eggplant and turkey: Meanwhile, on medium heat brown turkey in a large skillet until almost completely browned. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to turkey along with the onion and garlic; saute for 1 minute. Mix in the oregano, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, and salt. Once mixed, stir in the eggplant with remaining tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. cook for 5-7 minutes, until eggplant begins to cook down. Pour in the tomatoes, stir, and cook for 15 minutes, covered. remove lid and cook for 5 minutes so any liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.


3. In a 9-inch glass pie dish, spoon half of the eggplant-turkey mixture onto bottom and spread to edge of dish. Dot half of the yogurt layer on top of the turkey and carefully spread to edges. Repeat with remaining eggplant-turkey mixture, and finally the yogurt, carefully spreading to the edges. (Dotting the mixture around the entire surface helps make spreading easier.) Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Serve with pita chips, soft pita wedges, baguette slices, crackers, or chips.

Foodbuzz Family Bites: BLT Bread Salad

This is the second of three recipes I thought of immediately. Everybody enjoys a good BLT sandwich, but since we were asked to focus partly on salads I decided to work the elements of the sandwich into a salad. Following the classic Italian panzanella (bread salad), my main focus was how to best make the croutons. I used day old homemade bread because that's how it worked out, but fresh bread (not straight from the oven fresh) would work because you toast the cubes in the oven. To incorporate the Newman's Own product, I tossed the baslamic vinaigrette with garlic and tomatoes with the cubes and roasted until crispy on the outside. This way, you get the taste of the vinaigrette on the salad itself and also infused into the bread.

And yes, there is plenty of bacon.

Recipe after jump

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BLT Bread Salad
recipe by Christina Provo

The classic sandwich meets an Italian salad in this adaptation of two favorites featuring homemade croutons and bacon.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients -

8 cups good quality bread, cubed into 1-inch chunks
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Black pepper
5 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
2 cups sliced baby spinach
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette, plus more for serving
Sliced portobello mushrooms, optional

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 400° degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss bread cubes with garlic, half of the grape tomatoes, and 3 tablespoons Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove sheet from oven and place on a cooling rack.


2. Meanwhile, heat a skillet on medium. Stack slices of bacon and slice into six pieces. Place half of the bacon in the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon pieces to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain bacon grease and repeat with remaining bacon.


3. In a large bowl, mix together romaine lettuce, spinach, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add the bread cubes to the lettuce and spinach and toss again. Divide salad among bowls and top with bacon pieces and cheddar cheese. Drizzle with additional Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette before serving.

Foodbuzz Family Bites: Mexican Tortilla Quiche

Near the end of December Foodbuzz offered some of their featured publishers the opportunity to create recipes around Newman's Own products. I was able to participate, though I wondered what I had gotten myself into since I've never really created recipes other than throwing ingredients together for a quick meal. We also were under a bit of a time crunch, but thanks to my family pulling through at the last minute they gave me some ideas to work with when my brain was fried.

The very first recipe I created was the Mexican Tortilla Quiche. Most quiches either have the traditional pastry crust or are just the eggy filling, though I chose to use corn tortillas with cheese as the base, keeping with the Mexican cuisine theme. The filling consists of a ground turkey flavored with herbs and vegetable. This definitely was a hit, and we all liked the crunchy corn tortillas that were at the edge.

Throughout the week I'll highlight some of the more interesting recipes (interesting in terms of the process leading up to the creation).

Recipe after jump

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Mexican Tortilla Quiche
recipe by Christina Provo

A savory, Mexican-flavor quiche with a quick and unique corn tortilla crust.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4-8

Ingredients ~

10 ounces corn tortillas, stacked and sliced into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 small, finely diced onion
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups slightly packed baby spinach, chopped finely
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup Newman's Own All Natural Chunky Salsa, plus more for serving
1/2 cup sliced green onion, plus more for garnish
Sour cream

Directions ~

1. Heat a skillet on medium heat with 2 tablespoons oil. when heated, add corn tortilla wedges and stir for 2 minutes or until softened. spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. place corn tortilla wedges in pie pan and spread around bottom and up the sides to form a crust. using 3/4 cup cheese, sprinkle over bottom and edges of corn tortillas and press slightly.


2. Cook ground turkey in a large skillet over medium heat until just brown, breaking any large pieces (drain excess liquid if necessary). Add oil, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet along with cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper; saute for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and bell peppers have softened. Remove from heat; stir in spinach.


3. Preheat oven to 375° degrees; make sure oven rack is in the center. In a large bowl, add eggs and whisk to break yolks. Stir in milk and flour until combined. add turkey mixture along with salsa and cheese and stir to mix.


4. Pour egg and turkey mixture into pie shell and sprinkle with 1/2 cup green onion. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until top of quiche is golden brown. A skewer inserted in the center should come out fairly clean. Remove quiche from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool for 15 minutes prior to serving. Garnish slices with additional Newman's salsa, sour cream, and green onions.