LOADED Avocado Spread - for avocado toast

I just got my CSA farm box yesterday. Additionally my freezer is packed, as is my 'fridge.
Blessings of riches for sure, but the quantity of food in my house right now is over the top!

The 6 little avocados I bought last week went from rock hard to perfect in a day or two. I like them less ripe than most people, so they went into the 'fridge immediately. . .where they continued to ripen and soften! I decided to use 2 today then saw lots of other vegetables to add to the mix. . .

I often wish I could cook more simply but I doubt it will happen. As much as I admire all aspects of minimalism -so far- my brain just won't go or stay there.

So, for this recipe, it began with these ingredients all rough chopped into my blender jar:

2 stalks celery
2 medium carrots
2 roma tomatoes
6-8 garlic scapes
1/3 large green pepper
1 big garlic clove
1 bunch of basil
1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley

Use a vegetable peeler to take only the bright yellow layer of the lemon peel and added all the juice. Add 2-3T spicy ranch dressing. Blend that until well combined.

In a medium bowl, finely chop 2 avocados. (yes, I used 2, the second is tucked in between the basil and the bottle of dressing) Add 3oz. of sharp flavored shredded cheese and 3oz. of finely chopped pistachios (or walnuts) Sprinkle with Himalayan pink salt. 

Pour in the blender contents, fold everything together until well combined. Some of the liquid rose to the top so I tilted the bowl and absorbed that with a bunched up paper towel. It was great on toasted sourdough bread but could also be served like salsa or guacamole with tortilla chips. . .Lin

Colorful Zucchini Casserole

4 8-inch zucchini

1 med. onion

colorful sweet pepper

1 can sliced stewed tomatoes

Slice all the vegetables, chop the tomatoes and combine in the casserole dish. Bake, covered, at 375° a half hour. Baste the vegetables then return to the oven and continue baking until the zucchini is done the way you like.

Using a turkey baster, baste again, then put most of the juice in a separate container. Pour it over your dog's dry food or put it aside to make vegetable broth. I added mine to the chicken bone broth I'm currently simmering.

Cut up 6oz. cheese and put on top, then sprinkle with 2/3c± seasoned panko breadcrumbs.

Put it under the broiler, set on low, for a few minutes to melt the cheese and crisp up the breadcrumbs. . .Lin

Surprise! Quick Mac & Cheese

I woke early this morning, and when that happens, I usually end up in the kitchen.

I had a recipe rattling in my head, using some tiny Italian pasta, but made a little too much. I had 2/3c more than I needed, when cooked.

Lately I've read so many comments about mac and cheese, I thought. . .okay, I'll put some together and have it for breakfast! I should add that I 'never' eat mac and cheese, or I haven't since my granddaughter was little and always requested it, 20 years ago!

I put the hot, drained pasta in a big mug, added a dab of sour cream, a slice of American cheese, grated Dubliner cheese, fresh ground black pepper, chopped cherry tomatoes, a sprinkle of powdered Basil-Oregano Parmesan, and. . .for the finishing touch. . .baby dill pickles! 😁

I have to say, it was pretty good. I see how this is comfort food for so many! For breakfast, and every meal, try thinking out of the standard box! . . Lin

Pepperjack Chakes

What are Chakes you ask?

They're a simple pancake made with 1 egg and ½c shredded mozzarella cheese! Really! That's it!  Chaffles, cheese waffles, are the new big thing right now, but since I no longer have a waffle iron, for me, they quickly evolved into cheese panakes! For one person, you can beat an egg, add the cheese, pour it into a hot non-stick pan and voila. . .a simple, quick, high protein, gluten-free, low-carb breakfast. I always need to add my own touches, so here's one idea. . .

• 2 beaten eggs
• 1c shredded pepperjack cheese
• 2t coconut flour
• 2T half and half
• a sprinkle of black pepper

Combine in a small-medium bowl, pour onto a preheated non-stick pan and give it a couple minutes. When the edges dry a little and bubbles start to form check to see if they're browned nicely. Flip them and cook the other side.  These turned out so well. After I plated them I remembered I had a little bowl of homemade applesauce.  I spread them with that, then spooned on the fruit. Frozen dark cherries and blueberries, cut up and warmed. This was really good!

Are you wondering about the pepper? Pepper goes well with many fruits. One of my favorite things is canned or fresh ripe Bartlett pear slices over cottage cheese that I mix with shredded cheddar and black pepper, with a little spicy cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.

Experiment with different flour and cheese.  Next time I make applesauce, I'll make these again using corn flour and sharp cheddar. Oat flour, craisins and walnuts could be good.  You could also put some sautéed vegetables in the batter to make mini vegetable omelettes. Remember, to keep cooking a fun experience. . .Be Bold...Be Creative!  Happy Cooking Everyone! . .Lin

Parmesan Everything Biscuits

• 1½c unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½c Bob's Red Mill corn flour
• 1T dry onion soup mix + 1T dry onions
• 1T everything bagel seasoning - optional
• 1-2t dry dill
• 1T baking powder

• 1½ sticks frozen butter - grated 
• ⅔c grated cheddar cheese
• ⅔c grated parmesan cheese

• 1 lg. egg
• ½c cold half and half + 1T white vinegar
• Eggwash: 1 egg + 1T half and half

Preheat your oven to 425°. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a big glass bowl. Quickly crumble the butter into this, mixing it with the flour to break up the big clumps. Add the cheese and repeat the technique to keep everything separated and crumbly. Lightly beat the egg, half and half and vinegar together, then add to the big bowl. Working quickly, combine everything with your hands until all the flour is incorporated.

Put this dough ball on a well floured surface. Kneed and fold the dough a few times then form it into a 5" x 10" rectangle. Cut this into 8 or 10 square-rectangular pieces. Put these on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Beat the egg wash until smooth and brush it over all surfaces of the biscuits. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning or flaked salt. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until they're a light golden brown.

These go great with soup or chili. . .Lin

Vegetable, Ham and Cheese Egg Bake

• 8 jumbo eggs
• ⅔c sour cream
• ½c half & half
• 1t black pepper
• a sprinkle of salt
• 1c parmesan cheese
• Roasted Garlic and Herb Seasoning 

Whisk all this together in a medium glass bowl.

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• 12oz. mushrooms
• 10-12 green onions
• 1-2 large colorful bell peppers
• 2T EVOO
• 5oz. spinach - remove stems then slice thin

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• 8oz. precooked ham cut into rough chunks
• 6-8oz. American cheese slices

Chop the vegetables and sauté in the olive oil, adding the spinach at the very end, for a total of 10 minutes. Grease a 9"x12"x2" pan and put about a cup of the egg mixture in the bottom.  Add half the vegetables, half the ham and top with half the American cheese torn into strips. Repeat these layers, sprinkle on a little more parmesan. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes. Shut off the oven and leave it there another 10 minutes.  Cool before cutting into squares. . .Lin 

Broccoli-Cauliflower-Cheese (Apple) Harvest Vegetable Soup

1 med.-lg. head of cauliflower

4-5 sm. chopped potatoes

1-2c broccoli florets

1+c chopped celery

1+c chopped onion

3 chopped carrots

¼c dry white wine

¼c butter

1-2t Penzey's Smoky

½-1t  finely ground black pepper

4-6c water

1-2T Better Than Bouillon-vegetable flavor

*6oz. American cheese

*1c half and half

*⅔c sour cream

Combine all the chopped vegetables, wine, butter and seasoning in a 6 quart pot.  Simmer-saute' over low heat, covered to bring all the flavors together and pull the liquid out of the vegetables, for 20-25 minutes.  Uncover and increase the heat.  When it starts to sizzle, stay close and stir.

As the vegetables lightly brown, add water a little at a time and continue to simmer, covered another 20-30 minutes.  Add soup base, check flavors.  When everything's cooked the way you like, blend with an immersion blender.  *Stop now if you want for a dairy-free, delicious blended vegetable soup, or continue on - add cheese, stirring in to melt.  Pour in the half and half, about a half a cup at a time until the thickness and flavors are just right.  I used one cup.  If you also want to add the sour cream, stir that in now.



Increase heat only till the soup just starts to bubble right before serving.  I had my first bowl with a sprinkle of dill, and crispy croutons.  The apple with this was excellent and could also be chopped and blended into the soup!

Which is exactly what I did!  After the first bowl, I chopped up 2 big apples, unpeeled, simmer them in about ¾c water, covered for 10 minutes.  Added this to the soup and blended it all again.  This time topped with bacon crumbles. . .

Mmmm, tastes great! 😃

Be Bold - Be Creative!  Happy Cooking. . .Lin

Three Cheese Spread

4oz. cream cheese

4oz. Swiss cheese

2oz. crumbled gorgonzola

¼t black and cayenne pepper

½t ranch dressing seasoning

Put the cream cheese in a small glass bowl.  Microwave for 15 seconds to soften.  Chop the Swiss cheese as shown then combine everything, mixing well.

This can be used in many ways, as a spread for crackers, biscuits or cornbread.  If you microwave 15 seconds - add a splash of milk and stir well, it can be a vegetable dip.

Here I spread it on a large slice of roasted Curry Chicken, added strips of onion, then rolled and cut it into bite-size pieces. . .Lin

Rainbow Chard Breakfast Pie - (gluten-free)

1 bunch of rainbow chard

a handful of garlic scapes

2 lg. cloves of garlic

⅓lg. red pepper

8 lg. eggs

½c half and half

3T corn flour

1t black pepper

½t baking soda

½t baking powder

¾c cooked, drained bacon crumbles

4oz. sharp hard cheese

Steam the finely chopped stems and cut up leaves, of the chard 10-15 minutes, drain.  Chop the next 3 ingredients.

In a medium glass bowl, whisk the eggs and half and half together.  When well blended, add the dry ingredients and continue to whisk well.  (1t of pink Himalayan is shown, but not listed.  The bacon provides enough sodium)  Butter a glass pie pan, add half the cooked chard, half the chopped vegetables, then half the egg mixture, repeat then sprinkle on the bacon and cheese.  Bake at 350° 20-25 minutes. . .Lin

Nutty-Cruciferous Vegetable Cheese Casserole

6-8 garlic cloves

½c sunflower kernels

⅓c butter cut in 'pats'

½ med. head cauliflower - sliced-cubed

2 med. carrots - scrubbed-chopped

1 med. green cabbage - 1" cubes

1 med. purple onion - chopped

1½c chopped celery and tops

1 poblano pepper - sliced

6-8 green onions - sliced

1T Rosemary Seasoning

1t-1T Lemon Pepper

1¾c vegetable-beef bone broth *

3T flour

1T sugar

¼c half & half

4 slices American cheese

½-¾ grated Italian Kasseri cheese

In a saucepan, combine the garlic, sunflower kernels and a little of the butter.  Heat and stir until the butter melts and begins to sizzle.  Remove from the heat.  Put the next group of vegetables into a small-medium black roasting pan.  Pour the butter, garlic, sunflower kernels over them.  Season and top with the rest of the butter pats.  Bake, covered in a 350° oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to create the cheese sauce, combine the broth and flour in a 2qt. saucepan and whisk well.

Add remaining ingredients, whisking to keep the mixture smooth.  Bring to a low 'bubble.'



Pour over the vegetables and stir with a wooden spoon to combine the vegetable water in the bottom of the pan with the sauce, until everything is well coated.  Cover and return to a 300° oven for 20 minutes.  Uncover and cook at 400° - with or without Italian flavored panko breadcrumbs - for an additional 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. . .Lin

Savory Bacon and Cheese Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower

3-4T butter

seasoned salt

red and black pepper

Put the cauliflower in an ovenproof casserole with about ½c water.  Butter and season as shown.  Cover then bake or microwave until it's just partially tender.

¼c cooked-crumbled bacon

¼c gorgonzola or bleu cheese

Italian breadcrumbs - optional

Chop the cauliflower up a bit, sprinkle with the bacon, crumbled cheese (breadcrumbs?) and heat again to finish the cooking and melt the cheese.  Today this was my late breakfast and it was wonderful! . . . Lin

Gorgonzola-Florentine Egg Bake

10oz. frozen spinach

2 hard boiled eggs

½ lg. white onion

6oz. roasted red pepper

1c peeled-diced potatoes

6oz. coconut milk

2 jumbo raw eggs
½-1t ground nutmeg
3 lg. cloves minced garlic
fresh ground black pepper

fresh ground garlic-sea salt
2T oat flour
½t baking soda
½t baking powder

1c gorgonzola crumbles

smokey paprika for garnish 

Thaw the spinach, drain in a colander, then press with paper towels to absorb the water.  Put in the bottom of a buttered 8" x 12" glass baking pan.  Chop or grate the hard boiled eggs and crumble over the spinach.  Chop the onion, peppers and potatoes and add in layers.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the next group of ingredients, pour over everything in the pan, then sprinkle on the gorgonzola crumbles and dust with pinches of paprika.  Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.  Cool slightly then cut in squares and serve with fresh fruit for breakfast.  This keeps well, covered in the 'fridge for 3-4 days and also packs well as a to-go breakfast or lunch for school or work. . .Lin 

Flavorful, Herb-y Cheese Spread

5oz. neufchatel cream cheese

3oz. gorgonzola crumbles

3oz. grated aged, nutty Swiss cheese
3 med. garlic cloves - minced

1t± Italian Seasoning

1t± my Rosemary Seasoning * 

1t smokey Spanish paprika

Soften the cream cheese in a small glass bowl, in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Add the remaining ingredients and mash together, with a fork.  Spread on crackers, if you're a Cracker-Person, or as I like to do, cut a big carrot into diagonal cross-sections, rinse, put on a plate, cover with a coffee filter and microwave for 30-45 seconds to steam-soften them.  Rinse with cold water, plate with some of this great spread.

It's an amazing heavy dip for hard vegetables such as kohlrabi, tender young turnip wedges, celery heart, mini English cucumbers, radishes, steamed carrots. . .Mmmmm!!

I'm also a Huge Fan of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!  Usually mine are American cheese on either disgusting white bread, or very healthy, sprouted grain bread! (talk about extremes, right!?!)  But, no matter what bread I use, they always have a BIG slice of raw onion and a BIG cross-section slice of a good beefsteak tomato.  Well, I'm seriously thinking this cheese spread, on a piece of grainy bread, with onion and tomato would make a Wonderful Grilled Cheese Sandwich!!
Maybe Tomorrow!  If I do, I'll report back! . . . Lin

Four Onion Potato-Cheese Soup

1/3# finely chopped bacon

1 lg. Vidalia onion

1 med. purple onion

5 green onions

6 lg. cloves garlic

1 big carrot - grated

8 sm.-med. Yukon Gold potatoes

1c dry white wine

1 qt. vegetable stock *

6oz. 1/2-bag chopped kale 

12oz. mixed cheese **

chicken or vegetable soup base

(I didn't use the Half & Half)

<— Making the Vegetable Stock.  I simmered mine about 90 minutes.   I added some peppercorns and a little sea salt.

~ Cut off 1/3 of a 1# package of frozen bacon.  It cuts better when partially frozen.  Cut it across the strips, every 1/4".  Then turn those strips and cut again, across, every 1/4#.  Put the bacon in a 5qt. pan and sizzle until well done, breaking it up often.  Drain off about half of the fat and scoop out the bacon onto a folded paper towel.

Add the chopped vegetables to the pan with the bacon drippings and brownings and wine.  Sauté - simmer about an hour.  Add the vegetable stock, kale and cheese.  I used **4oz. each of pepper-jack, feta, and cream cheese.  Use whatever you have or like.  I simmered this a while then checked the flavors, adding some soup base.  I didn't need much since the vegetable broth I made had lots of flavor! 😋 Serve topped with bacon crumbles, or stir the crispy, crumbled bacon into the soup just before serving.

Once again, it's a hot day here. . .80° with 50% humidity, but when a gal's craving soup, there's just no way around it! . .Lin

A Quick Hit of Protein, Vegetables and Good Fat

4 thin slices of Black Forest turkey

4 thin slices of Keeeygold Dubliner Irish cheese

¾-1c medium spicy Kimchi

½ avocado and 4 cherry or grape tomatoes

Okay, okay, yes. . .this has lunchmeat. . .  I buy some, very rarely, to go with slices of cheese when I know I'll need a quick, serious hit of animal protein.  Lunchmeat is full of chemicals and sodium, is NOT a healthy choice 😐 I needed something for a 6-7 meet-up I have with a new walking-running I'm joining tonight.  (YEA!!! - I'm SO excited!!!)

I remember from YEARS ago when I was running regularly, that in the mornings, I need to eat an hour before a run.  My body burns through food very fast at that time of day, and if I didn't eat at just the right time, I'd run out of energy, and be starting, half way in.  For a running group we were in in the '80's and '90's, at 6pm, I had to eat around 3pm.  Anything later and it felt like I was running with a bean bag stuck in my gut!  So my metabolic rates seriously slows down in the late afternoon.

This plate went together in 7 minutes 😀 Fix it quick - and try to keep it healthy! . . . Lin

Green Bean Breakfast Bake

1 med. onion - chopped

8-12oz. extra fine frozen green beans - chopped

2 red mini-peppers - chopped

½# of bacon - cut up and cooked crisp

7 beaten eggs

½c half and half

fresh ground sea salt and black pepper

8oz. your favorite cheese

Butter a 9" x 9" glass casserole dish.  Layer the ingredients in the pan, in the order listed.  Whisk the eggs, half and half and seasonings together and pour over everything.  Cover with sliced or grated cheese.  Bake at 350° for a half hour or so, until a toothpick, inserted in the center, comes out clean.  This makes 9 squares. . .Lin

Ham, Egg, Cauliflower and Cheese Breakfast Bake

½ head of cauliflower

1 lg. onion - chopped

1 red roasted pepper - minced

1# ham sliced - chopped

a handful of fresh spinach

8-12oz. shredded cheese

6 eggs - whisked

6-8oz. sour cream

⅓c± water

4T corn flour

1t baking powder 

1t fresh ground pepper

Slice-chop the cauliflower and put it in the bottom of a well-buttered 9"x13" glass baking pan.  Combine the onion and pepper in a little bowl, crumble on top of the cauliflower.  Then layer on the chopped ham and sliced spinach.  Sprinkle the cheese over everything.

Combine the eggs sour cream and water in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.  In another bowl, stir the three dry ingredients until incorporated.  Add half of the egg mixture, whisking while streaming it into the bowl to avoid lumps.

Finish adding the egg mixture and whisk well.  Pour this over everything in the pan, tilting, to be sure everything is covered and soaked in the liquid.  Bake in preheated 350° oven for  .      . minutes.  Cool slightly then cut into 12 squares with a very sharp knife.  Each square contains about 150 calories.  This keeps well in the 'fridge for several days and also freezes well. . .Lin

Wonderful Black Bean Eggs For One. . . . .

1/2 med. sweet onion

2 sliced mini sweet peppers

a little Italian Herb olive oil

2 lg. eggs

1/3 can black beans - drained and rinsed

1 roma tomato - chopped

American and feta cheese

Sauté the onions, peppers in a little flavored olive oil.  Add the eggs and stir.  When almost set, add in the beans, tomato and sauté a while.  Then add strips of American cheese and feta crumbles.  Plate immediately.

This is the best breakfast egg dish I've had in ages!!! . . . Lin


This is sort of an unofficial plug for epicurean cutting boards.  The people who created these lived in my daughter's home before her.  The Kiwi knives also.  They're wonderful!  Now available on eBay and other sites, but previously, only at Asian markets.  I've since 'retired' my Wusthof Dreizack knives and now go only with the Kiwi brand these days.  Much cheaper and they sharpen wonderfully!

Sausage and Kale Breakfast Bake

12oz. breakfast sausage

1/2 lg. red onion

6-8 oz. chopped kale

4 sm. potatoes - sm. cubes

1 lg. roasted red pepper - chopped

5 lg. cloves garlic - minced

3-4T capers

8 eggs

1c cottage cheese

6-8 oz. crumbled-cubed feta cheese

Thaw the sausages so the meat can be squeezed out of the casings.  If' you'd rather have them in chunks, and don't mind the casings, cut each sausage into 4-5 pieces while still frozen.  Sauté sausage with a little of the onion, over medium heat, in a large non-stick pan, until partially cooked.  Mix together the next group of ingredients in the pan, and arrange in a buttered, glass 9" x 13" baking pan.

Using a rotary beater, combine a few of the eggs with the cottage cheese, beating hard to break down the lumps.  Add the rest of the eggs, beat a while longer then pour over the ingredients, and the feta crumble-cubes, in the baking pan.  Bake about 30 minutes at 325° or until a toothpick inserted, comes out clean. . .Lin

Cornbread-Sausage Breakfast Bake

12oz. breakfast link sausages

2 lg. chopped carrots

2 chopped stalks celery

1 very lg. chopped purple shallot

1 whole canned roasted red pepper

6 eggs - beaten in a bowl

3/4c milk

2c cornbread stuffing mix

1/2t sea salt

1/4t ground red cayenne pepper

6oz. grated sharp flavored cheese

~ Cut the sausages into bite-size pieces and fry.  When browned, put into a buttered 9"x13" glass pan.  Put the carrots and celery into the frying pan and cook them a little, for about 10 minutes, stirring to keep them from sticking to the pan.  Scoop these out and add to the sausages in the pan.  Add the shallot and the slice-chopped red pepper.

Combine the beaten eggs and milk.  Stir in the stuffing mix, salt and pepper.  Let this stand a while until it gets a little 'gloppy.'  Pour over everything in the baking pan, top with grated cheese and bake 25-30 minutes between 350°-375°, adjusting heat as needed until it looks like the last picture.  This makes 12 breakfast squares.  It will keep a few days in the 'fridge, and then can be put into a ziplock bag and frozen. . .Lin