Chicken Pot Stickers… Again

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appetizer, chicken, chicken dumplings, chicken pot stickers, Chinese, Chinese dumplings, Chinese food, Chinese New Year, food, foodie, frugal foodie, leftover ideas, leftover meals, leftovers, postaday2011, pot stickers, recipe, side dishes

When its Chinese New Year, my small town grocery store carries wonton wrappers and a few other specialty items they don’t normally stock. I took advantage and bought a few packages to stick in the freezer for later use.

Chicken Pot Stickers 2

If I have the wrappers, I make chicken pot stickers when I have some leftover chicken, cabbage & peppers… etc… I used the same chicken pot sticker recipe I did before. Swapping out the red bell pepper for orange bell pepper. I normally steam them, but this time I tried a different technique suggested by a friend. I warmed a bit of oil in a frying pan over medium heat (I used sesame oil). Then I added the dumplings to the pan enough to lightly brown the bottom. I added warm water and cooked covered for about 5 minutes.

When I was finished I drizzled with soy sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds and crushed red pepper flakes. Yum!

These are great as a side dish, appetizer, and… sometimes I sit down with a bowl full of them as a meal.

Is there a side dish or appetizer you sometimes indulge in as a meal?

Crustless Quiche

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atkins diet, crustless quiche, dieting, diets, healthy eating, leftover ideas, leftover meals, low carb recipe, low-carb diet, quiche, recipe

First I want to apologize to the lack of pictures, I still cannot find the warranty for  my camera!

Hubster has decided to go on a diet. Every time he tries to slim down he attempts a low-carb diet.  It had worked for him once in the past… but he was also exercising a LOT! His more recent attempts weren’t so successful and yet he still seems to think this is the right approach.  Each time he starts, I try to be a good wife by providing low fat meals and even give him the calorie count and portion controlled meals. It’s up to him whether he decides for second or thirds. Being a carbohydrate lover, I make a side of pasta, rice, or potatoes for myself. I, personally, do not like the idea of a low-carb, high protein diet. I believe that making a permanent change is healthier than making a temporary change. Then again, I haven’t had the need to diet, therefore never feeling that food is the enemy. I try to listen to my body: If I crave ice-cream, then I must be needing calcium, if I crave spinach (and I do), then I must be needing iron. I try to be sensitive to his desires of a low-carb approach, yet try to keep the fats in control. I decided to start rethinking some of my favorite recipes and wanted to share this one with you.

Crustless Quiche
I first made a quiche 9 years ago, it was the recipe of a friend’s mother. I’ve been making it for years, tweaking it and making it my own. Then newest twist is for Hubster.

I don’t always measure ingredients, but I estimate my best.

I started out by preheating my oven to 350ºF and spraying non-stick spray into my 9″ glass pie dish. I chopped half a package of turkey bacon and added to the pie dish, sprinkled with 3 Tbs. of minced onions, and a handful of shredded cheddar cheese. I mixed fresh black paper, fresh ground sea salt, eight eggs (I like tall quiche, not thin, small quiche) and a splash of milk. I poured the egg mixture into the pie dish (checked to make sure the bacon and cheese was coated) and popped it in the oven for 35 minutes. The top was beautiful and it was just as delicious as a regular quiche. If you cut into 8 pieces, It’s only one egg per serving. Quiche reheats in the microwave really well, about one minute for a slice.

I made another one with 1 pkg. frozen spinach, 1 bell red pepper and cheddar cheese. I was able to use 6 eggs instead of 8 for this recipe.

I plan to make a broccoli, turkey ham and swiss one in the future.

Almost any combination of your favorite veggies, cooked meats and cheese can work. This is actually a great way to use up any leftover meats, veggies and cheese in the fridge.