No-TV Tuesday

I know it's already Thursday, but I still have stuff to report about this week's No-TV Tuesday!

I came home Tuesday after hitting Bi-Mart and Winco and immediately turned on the TV while I checked e-mail. OOPS! As soon as I realized, I flipped it off. Then I got to work on some blogging, finally posting pictures and trip reports from our Sunriver weekend and skiing to Paulina Lake and snowshoeing up Vista Butte.

I put iTunes on shuffle and cranked it so I could hear it in the kitchen and got to work on this:
I read Food Day while starving for lunch and found a couple recipes I wanted to try ASAP: spinach and cheddar strata and potato and zucchini hash. We had soup and panini for dinner Tuesday and I saved the breakfast dishes for Wednesday.

Spinach and Cheddar Strata
(adapted from Food Day)

1 t olive oil
a couple big handfuls of fresh spinach
3 c day-old bread cubes (I used leftover whole wheat bread)
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c whole milk (I used half-and-half because I had some left over in the fridge)
1 1/4 c shredded cheddar (I finished off a loaf and then filled in with pepper jack)
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
I cubed the bread and threw it in the oven to dry out while I prepared the rest of the dish.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain, pressing with a rubber spatula to release as much liquid as possible.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and 3/4 c cheese. Season with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper.

Put bread cubes in 8 x 8 pan. Add spinach. Pour on egg mixture and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Because we were having panini for dinner, I let this cool and popped it in the fridge for Wednesday. Then yesterday we sliced it up and microwaved it - turned out perfect.

I was glad I used the pepper jack - it added a little extra flavor that was yummy. Brad thought it would have been good to add a can of chilies to the entire strata. And while I'm not a meat eater, I could imagine it would be yummy to add some crumbled bacon or sausage pieces. I might try that next time with some Morningstar meat.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Potato and Zucchini Hash
(adapted from Food Day)

5 or 6 medium/large red potatoes, cubed
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
salt & pepper
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced

Microwave potato cubes until soft.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until potatoes are almost cooled through and golden.

Add zucchini, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until zucchini is tender and potatoes are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

~~~~~~~~~~~
This was quick and easy and made a great side to our strata. I was really pleased with this simple dinner that gave us leftovers for today!

:)