Harper's Guide to the Kitchen

Wild Rice, Sausage & Mushroom Omelet 1/2 pound bulk turkey sausage 1 medium onion, chopped 1 celery rib, finely chopped 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, cleaned & sliced 1-1/2 cups cooked wild rice 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 14 eggs 1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Preheat oven to “warm” setting (less than 200 degrees). Cook sausage in a large skillet, over medium heat, until no longer pink; drain. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and celery until tender. Stir in the sausage, rice and parsley. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, water, salt and pepper. Heat an 8-in. nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup egg mixture. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. When nearly set, spoon 1/2 cup of sausage-rice mixture over one side of eggs; fold in half and press down lightly for about 30 seconds. Remove and keep warm in the preheated warm o

This is a multi-step meal, but actually pretty easy to make. If you want to, you can grill the watermelon slices too-brush lightly with oil and grill about 2 minutes per side. Spicy Shrimp over Watermelon & Cucumber Salad First, preheat grill over high. If using wooden skewers, soak in water. Quick-Pickled Sweet Onions 1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), very thinly sliced into rings 3/4 cup white wine or rice vinegar 2 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons sugar 1 cup hot water Put onions in a 1-quart jar or glass container. Whisk together the vinegar, salt, and sugar into the hot water until sugar/salt dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture over the onions, make sure all onion slices are submerged, and cover jar tightly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator). Grilled Spicy Shrimp 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, patted ry 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon ext

I like my Key Lime Pie mouth-puckeringly-tart; this is as close as I've come to re-creating the Key Lime Pie I've had in Clearwater, Fla. To make healthier, use fat-free condensed milk, nonfat sour cream or plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, reduced fat graham cracker crust; serve with nonfat, sugar-free Cool Whip. You can use the little mini graham cracker tart shells instead of in 1 pie pan; if using the minis, only back for 3-4 minutes. Key Lime Pie 2 cans sweetened condensed milk ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt 1 cup lime juice; Key Lime if you can find it 1 tablespoon grated lime zest 2 whole eggs (2) 9” graham cracker pie crusts (store-bought OR homemade, recipe below) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, either with a mixer or a whisk, thoroughly mix condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and eggs; for about 2 minutes by hand. When ready, it will be smooth and slightly thickened. Pour mixture into pie shells and bake for 5 to 8

Lowfat Baked French Toast 6 slices Ezekial 4:9 or other preferred bread 1 ½ cups nonfat milk or unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk 4 egg whites ¼ cup orange juice 6 packets Stevia/Truvia 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon if using vanilla Almond milk) 1 cup fresh berries, peaches, apples, or other seasonal fruit, to serve Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Mix milk, egg whites, sweetener, orange juice, vanilla, until well blended. Put slices of bread in a single layer in large baking dish. Pour liquid mixture over bread; refrigerate for 1-12 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake prepared baking dish of soaked bread slices, for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Serve with fresh fruit. Serves 3 (2 slices each serving)

Great use for leftover ham; I always save every last bit of the ham (including the hambone for soups), and go ahead and cube, then freeze, to use in recipes later. Plan to make the crepe batter at least 30 minutes ahead of time; can be made and stored, covered, in the fridge for a day or two. It is possible to find organic cream of chicken/mushroom soups. Ham & Chicken Asparagus Crepes         2 eggs ¾ cup milk ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup condensed cream of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes Dash ground nutmeg 1 cup chopped cooked chicken 1 cup cut fresh or frozen asparagus, thawed 1/3 cup chopped fully cooked ham ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided ¾ cup fat free sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt For crepe batter, beat eggs and milk in a small bowl; I use a whisk. Add flour to egg mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour (or up to 2 d

Very simple and quick, this makes a great weeknight supper. It tastes amazing! Smoked Paprika-Parmesan Fish with Sautéed Greens For the fish: 4 (3- to 5-ounce) thin fish fillets, such as flounder, tilapia, or grouper; if frozen-thawed 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Pinch of cayenne pepper 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice Salt and pepper, to taste Lemon wedges, for garnish For the greens: 2 large garlic cloves, minced ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 bunches chard, or other leafy greens like collards or kale, washed and sliced ¾ teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Turn oven on broil. Generously season tops of fish with salt and pepper. Combine Parmesan, paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until gently bubbling. Place the fish in the pan and cook for 3