Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted.
• Olive oil
• 1 pound of a small zucchini, sliced in rounds
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 10 ounces of frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup of fat-free half-and-half creamer
• 1/4 cup of fresh Italian Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 ounces of Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Greased baking dish or cast iron pans with melted butter or cooking spray.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add zucchini and garlic, sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Drain water from spinach and add to the pan with zucchini.
6. Add rice, basil, parsley, nutmeg, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and toss.
7. Transfer to baking dish or cast-iron pan.
8. In a bowl whisk the four eggs, creamer, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and do you want 4th cup of Parmesan cheese.
9. Pour the mixture over the spinach and zucchini evenly.
10.  Add some extra Parmesan cheese and Gruyere cheese on top.
11. Take for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the knife inserted comes out clean.
12. Serve and enjoy!

Serves 6

Total time: 45 minutes

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to 5

Taste the raw celery you plan to use in this soup. The celery should be fresh and good on its own, not old or bitter. If you have a particularly tough or bitter bunch of celery, please don’t use it in this soup, find another use for it.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter, divided into 2 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches celery (5 cups chopped for the soup, 1 1/2 cups diced for the topping)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, to taste
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cream
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped chives or parsley for garnish

METHODHIDE PHOTOS

1 Sauté onions, leeks, 5 cups chopped celery: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a thick-bottomed 4 to 5 quart pot on medium heat. Add the diced onion, the leeks, and 5 cups of the chopped celery.

Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more.

2 Add stock, bay leaves, salt, then simmer: Add the chicken stock and bay leaves to the pot. Taste for salt and add salt. (If you are using unsalted butter and unsalted stock, you will need to add more salt than you expect, if not, maybe just a little salt will be needed.)

Increase heat to bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.

3 Braise remaining celery to soften: While the soup is simmering, prepare the extra celery that will be added later to the soup. In a separate small sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups diced celery to the butter.

Ladle 1/2 cup of the simmering stock from the soup pot into the sauté pan. Simmer on low for 5 or 6 minutes to soften the celery. Set aside.

4 Purée soup: Remove the soup pot from heat, let cool slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender, filling the blender no more than a third full at a time (keep your hand on the lid so the hot liquid doesn’t explode). Return the puréed soup to the pot.

5 Stir in the cream and the braised diced celery.

Taste for salt and add more if needed. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and chopped chives or parsley to serve.