It had to be the weather. Gray, rainy skies do not a productive person make…for some things!  But in Kelly’s Kitchen when all we want to do is cocoon at home, it’s a good opportunity to see what’s in the fridge and pantry and see what we can create. Remember that breakfast pie recipe I had on the blog this past weekend? I decided to make up a batch since the weather was anything but beautiful, and here’s what I came up with. I adapted another recipe that I found on The Food Network site, and just substituted what I did have for what I didn’t have.

   I especially like making the crust from oats. Great taste, good for you and not the same old thing. I had a jar of roasted peppers and caramelized onions that I had just bought, so I used those instead of chopping up fresh (which I did not have), and instead of the mushrooms, I grabbed a bag of mixed, frozen veggies, defrosted and chopped those and used a like amount. Used up the eggs that need to be used and instead of the one ounce of Gruyere I used sharp cheddar that was on hand.

   Oh, and instead of the fat free milk, I used my almond milk and it worked out just fine. So now I have half a dozen nice little individual quiches to enjoy tucked away in the freezer, and didn’t have to spend any more money since everything I needed was there, or ready to creatively subbed out.  Yes, I did use the muffin tin to make these.

   So what do you do when you don’t have exactly what the recipe calls for? Sometimes, you come up with something even better! Enjoy this, and if you have a recipe you’ve like to share, send it along to ann.kelly@coxtampa.com. We love to share in Kelly’s Kitchen. I'll share one more thing with you; that jar of caramelized onions and red peppers? Perfect for a homemade hummus. This is the basic recipe I use, and just swap out what I use to make it a red pepper, perhaps a kalamata olive or just good old garlic hummus.

  Don't forget if you have dreams of becoming a Masterchef or just cooking like one check the web site for your chance to win a 3-piece cutlery set and a Masterchef cookbook collection, and then qualify to win the grand prize of a four day, three night trip to Boston that includes a Masterchef cooking class taught by Cordon Bleu chefs! Masterchef is on Monday nights at 9 on Fox 13.

   Mark it down and see you there…rain or shine (and right now we really want to emphasize that!) the Hyde Park Fresh Market is this Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm in the circle in Hyde Park Village. Just a lovely way to spend the day with the family, and enjoying the many fresh food vendors, crafts and entertainment all in one convenient area. Hyde Park Fresh Market is the official sponsor of Kelly's Kitchen.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.” ― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations