TWD: Lemon-Asparagus Quiche

Tuesdays with Dorie (Greenspan) means something delicious is cooking in the kitchen. This Tuesday it is a quiche. One of my favorite lunch meals. I love a good rich and creamy quiche.

I have to admit I wasn’t sure about this particular recipe. Only because of one ingredient – Lemon. I just wasn’t sure if I would like the lemon in it. But I went with my mantra – Trust Dorie! Trust Dorie!

I only made one change for the recipe. I made the quiche crustless. I’m trying to be ok low carb and still eat delicious foods.

First, you cannot taste the lemon. Second, you couldn’t taste the asparagus. Maybe that was because I put TOO much herb in the dish. Overall I had to say I wasn’t impressed with this one. Sorry, Dorie.

The quiche is on page 332 of Dorie’s Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty and Simple.

This week we had a choice of the Quiche or the Mochaccino Muffins ( I made these for the last TWD for May.)

For more of these treats visit the two lists of comments. (May 10 or May 22)

 

{CC#9} Refrigerator Pie

aka QUICHE!  And it’s a good one.  AB gives the basics {Software} and then choices for the filling {Secondary Software}  And to make it super simple he suggested a frozen crust.  NICE!

Use a frozen {or fresh} crust .Mix together 2 large eggs, 1 cup half and half, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Distribute the “secondary software” over the crust.  {8 ounces of just about anything!}

I used cubed ham, spinach, sauteed onions, and Gruyere cheese.  If I had only had some mushrooms!

Place the pie on a cookie sheet and place partway into a 350 degree oven.  Carefully pour in the filling mix and slide the pie into the oven. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until it is still jiggly in the middle but set at the edges.

OH! MY!  Pretty much the best ‘refrigerator pie” I have made in a while.

AB also suggests combos like

• cheddar with ham and spinach.
• roasted chicken with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese.
• pepperoni with black olives and green peppers.

In other words – anything goes…

The recipe is from Good Eats: The Early years page 152.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{IHCC} Hello, Ellie!

Last week we said good bye to Chef Pepin. This week we are saying hello to our new chef – Ellie Krieger. In case you don’t know her already you can see her Bio HERE! We will be cooking with her for the next six months. And that is exciting. I was introduced to Ellie’s wonderfully tasty and healthy recipes almost 6 years ago when I joined Craving Ellie in my Belly. That group is now defunct but I loved the first dish I made – Peach French Toast Bake and I’ve never looked back. And now I get to cook with Ellie twice a week because, with 6 other ladies, I am cooking my way through Ellie’s newest book Weeknight Wonders over at Eating with Ellie.. Twice a WEEK!! That’s what I call good times!

I’ve had my eye on several Ellie Dishes so I figured I would use one of those to introduce Ellie Krieger.

This is her Mushroom, Onion, and Gruyere Quiche with Oat Crust

The crust is made with rolled oats, butter, and buttermilk and just a pinch of flour. And it is wonderfully crispy and tasty. The crust is layered with shredded Gruyere cheese and then piled with mixed mushrooms before being covered with an egg/milk mix. Talk about good. It was hard NOT to eat the WHOLE thing!

Crust:

Cooking spray
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold, lowfat buttermilk

Filling:

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly into half moons
4 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, shiitake {I used button and a “Forest Blend” of dried ‘shrooms.}
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dry)
3 large eggs
2 egg whites
1 1/2cup low-fat 1% milk
3 Tbl AP flour
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese (about 1-ounce)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.

Process the oats, flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until you get a pebbly course texture. Add the buttermilk and pulse until the mix comes together. Form the mixture into a disc and chill for about 45 minutes.Place it between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out into a circle about 10 inches in diameter. {As you can see I made mine in a rectangular tart pan so I had to roll it out differently and then patch it here and there.}

Remove the top sheet of waxed paper. Transfer the crust, still on the other piece of waxed paper to the pie dish, then remove the waxed paper from the top. Press the crust gently into the dish. Bake for 9 minutes, then let cool. {I completely missed this part about pre-baking but it came out just fine!}

To prepare the filling, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their water and begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, mustard, and thyme.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, egg whites, flour, and milk.

Sprinkle the cheese into the pie crust. Top with the mushroom-onion mixture and pour the egg mixture on top. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 6 wedges and serving.

I was wondering why Ellie had the cheese sprinkled on the bottom. Usually it is mixed in. But then I took my first bite and the first flavor was the smokey Gruyere I used and THEN the mushrooms. Perfect! And lots of ‘shroom flavor.

Definitely a repeat.

The recipe is on page 23 of Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix and a different version on FoodTV

See how the others welcomed Ellie over at I Heart Cooking Clubs

 

{SRC} Down on the FARM

If you haven’t met Mary you need to do that right away. Along with her chickens, goats, emus, cows, and donkeys. Living on a 5 acre farm all of the creatures keep her busy as does all the wonderful cooking and baking she finds time to do. The pictures of her lovely house and all of the animals are lovely.

Mary – in case you haven’t recognized it yet – is the author of The Egg Farm and my assignment for the Secret Recipe Club for October. I perused her recipes for days, pinning more than I will ever cook, and finally ended up with a few I really really wanted to make asap. The other 20 or so can wait.

The garden gave us tons of tomatoes this year. I put up quite a few and they were still bearing in September when my assignment came through I managed to save two large green ones so I could make Mary’s Fried Green Tomatoes.

I haven’t made them in ages. These were so good. Nice and crispy. Lots of flavor. I didn’t change her recipe at all.

2 large green tomatoes, sliced into ½ inch slabs
Buttermilk sufficient to cover the tomato slices
Dash of hot sauce
½ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
½ TBS kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Canola oil for frying

Place sliced tomatoes in a glass pie dish. Add a dash of your favorite hot sauce. Pour buttermilk over the tomatoes to cover. This can be done ahead of time and refrigerated for a few hours or overnight. The great thing about letting them set overnight is that the water separated from the solids of the buttermilk leaving a nice thick white layer of buttermilk solids.
In a medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients except the oil. Remove the tomato slices from the buttermilk and carefully press each into the bread crumb/flour mixture. Have oil pre-heated to medium in a large frying pan. Add the tomatoes to the oil as soon as the are coated. Fry the tomatoes until each side is golden brown, turning only once. Remove from oil and allow the oil to drain a bit before placing the fried tomatoes on a plate. Serve immediately.

I usually just use a little flour and cornmeal, but Mary’s addition of the Panko bread crumbs added a great texture.

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Needing something for lunch I made

Quiche – Italian Style

The picture doesn’t do it justice. Full of basil and lots of cheese – I used Asiago, Parmesean, and Pecorino/Romano – the flavors really shined through. The only think I did different was to make it crustless. Delicious. Writing this I want it NOW for lunch.

*******************

I love a good simple but filling dish for lunch. I really don’t like sandwiches unless they are hot. I went back to Mary’s blog and found –

her Asparagus Fritata. And I had just bought some asparagus so I figured it was an omen! Especially since she had JUST posted it. A fritatta is much like a quiche except it is finished under the broiler and is crustless. Perfect!!

2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup diced shallots
½ teaspoon salt
Few turns of black pepper
1 pound thin spear asparagus spears cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
½ baked potato, cubed
4 large eggs = 6Tbl egg whites
1 Tbsp minced fresh chives
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the asparagus cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in the potatoes (mine were still hot so I added them later.) Save a some spears to top the frittata.
Mix the eggs, ¾ of the cheese, chives, salt and pepper and beat them until a little fluffy. Pour the egg mixture over the onions and asparagus in the skillet. Arrange the reserved asparagus spears on top. Cook until almost set. Pre-heat broiler.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the eggs broil until cheese is melted and browned, and the center is set. Carefully remove pan from oven and slide frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges. Can be served warm or room temperature.

It was a yummy lunch. I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing. Happily, now I have leftovers!!

We wenyto a huge car show in Mississippi with 6 other people I took dessert. Mary’s Irish Cream Cupcakes caught my eye for two reasons. First – I love chocolate and second so does our cousin, Randy. Cuppys it is! These were so good and gone quickly. I did take pics but they are lost in cyberspace. You’ll just to trust me.

Thanks, Mary for some amazing recipes.

If you want to visit with the other members of Secret Recipe Club check out the link below. Lots of good stuff there!!

 

{SRC} What’s Cooking with Sara?

If Quiche is one of your fave dishes, like it is mine, you need to visit this blog soon.
If Dessert is one of your fave dishes, like it is mine, you need to visit this blog soon.
If Ice Cream is one of your fave dishes, like it is mine, you need to visit this blog soon.

Cause if you do, you will find TONS of recipes in each of those categories, plus TONS more in chicken, pizza, pasta just to name a few of the types of recipes you will find on SARA’s Blog – Cooking with Sara. Sara was my ‘assignment’ this month for Secret Recipe Club. SRC is a monthly cooking group where we cook from different blogs each month. The blogs are new to us and a great way to find new fellow Foodies.

Sarah is in the Midwest and loves to cook. She says her Mom was her inspiration…

“Much of my love for cooking comes from my Mom, who demonstrated (almost!) every day that an attractive and delicious meal on the table shows love for those around you. I learned much from watching her, and continue to be inspired by her ministry of hospitality.”

Sarah, she taught you well because there are WAY too many recipes to choose just one from, so I didn’t. But even choosing just a couple was very difficult.

I started out with Sara’s…

…. Asparagus and Shrimp Quiche

I like quiche for lunch more than any other meal. It is light, quick, and you can often tailor a quiche to your own tastes, as I did Sara’s.

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound medium cooked shrimp, cut in half
2 tsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
6 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 pound asparagus, washed and trimmed
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan gruyere cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. bread crumbs

{I made a small sized quiche so I cut all the ingredients by about 1/3}

Cut 6 asparagus spears into equal length and blanch them in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes or until bright green. {I actually did this with all the asparagus.} Remove and set aside. Chop the remaining asparagus into bite sized pieces.

Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a pan and add the garlic and onion and saute for several minutes until the onion gets soft. Add the chopped asparagus and saute for 2-3 minutes or until it turns bright green. Add the shrimp and red pepper flakes and mix well to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Whisk the eggs together with the half and half, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Grease a pie plate or quiche pan with non stick spray, then add the bread crumbs, tapping the pan to distribute them evenly across the bottom of the pan. {I would probably leave this out next time.}
Pour the asparagus and shrimp mixture into the prepared pan, and top with the egg mixture.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top and arrange the reserved asparagus on top.
Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

This was as good as it sounds. The asparagus were soft but not mushy and the shrimp were nice a crisp. Delicious! Sprinkle the cheese over the top means it has a nice crust and you get more of a concentrated cheese flavor.

The Man of the House is big fan of ice cream. Summer! Winter! doesn’t matter. I have several kinds that I make all the time, but I am always looking for new ones. Like this one.

Coconut Macadamia Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

1 8-oz. can cream of coconut
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup coconut, toasted
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Whisk the cream of coconut and half and half in a large measuring cup. Pour into ice cream freezer. Near the end of the cycle, add coconut, nuts and chocolate chips. Makes about 1 quart.

I have made coconut ice cream before but not with crème de coconut. It adds a whole great depth of flavor. Definitely going into the ice cream rotation. And I am already thinking of subbing crushed pineapple for the chocolate chips, or maybe candied pecans for the macadamia. YUM!!!

Those are only two of TONS of recipes. Now if I can just find time to make her

Crockpot Apple Cake
Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Stromboli

…and at least 15 more I have pinned and waiting. Go. Visit. Sarah!

What did the other members of

make? Just click on the links below. Awesome food is waiting for you.

 

{FFwD} quiche maraîchère

Which translates into darn good fresh veggie quiche!! Lots of leeks {first time fresh from MY garden}, sweet peppers, celery, carrots, and very, very little custard.

One of my favorite things to make is quiche. But I don’t make them as often as I would like because they usually call for TONS of eggs. Not this one – one whole egg and one yolk. {I used two whole eggs instead.} That’s it!! And some cream. I am wondering if I can use this little bit of custard in some other quiches!

While the veggies and custard were VERY tasty, the star of the show was the Gruyère sprinkled on top. The smoky flavor just took the quiche to a much higher level!! I will be very sad when this one is gone….oh, wait, I can make another. Maybe with some squash this summer from the garden, or eggplant, or Romas, or…shoot, the possibilities are endless.

More quiche can be found on French Fridays with Dorie and the recipe is on page 158 in Dorie’s around my French table.