Monday, February 15, 2010

Step-it-up Quiche


This past week I hosted my book club which always involves food and wine (we read The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell). I made a variety of dishes that are good for a dinner party - all of the fussy prep is finished about an hour before serving with the only 'complicated' dish being this quiche. This is a deep-dish quiche which was baked in a springform pan (if you opt to use a pie plate or quiche/tart pan the filling will make 2-3 quiches). And the filling is comprised of spinach, carrot greens (always looking for another place to use them), sauteed onions, and cheddar and feta cheeses. If you want to substitute skim milk or low-fat cheese, do so and substitute any veggies that you think will taste good! When using frozen veggies it's best to cook and remove as much water as possible so quiche will set. Fresh veggies only need to be cleaned, chopped, and sauteed if desired.

Step-it-up Quiche
1 whole wheat - olive oil pastry crust (I used this recipe from C&Z with a sprinkle of cumin)
2 1/2 T. butter
3 1/2 T. flour
1 1/2 c. whipping cream, warmed
9 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
6 1/4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
6 eggs
135 g frozen spinach (steamed and drained)
60 g carrot top greens (or other fresh greens or additional spinach)
2 med. onions, sliced and sautéed
cumin
salt

1. Prepare the greens, onions, and cream.

2. Make cheese sauce: Melt butter, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, don't allow it to color. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir warmed cream into flour mixture to make a smooth sauce. Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. When thickened (about 3 minutes) remove from heat. Add half of shredded and crumbled cheese and stir until it is fully melted. Stir in the greens, onions, and a sprinkle of cumin. Remove cheese sauce from heat. (In effect you made a roux, a béchamel and finally a cheese sauce by following these steps).

3. Crack eggs into a bowl and break with a fork. Add a spoonful of cheese sauce to the eggs and whisk (be careful that eggs don't cook!). Continue adding a spoonful at a time until about half cheese sauce is added to eggs then add remaining cheese sauce. Add rest of shredded and crumbled cheese.

4. Pour egg mixture into pastry shell. Bake at 350 deg F until internal temp reaches 365-385 degrees (use instant read thermometer). Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes before serving. Remove from springform pan and serve on a cake plate.

Yield: 12 servings (@ about 370 cal. each)

Monday, February 8, 2010

turnip soup

Once again faced with a vegetable I rarely buy, I decided to make a simple soup found in Bryant Terry's cookbook. This may not be the most appetizing photo I've taken (the reflective oil) but it is a light and tasty soup!

Roasted Turnip and Shallots with Turnip Greens Soup
1 bunch of young turnips with greens, cut into 1/2" pieces and set greens aside
1-2 shallots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 t. olive oil
sea salt
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig rosemary
3 c. vegetable stock
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.
2. Roast the turnip pieces, shallots, 1/2 t. olive oil and a sprinkle of salt in a baking dish for one hour. Stir periodically.
3. Meanwhile trim and wash greens. Chop into bite-size pieces, rinse well. (Save tough stems for homemade stock). Combine 1/2 t. olive oil and garlic in large saucepan over medium heat. Saute for 1 1/2 minutes, then add the greens and remaining salt. Saute the greens until tender, about 5 minutes. Add stock to saucepan and set aside.
4. When the turnips and shallots are done roasting, transfer to saucepan. Add rosemary and bring to a boil, then lower to simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until hot.
Yield: 2-3 servings

Friday, February 5, 2010

collard greens

One of the things I like about vegetable delivery are the variety of items delivered. Collards are something I've eaten before (after all I lived in the south for four years) but it something I've never purchased or prepared. In my box was included this recipe, which is also all over the internet and in Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry.

Citrus Collards
sea salt
2 lg. bunches collard greens, chiffonade and cleaned
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 c. raisins
1/3 c. orange juice

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to boil. Add the collards and cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes. Remove collards from heat and quickly plunge into bowl of ice water. Drain.
2. In saute pan, heat olive oil and garlic to medium. Saute one minute. Add collards, raisins, and 1/2 t. salt. Saute for 3 minutes. Add orange juice and heat for 15 seconds. Do not overcook! Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 sides.