Step-it-up Quiche

Eggs are my go to food when I'm in a hurry. They accept whatever else is in your fridge (veggies, cheese, condiments) and are very quick to cook. Quiches can be just as quick (especially if you use a pre-made crust), but this version is a step-up from the quiche you find on most brunch buffets. Leftovers are always delicious cold or reheated with a salad or some fruit.

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)

THE souffle

When first learning to really cook (beyond spaghetti) I started to hear about the difficulty of the souffle. It's right there in movies, books, and cooking shows and nearly impossible to get right! I'm here to dispel this myth, plus once you learn the technique you will know the basics for other dishes (i.e. béchamel, egg whites). Because of my fear, the first souffle I made (a spinach souffle) I referred heavily to the goddess Julia Child's (she writes the most specific instructions for any preparation) cookbook and I followed her instructions to a 'T'. Since then I am a bit more lackadaisical resulting in souffles that aren't as perfect looking, but still delicious tasting. Once you've mastered your first souffle you can apply the technique to the whole world of souffles ... fish, seafood, cheese, vegetable or desert.

If you have a well stocked kitchen then you won't need much special equipment, just a souffle dish, which are usually available for $6 at cooking stores (or much, much more). If your kitchen is not well stocked, you will also need a wire whisk or mixer, a small glass/ceramic mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. Basically banish all plastic cooking utensils for this dish.

Leek Souffle

4 T. butter

1 T. safflower oil

2 leeks, thinly sliced and well washed (white part only)

1 1/4+ c. milk

3 T. flour

4 eggs, separated

3 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated/crumbled

salt and pepper (traditionally white pepper for appearance but it does have a different flavor)

1. Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Grease a quart souffle dish with 1 T. of butter (for drama, use a slightly smaller souffle dish with a foil/parchment collar). Heat the safflower oil and 1 T. butter in a small saucepan and cook the leeks over med-low heat for 4-5 minutes until soft but not brown.

2. Add milk and bring to a simmer, cover. Simmer for 4-5 minutes and strain liquid into a measuring cup. Set cooked leeks aside.

3. Make a béchamel: Melt 2 T. butter, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, don't allow it to color. Remove from the heat. Add enough milk to strained milk for 1 1/4 c. Gradually stir milk 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.

4. Cool slightly and add leeks and the beaten egg yolks.

5. Beat the egg whites (in the glass/ceramic bowl with wire whisk/beaters with very clean implements, add a dash of cream of tarter, if desired) until stiff and shining peaks form.

6. Using a large wooden spoon fold egg whites into the base, alternating with sprinkles of cheese. Pour into souffle dish and bake for 30-45 minutes until puffed and golden brown*. Serve immediately - to keep it from falling plunge serving fork and spoon into center of souffle (Julia's advice).

* Do not open and close oven repeatedly. Use a skewer or cake tester to confirm it is cooked all the way through (tester should come out slightly moist), most recipes say about 30 minutes but my experience (in multiple kitchens) is closer to 45 minutes, but ultimately it's up to you - wetter is creamier, but won't hold puff as long.

Serves: 4 (although it's best fresh, It's still tasty reheated, but not as pretty)

organic dinner

My dinner last night was delicious and couldn't help but share it with you. Also it was all organic - with the exception of the cilantro, wine, and salt n' pepper (can salt qualify as organic?). I had scrambled eggs with cilantro and sauteed onions, steamed green beans, and steamed fingerling potatoes. The veggies were dressed with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and pepper. I drank a red wine left at my birthday party (2007 Chariot Gypsy, $5 at Trader Joe's) and some water. Yum!

Gidget burped her praises for her dinner as she had her 2nd raw meal (we're trying to see if she likes - yes - and if it will help some of her skin issues - tbd).

rainbow chard and frittata

In another attempt to use the 'unusual greens' from the veggie box, I decided to make a frittata. The word strikes some fear in me, as I still remember the so-called frittata served at my college dorm which was always wet and may best be called an egg casserole. The frittata is an Italian omelet, which is cooked on the stove top and is then broiled (or flipped!).

This frittata started with preparation of the greens. I separated the leafy part of the chard from the stems and thoroughly washed and dried them.  I saved the stems to be steamed and served with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Steam for about 10 minutes, or until tender. They have a strong earthy taste similar to beats (although texture is nothing similar). 

Rainbow Chard and Red Onion Frittata

4 stems of rainbow chard, washed, dried, torn, and separated (stems from leaves)

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced 

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

6-8 eggs

3 oz. shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

sea salt

pepper

Cook the onion in olive oil until transparent in a large skillet. Add the garlic and greens, and cover. Chard is a 'tough' green so it will take longer to cook than say spinach. Season with salt and pepper continue to stir. When greens are cooked to your desire, pour beaten eggs into pan and stir. Sprinkle with cheese. The frittata should rest until it is firm. At this point take a plate and flip* the frittata onto the plate. Use another plate to flip again, and then finally flip the frittata back into the pan. The cheese should now be on the bottom and cook for ~2 minutes, or until cheese is 'fried'. Remove the frittata by flipping again. Either side (cheesy or eggy) can be on top and serve immediately (although also good cold). 

* In lieu of all this flipping, use an oven safe skillet and transfer to broiler for cheese 'frying' or buy a frittata pan that is double sided and latches shut for easy flipping.