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)

apple tart

Another father's day brunch treat! My recipe makes two, so I had a second pastry waiting and I decided it would be a tasty independence day treat. The one fault with this logic is it is a French style tart, most commonly called tarte tartin, however I justified it because without French financial support, the patriots would not have been able to afford the war that led to our independence.

The recipe is very simple: start with a delectable pastry recipe. I suggest a pate brisse. The pastry becomes ever so more important in this application than in a pie. Roll pastry into a rectangle (one which will fit onto a cookie sheet) and let rest in fridge for 20 minutes. Meanwhile core, slice, and peel apples. I used 2 varieties -a tart and a sweet- which I alternated in the layering (about 4 medium apples). I have an apple corer/slicer/peeler which gives me these consistently thin slices. The peeler leaves some peel on, but that's okay with me. Stack slices in rows, like seen above, alternating varieties, if desired. Sprinkle top with sugar. Bake in a 375 deg. F oven for 45 minutes. While baking set a pot to boil with 1 c. water, 1 c. sugar, and leftover apple bits (cores & peels). Boil down to a concentrated glaze. When tart is done baking, brush lightly with the glaze (don't layer it on thickly because it will become a sheet of sticky candy). Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

homemade yogurt

I eat yogurt nearly every morning for breakfast, usually with a bit of fruit and a sprinkling of cereal. Yummers! Nearly two years ago I moved and no longer have access to my favorite dairy. Well that is not exactly true, I can still find their yogurt but it is pretty pricey. After collecting homemade yogurt recipes for years I decided it was time to start experimenting. If you're thinking about making your own yogurt read this New York Times piece.  

Neat yogurt fact - if you're lactose intolerant the probiotics in yogurt will help you digest the lactose! When you make your own yogurt it is especially high in these enzymes. (70% of the world's population is lactose intolerant including me).

This is my process--

Basic Recipe:

Supplies:

whole milk

starter (choose a yogurt you like - cultures differ and will affect taste)

dried milk (I use a non-instant non-fat organic milk as thickener)

instant read thermometer (opt.)

pan (to heat milk) and whisk

jars (to set & store yogurt)

1. Combine dried milk (4T.) with fresh milk (4c.)

2. Heat milk on stovetop until vapors rise, 180-190 deg. F (be careful to not burn milk)

3. Cool milk until you can hold a finger in the milk for 10 sec, 110-115 deg. F

4. Mix starter (4T.) into milk (I usually shake starter with some warmed milk in a jar).

5. Pour mixture into jars. Place in warm location (wrapped in towels or blankets, or in the oven...)

6. Once yogurt is set (min. 4 hours, although I frequently let it set for over 24 hours) place in fridge. After it is fully cooled, it is ready to eat!

Update: I've decided the best way to incubate the yogurt in my apartment is with a heating pad, thick kitchen towel, and a cooling rack. I place the heating pad on the cooling rack and the jars of yogurt atop with the towel covering it all. I set the heating pad on 'low'. Makes thick delicious yogurt and is much quicker than my old method. 

The tart was tart.

I invited a friend over for tea on Sunday. I said I would make something special so I made this Cranberry Tart. Although cranberries are often associated with fall (it is their season) you can frequently find them in the freezer section, or freeze a couple of fresh bags in the fall for baking throughout the winter). I made a few adjustments (less sugar, a splash of rum) to the original recipe and it turned out delicious! It was fun to have a Sunday tea - I should do this more often.

Apple tart

I love tarts and pies. They are my number one desert - I'm not fond of cakes (as a kid I had a made up allergy to avoid eating these) nor ice cream. I requested a tart pan for christmas and this is it's first use. It took a while to find a tart recipe and I eventually franken-baked a couple of recipes into this custard and apple pie with an almond pate brisee crust. I've already dug in and it's delicious.