Tomato-Basil Quiche

Well the weather is finally starting to cool off in my neck of the woods which means Fall is just around the corner I hope. My mind is already starting to ponder all the pumpkiney things I’ll bake and soups I’ll make during the cooler weather. But I thought I’d end Summer on a good note and use up the last little bit of basil on my basil plant. I am so proud of myself for keeping my herbs alive this Summer with my track record for being the grim reaper of plants. I saw this beautiful quiche on Liz’s blog and thought what a perfect dish to make with the few grape tomatoes and basil leaves I had left. The picky one (aka my husband) had a meeting at work tonight (where they’ll be eating greasy chicken fingers and fries which is right up his alley) so I thought I’d make this just for myself. My nose told me before I even took it out of the oven that this would be delicious and my nose didn’t lie. This is a great quiche recipe to send off the Summer.

Tomato-Basil Quiche

(with my alterations)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium or 1 large tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick(I used 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise)
• 2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar (or you may use Gruyere) (I used sharp Cheddar)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• Leaves from 3 small stems fresh basil, torn if large
• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups light cream (I used whole milk)
• 6 tablespoons aged port or sherry (may be omitted, but reduce baking time by 5 minutes) (I omitted)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Place tomatoes on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
2. In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the garlic. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture evenly on the bottom of the pie shell. Arrange the onion on top of the cheese. Arrange the tomato in a single layer on top of the onion. Distribute the basil on top of the tomato and in the crevices between the rounds. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture on top.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly. Add the cream, port, and pepper and beat well. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pie shell.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 35 minutes longer, or until the quiche is lightly browned on top.
5. Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

And speaking of Liz’s blog, I’d like to give her an award for having a great blog! I was recently given an E for Excellent award from From the French Kitchen, so I’d like to pass it on to some more bloggers that I think are excellent. Thanks for being so creative and inspiring!

And the E for Excellent Award goes to…

Liz’s Cooking Blog

Reading Riting and Recipes

Annie’s Eats

Amber’s Delectable Delights

Elly Says Opa!

Made by Melissa

Please pass this on to other blogs that are excellent!

Breakfast or Dessert?

I’m pretty sure this recipe might be on the list of the seven deadly sins. But in this case if it’s wrong, then I don’t want to be right. Really, it could be more of a dessert with all it’s brown sugary yumminess, but I decided to make this for breakfast today. From the minute I saw Tyler Florence make this on his show, Tyler’s Ultimate, I knew I wanted to try it. I mean, what could be bad about french toast, apples, and a brown sugary glaze. This recipe is a little time consuming as far as prep goes, but the results are totally worth it. As soon as it started baking, my house filled with the smell of apple pie and caramel apples. I wish I could capture that smell in a candle so I could enjoy it every day without all the calories that come with it. This would be a great recipe for brunch or even breakfast on Christmas morning. The original recipe calls for cranberries, but I left those out because my picky husband doesn’t like them. I think those would be a great addition though.

Upside-Down Apple French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans

(with my alterations in italics)

French toast:
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 loaf challah bread, cut into 1 inch-thick slices (I used french bread)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup light brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling, divided
4 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk)
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I omitted)
Confectioners’ sugar, garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.In a flat dish, crack eggs and add milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined then lay challah slices in mixture to coat and absorb it all, turning occasionally.

Set a 10-inch skillet, seasoned cast iron if you have, over medium heat. Add the butter and 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 8 minutes. While the sugar is melting, peel apples, core and cut into halves. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream. Sprinkle in the pecans, dried cranberries and gently press in the apple halves so there is a flat surface. Lay soaked slices of challah over the top so it is completely covered – you should be able to arrange the large slices and small slices so there are no gaps. Sprinkle the top with some brown sugar and place into the preheated oven. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and puffy.

When done, allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes then invert onto a large plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, and serve.

Chef’s Note: FYI – if your cast iron skillet is not seasoned, the cranberries will react with the skillet and turn black.

*I don’t have a cast iron skillet so I used a pie dish to bake this in. I melted the butter and sugar in a pot on the stove and then poured it into the pie dish before assembling.

Source: Food Network

French Toast

Another yummy weekend breakfast, french toast. To be honest, it hasn’t always been a favorite breakfast food of mine. I think because all I ever had was bland and soggy french toast. But my recipe is a little more flavorful than most of the ones I’ve had before. Pair this with some sweet and juicy strawberries, syrup or powdered sugar and you’ve got a delicious breakfast.

French Toast

3 whole eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

6 slices of french bread, 1/2″ thick

1-2 Tbsp butter

Whisk the first four ingredients together in a shallow bowl until combined. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Melt the butter on the hot griddle or pan. Dip both sides of the bread slices into the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, and place onto the hot griddle. Cook on each side until golden brown.

(Don’t be like me and almost burn them. Keep the heat on medium or medium low : P )

Shrimp Carbonara

Do you ever see a recipe and instantly know you have to try it? That was the case with this one. I was sitting at home one lazy Sunday afternoon watching the Food Network and saw Giada make this on her show. I’ve never had any sort of carbonara, but I instantly knew I wanted to try this dish. It just looked so flavorful. Plus it was the perfect excuse to use some of the fresh basil I just planted. This dish tasted amazing! I changed it up a bit by adding the shrimp and omitting the fried egg on top but still the basil aioli was awesome and full of flavor! Another point for Giada on this one!

Giada’s Carbonara (with my alterations)

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, rubber band left on
1 pound linguini (I used spaghetti)
1 cup Basil Aioli, recipe follows
1 cup shaved pecorino (I used parmesan)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
4 to 6 large eggs (I omitted these)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

*14-16 medium shrimp, tails removed, thawed if frozen

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water and let sit until cool, about 5 minutes. Remove from the water, remove the rubber band, and cut into 1-inch pieces.Meanwhile, add the pasta to the large pot of salted water used to cook the asparagus and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl. Add the Basil Aioli, cut asparagus, shaved cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and place on a long, rectangular serving dish. Saute the shrimp in a skillet with a couple Tbsp olive oil until done. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add these to the dish with the pasta.

I skipped the next step and used shrimp instead of fried eggs in the dish.

Place the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry the eggs to your liking. Place the eggs on top of the pasta and serve immediately.

Basil Aioli:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large egg yolks*
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I only used 1/4 cup. I felt it had enough oil)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oilYield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Combine the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a food processor and run the machine to mix. With the machine running slowly drizzle in the vegetable and olive oil. Basil Aioli can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*RAW EGG WARNING
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

Source of original recipe: Food Network

Simple Egg Salad

Here’s my simple egg salad recipe. It’s one of my husband’s favorite things to eat so I thought since I was off today I’d make him some to eat for lunch this week. There are many variations of egg salad so this certainly isn’t the only way to make it. My mom and grandma always added mustard and sweet pickle relish, but my husband likes his plain and simple. So that’s how I make it. This is very tasty on some lightly toasted whole wheat bread or a buttery croissant.

After they’ve been chopped

Egg Salad

6 large eggs

1/2 cup mayo

1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

*1 tsp salt for the water-adding salt to the boiling water makes it easier to remove the shells from the eggs once they’re done. They will practically fall off!

Begin by placing eggs in a pot of cold water making sure the eggs are covered by the water. Bring to a boil, add 1 tsp of salt to the water, and boil for 12 min. Drain the water and rinse the eggs under cold water. Peel away the shells and rinse the eggs. Place the eggs in a food processor and process for about 10 seconds or until all the eggs are chopped uniformly. In a bowl, combine chopped eggs, salt, pepper, mayo and paprika. Stir to combine. Refrigerate immediately.

The Breakfast of Champions

I love days when I actually have time to make breakfast instead of just heating up some instant oatmeal or eating a bowl of cold cereal. Everyone knows the breakfast foods that you actually have to cook are so much better than ready made foods. Homemade waffles, pancakes, biscuits, hashbrowns….mmm. Can you tell I’m big on breakfast? Another one of my favorite breakfast foods, or actually anytime foods, is the omelet. You can pretty much add anything you like to it from ham to veggies to various cheeses. The only problem I have with the omelet is that I can never get it to flip right. It never looks as pretty as it does at a restaurant when you go out for breakfast or brunch. But whatever, it still tastes good which is what really matters. And if all else fails, you can have scrambled eggs with stuff mixed in. : ) Today I decided to use up some of the veggies in my fridge and came up with this. Delicious!

Three Egg Garden Omelet

3 whole eggs
2 Tbsp milk or cream
1 Tbsp each finely chopped green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for the top if you like
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Whisk eggs, milk, and all veggies in a bowl. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Let it cook for about 2 minutes until the edges start to look done. Sprinkle the cheese over the omelet. Test the edges with a spatula to see if the omelet is ready to flip. When ready, fold each side of the omelet to the middle and cook another minute or so. Top with additional cheese and veggies if desired.

An Update at Last!

I know, I know. I have been MIA since Thanksgiving. To be honest, I haven’t felt much like cooking and when I have cooked it’s been very basic things or things I’ve made before. So here’s my first new post in a while. I wish it were more exciting but this is what I’ve got. Quiche. It’s actually the first time I’ve made quiche. I planned on making it weeks ago but never got around to it. I’ve been trying really hard to not go to the grocery store until the end of the week so I decided to use what I had to make dinner tonight. That resulted in me finally making this dish. I thought it turned out really well. My husband didn’t like it, but I think it’s more of a texture thing for him. He’s just not a quiche kind of guy. But for me, it was really tasty. Hopefully I’ll be back to blogging in full swing pretty soon and have lots more exciting recipes to post.

Spinach Quiche

1 9″ frozen pie shell, defrosted 15 min
2 cups chopped baby spinach, washed
1/4 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 whole eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1-1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Place pie pan on a baking sheet. Begin by sauteing the garlic and onion together in a skillet with olive oil for about 3-4 min. Set aside. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Stir in cheese, onion and garlic, salt and pepper. Place chopped spinach in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour egg mixture over the spinach. Next, place aluminum foil around the edge of the pie shell to keep it from burning. Then, place the quiche in the oven and bake 35-45 min or until set. Remove foil from the edge of the pie pan the last 10-12 min to brown the edge of the crust. Let sit 5 min before slicing.