Easy quiche

Every once in a while I don’t really feel like being very creative and quiche kind of seems to be a great basic. I don’t care for fried eggs , but this makes the perfect easy-bake dinner and I do enjoy it.

My quiche is a lazy version. I seem to struggle making a basic pie crust so I skip that. Many of the recipes I have seen use cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or sour cream. I usually make this when my fridge is not very full so I don’t usually have these things on hand. That’s what I love about this dish-it’s always a little bit different based on the little handful of veggies I happen to have left in the bottom of my veggie drawer. You can change out any of the veggies or spices according to taste. I like a little tabasco in the eggs, and salt and pepper to taste. Often I don’t cook with salt simply to help lower our intake. We salt at the table so it isn’t missed. My kids love ketchup with any egg dish, and usually the grown-ups will eat it with salsa. High in protein and veggies, easily tailored to match any picky eaters, and easy to make.

prep time:15 minutes, bake time 30

Easy-Bake Crustless Quiche:pre-heat oven 350′

• diced bacon or ham
• (optional-use butter to cook veggies if you don’t do bacon)

then add

• 1/4 onion, diced
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 sweet pepper (any color is good)

In a bowl beat 10 eggs until fluffy, stir in semi-cooled veggies

• add: handful fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup grated cheese-as long as it’s good cheese (not processed stuff)
• 1 tbs fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley or dill)

mix together, pour into well greased pie dish and bake at 350′ for about 30 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles.

Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving-can be served with salsa (yum) and/or ketchup.

Leftovers are easily reheated in the microwave!

 

Gerrod’s Guiness & Morel Cream Sauce

Back in the early days, I met my hubby’s friend he was hanging with most of the time. Gerrod was a guy with a great soul, if a little rough around the edges. We moved on, and sadly lost track of Gerrod. Every spring we think of him, as morel mushroom season comes around. Gerrod had a talent for cooking and there are a couple recipes my hubby still uses. This one was originaly for a restaurant, and Gerrod added his own twist to their mushroom chicken, creating possibly one of the most delicious flavors I have ever tasted.

Kudos to you, Gerrod Wiseman.

We have done variations, using other mushrooms, less fat, cheaper beer, but you just can’t beat the original.

Chicken & Morel Mushrooms in a Guinness Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Sautee until browned

• 4 medium chicken breasts, cubed                
• 1/4 onion, diced    
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt & pepper to taste              

add

• 2 Tbs butter
• 7-10 fresh medium morel mushrooms, diced

sautee for a minute or two

add 1 cup Guinness beer, simmer about 5 minutes

add 1 pint whipping cream and reduce heat-do not boil

premix 2 tbs cornstarch w/ 1/4 cup water, add to sauce

dash dried tarragon (optional)

Serve over hot mashed potatoes

Rice or fettucine noodles works as well.

Baked Potato Soup for the soul

I feel sick today, I didn’t feel like cooking dinner, but it’s my night for kitchen duty. So staring at the drawers and shelves in the refrigerator full of random veggies, leftover pot roast potatoes, it’s difficult to come up with food for the family. I finally decide to make potato soup, with a sausage base-the only meat not frozen solid 1/2 an hour before dinner time.   The breadsticks are decent, but the recipe needs some work before I post that one. Census after the hot soup and cold leftover breadsticks was ‘I nailed it’. With my own version, it tastes like baked potatoes with toppings.

Baked Potato Soup (small batch, serves about 4) easily doubled

1/4 lb. mild Italian Sausage: or 6 slices bacon, diced

1/2 onion, minced

4 cups water

1/4 tsp celery seed

dash white pepper

4 baked potatoes, cold, you can peel if you prefer- 2 diced, 2 mashed

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup Tillamook Medium cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup diced green onion or chives

Prepare:Cook off brown meat; add minced onion, cook until clear. Add water, celery seed, white pepper, mashed potatoes and bring to simmer. Let simmer good for about 15 minutes. Add diced potatoes, bring back up to simmer for 5 mintutes. Turn off heat, mix in sour cream, then stir in cheese. Serve sprinkled with green onions or chives.

B Rocks

One of my all-time favorites growing up was a German thing called Beerocks. (burr-rokes) This is a bread, stuffed with a combination of sausage, saurkraut, and cabbage. Later a dear friend of mine informed me that his Ukrainian background mother made something very similar, Piroshki.  It became a Christmas Eve tradition to make Borscht and some version of of these Beerocks.

I also started to experiment with different stuffings. Some of my favorites are ham, cheese and broccoli, and BBq chicken. These all are incredibly delicious and the leftovers are good both cold or warmed up for lunch.

Makes 16;  about 8 cups filling-please note this can be halved if you like. I can make this in an hour if only doing half, but usually I’d rather have the leftovers.

Bread dough

I do this in my Kitchen-Aid mixer (best thing ever invented). I start by beating, then switch to the dough hook.

2 pkg yeast

1 3/4 cup warm water

2/3 cup oil

1 egg

1/2 sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups all purpose flour

Mix until smooth. Switch to dough hook, add 3 more cups flour. Dough is mostly smooth, slightly sticky. Turn out on ver floured surface and let rest for 15 minutes.

cut in quarters. roll out 1 piece to about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. cut in quarters (squares). Place at least 1/2 cup pre-cooked filling in the center (you want if full, but room to close edges), fold over to make triangle, pinching edges closed. Repeat with remainder of the dough.

mix 1 egg with 2 TB water, brush each one before baking. Bake at 375′ for 20 minutes. Best served warm with ranch for dipping. Warm Marinera might be good as well.

Ideas for stuffing: leftover meats and veggies work well.

1 lb cooked sausage mixed with small can saurkraut.

cubed or shredded chicken mixed with lots of BBQ sauce (Cattleman’s is my favorite)

diced cheddar, ham, and tiny broccoli florets

diced turkey and cheddar