Strawberry-Rhubarb-Ginger Pies… Oh Mies!

Ever since making that quiche right below, I’ve had pie on my mind.  Same problem though– quantity.  I never want to make a whole one because it has to be eaten right away (not that I have any trouble doing that, if I don’t mind the terrible bloat later).  So, I decided to stretch a pie crust and make tons of mini ones, which are good for giving away or freezing to eat later.  Since springtime is drawing to an end, I decided to go with fruits in season– strawberry and rhubarb, especially since it will be ages before I see rhubarb again in the supermarket.  I also added in some candied ginger, which gave the sweetness of these little guys a nice bite.  And, since I only had one pie crust on hand, I decided to make a streusal topping to stretch the dough to make even more pies.  The results were really yummy, and probably a lot easier… I can’t imagine making laticed tops for these guys (I mean, they weren’t just made in muffin tins, but MINI muffin tins)…

 

Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Pies

 

Ingredients:

Filling:
• 3 cups strawberries, diced (or quartered if they are tiny)
• 2-3 stalks of rhubarb, diced
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/2 cup, but you can definitely reduce)
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2-3 tbsp. minced candied ginger

Streusal Topping:
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2-3 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3 tbsp. almonds, pecans, or walnuts, roughly chopped
• dash of ground cinnamon

And of course, your favorite pie crust recipe
(which is best to make the night before to chill in the fridge and have ready to take out!)

 

Directions:

(1) In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice, sugar, ginger, and cornstarch, and let it macerate for 20 minutes or so, like this:

 
(2) While that’s turning into magic, prepare the streusal topping, which is super easy.  Just throw the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until course crumbs form.  Store the mixture in the fridge until ready to use, so that the butter won’t melt.

(3) Next, take out your pie crust and roll it out onto a floured surface very thinly. Lightly coat a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside. Use a shot glass to cut circles of dough out, then press them into the cups of your muffin tin.  If you make any holes (none of us are perfect here), just cover them up with some extra dough.

(4) Spoon about a tablespoon of the strawberry filling into each cup.  Since the mixture will flatten greatly while baking, don’t worry about overflowing the cups a bit, like this:

(5) Next, take the streusal topping out of the fridge and generously sprinkle it on to, like this:

(6) Bake in the oven at 400 F for 15–20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbly. Allow the pies to cool completely before removing from the pan, then use a butter knife to pop each one out.  Serve and enjoy, or freeze a few for another time… this recipe makes a lot!

A Most Exquisite Quiche.

I love quiche and have been wanting to try my hand at it for a while, but, cooking for myself these days, have never had anyone to feed it to. I decided to make one for a Mother’s Day brunch a few weeks ago – a classic spinach, cheese, and mushroom combo – which was so good my mom and I ate half of it in one sitting (I realize this is becoming a trend with us regarding foods that are in round, mass quantities). The only thing I would have done differently is the crust. I had some pate brisée crust frozen for a few months, which may have given it a little freezer burn that wasn’t as easy to work with. I also rolled it out a bit too thin at the top, and should have either made a thicker fold-over layer or have pressed it into the pie dish high enough so that the filling just covers it. It was a little burnt on top because of this (and I didn’t even par-bake it), but still delicious nonetheless. Here is the recipe for a most stellar spinach and mushroom quiche…

 

Spinach, Mushroom, and Cheese Quiche (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

 

Ingredients:

• recipe for an all-butter pastry crust (this one works great and makes only a half portion, which is all you need for this recipe)
• 1 tsp. oil or butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1–2 cups mushrooms (I used shittake and procini), finely chopped
• 3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar (gruyere works great too – I used a mix of the two)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

(1) Roll out the pie crust and press firmly into the bottom of your pie dish/tart pan/whatever, pressing it up the sides but not to stretch it too thinly. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

(2) In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and sauté the onions until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook a few minutes longer, until everything is soft and browned, seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper at the end. Take off the heat and set aside.

(3) Preheat the oven to 425 F. Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth, and then gradually beat in the milk and eggs. Mix in the spinach, cheese, and mushroom/onion mixture, reserving some of the parmesan cheese.

(4) Take the crust out of the fridge and pour the egg mixture into the dish. Sprinkle a bit of the leftover parmesan on top of the pie, then bake until the crust is brown and the filling is set, about 20–25 minutes. Cool a few minutes before serving.

Hey there, Puddin’….

Been wanting to try my hand at bread pudding for a while now… It’s the perfect dessert to throw together using leftover ingredients like stale bread, milk, and eggs– things I pretty much always have on hand. I even had some leftover canned pumpkin the other day too (as a result of craving it these past spring months… can’t wait til fall again…), so why not throw some in there too? I adapted this recipe slightly and it turned out great. I always think the best time to eat anything is right out of the oven because that’s when it’s fresh and crisp, but this was great during the next few days too. Just throw leftovers in the fridge and re-heat anytime! My only suggestion for re-heating would be to microwave it only for a few seconds first, then putting it on a foil and throwing it in the toaster oven or broiler to get the crispness of the bread back. Otherwise, it’s all soggy, which might be OK if you’re using challah or other, but I used a baguette, which we all know the crisper, the better!

 

Pumpkin Bread Puddin’

 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 and 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 tsp. cloves
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• 5 cups of cubed, 1-inch pieces of day-old baguette
• 3/4 stick (6 tbsp.) melted butter
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup dried cranberries, divided

 

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 F.  In one bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt and spices.  In another bowl, toss the bread cubes with the melted butter, making sure to coat each piece evenly.

 

 

(2) Next, pour the pumpkin mixture over the bread cubes, stirring with a spatula to coat evenly.  Stir in some of the cranberries.

 

 

(3) Transfer the mixture to an ungreased, 8-inch baking dish, and top with the remaining cranberries, like this:

 

 

(4) Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the custard is set and nicely browned on top, like this:

Yummy!

Simple carrot + caramelized onion soup

I made this soup a few weeks ago when the weather was finally starting to get warmer (not that this winter was frightfully cold in Philadelphia or anything), and almost completely forgot about it! I usually don’t particularly care much for carrots unless they are smothered in hummus or some other delicious veggie dip, but this soup made me a huge fan again. Combined with the flavor of caramelized onions, it’s definitely a winner. With just the right amount of sweetness, it’s so refreshing… perfect for welcoming the Spring.

 

Carrot and Caramelized Onion Soup (adapted from The Tomato Tart)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 large vidalia onion, sliced into ribbons
• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil (for sautéeing)
• 1 1/2 pounds of carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
• 1 medium potato (I used sweet, but I imagine yukon gold or other would be good too)
• 1-2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

(1) Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven and cook onions until caramelized, about 30 minutes.  Add the carrots, potato, and celery, cooking for another 10 minutes, tossing well to coat with the oil and onions.

(2) Add the vegetable stock, turn up the heat a little, and bring to a rapid boil.  Add seasonings, and cook until the veggies are very soft and tender to the point where they are almost falling apart– about 25 minutes.

(3) If you have an immersion blender, use that to blend until completely smooth. If not, do this with a food processor (in batches, since it might be too much). Thin with a little water or milk, if necessary.

There you have it. Proof that carrots can be sexy good. Here’s more if you need it:

Better than a breath mint…

I don’t know how many people actually read this blog, but to those who do, I have not abandoned it!! Grad school just took over my life recently so I avoided doing any more writing than necessary. Didn’t do much baking during this hectic spring semester either, aside from these yummy cookies I whipped up while scrounging for baking supplies one morning, when the mood struck me to permeate the house with the smell of something deliciously sweet. I found an unopened package of Andes chocolates, along with some cocoa powder and nothing else but the basics, so I was set on making some mint chocolate magic happen. These cookies turned out delicious, and surprisingly very soft despite the cocoa powder… I think the extra tablespoon of butter did the trick, so don’t skimp on it!!

 

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus one tbsp.
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 to a whole package of Andes mint chocolates (depending on how much you like them I suppose)

 

Directions:

(1) In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda/powder. Set aside.

 

(2) Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add in the egg and vanilla, beating until just incorporated.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients, then fold in the chopped Andes mint candies.

(3) Chill the dough for about one hour – you can just leave it how it is in the bowl. This is a very important step, trust me!!

(4) Roll the dough into little balls, placing them on parchment lined baking sheets. Press some chopped Andes candy pieces onto the top, kind of like how you do with a peanut butter kiss, and bake for about 8 minutes (you want them slightly gooey still, as baking them for too long will make them hard later!)

 

I try to be decorative…

Cauliflower is bombin.’

I am continuously surprised by how good soup can taste when it’s homemade and not from a Campbell’s soup can (Sorry, Mr. Warhol, but I just don’t share your affinity for that stuff).  This most recent soup gave me a bonus surprise with how good the taste of cauliflower can be, when prepared the right way.  I’ve been wanting to purée that odd-looking, tasteless vegetable into a soup for some time now (don’t know why, given the negative way I just described it) and found a great recipe that combines it with the wonderful taste of roasted garlic.  Let me just say… this has probably been the best soup I made all winter so far.  Didn’t even taste like cauliflower!  It tasted like a baked potato soup with cheese, although neither of those ingredients were in it… I was amazed!! It was like a magical transformation… kind of reminded me of that “miracle fruit” that changes the taste of whatever you’re about to eat.  Anyway, here is the recipe for this most “magical,” yet simple concoction…

 

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup (adapted from The Novice Chef)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. oil, divided
• 1 large head of garlic
• 1 whole head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder (or old bay seasoning)
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 cup sherry (or other cooking wine)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup (4 oz.) nonfat plain greek yogurt

 

Directions:

(1) Preheat your oven to 400 F.  Toss the cauliflower florets with half the oil and spread them out onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Set aside.

(2) Cut off the top of the head of the garlic, so that it cuts into the top of each clove. Brush with a little olive oil and wrap in foil. Place it on the baking sheet along with the cauliflower and roast for about 25 minutes.  Once the cauliflower is tender and browned in some areas, remove it from the oven.  The garlic may need to be in there for an additional 10–15 minutes, so leave it in there.  Keep checking on it, but remove it once it smells fragrant and is no longer raw, but very tender.

(3) While these guys are cooling, heat a large pot or dutch oven over med-high heat.  Whisk in the flour and 1 tbsp. oil and stir until light brown, almost as if you are making a roux.  Mix in the celery, carrot, and onion, and cook for a few minutes, stirring so that nothing sticks and burns.

(4) Add the seasonings and thyme, stirring to coat everything. Carefully add the white wine and water, and bring everything to a slow boil.  Cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring as needed.

(5) Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the garlic head.  Add them to the pot, along with the chicken broth.  Bring back to a low boil and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Then add the roasted cauliflower and cook for about 5 minutes more.

(6) Carefully transfer the soup to a food processor.  You may have to do it in batches, since it yields a bit too much to put in the processor all at once.  Add the greek yogurt* and purée until smooth.

That’s a lot to put in at once, so unless you want your soup to splatter everywhere, please do this in two batches!!

*Also, a note about the greek yogurt– it MAKES this soup in my opinion, so don’t skimp on it! Remember that surprising “cheesiness” I was talking about? This, in combination with the roasted garlic, must have been it, so feel free to add more for an even creamier texture/taste if you want!  And, like I did in the first picture, feel free to top the top with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and some reserved roasted cauliflower florets. Yum!

Bloop bloop… SO GOOD. I promise you.

And, on a related note– since this soup is truly THE BOMB, it’s only appropriate to show some art that portrays this bomb-astic quality of this cloud-like veggie. I present you with Brock Davis’s Nagasaki: 

Quiche, in miniature form.

With all the soups I’ve been making, I’ve been getting into the habit of freezing things, since cooking for yourself amounts to copious amounts of leftovers.  It’s a perfect solution for what to do after making foods of massive quantities!  Another huge food item I’ve been wanting to make for a while is quiche, which is only really good for parties, brunches, and whatnot, since I can’t imagine eating an entire quiche to myself (unless it’s THAT good).  Well, since eggs are also very freezable apparently, I decided to put the muffin pan to use and make MINI quiches, which would require about the same amount of eggs and whatnot for a regular quiche or large frittata recipe, and would be perfect for freezing individually to defrost later as single serving snacks or even a meal, if I defrosted like 3 or so.  It worked out so nicely!  I refrigerated some too to test if they would be good in the fridge for a few days… turns out they were! I just microwaved them for a few seconds to warm them up and then broiled them in the toaster oven to give them a nice crisp, compensating for the lack of crust that a real quiche would have.  I basically just used whatever veggies I had in my fridge, but I’m sure you can add whatever mix-ins you want, which is the beauty of the egg!

 

Crustless Mini Quiches

 

Ingredients:

• olive oil, for sautéeing
• cooking spray, for greasing the muffin pan
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 8 oz. fresh spinach
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 6 eggs
• about 1/4 cup of milk
• some parmesan cheese, to your taste
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly spray a 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.

(2) Once oil is hot, add the onions and sauté until tender and caramelized, about 15 minutes.  Add the bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the spinach and cook until it just wilts, about a minute.  Turn the heat off and set aside.

(3) In a bowl of some sort, whisk together the eggs, milk, and a bit of cheese.  Add salt and pepper, then stir in the veggie mixture from the skillet.

(4) Pour your quiche mix into the prepared muffin pan, being careful to leave some space by NOT filling it to the brim.  This is very important because the egg will rise, so if you fill them to the top, the quiches will overflow and form one giant mess!  Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the egg sets and they don’t jiggle when you move the pan a bit.  Let them cool a few minutes, after which they should look like this:

After cooling, the egg actually deflates a bit, so they are back to the size of where your mixture was when you poured it. Note the browned edges… yum.

Like I said, with the leftovers, I would sometimes just take one out of the fridge, sometimes a few depending on whether they were a snack or a meal. The best thing to do is to microwave them just until they are heated through (like 20 seconds maybe?) and THEN put them in the toaster oven to get that nice crispness back again (I even found them better this way as opposed to right out of the oven the day I made them). If you want the tops browned, just broil them!

I’m sure these guys would make great party appetizers too. Too bad I didn’t care about the Superbowl…