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: