Spinach and Swiss Quiche

I was craving a spinach and Swiss quiche but couldn’t find a recipe that sounded just right—so I created my own. This recipe is simple to prepare, and it is quite versatile.  You can add any ingredients that you prefer.  See my suggestions below.

Quiche is a good option for breakfast, brunch, or a light dinner.  It goes well with a fresh lettuce salad, fruit, roasted potatoes, hashbrowns, a warm muffin or croissant.

1 refrigerated piecrust (a box of Pillsbury piecrust contains 2 crusts in a 14-ounce package)

5 large eggs

2 cups (1 pint) Half & Half or heavy cream

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 cup chopped raw onions or 1/2 cup of onions sautéed in butter until softened

8 ounce can of mushrooms, drained and dried with a towel

8 ounces (2 cups) Swiss cheese, shredded

paprika

dried (or fresh) parsley

Note:  Instead of mushrooms, you may also use a can of artichokes in water (drained) or cooked bacon or ham.

Heat oven to 425F.  Slightly roll out the pie crust and place into a 9-inch pie plate, crimping the edge.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs, Half & Half, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

  

Thaw the spinach and use a clean towel or a thick layer of paper towel to squeeze out as much of the water from the spinach as possible. Sprinkle the spinach in the bottom of the pie crust, making sure to break up the clumps.  Sprinkle with the onions, then the mushrooms and lastly, the shredded cheese.

Gently, pour the egg mixture evenly over the ingredients in the pie pan. With your fingertips, gently poke down the cheese a little to make sure it is fully covered with the egg mixture. 

Sprinkle with paprika and dried or fresh parsley, to add a little color.

Place the quiche in a 425F oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350F and continue to bake 35 more minutes, until quiche is puffed and browned (cover with foil if it is browning too quickly). 

Let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Note:

You may consider baking two quiche and freezing one to have on hand for another meal. To freeze the second quiche, I cut the already baked and cooled quiche into 8 serving portions and freeze one or more pieces together in a plastic or glass container. Now you have a quick breakfast or dinner for another night. Just thaw overnight and reheat in the microwave or air fryer.

Serves 8

Janice

Italian Pasta Salad

This salad works in just about any setting—summer picnics, potlucks, a quick lunch, or whenever you need something simple to round out a meal. It’s flexible enough that you can swap in whatever ingredients you have on hand, and the amount of Italian dressing is entirely up to you.  This makes a lot of pasta for a large gathering.  If you are making this for a smaller family, you may want to make a half of the recipe.

 

1 box (1lb) Rotelle (corkscrew) pasta (or bow-tie or any other hearty pasta you wish to use)

1 8oz block of cheese:  Cheddar, Colby Jack or Mozzarella or any combination of cheese. Cut into small pieces

1 cup pepperoni slices, cut into quarters

1 cup black olives, sliced

1/2 cup orange bell pepper (about a half of a pepper), cut into small pieces

1/2 cup red bell pepper (about a half of a pepper), cut into small pieces

3/4 cup red onion, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not the cheese in the green can)

1 or 2 (16 oz) bottle(s) Olive Garden Italian dressing

Boil water and add pasta, cook according to package directions.  Pasta should be al dente (slightly firm, not mushy).  Drain pasta and run cold water over the pasta in a colander.  Drain well.  Take several pieces of paper towel and toss it around in the bowl to get the excess water off of the pasta.  Does not need to be totally dry.  Set aside.

In another large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.  Gently toss in the bowl to completely combine the ingredients.  Add the cooked and cooled pasta and gently toss again.

You may want to use more than one bottle of dressing, depending on how many ingredients you added to the salad and how much dressing you prefer.

Place salad in a 4-quart serving bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.  Give the salad one more gentle stir just before serving.

Other suggested ingredients you may wish to add:

raw broccoli, cut into small pieces

raw cauliflower, cut into small pieces

green onions

cherry tomatoes, whole

fresh basil

Makes 4 quarts (16 cups)

Mark and Marianne

Roast Beast

I remember my Grandma Miller making this delicious and tender roast beef for dinner.  I am so glad I have the recipe so that our family can continue to enjoy it.

3.5 pound beef sirloin tip roast

3-4 onions, sliced (or as many as you would like)

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

flour & milk to thicken gravy

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place beef roast in roasting pan and add sliced onions to the top of the roast and around the sides of the roast.  Cover the pan and cook at 350 F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender.  (Or you can cook the meat for 1 hour at 300 F, 1 hour at 275 F and 1 1/2 hours at 250 F.)

Take the pan out of the oven and let the beef cool.  Place the covered pan in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, take the pan out of the refrigerator and skim the fat off the meat and broth.  Remove the roast from the pan and slice it thin.

Put the pan on the stove and heat on low.  Whisk in milk and flour to thicken the gravy.  If you would like more gravy, you can add an Au Jus packet or beef Better than Boullion and water according to the directions. 

Add the sliced beef and onions to a crock pot and pour the gravy over the top to cover the meat.  Heat on low for 3-4 hours to reheat. 

Serves:  8

Marianne & Mark

Sourdough Artisan Bread

I have had very good success with this sourdough recipe.  If this is your first time making sourdough bread, I recommend watching a few videos to learn the techniques of making sourdough.  This bread is so good, I double the recipe when I make it.  I slice one loaf and then freeze it. That way I always have some on hand.

1 Loaf

325 g water

100 g active starter

485 g bread flour (or high protein all-purpose flour)

10 g salt

2 Loaves

650 g water

200 g active starter

970 g bread flour (or high protein all-purpose flour)

20 g salt

Mix water and starter together.  Add in flour and salt, mix until no dry spots remain.  I mix by hand using a dough whisk.

Cover bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and rest 1 hour.

Do three rounds of stretch and folds, resting 30 minutes between each.

Place dough, seam-side down, in the bowl and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap.  Bulk ferment on the counter in a warm place for 4-6 hours or until jiggly with bubbles.

Shape dough into a ball and cover with a bowl.  Let rest on the counter for 20 minutes.

Place a banneton liner or a piece of paper towel in the banneton and sprinkle with flour.  Do a final shape and place dough, seam-side up, in the prepared banneton.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.

Place either steel bread pans (for double pan baking) or a Dutch oven in the oven.  Preheat the oven to 450 F for 30 minutes if using bread pans or 45 minutes if using a Dutch oven.  (I do not use aluminum non-stick bread pans because I don't think they can handle the 450 F heat.)

Sprinkle the dough in the banneton with a little bit of flour (this will be the bottom of the loaf of bread).  Put a piece of parchment paper over the bottom of the dough and gently flip the banneton over and put the dough on the counter.  Score the dough about 1 inch deep to allow the dough to expand while baking.  

Double Loaf Pan Method:  Remove pans from oven and place one ice cube in the bottom and place dough on the parchment paper gently in the hot pan.  Place the second loaf pan on top and put in oven.  Bake covered for 35 minutes.  Remove top pan and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Remove bread from pan and remove parchment paper from the bottom.  Place bread on the oven rack and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 F.  Place on wire rack to cool completely before slicing, about 1 hour.

Dutch Oven Method:  Remove Dutch oven from oven and place one ice cube in the bottom and place dough on the parchment paper in the hot Dutch oven.  Place the lid on the Dutch oven and bake covered for 35 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and place bread on the oven rack and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 F.  Place bread on wire rack to cool completely before slicing, about 1 hour.

Source:  The Sourdoughhoe (Facebook)  (Make sure you try her bagel recipe!)

Kimberly

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

There’s something about a Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake that just feels perfect when the weather starts to warm up. The bright lemon and juicy blueberries make this cake taste like Spring! I served this cake for Easter dinner and it quickly disappeared. It is a perfect dessert for lemon lovers and one that I will definitely be making often.

For the cake:

2 cups fresh blueberries - tossed in 1 TBS flour

2 and 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened to room temperature 

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 TBS lemon zest

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 cup full fat sour cream, room temperature

For the lemon glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 TBS lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 350F degrees.

To make the cake, add the blueberries and 1 TBS of flour to a mixing bowl and toss together until all of the blueberries are coated with the flour.  Tossing the blueberries in flour prevents the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of your cake.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar for about 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Mix in the eggs one at a time into the butter/sugar mixture until well combined, then mix in the vanilla.  Slowly mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest and the oil.

Add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients on low speed.  Mix in each addition until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.  There will be quite a bit of batter, so I suggest using a rubber spatula to turn the batter a few times to make sure everything is well combined.  Then add the blueberries and gently fold them into the batter until just combined.

Spray a 10-inch bundt pan well with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and evenly spread it around.

Bake at 350F degrees for 50-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Check for doneness starting at 50 minutes.  You may need to cover loosely with foil, if needed, for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then gently invert the cake onto the wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the glaze:
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until well combined and no lumps remain.  If the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it up.

Slowly, pour the glaze on top of the cooled bundt cake and allow to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes so the glaze can harden.  Enjoy!

Serves 12

Source:  livewellbakeoften.com

Kaitlin

Asian Broccoli Peanut Butter Salad

This salad is made with simple ingredients and an easy peanut sauce that is delicious.  I may double the sauce recipe next time.  You could even add cooked chicken or beef or tofu to make this a main dish and serve it over rice or quinoa.  So easy!  

If you are not familiar with edamame, it is a young immature soybean, that looks just like a peapod.  However, only eat the inner beans as the outer pod itself is fibrous and inedible.  These are usually found in a small bag in the freezer section of your grocery store, most likely already shelled. Edamame is a superfood that is packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.  They are often served as an appetizer at Japanese restaurants.  The edamame is served warm. You sprinkle them with sea salt and place the pod inside your mouth and bite down and pull the pod out between your teeth, leaving the inner beans in your mouth.  Delicious!

Salad ingredients:

3 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed (or you may use fresh broccoli)

1 cup edamame, shelled and cooked

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 cup peanuts

1 batch peanut sauce (see recipe below)

sesame seeds (for garnish)

Peanut sauce ingredients:

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1 TBS rice vinegar

1 TBS soy sauce 

1 TBS honey or agave nectar

1/8 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 to 2 TBS hot water, as needed to thin the sauce

To make the broccoli salad:

Heat a large pot of water until it is boiling.  Add in the broccoli florets and boil for 30 seconds.  Use a mesh strainer to transfer them into a bowl of ice water, which will immediately halt the cooking process.  Drain.  Then add the remaining ingredients and toss until combined. Stir in the peanut sauce and stir until well coated.

To make the peanut sauce:

Whisk all ingredients together until combined.  If the dressing is too thick, whisk in hot water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you desire.

Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds if desired.

Serves: 4-6

Source:  gimmesomeoven.com

Janice