Spinach and Onion Quiche

What the heck is quiche? My number one question last night after I made three of these bad boys to serve as one of our dinner entrées for the Team Red Thursday meeting we hosted at Fuchsia and Lime. If I had just said Egg Bake it would have translated better into Midwesternese. Hey, I didn’t know what quiche was until a few months ago, either. First time I read it on a menu I said, What the heck is kwitch?

These are not your average quiches because instead of chicken eggs, I used duck eggs—huge and prehistoric looking! If I hadn’t been told which species they came from, I might have guessed pterodactyl eggs.

Spinach and Onion Quiche

Adapted from Hyvee Seasons

3/4 c. chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained

1/2 c. finely chopped onion

2/3 c. shredded cheddar jack cheese

1 pie crust

4 large eggs

1 c. skim milk

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Make pie crust and line a 9′ baking round, gingerly. Some people are artsy about this and do cute little pleats and symmetric wrinkles. I am proudly caveman with the quiche crust. Cute means nothing to my tastebuds, or to Team Red, fact of the matter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine spinach, onion and cheese in pie crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, ground mustard, flour, salt and black pepper. Pour into pie crust.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Prepare yourself to answer the question: what the heck is quiche?

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Quiche is so easy. Especially if you buy a pie crust rather than making your own (but on my blog that is cheating). 5 stars for this onion and spinach and duck egg combo! KP and I eat now eat quiche for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thanks to all who came out last night and made the kick-off of the Team Red home-host series so much fun!

Lorelei and Mike, especially, thanks for your kind words about this blog! Keep the tips coming (check out my snazzy line break in this post). Eventually I’ll get my kitchen stocked with all the proper equipment and will stop omitting recipe steps and/or inventing strange feats of chemistry and physics to circumvent my laziness and thrift. But then, what would be left to make you smile? My naivete is probably the most entertaining feature of this project. And Izzy.

Raspberry Cordial Vanilla Cream Oreo Pie

Life really is like a box of chocolates. This, I realized after I ate nearly the whole box that Martha gave us—yes, I ate the gift given to me and KP…perhaps a box of chocolates also has something to teach me about marriage— They were incredible by the way, want to give a shout out to the chocolatier nuns at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey. The best is necessarily and always the last, because you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Or, if you are like me, the anticipatory grief sets in about one bite before it’s gone…

And then, thank God, there’s pie.

Raspberry Cordial Vanilla Cream Oreo Pie

Adapted from Baking Illustrated

OREO COOKIE CRUST:

16 Oreo cookies (with filling), broken into rough pieces)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla Cream Filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar , plus 2 tablespoons

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon table salt

5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 cups milk, whole or 2 percent

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 vanilla bean, about 3-inches long, split lengthwise

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon brandy or more to taste (I used raspberry cordial that our neighbors Eric and Katie gifted us during the holidays)

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°. In bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, process cookies with 15 one-second pulses, then let machine run until crumbs are uniformly fine, about 15 seconds. (Alternatively, place cookies in large zipper-lock plastic bag and crush with rolling pin– However, Abby and I had a philosophical discussion about the ethics of graham crumbling and the greatest good, she argues, is when crackers are crumbed by hand. Much more love involved. And, she says, the baggie method is subject to dispiriting tears.) Transfer crumbs to medium bowl, drizzle with butter, and use fingers to combine until butter is evenly distributed.

Pour crumbs into 9-inch pie plate. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom and up sides of pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap and use a spoon to evenly cover the bottom of the pan while pressing crumbs into the corners and all the way up the sides of the pan.

Refrigerate lined pie plate 20 minutes to firm crumbs, then bake until crumbs are fragrant and set, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack while preparing filling.

For the Filling: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium saucepan. Add yolks, then immediately but gradually whisk in milk and evaporated milk. Drop in vanilla bean. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently at first, then constantly as mixture starts to thicken and begins to simmer, 8 to 10 minutes. Once mixture simmers, continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat; whisk in butter and brandy. Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and whisk them back into filling.

Pour filling into shallow pan (another pie pan works well). Put plastic wrap directly over filling surface to prevent skin from forming; cool until warm, about 30 minutes. Pour warm filling into pie shell and, once again, place sheet of plastic wrap directly over filling surface. Refrigerate pie until completely chilled, at least 3 hours.

Whip cream to soft peaks. Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla; continue to whip to barely stiff peaks. Spread over filling and refrigerate until ready to serve.

You know, I forewent this pie. I am just not a fan of cream-textured foods. The chocolate cream pie was borderline. Gelatinous foods nauseate me like no other. But KP and the other folks who put a dent in this one seemed to really dig it. I was satisfied by the name alone.

Pane Francese Con Biga

I made a whole stack of bread the other day with my friend Abby in an attempt to stock up for the wild weekend of festivities, grad parties, block parties, and then last night’s Life of Pi movie party. I also wanted to repay the neighbors who 1) mow my lawn on the sly 2) pay high school kids to flock my front yard with flamingoes 3) say the most hilarious things and offer to read my thesis manuscript, Janelle.

Of the stack, this one was definitely the weirdest. It had the quality I’m recognizing to be something of a hallmark in Italian bread recipes—soupy dough. The wetness of the dough precludes much shaping and structure. Once the “baguettes” were laid out to rest, they looked like very long tongues of the cartoon varietal. A tongue that got caught in the door perhaps, and then rolled up like a window blind.

Pane Francese Con Biga

Sponge-Method Italian-Style French Bread

Adapted from The Village Baker

Biga

1 tsp active dry yeast (I cup of sourdough starter)

1 1/8 cups warm water

2 cups unbleached white all-purpose or bread flour

Dough

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup very cold water

Instructions

Proof the yeast in 1/8 cup of warm water and a bit of the flour until the mixture is creamy. Add this to the rest of the warm water in a large bowl and start adding the flour, a handful at a time, while mixing with a plastic dough scraper or wooden spoon. When the ingredients have been thoroughly combined, the sponge will be very soupy. It can be left in the same bowl in which it was mixed, as long as it is large enough to accommodate the risen sponge, which will triple in bulk. Let the sponge rise, covered in a warm spot for 8 to 10 hours. To make the dough, place the biga and the salt into a food processor which has been fitted with the plastic blade. Pulse to combine them. Add the 1/4 cup of cold water and process about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup at a time, pulsing 3 or 4 times with each addition. The dough will come away from the bowl but will be quite sticky. Scrape down the sides and pulse 2 or 3 more times. Dust the dough with a small handful of extra flour and scrape out onto a floured work surface. The extra flour will make it possible to handle the wet dough. Knead the dough for a minute or so to work out any lumps and form into a tight ball. Do not be afraid to use up to 1/2 cup of additional flour. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. When doubled, turn out on a floured surface and divide in half. Form into 2 8-inch baguettes or batards. For baguettes, cover and let rest covered for 30 minutes. Carefully pick up each baguette and stretch until it is 12 to 14 inches long and fits neatly into a greased baguette pan (may be baked on a greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet). Preheat oven to 450 F. Slash tops before putting into oven. After putting loaves in the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 425 F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. If the loaves are not stretched , they will resemble what folks from the northeast think of as Italian bread. Makes 2 11-oz loaves or 1 1 1/4-oz loaf.

I don’t know, this wasn’t too hot. Stretching just made the loaf look like a very long prehistoric humerus bone. Or, the world’s largest breadstick. I probably wouldn’t make again. If you want a French baguette, make them the French way. Leave the pizza to the Italians.

Classic Guacamole

Okay, not bread. But if chips are likened to bread, than guacamole is equivalent to butter. This may have been my first experience ever touching an avocado in any meaningful way. And by that I mean with the intention to eat—nothing romantic or otherwise. I made some conjectures about avocado skin color and quality of squish: the darker the avocado, it seems, the easier the skin to peel and the softer and greener the fruit meat to pulp. In the case of avocados, the opposite Kermit the Frog mantra proves true, It is easier being green.

Classic Guacamole

Adapted from Hyvee Seasons

2 tbsp lime juice
3 medium avocadoes, halved and seeded
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 to 1 jalapeno, halved, seeded and minced
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

Combine lime juice and avocado halves in medium bowl. Using a fork, roughly chop the avocado to desired consistency.
Stir in onion, cilantro, jalapeno, hot sauce, salt, cumin, garlic and tomato.
Cover and let stand 1 hour if serving at room temperature or refrigerate 2 to 3 hours to serve chilled.

This recipe tasted fabulous even though I only had one good bite. It was the party phenomenon where chips and guac go out on the table, you step away to put ice in the cooler or change a garbage bag, and you return to find the guac bowl empty with only traces of green smear. Too bad. But I will make it again, now that I know what kind of avocados to look for.

Chocolate Cream Pie

One thing I’ve learned as a new dog owner and spring fashionista: There is no having white pants and a bull dog. You can have one or the other, not both. The same might go for having white pants and chocolate cream pie. I know which I choose…

Chocolate Cream Pie

Adapted from Baking Illustrated

Graham Cracker Crust

This recipe actually calls for an oreo crust, which I made, but accidently poured my Vanilla Cream pie filling into because I was not really paying attention. Turns out, graham cracker tastes great with this, though I’m sure the Oreo crust would too. Stay tuned for that one)

9 graham crackers (5 oz), broken into rough pieces

2 TB granulated sugar

5 TB unsalted butter, melted and warm

CHOCOLATE CREAM FILLING:

2½ cups half-and-half

pinch table salt

⅓ cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

6 large egg yolks at room temperature, chalazae (protein strands attached to yolk) removed

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1 tsp. vanilla extract

WHIPPED TOPPING:

1½ cups heavy cream (cold)

1½ Tbsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Crust: adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, process the graham crackers until evenly fine, about 30 seconds (you should have about 1 cup crumbs)—I did this all by hand, and it tasted great.
Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse while adding the warm melted butter in a steady stream; pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch glass pie plate, evenly press the crumbs into the pie plate, using your thumb and a ½ cup measuring cup to square off the top of the crust. Bake the crust until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes; cool on a rack. Thank you Abby, L’Heureux–crust art here is hers.

FOR THE FILLING: Bring half-and-half, salt, and about 3 tablespoons sugar to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon to dissolve sugar. Meanwhile, stir together remaining sugar and cornstarch in small bowl. Just as the half-and-half mixture starts to simmer, sprinkle the cornstarch mixture over yolks and whisk until mixture is glossy and sugar has begun to dissolve, about 1 minute. When half-and-half reaches full simmer, drizzle about ½ cup hot half-and-half over yolks, whisking constantly to temper; then whisk all of egg yolk mixture into simmering half-and-half (mixture should thicken in about 30 seconds). Return to simmer, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on the surface and mixture is thickened and glossy, about 15 seconds longer.

Off heat, whisk in butter until incorporated; add chocolates and whisk until melted, scraping pan bottom with rubber spatula to fully incorporate. Stir in vanilla, then immediately pour filling into baked and cooled crust. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of filling and refrigerate pie until filling is cold and firm, about 3 hours.

FOR THE TOPPING: Just before serving, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla in bowl of standing mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds more. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume and forms soft peaks, about 20 seconds. Spread or pipe (what the heck does this mean?) whipped cream over chilled pie filling. Cut pie into wedges and serve. Be sure to make a little extra whipped cream for yourself and the bulldog–

This was terrific. The “whipping one’s own cream” phenomenon dazzles me. I have a liquid, and then after eight or so minutes of a good thrashing it becomes semi-solid. It stands up and makes so-called peaks. I can scoop this former liquid onto my forefinger and it does not drip off, rather, stands toward my tongue, or Izzy’s… Wonderful trick. Confession: I knowingly made extra whipped cream for my little party. I ate the remainder today for lunch, spread upon left over graham crackers. The whipped cream bowl was in my fridge, next to the bag of spinach, and I chose the gluttoner. Happy Monday to me.

Moo Shu Pancakes

Why so many Chinese breads, Rachel? Well, when China takes over the world, I want to be ready with my peace offerings. Let’s keep her, she makes a mean shaobing and moo shu pancakes. And then, hands pressed, I bow graciously. Why, of course I’ll be the Emperor’s Baker.

Beijing Pancakes aka Moo Shu Pancakes

adapted from Flatbreads and Flavors and The Luna Cafe

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 cup water, brought to a boil
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

olive oil for kneading and shaping

2 tablespoons olive oil mixed with 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil, for frying

To prepare the dough, in a large bowl, add the flour.
Whisk together the hot water, sesame oil, and salt.
Pour the water mixture over the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon to form a shaggy mass.
To knead the dough, when cool enough to handle, turn dough out onto a lightly floured countertop, oil your hands, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle with flour as needed.
To rest the dough, put into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and as long as 3 hours. If you need to hold the dough longer, refrigerate. Show the dough to you very tired bulldog. She has had an exciting weekend–
To shape the pancakes, turn the dough out onto the clean, lightly floured countertop and roll with your hands to a 16-inch long, 1-inch diameter rope. Cut the rope into sixteen, 1-inch length pieces. Cut each piece in half. You now have 32 pieces of dough, each weighing about 5/8 ounce. Roll each piece into a 1-inch diameter ball.
Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball as thinly as possible to a 5-inch diameter disk. This was tricky. I made a lot of ugly pancakes with wrinkles and other strangenesses.
To fry the pancakes, heat an 8- or 10-inch, non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Coat the surface of the pan with the vegetable and sesame oil combination. Sauté one pancake at a time until barely golden and dry on both sides—about 1 minute on each side. Don’t overcook the pancakes or they will be brittle. Experiment with the first few, adjusting the heat as necessary, until you get the heat and timing just right. Brush the pan with oil repeatedly as needed. I actually liked cooking them too long on purpose because they made really tasty crispy chips. Also, after the rolled-out rounds have sat for awhile, they are more relaxed and easier to stretch into really thin pancakes.
To store the pancakes, wrap pancakes in foil (to keep them moist) until ready to use. You can also make them ahead and refrigerate. They keep for days. Reheat briefly in the oven (wrapped in foil) or microwave before eating.

Makes thirty-two, 5-inch pancakes. I plan to use them all week for my spinach wrap sandwiches. The sesame oil isn’t overpowering and I imagine these will be pretty versatile with a lot of toppings. Lighting and thunder ends what was certainly an electric week. Had a wonderful backyard party this afternoon for beloved friends who are leaving town this week. I made a ton of new recipes that I’ll be posting all week!

Blackberry Vanilla Muffins with Streusel

Tom Brokaw spoke at the Mayo Medical School graduation this afternoon. Mayo Clinic gave him an honorary degree for his life’s work. And then, for the really good stuff, it was a gorgeous day in the neighborhood for Art on the Ave! Over a thousand neighbors came out of their SE Rochester homes to eat together, mingle through booths of local art for sale, and groove to live music.

On that theme, my lovely neighbor Laura brought me duck eggs the other day from a friend of hers in the cities. They are enormous. Tough to crack, like pre-historic eggs. From her gift, I created these muffins. Couldn’t taste any difference, really. Eggs are eggs, says embryology.

Blackberry Vanilla Muffins with Streusel

Adapted from Hyvee Seasons
Streusel Topping
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cold butter
Muffins
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg (I used a duck egg!)
2/3 c. milk
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained well

To prepare topping, in a small bowl, combine sugar and flour. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, beat together egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Add to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup to cover bottom. Place 2 to 3 blackberries over batter in center of muffin cup. Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with streusel topping.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm or cool completely on wire rack.

5 stars. Janelle, next year’s Art on the Ave host hopeful (shoe-in), says they were pretty tasty.

Pane Francese Antiquato

Sometime last night a flock of flamingos descended into our front yard. I heard they were in season, and I completely understand why they prefer our front yard to the rest of Rochester. It is the most tropical locale in town. First the Dr. Seuss trees and now this! HaHA! Spring has been good to us.

This bread, according to the Wiseman family who received a loaf, is excellent when grilled with cheese.With just a smidge of whole-wheat, it is a porridge style (hence, antique) french bread recipe made in the italian style–so the crumb is a bit more moist and spongey. Yum.

Pane Francese Antiquato

Italian-Style French Bread

Adapted from The Village Baker

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup boiling water

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

3 packages dry yeast (3 cups of sourdough starter)

1 ½ cups warm water

Bouillie

Place whole wheat flour in a bowl and mix in the one cup of boiling water. Let soak for 5 minutes and then stir and let sit covered for 15 hours.

Dough

Add yeast to the bouillie mush and dilute with the warm water. Add the salt and 2 ½ cups of flour and stir until the dough is shaggy. Turn the dough onto the worktable and knead it, using the remaining ½ cup of flour until the dough is smooth. Let dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Make up dough into 2 loaves, each about 10 inches long and 4 wide. Cover the loaves and let them rise for 1 hour. Flatten them with the fingertips, flip them over, and let them rise for another 20 minutes.

Bake the loaves in a preheated 350 oven for between 40 and 45 minutes.

I am glad this recipe makes two loaves—afterall, I have a whole flock to feed.

Pane All’Olio Croissant

Tuesday was the panini hand, today are the panini fingers. You know, this bread is pretty tough and chewy. KP recommends that something should be wrapped up and baked into this bread to make it a little more exciting, like cheese or prosciutto and I agree. But they were certainly easier to fold than the hand. Instead of a double scroll and the twist, just stop at one scroll.

Pane All’Olio Croissant

Olive Oil Bread

Adapted from The Village Baker

Ingredients

1 cup sourdough starter or 1 package dry yeast

½ cup warm water

½ cup hot water

½ tsp honey

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ tsp salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze: 1 egg white whisked into ¼ cup cold water or 1/3 cup olive oil

In ½ cup of hot water dissolve the honey, oil, and salt. When this mixture has cooled, combine with the yeast and add 2 cups of flour, mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon. Empty dough onto a worktable and add the remaining cup of flour, and knead for five minutes.

Let the dough rise for 1 hour, covered and in a warm spot.

Divide the dough into four pieces. One was shaped into a mano now to shape the other three pieces into panini croissants. Divide each of the three pieces so that there are six. Roll flat, and roll up the dough tightly lengthwise and at a slight angle so it overlaps itself. The result will look like little narwhal horns.

Place the Panini croissants on a piece of lined parchment paper, and let rise for 50 minutes. The lines should still be visible. Glaze and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Looking forward to Art on the Ave, only two days away! It’s the final count-down!

Chipotle Pulled Pork on Piadine

Getting pretty pumped up for Art on the Ave over here—we made hand-designed t-shirts to sell at the event. $20, let me know if you want your own! We only made about 20 shirts, so they are practically collector’s items.

Well, it’s the middle of the week and you’re probably thinking what in the gallbladder am I going to make for myself and the masses to eat tonight? If it’s a crockpot kind of day, pull the pork loins out of the freezer and try this spicy dish. I found that it went very well on those Italian piadine I made the other day. Very, very well. It actually tasted a bit like Indian food, as someone remarked the other day how my piadine looked just like Indian chapati. Chipotle chipati—mmmm.

Chipotle Pulled Pork

Adapted from Hyvee Seasons Spring 2013
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I used pork tenderloin, with bones, which I carefully picked out after the meat fell off in the slow cooker)
salt and black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce (I used ketchup)
1/2 c. water
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 canned chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce, sliced with seeds (forgot to slice—and I just used a whole can of the stuff because when I went to the grocery story with this on my list, I thought it said 3 cans of chilis with adobo sauce, not three discrete chilis)
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
4 cloves garlic, minced
corn or floured tortillas, optional
Desired toppings, optional

Trim excess fat from pork shoulder; season with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; brown all sides of meat. Slice onion and garlic and sauté until brown.
In a 3-1/2- to 4-quart slow-cooker, combine browned pork shoulder, tomato sauce, water, onion, chipotle peppers, cumin, coriander and garlic. Cover and cook on LOW heat for 8 to 10 hours or HIGH heat for 5 to 6 hours.
You can either remove the meat from the yummy spicy liquid or keep it in there to marinate. Serve on warm corn or flour tortillas with desired toppings. Or, wrap up the pork in a piadine!