Crustless Asparagus and Spring Onion Quiche

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There are plenty of things to love about spring, and I am reflecting upon them as we move into the heat of summer. One of my favorite things about spring, and surely a harbinger of the season, is fresh asparagus. I get as much is I can, and use it in as many ways possible. This crustless quiche employing the use of both fresh asparagus, and those wonderful, crunchy, peppery spring onions is a real winner. It captures the taste of spring, combining it with the richness of three flavorful cheeses, to make one wonderful reason for getting up in the morning.

Crustless Asparagus and Spring Onion Quiche

½ lb. Melissa’s fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1½” diagonals

4 extra large eggs
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 t. Dijon mustard
½ t. salt
¼ t. paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
Few gratings fresh nutmeg
1 c. small-curd cottage cheese
1 c. grated Gruyere cheese
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 small bunch of scallions, diced

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with Pam; set aside.

Bring ½ cup water to boiling in sauté pan. Add asparagus, cover, and remove from heat. Allow the asparagus to steam while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a medium mixing bowl, at medium speed, beat eggs until frothy and lemon yellow in color. At low speed, beat in cream, mustard, salt, paprika, cayenne, and nutmeg until combined.

Using a heavy wooden spoon, stir in the three cheeses until fully incorporated.

Drain asparagus; pat dry. Arrange over the bottom of prepared pie plate. Sprinkle chopped onions over asparagus. Pour mix egg mixture over all.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the quiche has puffed, browned, and is set in the center. Allowed to cool 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Breakfast Charcuterie: Baked Eggs for One

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I’m sure that many of you are familiar with the popular charcuterie board. Essentially, it is a board full of attractively displayed and varied types of meats, cheeses, and condiments, along with cornichons, olives of all types, nuts, sometimes a bit of sweet, and flatbread or crackers. It is a fun way to relax with friends while enjoying cocktails, because it allows you to graze at your leisure.

Something new to social media is the breakfast charcuterie, similar to the above, but with items more suitable to the day’s first meal. Because we are all in self-isolation, I didn’t want to make (and had no need for) a large board, so I decided to make a breakfast charcuterie for one. It was so enjoyable to sit down with this beautiful meal. I’ll be giving you the recipe for the delicious cocktail in my next post (Yes, around here, cocktail hour is 24/7, give me trouble, and I’ll fight you.), but for now, I will share the recipe for the baked eggs.

This is a very versatile recipe. Mine was vegetarian, but feel free to add crumbled bacon, crumbled cooked sausage, or diced ham. I find it bakes up the best (and offers a serving significant enough to enjoy) in square ramekins like these.

Baked Eggs for One

2 large eggs
1 T. whole milk
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese
2 button mushrooms, sliced
1 scallion, chopped
1/3 c. chopped, fresh spinach
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a small baking dish with PAM; set aside. Whisk together eggs and milk until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Kale Spinach Pesto

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There is a new book from Abrams publishing called Super Food! by Joy Bauer, subtitled 150 Recipes for Eternal Youth. Now, if the title alone doesn’t get to you, the recipes surely will.

I’m limited as to what I can make, despite my numerous online grocery orders, because many of the things I want aren’t available (which makes grocery delivery really expensive, but I digress). One recipe that caught my eye in particular was this one for kale and spinach pesto with scrambled eggs. I did not have kale, so I made up for it with more spinach and more basil. I couldn’t believe how good this was. I think this is going to be one of my favorite breakfasts of all time. Once you’ve made the pesto, it’s easy enough to spend a couple of minutes on the scrambled eggs. Then just drizzle some over the top and enjoy.

Having this pesto as a condiment alongside any type of egg dish would make your brunch extra special. This is definitely company worthy, but also a special way to treat your family. If you were thinking about growing kale, spinach, or basil in your garden this year, let me encourage you to do so, and make this pesto!

Bon appétit!

Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Kale Spinach Pesto
From Joy Bauer’s SUPER FOOD!

Pesto (Makes 1 ½ c.)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ c. blanched, toasted almonds (or toasted walnuts or pine nuts)
¾ - 1 t. kosher salt
¼ t. ground black pepper, or more to taste
½ c. grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
1 T. lemon juice
2 c. loosely packed baby kale leaves*
2 c. loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 c. loosely packed fresh basil leaves
5 T. extra virgin olive oil

Creamy Scrambled Eggs
1 T. butter or olive oil
8 large eggs, beaten
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

For the pesto: combine the garlic, nuts, salt, pepper, cheese, lemon juice, kale, spinach, and basil in a food processor or blender and pulse until the greens are finely chopped. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water and scrape down the sides as needed to ensure everything is well combined. Then drizzle in the oil while you continue to pulse until everything is evenly blended. Toss in a small ice cube while blending to maintain the bright green color. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed

For the eggs: in a large skillet, melt the butter or warm oil over medium heat. Once the butter is foaming (or the oil is heated), add the eggs and reduce the heat to medium-low. As the eggs begin to set, use a spatula to gently drag the eggs to the center. Continue to gently pull the eggs away from the side to create curds of egg, and cook until just about set, about three minutes.

Transfer the eggs to a serving dish and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the pesto over the top.

*I didn’t have kale, so I doubled up on the spinach and basil leaves

Easy Gruyere and Brie Quiche

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Today I wanted quiche. I mean I really wanted quiche. Pickings are getting pretty slim around here, and despite the fact that I placed a delivery order for groceries, it isn’t scheduled to arrive for another week. Wow! So, I dug around, pulled out what I had on hand, namely eggs, Brie, Gruyere, some questionable milk, a bit of heavy cream, and a handful of eggs. The end result was nothing short of amazing. This was the absolute most delicious, creamy, wonderful quiche I have ever eaten. These two cheeses blended just beautifully. When combined, you get the nuttiness of the Gruyere, along with the creaminess of the Brie, resulting in a filling that is rich and custard-y. They aren’t kidding when they say, “necessity is the mother of invention.” I even made my own crust (something that I never do; store-bought crust is generally my wheelhouse). Look how flaky this crust is. Color me proud!

Easy Gruyere and Brie Quiche

1 piecrust, purchased or homemade
5 extra-large eggs
2/3 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
4 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
4 oz. brie cheese, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Few gratings fresh nutmeg

Line a 9-inch pie pan with crust. Prick holes in the bottom with a fork, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425° F. Remove crust from the freezer, line with foil, and fill with pie weights. Bake in the bottom third of your oven for 15 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights and bake for an additional five minutes.

Whisk together eggs, cream, and whole milk. Fold in cheeses, add salt and pepper. Pour mixture into pie crust, spreading cheeses to cover the bottom. Sprinkle top generously with freshly grated nutmeg. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until top is set and no longer jiggles when slightly shaken.

Remove from oven to wire rack and cool 15 minutes before.

"Hatched" Eggs

We are into the holiday countdown, and I don't know about you, but I have entered panic mode. My big party is the day after Christmas on Boxing Day, so I have one more day to prepare than you do, but that doesn't mean that I'm any less frantic than you are. Sometimes the simple things can save the day, which is why I'm going to share this simple and delicious recipe for hatch salsa-infused deviled eggs. Aren't you loving the cuteness?!

If you're looking for a quick addition to your Christmas buffet, these "Hatched" Eggs are it. They are a cinch to put together, adorably seasonal, and will be inhaled by your guests. While the garnish may look a bit complicated, it's made easy through the use of a simple drinking straw and a few leaves of parsley. They're cute, delicious, and always get a lot of positive comments from appreciative diners.

"Hatched" Eggs

Six hard cooked large eggs
2 tablespoons Melissa’s Hatch Chile Salsa
2 tablespoons juice mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Grey Poupon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Melissa's Fire Roasted Sweet Red Bell Peppers
Fresh parsley

After eggs have cooled, slice in half, remove the yolks and set the white part aside. In a mini blender or food processor, place the yolks along with the salsa, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Blend thoroughly. Spoon mixture into egg whites, or pipe it into the eggs with a pastry bag. Use a drinking straw to cut small rounds out of the roasted red peppers. To garnish, top with roasted red pepper "holly berries" and a leaf or two of parsley.

This post is linked to:

 Homestead Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday
Weekend Linky Party
Grace at Home
Simple & Sweet Friday
Foodie Friday & Everything Else
Creative Ways Party
Share Your Style

Creamy Eggs with Leeks

It's Sunday morning, time for breakfast, and you haven't a clue as to what to fix.  Cereal?  Eggs? Waffles? Pancakes?  It all seems so boring somehow. But stock a couple of items and you can have an easy, delicious breakfast, as tasty as one you'd enjoy in an expensive B&B. 

There's no real recipe for this dish, the ingredients are what make it what it is. I first introduced you to one of them here that has since become a staple in my fridge, Melissa's Cleaned and Sliced Leeks. I am in love with this item. It can turn any dish from plain to fancy, such as the case with a simple pan of scrambled eggs. 

In an 8" sauté pan, melt a tablespoon of butter.  Toss in a handful of the leeks, adding additional butter if necessary (it largely depends upon the size of your hand), and sauté until leeks are soft. Meanwhile, whisk together two extra-large eggs and 2 tablespoons whole milk. Cut a 1/2" slice off of a brick of cream cheese (approximately 1/2 ounce) and cut this into pieces. When leeks are soft, pour egg mixture over them, and dot with the pieces of cream cheese. Cook slowly until eggs are desired texture, but do not allow them to go too long or they'll become dry. Salt and paper to taste and serve with buttered toast and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. It's a delightful way to welcome a Sunday morning. 

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Foodie Friday

Baked Eggs with Red Peppers and Boursin

If you made the spinach soufflé recipe from yesterday you’re probably wondering what to do with the other half of the jar of roasted red peppers.  Here is but one of the many answers, Baked Eggs with Red Peppers and Boursin.  This has to be the easiest breakfast dish that I’ve ever assembled, and it is really good.  It also looks quite impressive and I’m guessing could be a real dazzler when serving overnight guests.  It can easily be custom made to fit you or your guests’ interests -- eliminate the bacon for a vegetarian version, change the herbs to suit various tastes, top it with salsa verde for a spicier, Tex-Mex variety, add or subtract cheeses, toss in spinach or kale, or top with chopped ham and hollandaise for a mock eggs benedict.  The combination of ingredients are endless.  Give it a try and let me know.

Baked Eggs with Red Peppers and Boursin

1 t. unsalted butter, softened

3 T. finely chopped Melissa’s fire roasted sweet red bell peppers

1 T. boursin cheese, more or less to taste
1 T. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T. fresh parsley, minced
2 large eggs
1 strip bacon, cooked and crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350°F.  Butter one small baking dish. Place chopped roasted red peppers into the baking dish and top with cracked eggs then sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, and parsley.  Drop small dollops of Boursin in various spots on top of the eggs, sprinkle with a dash of salt, freshly ground pepper, and crumbled bacon. Bake the eggs for 10-15 minutes until the eggs have achieved desired doneness: less time for runny yolks, more time for firm yolks. Serve immediately. Serves 1

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Wow Us Wednesdays

Baked Eggs in Ham Cups

I am a nut about not letting anything go to waste, but sometimes it’s hard to decide what to do with just one or two mushrooms, a rather small and about-to-wither shallot, a slice or 2 of bacon, and those herbs that I bought at the grocery store and then forgot what I had planned to do with them.  That’s when I decide to make baked ham and egg cups for breakfast.  These can be prepared the night before and baked in the morning, so you can have an amazing breakfast to start your day.  The recipe can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled depending upon how many people that you want to serve.  The filling is really up to you and can be altered to suit any appetite:

·        Vegetarians - Sauté mushrooms, scallions, strips of zucchini, and green pepper,

·        Meat lovers – Sauté spicy sausage and crumble crisp bacon,

·        Kids - Add crumbled bacon and extra cheese,

·        Spicy fans would appreciate the addition of jalapeno peppers and a drop of tabasco,

·        Cheese lovers would enjoy a mixture of cheese such as cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan,

·        For an Asian bent, sauté the mushrooms with Asian greens and stir in fresh bean sprouts.

Whatever you have in the fridge will work in these cups.  You are only limited by your tastes and imagination, just be sure to follow the basic formula below and you can’t go wrong.

Baked Eggs in Ham Cups

Serves 2

2 mushrooms, finely chopped

1 small shallot or 2 scallions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Pinch of Kosher salt

Few grindings of black pepper

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives

2 slices Virginia ham (perhaps you have some leftover from yesterday’s dish)

3 extra-large eggs

1 tablespoon of cream, half-n-half or whole milk

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever type lurks in your fridge)

2 (1/2-cup) ramekins

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray ramekins with PAM.

Melt butter in a medium or large sauté pan over moderate heat (depending upon how many you plan to make), and sauté mushrooms and shallot (or scallions) in butter with salt and pepper until cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and chives.

While the filling is cooking, crack eggs into a medium bowl, add the cream, half-n-half, or milk, and whisk together.  

Press a slice of ham into each prepared ramekin.  Divide filling between the two among cups and pour half of the egg mixture into each (OR if you don’t mind the soft yolk, simply break an egg into filled each cup. I’m not a fried egg, or runny yolk fan, so I prefer them scrambled.),and top with cheese.  Bake in the middle of the oven until cooked through, about 10 minutes for scrambled eggs or 15 minutes for the fried egg.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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What's Cooking Wednesday

Potpourri Friday

Baked Egg Custard with Gruyere and Chives for Two

I love brunch, and because I love brunch, I also love brunch recipes, and really love brunch recipes that can be both made ahead, and scaled down to two so we can enjoy them on no other occasion than that I just wanted something special for breakfast.  This tasty little custard fills the bill quite nicely, goes together in a hurry, and will seem as if you labored all morning.  With nothing more needed than a little blender that can go easily into the dishwasher, clean-up is also a breeze.  The next time I make these, and I will, I'll add a little more of the grated Gruyere on top for a better presentation and just a tad more cheese.

Baked Egg Custard with Gruyere and Chives for Two

1/2 cup coarsely grated Gruyere
2 Tablespoons chopped chives
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon instant minced onion
3/8 cups whole milk
1 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. 

Butter 2 6-oz. ramekins into which you will place 1/4 cup grated Gruyere and 1 tablespoon of chives in each. 

In a mini blender (if you have one, regular blender, if not) place eggs, minced onion, milk, cream cheese, and nutmeg along with a few gratings of freshly ground paper and a pinch of salt. 

Blend thoroughly.

Pour egg mixture over Gruyere and chives, and bake until puffed, set, and golden, about 22 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Have a great weekend!

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Six-Layer Quiche

There is nothing easier to make for a quick meal than a quiche.  All you really need are cream and eggs, the rest is up to you.  I strongly suggest a heavy dosing of Gruyere cheese as nothing makes a quiche taste more rich and delicious than Gruyere; a few scrapings of fresh nutmeg can give it that little something extra that will have your guests raving.  After that the choice is up to you.  I'll often make quiche when I want to clean out the vegetable bin in the refrigerator, those last couple of mushrooms, the bunch of scallions beginning to sag, the half pepper, even the remnants of last night's roast chicken, all contribute to a delicious tasting quiche.  Depending upon the ingredients it can be hearty or light, and it's well suited to any time of the day  -- brunch, lunch, or dinner.  It can be prepared up to a day ahead and baked when you need it making it the perfect choice for your busiest of days. How's that for versatile?

Here's one of my favorite recipes both for simplicity and taste.

SIX-LAYER QUICHE

1 refrigerated pie crust

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup each:

Chopped green pepper

Chopped scallions

Sliced mushrooms

Diced ham

Bacon, diced

3 eggs

2 cups half 'n half

2 tablespoons flour

Grating of fresh nutmeg (about 1/4 tsp.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Let crust come to room temperature.  Unroll and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" deep dish pie plate.  (If you don't have a deep dish pie plate, it's perfectly acceptable to use a deep dish frozen pie shell.) Saute peppers, onions, mushrooms, ham, and bacon together in a medium saute pan until done; drain.  Place in bottom of unbaked pie shell and top with cheese.  In a separate bowl, beat eggs.  Whisk in half 'n half and nutmeg.  Add flour to mixture and mix until smooth.  Pour on top of ingredients in pie shell.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 25 more minutes.  Let stand for ten minutes before slicing.

 

Serves 6

Bits and Pieces Strata

This is a great dish any time of the year, but particularly good for spring and summer because it is light, yet satisfying.  It is versatile in that it can be made with or without meat, so pleases both the meat eater and vegetarian alike.  It can make a great brunch dish, or serves equally well for a light lunch (cutting it into 6 servings) or a hearty dinner (cutting it into 4).  I refer to this as "Clean Out the Fridge" Strata as I generally make use of what's left in the crisper and meat tray when putting it together.  No matter what combination I put together it has never failed to be delicious.  This is a dish that is tasty and impressive despite its being thrown together with whatever you happen to have on hand, so I love it!

Follow the step-by-step tutorial below and you'll see how easy this dish is to make.  I hope you'll try it, and when you do, let me know what you think.

Bits and Pieces Strata Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 cups chopped vegetables of your choice (mushrooms, onions, scallions, green pepper, red pepper, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, leeks, shallots, celery, zucchini, steamed asparagus, blanched broccoli, etc.)
5 slices white bread
2 cups cheese in any combination of your choice
2/3 cup deli ham, sliced into strips (or similarly cut salami, pepperoni, or "coins" of andouille or chorizo) (optional)
2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons butter thinly on bread. 

 Cut bread into 1/2-inch pieces.

 Layer half of bread in 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

 Cover with half of cheese. I had a variety of cheeses left over, so used cheddar, emmental, fontina, and gouda.

 Clean and slice vegetables of your choice.

 Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables to skillet and saute until just tender, about 4 minutes. Mix in meat, if used; saute 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.

 Cover cheese with half of vegetable/meat mixture.

  Repeat layering with bread, cheese and vegetable mixture.

 For my next layer of cheese, I used up what was left in a package of shredded cheddar and Monterrey Jack.

 Top with remaining vegetable/meat mixture.

 Beat milk, eggs, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend.

 Pour over strata.

 I had three slices of bacon left in the fridge, so fried it until crisp and crumbled it over the top.

 Press down on top of strata to ensure all of the bread absorbs the milk/egg mixture.  Let set for 15 minutes.

Bake strata until lightly browned on top and set in center, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes; cut into squares.

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Foodie Friday

Food on Friday

Friday Favorites