Saturday, August 13, 2016

Pimiento Cheese Quiche


My love for pimiento cheese is legendary. Well, maybe not legendary exactly, but pretty darned close. And when I am not testing new recipes for making pimiento cheese (see here and here), I'm thinking up ways to turn it into a tasty main dish as I did with this Pimiento Cheese Mac and Cheese. The other day I was wondering what else I could possibly do when I hit upon the idea of quiche. I used the basic components of pimiento cheese, a basic quiche recipe, and came up with this amazing bit of deliciousness. 
Pimiento Cheese Quiche

One pie crust (your own or purchased)
3 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Duke’s mayonnaise
Salt, to taste
Pinch of cayenne
2-4 drops hot sauce
8 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
½ 7-ounce jar Melissa’s Fire Toasted Sweet Red Bell Peppers, chopped
1/3 cup chopped scallions

Place pastry into a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork, and place the pastry in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights and bake about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.* Remove from the oven and remove the aluminum foil and pastry weights; return the pastry to the oven to bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, cayenne, and hot sauce until thoroughly blended. Place grated cheese into the bottom of the baked pastry, top with the chopped peppers and scallions, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Pour the milk/cream/egg mixture over the top. Bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and is completely baked through, about 40 minutes. You can check for doneness by giving it a jiggle to make sure that the center is solid rather than liquid-y.

Remove from oven and let set for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

* In the absence of pastry weights, I line the pastry with foil and then put a smaller-sized glass pie pan on top and bake it this way.

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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Memory Tablescape

Mr. O-P was a fan of neutrals. In fact, I often have to laugh to myself when I think about the 1995 film “Get Shorty” (the first we saw together as a married couple), where Bette Midler walks into Gene Hackman's apartment, looks around and says, “My favorite color...putty.” That was Mr. O-P. So, I was mindful of that when I put together this table setting in his honor.
 He was not the fan of tabletop “excess” that I am, so I tried to keep things simple and meaningful. Paying homage to him, his past, and his studies.
The black plaid placemats were purchased at a local shop called Three French Hens and are extremely versatile. They make up the first layer here.

The spice colored dinner plates are from Pier One.
 Topping them are these wonderful salad/appetizer plates featuring illustrations by William Hogarth (1697-1764).
 Hogarth was an 18th-century English painter, critic, social commentator, printmaker, and editorial cartoonist. Mr. O-P's specialty was 18th-century British literature, history, as well as bookmaking (the actual making of books, not placing bets), printmaking, and periodicals.
 When I found this set of plates at Williams-Sonoma, years ago, I was absolutely thrilled. It's hard enough shopping for men, I think, but Mr. O-P was particularly difficult, and these seemed so fitting.
 He was very pleased, as you can imagine, as was I because, hey, more plates! We kept these on display and easily accessible because we often served snacks with cocktails, and being neutral, they went with everything.
 The cups and saucers are part of my rather meager collection of restaurantware, these being Incaware. I love these cups and use them every day for my morning coffee.
 The knobby glassware is from Uncommon Goods, a fun catalog filled with unique items.
 The centerpiece features an old jug that he bought while in Spain back in the 60s. I had forgotten all about this until my son unearthed it during one of our cleaning expeditions. It seemed the perfect addition.
 The books are from the 18th century, and a part of my husband's collection and now, I guess mine. He'd have been horrified, I am sure, to see them on the table, but they were only there briefly and then put back onto their specially designated shelves. The eyeglasses were his.
This little salt and pepper set belonged to his mother, as did this coffee pot, a part of a rather large tea service. The silver has all but worn off, but I like it just the way it is.
 My sister-in-law, now gone, along with all of the rest of Jim's siblings was quite concerned as to what would happen to her mother's tea set. Mr. O-P and I talked about this, and I was more than willing to ship it to whomever he saw fit when the time came. No, he told me, no one would love it the way that I do, so it was already in the proper hands. I'm sure his mother would have agreed.
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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Spicy Thai Noodles


I love Thai food, in particular anything that is peanut-y and noodle-y. So, when I saw this recipe on the Domestic Superhero blog, I knew that I had to try it. I also knew, from reading the list of ingredients, that I would need to alter it a bit because the mere addition of a few chopped peanuts would not make this nearly peanut-y enough for me. Thank goodness for peanut butter! To the sauce I added 1 heaping tablespoon of creamy peanut butter and whisked the daylights out of it to incorporate. Instead of plain peanuts, I used the leftover Spanish peanuts from the Pea Salad that I had made earlier. I chose to add meat, so, to make things excruciatingly easy, I sliced a fried chicken tender from the deli into diagonal strips and stirred it in. Now this dish is perfection. Easy perfection at that, so I'll be making this a lot.
Spicy Thai Noodles
Slightly adapted from Domestic Superhero
 1/2 pound linguine, cooked according to package directions
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 small zucchini, cut in half vertically, then sliced in half circles
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup Spanish peanuts, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, sriracha, and ginger; whisk well to combine; set aside.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat until shimmering. Add beaten eggs and red pepper flakes and stir to scramble the eggs. Once cooked, set aside with pasta.

Return stockpot to stove, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes or until veggies are cooked through.

Turn heat down to low, add pasta and eggs back to pot, then pour the sauce mixture over the top. Using a wooden spoon, stir well to coat pasta and vegetables with sauce. Remove from heat, add peanuts, green onions, and cilantro; stir to combine.

Serve immediately. This dish is equally good cold as it is warm.
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This post is linked to: Wow Us Wednesday, Work It Wednesday, Wine’d Down Wednesday, Wake up Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Share Your Style, and Foodie Friday & Everything Else
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Monday, August 8, 2016

Asparagus and Mushroom Tarts


As I mentioned in this post, I am a new discoverer of Aldi's, and, as such, have gone a bit crazy stocking up on staples and their lovely fresh produce. So much so that I found I had almost more asparagus than I knew what to do with. So, I've been perusing and trying all sorts of recipes, and, in the doing, coming up with a lot of winners. 
When I found a recipe for Asparagus and Mushroom Tarts (Did I also mention that I'd bought my weight in mushrooms? Yeah. That's a lot of mushrooms.), I knew I had to give this a try. The whole idea of a tart appealed to me anyway because it reminded me of our trip to Paris when we'd slip into a little café and nosh on one. The night before I chose to make these I pulled a package of puff pastry sheets out of the freezer and placed it into the fridge for thorough thawing.


To make things super easy on myself, I made the filling early in the day so all I had to do was fill the pastry and bake. Only, it wasn't quite that easy. It seemed, upon closer examination, that I didn't have puff pastry sheets at all, but a package of puff pastry shells, and only two of them at that. Huh. What else could I do, but place them side-by-side between two pieces of cling film, roll them together, trim the edges, score, fill, and bake. So I did, and look how beautiful it is! Not only beautiful, but also delicious; this is definitely a keeper.
Further, with the leftover filling, I topped slices of baguette (a la the Pimiento Cheese Toasts), ran them under the broiler, and served them the next day for lunch with a bowl of summer chowder. The next time I serve them on slices of baguette (and there will be a next time), I'll do a quick dice so the filling fits a bit better onto the slices.



I love it when a recipe can be super easy, exceptionally delicious, and serve dual purposes.
 Asparagus and Mushroom Tarts

Slightly adapted from epicurious.com


 1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
1/4 cup unsalted butter
12 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, and sliced

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese

Grating or two of fresh nutmeg
Fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish)
Preheat to 400°F.
Roll out each pastry sheet on work surface to 10-inch square. Cut each into 4 squares. Using small knife, score 1/2-inch border around inside edges of each square. Arrange squares on 2 rimmed baking sheets.


Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to large bowl; cool 15 minutes. Add asparagus, chopped thyme, lemon peel, 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to mushrooms. Mix in sour cream, cheese, and nutmeg, if desired.. Mound filling atop pastry squares, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.

Bake tarts 12 minutes. Reverse sheets. Continue to bake tarts until crusts are puffed and golden and filling is cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Serve.

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Thursday, August 4, 2016

Red Pepper Relish Deviled Eggs


If you love deviled eggs as much as I do, then I am sure that I’m not alone when I get a hankering for them. When I was a kid deviled eggs were only served in the summertime. Why is that? Sure, they make great picnic food, but they are good anytime, and whenever I serve them, no matter the occasion, they disappear in a flash.

I was getting a strong craving the other day, but was tired and didn’t really feel like all of the preparation because my go-to recipe (that you can find here) does involve a bit of prep. Then I remembered the remaining Red Pepper Relish in the fridge, and decided to make things easy for myself by using it. Wow, were these good, and they could not be easier! You really don’t need a recipe for these, but I’ll jot one for you anyway.
Red Pepper Relish Deviled Eggs

3 eggs, hard-boiled, cooled, and peeled
1 heaping tablespoon Red Pepper Relish (or more)
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s)
½ - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Halve eggs lengthwise; remove yolks from eggs and place yolks into a small food processor, chopper, or similar device (I use a small Ninja blender). Add remaining ingredients and whir until blended. Spoon (or pipe) into egg halves. Garnish as you see fit...or not. Can be doubled, tripled, etc.

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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Pork Chops with Guinness and Onion Gravy


A couple of weeks ago I was in the mood for a piece of cake. Don't ask me why, I probably only crave cake a couple of times a year, but the craving was strong, and I just had to have it. When I make cake, I generally make my favorite chocolate cake, the rich and delicious Chocolate Stout Cake, with equally rich and delicious chocolate frosting.

I had all of the ingredients on hand, including a large can of Guinness (don't ask me why). The problem was that the cake only called for half of the can and not being a beer drinker, I had no clue what to do with the rest. I cannot abide waste in any form, so started hunting around for recipes, and fell upon this one for pork chops in Guinness gravy. I knew this was fated because I had thawed pork chops the night before.

It's a recipe that I had cut out of a Bon Appetit magazine from 1989 (!!) and am only just getting around to trying (and am kicking myself for not trying it sooner). These are tender and delicious, and the gravy is incredible over a side of mashed potatoes. I only made two chops, but halved the sauce so as to have plenty.

Pork Chops with Guinness and Onion Gravy

8 1-inch thick pork chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Season pork with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shake off excess. Melt butter with 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork in batches and brown well, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer pork to plate. Set aside.

Dredge onions in flour; shake off excess. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring once.

 Uncover and cook 4 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup stout and 3/4 cup stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Return pork to skillet.

 Spoon some of onions over pork. Add enough additional stout and stock to bring liquid halfway up sides of pork. Cover skillet with foil, then lid. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Turn pork over and cook until very tender, about 25 more minutes. Transfer pork and onions to platter using slotted spoon. Deglaze pan juices. Boil juices until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon mustard. Add chopped parsley and 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar. Taste, adding more mustard or vinegar if desired. Pour gravy over pork. Garnish with parsley and serve.


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Monday, August 1, 2016

Swim with the Fishes Tablescape


I mentioned last week how much I enjoy being able to use a specialty item in more than one table setting. Such was the case with the fish net that I bought (using a coupon, of course) from Michael's. Last week it was used on my One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish table, and this week I am using it again in my Swim with the Fishes table.


I think this has to be one of my favorite tables of all time. The vibrant sea tones are really wowing me these days, so this table makes me happy. Plus it contains a lot of things that I really love.

The little turquoise fish dish is such a fun item. It is a vintage Bauer Pottery “Chicken of the Sea” tuna baker.  I have one in yellow as well, so plan to pair them in a future table setting.

The plates from World Market I absolutely fell in love with the moment I saw them. I love anything fishy, and also gravitate toward decor with text. These filled the bill on both counts.

The placemats and stemware came from Pier One last year and work very well with this set.
The flatware is Fiestaware.


The lantern at center is another favorite find from Pier One. I use a Luminara candle in it just to be on the safe side. When it is not illuminating a table, the lantern lights up a bamboo drinks cart in the bedroom that, no, I do not use for drinks.



The little basket of shells feature those I have found while at the shore, and a few piece that have been gifted.
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