Sausage Quiche

Imagine that you have just woken on a Saturday morning. The weather is warming, and the sun is out. Sure, there's still a ton of ice and snow covering the ground, but it will be gone soon. Your stomach rumbles, reminding you just how hungry you are. But what to eat? You open your refrigerator to discover lots of food that doesn't necessarily go together, what to do?

This very situation is why I've begun referring to quiches as the garbage disposals of breakfast foods. You want breakfast, and your fridge needs some deep cleaning. A quiche is a great way to load up your breakfast with veggies and good stuff, but keep delicious flavor and filling breakfast. Plus who doesn't love pie, especially a savory breakfast pie?

Making a quiche is almost impossible to mess up. Substitutes and imagination are rewarded with this breakfast food (something you can't say about scones, trust me!). My recipe details the dish we made this last weekend, but you can feel free to adjust and change the ingredient list to suit your own taste and availability.

Sausage Quiche
Serves 4-6
What You'll Need:
a small mixing bowl
a wire whisk
a cheese grater

Ingredients:
1 frozen deep dish pie crust and pan
4 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Jarlsberg (or other Swiss) cheese, divided
1/2 cup half and half
1 spicy sausage, chopped *
4 stalks asparagus, chopped
1 small handful spinach, chopped into ribbons
1/4 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small handful fresh Italian parsley (optional), chopped
2 cloves garlic
Black pepper and salt to taste

* A spicy Italian sausage would really kick this up. Any other leftover meat would be fabulous, especially if well spiced.

What You'll Do:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove pie crust from freezer and allow to thaw for 10 minutes. Into bottom of crust, evenly spread chopped sausage, asparagus and spinach.

In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream, spices, garlic, parsley and 1/4 cup of cheese. Beat until well combined. Pour egg mixture over the top of prepared crust and filling. Top with remaining cheese, spreading evenly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. When the filling is set and the cheesy top is a golden brown, it's time to remove from the oven.

Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve while warm.

Maple Pecan Lace Cookies

You know how families always seem to have the food that just shows up every Christmas? It's not the "family specialty" but it always seems to be there nonetheless. This cookie is just that for my family. Blame it on my grandmother's sweet tooth, but it seems to me that these cookies are always around for the holidays.

I am so not complaining.

Look at these things! Basically just butter, sugar and maple flavoring, these cookies beg you to mush them into your mouth and let them melt, melt, melt away. I would make them once a week, if I wasn't sure that eating that many would render me unable to fit through my doorway. I suppose saving these for special occasions has a bit of practical reasoning.

If you have a special occasion coming up (like birthdays, holidays or a weekend), I suggest these cookies. They are one of the easiest baked goods I have ever come across. Additionally, the time from mixing bowl to hand is remarkably short (just 15 minutes!).

What are you waiting for? Grab your mixing bowl already!

Maple Pecan Lace Cookies
Makes approx. 40 cookies

What You'll Need:
a wooden spoon
a large mixing bowl
a medium bowl
a teaspoon
2 baking sheets (to alternate)
A cooling rack or sheet
Parchment Paper (this is NOT optional, trust me)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg, room temperature
2 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine grain salt
2/3 cup pecans, very finely chopped

* I used whole wheat pastry flour, but the recipe was originally developed for white. Use whichever you prefer.

What You'll Do:
Cover your baking sheets in parchment paper. Position rack at center of oven, and preheat oven to 400°.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together baking soda and salt into the flour until evenly distributed. Set aside.

Using a wooden spoon, cream butter and sugar together in your mixing bowl. When smooth, beat in your egg and maple extract. Slowly add your flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir until well combined.

Stir in your pecans.

Drop by teaspoons onto your baking sheet. Make sure to space at least 2 inches apart, as these will spread quite a bit.


Place in center of rack and bake until cookies just begin to brown in the center. Your ideal cookie will look slightly undone in the center and a little crunchy around the outside. This will take about 6 minutes. Immediately remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for another 6 minutes. Once cooled enough to be firm, remove cookies with a clean spatula and transfer to rack to continue to cool.

Enjoy warm, crumbled over ice cream or with coffee. Or, if you are like me, you could just leave them out on the table and enjoy them all the time. Yum!

Notes:

• You must use parchment paper if you ever want to remove this batter from your cookie sheets. We've battled these sticky little monsters for years before discovering the parchment paper miracle. I'm just saving you the disappointment and heartbreak.
• Additionally, to help remove these cookies from the baking sheet: Keep your spatula clean of cookie 'gunk', and make sure you let the cookies cool enough on the baking sheet. If the treats are still too warm, the centers will not set and you will end up with scrunched up gooey balls (these are perfect as ice cream topping!).

Enjoy!

Spicy Garlic Greens

Hi all! It's been quite a long time since my last post, which means plenty of breakfasts, dinners and delectable desserts have crossed through my kitchen. I have to apologize for my absence. Starting your own business can certainly eat up any free time you thought you had. Geesh. Anyway, to get us started again I have a recipe for a simple meal. It's easy, it's delicious and it's even good for you!

I developed this recipe one morning when my fridge seemed to be overflowing with a multitude of green things. It looked as though we'd been grocery shopping with 4 or 5 shots of vodka behind us and a healthy addiction for the color green. Collard greens, spinach, asparagus, broccoli ... all of it just reached up and whispered, "eat me before you forget I'm in here!" I sighed and reached for the produce and some garlic. Luckily, my improved cooking rewarded me with a tasty meal.

I know what you are thinking. You know you should eat more greens, but you don't like them. Yet, while most people usually make faces of disgust when confronted with cooked greens (or greens of any type!), I'm imploring you to take another look! Far from being bitter or bland, these greens are lent a subtle flavor from the olive oil and a savory taste with the cayenne pepper and garlic. They'll leave you wondering why you never tried this before

I have found that greens can be comfort food, a filling breakfast, or even accompany a dinner meat dish. This recipe goes well with just about anything. My current favorite way to enjoy this dish is topped with a sliced hard boiled egg and a little shaved Romano cheese. What a delicious (and simple!) breakfast!

With any recipe (like this one) relying heavily on the taste of the ingredients, you will want to start with the freshest and highest quality ingredients you can find.

Spicy Garlic Greens
Serves 1-2

What You'll Need:
A small skillet

Ingredients:
1 handful Collard Greens (about 4 large leaves, with stems)
1 handful Spinach
4-5 stalks fresh Asparagus (or 2-3 florets fresh Broccoli), roughly chopped
2-3 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper, ground
1 tsp (approximate) freshly ground Black Pepper
A dash of sea salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

What You'll Do:
Over a medium-low heat, combine the olive oil and garlic. Add in spices and asparagus and stir. Make sure to watch the garlic so that it does not brown, simply stir occasionally to stop this.

Meanwhile, take your collard greens and remove the stems from the leaf. Chop stems roughly and add into the heated mixture. Stir to coat. Cook on medium-low for 2-3 minutes.

Chop collard leaves and spinach into ribbons. Add them to the prepared mixture and stir to coat with oil mixture. Continue cooking until leaves slightly darken in intensity and slightly wilt. Remove from heat immediately and serve.

If you are sensitive to spice, simply substitute the cayenne pepper for paprika. Additionally, you may substitute any vegetable for the asparagus. Broccoli works extremely well, as does cauliflower. If you wish, you could also leave out the other vegetable and just increase the amount of greens. It's up to you!

Great serving ideas:

• Top with a handful of grated Parmesan or Jarlsberg cheese.
• Just before removing from heat, scramble in an egg.
• Add sliced chicken breast.
• Top with a hard boiled egg and Romano cheese.
  

Jarlsberg Omelet Delights!

This morning, we awoke to a further sprinkling of snow atop the already generous spread left by yesterday's weather system. Besides having to take the dog out, it's a wonderful view to wake to. As I let myself and the fluffy-monster back in, the smell of fresh coffee floated through the air. The boy was making breakfast. Most excellent.

Twenty minutes later, I was greeted with this lovely eggy creation. After a single bite, I decided this particular piece of breakfast history needed to be marked down for good. So here it is, in all of it's glory.

You'll want to try this omelet for yourself. I can assure you that it is just as delicious as it looks. Of course, like all omelet creations, a little improvisation doesn't hurt. Feel free to substitute as needed. The only necessary ingredients are the Jarlsberg cheese and spinach.

Jarlsberg Omelet
serves 2

What You'll Need:
A good nonstick skillet

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
15-20 leaves fresh cilantro, shredded
1 handful spinach leaves, shredded
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
3+ tablespoons Jarlsberg cheese, finely shredded

Instructions:
In a medium sized mixing bowl, crack eggs and add in heavy cream. Beat vigorously until well combined. Add in garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Mix well. Stir in cilantro and spinach.

Into a greased, slightly pre-heated skillet, pour your mixed ingredients. Cook gently on medium heat. Make sure heat is high enough to cook eggs, but no so high that they overcook on the bottom or cook unevenly. If the eggs begin to get tough on the bottom, your heat is too high.

Continue to cook until eggs are nearly cooked through (about 5 minutes). Using a spatula, carefully flip eggs over to finish cooking on other side. Onto newly exposed cooked side, add shredded cheese in an even layer. Allow enough time to finish eggs on other side (about 1 minute). Turn off heat and carefully fold omelet in half, encasing the layer of cheese inside.

Serve and enjoy immediately!

Completely Unrelated :: Stationary Enterprise

My, my, my. Finding a job is certainly getting more difficult by the day, isn't it?

What's that you say? It's nearly impossible?

I know!

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you ... my sorta brilliant entrepreneurial idea (sorta brilliant like a MagLight being used to unpack a box of lamps). Are you ready?

I want to start an artistically-personalized, environmentally-friendly, stationary business.

*Braces for Backlash*

Okay. Settle down, ya'll. Here's what this means. I want to use my design and photography skills to create cards for people (like all of you!). The idea is to create appealing designs to customer specifications and print them on budget-friendly 100% recycled paper. I want to help make environmentally-friendly and stylish available to everyone at a price they can afford. (I also want to finance my GINORMOUS grocery bill, of course.)

This is the plan (and right now, it's very much so still an initial plan). I need to contact The Guys (yay printers) for printing costs/to catch up, I need to price and check what the break-even would be, and I need to sketch out some prelims (and mock them up to, you know, pitch them!).

Here's where I need my (oh, so wonderful) friends. In order to get started in a freelancing business, you need clients. So, I guess what I'm saying here is, um, I need clients. I want you guys to brainstorm. What kinds of stationary would you be in the market for? See below for examples:

Graduation Announcements • Party Invitations • Marriage Announcements • Greeting Cards • Personal Stationary • Letterhead • Business Cards • Save the Date • Birth Announcements • Note Cards • Recipe Cards • Anniversary • Envelopes • Misc Other Note Cards

You get the idea. Would you be in the market for something like this?

Pan-Cooked Pears, With a Marsala Orange Sauce

Hello All! I hope your Thanksgiving was as great as mine. Surprisingly, with the extreme food extravaganza we had going on here, not one person took a picture. Not of the people OR the food! What a travesty.

Luckily, I believe I have enough time and photos to pass on some of our Thanksgiving delectables to you guys. Keep posted, I'll be at it soon.

As for today .... With the colder temperatures and holidays closing in hell-a rapidly, I have another blissfully delicious, warm and somewhat healthy dessert for you all!

Pan-Cooked Marsala Pears are a treat many people have heard of, but never tried. Why is this? They are so easy and utterly to-die-for! In this recipe, you'll find an impossibly easy (really, just try it!) way to create a dessert that feels 4 star (well ... maybe). The addition of a little orange peel completely revitalizes the sauce, so I wouldn't leave it out, but feel free to adjust. Other additions might include cranberries, lemon zest or another strongly flavored fruit. Keep your imagination jumping!

Now, enough stalling. Onward to the recipe!

Pan-Cooked Pears, With a Marsala Orange Sauce
serves 2

What You'll Need:
1 medium saucepan with a lid

Ingredients:
2 slightly ripe (Not mushy, but please not rock hard!) pears
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 slices of orange peel, about 2 inches long

Instructions:
Take the pears and cut off the bottoms, so that they will stand straight. Remove the peels from the pears (a potato peeler works well with a firm enough pear). Set aside.

Into the medium saucepan, pour the marsala, water and vanilla. Into this, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Add in orange peels. Bring this to a slight simmer. Place pears on their sides into the mixture. Cover.

Cook at a slight simmer for 15-25 minutes, turning the pears so that each side gets a chance to pick up the cinnamon and sauce. Finish with the pears sitting on their bottoms. Continue cooking until the pears are soft enough to easily pierce with a fork. For firmer pears, this may take up to 30 minutes. When done, remove pears from pan and place on serving plate.

To finish, simmer the marsala sauce until it reduces. Do not let sauce completely caramelize. If
the sauce gets too thick, add water by the tablespoon. Cook until you get a sauce that is the consistency of warmed honey.

Pour this sauce over the top of the pears, and serve.

Enjoy!

Italian Style Pesto Soup

Yesterday, Christian's mother mentioned politely how cold it is beginning to get up in Minnesota. She mentioned how lovely soups are during this time of the year, and I completely agree with her. When there's frost on the ground, is there anything better than settling down to a steaming bowl of herb soaked vegetables and other goodness? I don't think so (unless Mulled Wine is an option of course!).
As my basil plant has, verily, exploded this last week, I was planning on making a pesto dish. Now, my thoughts turned to a pesto soup. But how to manage the delicate flavors ... Chicken broth and leeks would form the base, I thought. I would add in other vegetables for the main flavor. I'd try to keep things tame, so the pesto would shine.

I had a second helping, but you tell me if I succeeded ...

Italian Style Pesto Soup
serves 5-8 (with leftovers)

What you'll need:
A large stock pot
A food processor/mortar pestle
-- a knife and cutting board work just fine, if more work.

Soup Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, de-fatted
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint chicken stock (unsalted, if you can)
1 leek, chopped
6-7 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons red pepper flakes (optional)
3-4 tablespoons dried basil
6 russet potatoes, quartered
3 carrots, roughly chopped
4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1/2 lb asparagus, roughly chopped
1 stalk broccoli, roughly chopped
1/2 lb whole wheat penne
Pepper, to taste

Pesto Ingredients:
1 large handful fresh basil leaves
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3 handfuls spinach leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons whole pine nuts
3-4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Soup-
In your large pot, place chicken breasts and coat with olive oil and pepper. Cook on medium heat until nearly cooked (still pink on the insides, about 15 minutes). Be sure to turn breasts regularly to ensure even cooking.
Over partially cooked chicken pour 3 quarts of water and add in chicken stock. Bring to a rolling boil. Chop leek (discarding the top quarter of green section and rinsing throughly to avoid mud), and add into stock. Add chopped garlic, potatoes, carrots, dried basil and red pepper flakes. Cook at a simmer over medium heat until potatoes are soft.
(Hint: While your soup is simmering, take advantage of the downtime to make your pesto- instructions below.)
Once your potatoes are soft, add in asparagus, broccoli and celery. Continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes, then add your penne. Cook until pasta is al dente.
Pepper to taste (try to resist the urge to salt, your pesto will have plenty).

Pesto-
Using a very sharp knife (or scissors) chop basil leaves into small pieces. Combine basil with other ingredients in to mortar/pestle or food processor. (If using a knife and chopping block, chop all ingredients finely and mix together in a large bowl.)
Add olive oil to moisten and continue to mix until ingredients begin to break down (you want a chunky consistency, not smooth, so don't over do it).
Salt and Pepper to taste.

To Serve:
Dish up into individual portions and serve with a large spoonful of pesto on top. Before eating, mix pesto into soup and enjoy!

Notes:

• Pesto will store in the fridge for a couple of days, beyond that it will freeze nicely.
• If you are sensitive to garlic, try oven roasting it first, this will mellow the taste.
• Feel free to substitute different vegetables due to season or location. This soup needs fresh veggies to be at it's best, so use what looks good. (Some further suggestions include: winter squash, artichokes, zucchini, onions, eggplant ... )
• You can add the pesto directly into the soup pot, as opposed to on individual portions.
• Instead of penne, try using an Orzo type pasta or rice.