Time For Quiche

Quiche is such a versatile dish that you can make many versions. The key is to keep the proportions about the same.

Sweetie loves quiche and it had been a while, so today I baked one that was a bit different than past versions, mostly so that I could use up leftovers.

This quiche is for Quiche with Chicken and Asparagus

To the partially baked crust I added cubed chicken that was leftover from the night before. It was chicken thighs and they had been grilled. There was only one left, but it gave just the right amount of chicken for the bottom of the crust.

Another element was fresh asparagus. I only had four fat spears in the fridge, but once I cut them on the diagonal in pieces about an inch long, I had another layer to put on top of the chicken.

The final layer was cheese. I finished up a bag of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, about a 1/2 cup, then added an additional 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar. I mixed them together, then added them to the quiche as the final layer.

The custard part is almost always the same; three eggs, 1 cup of milk, and various seasonings. This time I used two eggs and two egg whites...more leftovers since I had used the yolks for another dish. For the milk I used canned evaporated milk mixed with water for 1 cup, and then 1/2 cup of soy creamer. It made for a lovely, creamy custard.

For seasoning I used dried Thyme and a non-salt mixture from Penzey's spices called Mural of Flavor. The crust was partially baked at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, with foil and pie weights keeping it from puffing up. Once the layers of ingredients had been added, I poured on the custard, sprinkled the top with a couple teaspoons of minced fresh parsley, and put the whole thing in a preheated 360 degree oven and baked it until the center was barely jiggly and the crust was golden brown, about 24 minutes.

I'm not going to write out the full recipe, but it is based on a quiche I made another time and posted HERE. I didn't do the onions or celery at the beginning, but you could add extra flavor by doing that, too.

In other news, the garden is improving by the day. The early tulips are almost done and a few later tulips are starting to bloom. A lovely narcissus that I've never grown before popped up a number of stems in the last few days, so I brought them inside to enjoy, since it is likely to rain for the next three days. They add a note of sunshine and a light spring fragrance to our living room.

I've also been weeding and Sweetie has been getting the drip irrigation ready, plus new soil is going into planter boxes and large pots, all in preparation for putting out seedlings. That will probably happen in a week, once the rain is finished and things have warmed up a bit. This year I plan on planting more veggies that I have the last few years so it pays to get things ready and to have new planting mix so they get a good start.

Mushroom Add Flavor To This Pasta Dish

Yesterday I was looking for a container of yogurt in the fridge and while searching for it I discovered a package of mushroom filled tortellini pasta that was purchased almost a week ago. Since it seemed like a good idea to eat it while it was still edible, I decided that tonight I'd make some sort of dish with it.

Asparagus, which I bought at the market yesterday afternoon, seemed like the perfect thing to go with a pasta dish with chicken, mushrooms and onions. I didn't really have a recipe, but there was the pasta, the onion (although I only cooked half of it),about 8 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms, and about 8 oz. cooked sliced chicken breast. For the sauce to hold it all together and to moisten the pasta I had oat milk, a small amount of butter and a small amount of flour, plus some dried thyme, garlic salt, and pepper. That's all the ingredients needed.

It turned out really well. Because there were mushrooms in both the pasta and the sauce it was full of mushroom flavor. The thyme complemented the mushrooms as thyme usually does and the garlic salt and pepper was just enough to keep the sauce from being lackluster. I used oat milk because it didn't have any added sugar, so it was savory and creamy. Sweetie really enjoyed it!

This dish takes a bit of juggling since you are sautéing the veggies while getting the water to the boil for the pasta, then finishing the sauce before putting the pasta on to boil, then heating the chicken slices and cooking the asparagus at the end so that they are hot just as the pasta and asparagus are done. The good news that the chicken can be stirred into the sauce while the pasta cooks and if the pasta is done before the asparagus, just drain it and mix with the sauce, then cover until the asparagus if just easily pierced with a sharp knife.

Mushroom Pasta with Mushroom Sauce, Onions, and Chicken
recipe by Elle

Serves 3-4

1/2 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced into half circles
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
garlic salt and pepper to taste

water

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup oat milk (other milk can be used, any kind of fat content you desire), at room temperature
8 oz. fresh mushroom tortellini (or use whatever fresh tortellini you can find)
8 oz. cooked, thick slices chicken breast

8 spears fresh asparagus, ends snapped off

In a large non-stick skillet (I use cast iron) sauté the onion in the olive oil, stirring frequently, until the onion is crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sliced fresh mushrooms and stir to coat with the oil and onions. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and stir. Return the heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the onions are translucent and the mushroom liquid has cooked off, about another 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently. Add the dried thyme, garlic salt, and pepper.

While the onions and mushrooms are cooking, bring a large pot of water to the boil.

Once the onions and mushrooms are cooked, stir in the butter until just melted. Sprinkle with the flour and stir vigorously until coated with the fat in the mixture, then stir in the milk all at once. Continue to stir until the mixture forms a sauce, another 2-3 minutes. Don't boil. Turn off the heat and cover the pan.

Put the tortellini into the boiling water. Stir gently. Let the pasta boil until al dente.

Heat the chicken slices in the microwave on a small plate. Stir the chicken into the sauce. Cover to keep warm.

Place the asparagus into a sauce pan wide enough for them to be in a single layer. Add a couple tablespoons of water, cover, and cook over high heat until just easily pierced with a sharp knife.

Drain the pasta when it is al dente. Stir it gently into the mushroom/onion/chicken sauce. Taste and adjust garlic salt and pepper, if needed.

Once the asparagus are done, plate the asparagus, then use a large spoon to serve the pasta mixture, making sure to include chicken slices and sauce in the serving.

It's Spring!

Warmed up yesterday to high 70s and today it will probably hit 80 degrees F - spring weather for sure. The garden is calling me daily now. The ground is still soft enough from recent rains that weeding is fairly easy and I'm determined to get as much weeding done as I can since the last couple of years were not good in that department.

Of course I have seedlings getting bigger in the sunspace. Tomato seedlings are mostly tiny, but the various squash seedlings are bigger. Might have to re-pot them soon since starting tomorrow the weather is back to winter...rainy and cold, especially at night. No point in planting out seedlings in cold soil...they just either sit there not getting bigger or, worse, rot.

The top photo is of some tulips I planted in the fall. They bloomed just in time for Sweetie's 80th birthday!

The photo below is of our magnificent oak tree just leafing out. It self seeded about 30 years ago and really is a joy to us because of it's beauty in all seasons.

No food bits today...just spring.

Vegan Roasted Onion Tart

 A savory tart that includes roasted onions and puff pastry is always a winner as an appetizer. As a matter of fact, it is usually the first thing to go at a party. That was the case for Sweetie's 80th birthday bash. I made two of them and they were gone before the party was an hour old.

I've made this kind of tart before, but this time I made it vegan...no animal products. I used Kite Hill non-dairy ricotta for the base of the filling instead of regular ricotta cheese. The puff pastry was the standard Pepperidge Farm from the freezer case, which, it turns out, is made with no butter or other animal products.

 My former recipe coated the onion strands with a honey and white wine mixture before roasting, but honey isn't vegan, so I substituted maple syrup. I did add some salt and some red wine vinegar to cut the sweetness a bit.

Last, but not least, I eliminated the bacon (not a vegan food) and bacon grease, but also the pine nuts...because I couldn't find my stash of pine nuts. I substituted a bit of olive oil for the grease and sunflower seeds for the pine nuts.

It was delicious! No one missed the bacon. Combining yellow and red onions for the filling made it more interesting to look at...and we do eat first with our eyes...the ricotta was creamy in your mouth and the puff pastry was delicate and flaky. Sooo good!

Roasted Onion Tart with Maple and Sunflowers
based on a recipe in the February 2011 Bon Appetit magazine

2 sheets frozen non-dairy puff pastry half of 17.3-oz. package), thawed (Pepperidge Farm works in the U.S.)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 large sweet yellow onions (about 1 pound), cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 medium red onion, (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

8 oz. non-dairy ricotta cheese - I used Kite Hill brand
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Few sprigs fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll out each sheet of puff pastry, in turn, on lightly flour surface to 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Fold 1/2 inch of pastry edges in toward center on all sides, forming 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Transfer pastry to large rimmed baking sheet. Press firmly on pastry edges with fork to form rim. Chill crusts. You will have two. 

Whisk maple syrup, wine and red wine vinegar and salt in large bowl. Add onions; toss to coat. Coat another large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread onion mixture in even layer on sheet. Roast 30 minutes. Turn onions over, allowing rings to separate. Roast until onions are caramelized, turning often for even browning, 30 to 45 minutes. (I cooked them until the least colored ones were pale gold, which meant that some edges were charred, but mostly the mass of onions was medium gold, not darker because they will still be browning while tart cooks later.) cool onions slightly. (At this point, and without leaving the oven on, I refrigerated the onion mixture, then brought it back to room temperature the next day for the baking part.)

When ready to bake, set oven temperature to 400 degrees F and preheat the oven. Let onion mixture come to room temperature. Mix non-dairy ricotta, garlic salt, nutmeg and dried thyme in small bowl. Using offset spatula, spread half of the ricotta mixture over one of the crusts almost to the folded edge. Arrange half the onions atop ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with half the sunflower seeds. Repeat ricotta, onions, and sunflower seeds on the other crust. Bake tarts until crust is light golden brown and topping is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Move baking sheets in oven top to bottom and front to back, as needed, to bake the tarts evenly. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve.

Makes about 12 appetizer servings per tart, so 24 for the recipe.

Sweetie's Round Number Birthday

Have not been posting lately because we are getting ready to host something like 55 people, at our home!, which is not a huge place, this coming Saturday for a blowout birthday party for Sweetie.

I've been planning and cleaning and ordering things and figuring out the menu and the seating, etc. plus actually making some of the food to be served...so there will be food posts soon.

Our daughter is making a special cake for him...and I baked the layers yesterday and put them in the freezer until she gets here. She is a cake artist, so it's bound to be beautiful.

I'm also creating a scrapbook for him and have received cards, photos, messages and things like that to go in it, plus I've culled old photos and scanned them, too. Lots of time in Photoshop and printing stuff out. Tonight I've been using the heavy-duty paper cutter to get the photos ready to be put in the scrapbook, plus I finished the first 8 pages or so.

We were supposed to have blowing rain on Saturday, so we figured out ways to protect our guests while still allowing some of them to be outside some of the time...and now it looks like the weather may be cloudy and a bit windy and cool, but not rainy! Yay!

There will probably be photos next week and I hope to post at least one of the things I made sooner than that. Thanks for your patience, dear reader.

A Quick Oatmeal Cookie Bar

I really enjoy having friends over for tea. I have a wooden tray, complete with a paper doily, that I keep at the ready on top of the microwave. It holds my favorite teapot, two saucers and teacups, cream and sugar, and a small plate from cookies. I often use my violet patterned tea cups and saucers. Sometimes I include a violet patterned teapot and matching creamer and sugar bowl, and a violet patterned cookie plate, for a full violet tea...just for fun.

Yesterday a friend, who is a hard working teacher with a long commute, and I were finally able to find a time to do tea together here. We're neighbors, too, so it seems absurd that it took so long, but she is also the busy Mom of two busy teens and her property has extensive gardens that need care.

The funny thing was that we didn't actually set the time until about two hours before we were having tea. I realized that I had nothing to serve with the tea, so quickly set about baking a quick cookie from Maida Heatter's original cookie book.

The appeal of the Oatmeal Cookie Bars was that they only had a few ingredients, that one of them was melted butter so no time needed to soften butter, and that they went together in a saucepan. I embellished them a bit with an extra 1/4 cup flour to help them hold together, plus some dried cranberries for color and flavor and chew.

These are pretty crumbly cookies, even with the flour. They are chewy and buttery and delicious, but fairly plain. Perfect with a humble tea, but not fancy enough for a fancy tea. Quick, easy, simple ingredients that you probably have on hand...what's not to like?

One tip...line your pan with foil and butter that. Another...pack the mixture firmly into the pan before baking. Another...let them cool until barely tepid before taking out of the pan and cutting...and use a sharp long knife.

Aspen Oatmeal Bars
adapted from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies 

1/4 pound (1 stick/8 oz.) butter
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking (not 'instant') oatmeal
1/3 to 1/2 cup moist dried cranberries

Adjust a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan, or line with foil and butter. Set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in a medium-size saucepan. Stir over moderate heat until melted.

Remove the pan from the heat. Mix together the baking powder, flour and salt. Through a fine strainer add this mixture to the melted butter mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in the oats. It will be a thick mixture. Stir in the dried cranberries until well distributed.

Turn the dough into the prepared pan. Use a flexible spatula to press the dough into a smooth, compact layer.

Bake for 25 minutes. The cake will still be soft but it will harden as it cools. Do not bake any longer.

While the cake is still warm, cut around the sides with a blunt knife (like a butter knife) to release the sides, but then let the cake finish cooling in the pan. Use the foil to remove the cooled cake to a cutting board.

With a sharp knife cut the cake into quarters (I used a serrated long bread knife). Cut each quarter into bars or squares.

Any remaining cookies should be stored in an airtight container.