Artichoke and Spinach Quiche

I know I've neglected this blog for a few weeks but vacation time came first before a hobby! :)  I had a family vacation for 2 weeks and my aunt is still staying with my parents so I'm very preoccupied with family.  But before I go (again), I want to share this easy quiche recipe.

I was browsing at Fred Meyer a while ago and saw this spinach and artichoke Parmesan dip from Stonemill Kitchens brand.  I decided to buy and gave it a try because I've always loved the spinach and artichoke combination.  I made this twice already for dinner, paired with salad, and everybody devoured it everytime.

Artichoke and Spinach Quiche

Yields one 9-inch pie


1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
5 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2/3 cup Stonemill Kitchens' Spinach and Artichoke Parmesan Dip


Preheat the oven to 375F.

Beat eggs with heavy cream in a bowl.  Spoon in the dip into the egg mixture and whisk until combined.  Add cherry tomatoes to it and pour into the pie shell.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until eggs are set and golden on top.  If the crust gets brown too quickly, cover the top with aluminum foil.

Let the quiche cool on a rack before cutting it.


Source: Stonemill Kitchen

Baked Eggs with Roasted Vegetable Hash

One of the protein sources we like to eat as a family is egg.  Egg is a constant our go-to choice for breakfast, it's very versatile, easy to fix, and it fills up our tummies :)  I was trying out a new recipe and this one is super easy and very satisfying.

Grated Fontina cheese is folded into the whipped eggs and then they're baked in the cast iron skillet until puffy and golden brown.  The sweet potatoes and mushrooms are baked in the oven until tender; they don't need a lot of adornment because they're inherently flavorful.  Afterwards, they're sort of thrown together in a plate, ready to be devoured.  I really like these flavors combination together, the way the earthiness of the mushrooms, the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes, and the nuttiness of the cheese comes together is very moreish .

Baked Eggs with Roasted Vegetable Hash

Serves 6

10 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces Fontina cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thinly
1 large sweet potato (8-10 ounces), peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons olive oil


Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450F.  Butter an 8-inch cast iron skillet or  a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Whisk together eggs, milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until smooth.  Whisk in cheese.  Pour into baking dish.

Bake in upper third oven until puffed, golden, and set, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss together mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and shallot with oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a large baking sheet.  Spread vegetables out in an even layer and roast in lower third of oven, stirring twice after 10 minutes, until tender and golden brown, about 18 minutes.

Serve eggs with roasted vegetables spooned on top.


Source:  adapted heavily from Gourmet Today 

Salmon, Vegetable and Cheese Chowder

Every now and then, even in summer, we love to eat comfort food like soup or chowder.  This chowder satisfies the need of eating something wholesome and relatively easy to prepare.  Not too mention a way to use fresh corn that is in season.

I served this with slices of sourdough bread along with butter and considered dinner accomplished :)

Salmon, Vegetable and Cheese Chowder

Serves 4 to 6


1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup half-and-half or milk
1 cup flaked cooked salmon
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese or a combo of Cheddar and Monterey Jack
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large soup pot over high heat, bring vegetables, garlic, rice and 3 cups of the stock to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables and rice are tender, about 20 minutes.

Transfer to a food processor and blend in batches until slightly chunky.  Return to soup pot.  Stir in remaining 1 cup stock, half-and-half, salmon, cheese, salt, thyme, and pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, until cheese melts and flavors are blended, about 10 minutes.


Source:  The Big Book of Soups and Stews by Maryana Vollstedt

Spinach Böreks

For a long time I'm curious of how böreks taste like because I have never eaten one before.  I imagine it to be crispy on the outside and creamy and tangy from feta cheese.  Layer upon layer of crispy phyllo enveloping lightly sauteed spinach and feta cheese.  This doesn't mean I know how to make correct böreks shape, but this one that I made was delicious.  I've always loved Mediterranean flavor and I thought this goes well with an improvised and quick chickpea salad.  A while ago I tasted chickpea salad from Food Front in Hillsdale that I thought was fantastic.  They put all the things that I love in salad in one unity.  I could eat salad like that forever :)

The dressing for the chickpea salad is nothing other than balsamic vinegar/red wine vinegar, lemon juice, a bit of minced garlic, extra-virgin olive oil,  and salt and pepper.  Add chickpeas, feta cheese, chopped red onion, spinach, chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley, and chopped artichoke hearts.  Blend everything together and that's it.  There's countless recipes to make salad like this and you can add or omit ingredients as you like.

This particular böreks recipe is taken from Anissa Helou's book, Savory Baking from the Mediterranean.  A book that's filled with various recipes from countries in the region, from pizza, flatbreads, breads, pies, tarts, and pastries.  Though it lacks color photos, I trust Anissa Helou as she's the experts on the Mediterranean and Middle East cuisines.

Lastly, this meal is fit to be in Meatless Monday movement that's going on right now. I've done countless "meatless" days throughout the week for a long time already, so it's not something that's hard to participate.

Spinach Böreks (Ispanakli Tepsi Böregi)

Serves 4



For the filling:

1 pound fresh spinach

1 tablespoon exra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 medium eggs

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Fine kosher salt or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the pie plate

1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk

1 medium egg

12 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed if frozen



Make the filling: Wash and drain the spinach and put it in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until just wilted.  Drain and cool.  Then squeeze the spinach by hand until it is very dry.  Separate the leaves and set aside.

Put the olive oil, butter, and onions in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly golden.  Add the spinach and cook for another minute or two.  Remove the heat and stir  in the 2 eggs and the feta.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, return to the heat, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the eggs are very softly scrambled.  Set the filling aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix the melted butter with the milk and 1 egg in a small bowl.  Grease a 9-inch round and 1-inch deep pie plate with a little melted butter.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo across the pie plate, leaving half the sheet hanging over the edge.  Keep the remaining sheets of phyllo covered with plastic wrap or kitchen towel.  Brush the portion of the first sheet that is in the pie plate with milk mixture and fold the overhanging half over it; if any part of the sheet still hangs over the edge, either leave it there or trim it.  Brush again with the milk mixture.  Repeat the process with 4 more sheets of phyllo.

Spread the filling over the pastry.  Cover with the remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with milk mixture and folding the overhangs over.  Pour any remaining milk mixture over the top and cut the pie, all the way to the bottom, into 4 squares.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden all over.  Serve hot or warm.



Source: Savory Baking from the Mediterranean by Anissa Helou

Scalloped Potatoes with Crème Fraîche and Gruyère

Easy and tasty scalloped potatoes, served with Grilled London Broil with Rum Molasses Sauce.

Scalloped Potatoes with Crème Fraîche and Gruyère

Serves 6



Butter for greasing baking dish

2 pounds baking potatoes such as russet

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup crème fraîche

4 ounces Gruyère or sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded



Arrange an oven rack at center position and preheat to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices.  Spread half the slices over the bottom of prepared dish.  Salt and pepper slices generously.  Using a rubber spatula, spread half the crème fraîche over the potatoes, then sprinkle half the cheese over the crème fraîche.  Make a second layer in the same way using the remaining ingredients.

Bake gratin for 10 minutes.  Lower heat to 350 degrees F.  Continue to cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and a golden brown crust has formed on top, 30 to 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve hot.



Source:  The Big Book of Backyard Cooking

Green Beans with Balsamic Butter

A side dish that's good with grilled meats.  This is a accompaniment to the Grilled London Broil with Rum Molasses Sauce.

Green Beans with Balsamic Butter

Serves 8



1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons minced shallots (2 large shallots)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

2 pounds green beans, trimmed

Kosher salt

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, optional



Combine balsamic vinegar and shallots in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Stir mixture constantly, and reduec until only a little syrup remains and balsamic vinegar is mostly absorbed into the shallots.  Watch carefully to make certain mixture doesn't burn.  This should take 4 to 5 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a small bowl and cool completely.

Using a for or rubber spatula, add softened butter to shallots in a bowl, and mix until shallots are evenly distributed throughout butter.  (The butter can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before using.)

Bring a large pot of water to full boil, and add green beans and 1 tablespoon salt.  Cook beans until tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain beans well and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.  Toss beans in a large bowl with balsamic butter; mix well to coat all beans with butter.  Salt beans to taste.



Source:  The Big Book of Backyard Cooking

Orzo Salad with Vegetables and Herbs

This is a good salad to make to accompany grilled meat or chicken, I made this along with my Honey Citrus Chicken.  The orzo pasta goes well with a medley of vegetables, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions; the mint and parsley add a herbal tone to the salad.  I love the combination of the texture and the color in it too.

Orzo Salad with Vegetables and Herbs

Serves 8



Salad:

Salt

6 to 8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 2/3 cups (about 21 ounces) orzo

1 1/4 cups diced tomatoes

3/4 cup diced peeled cucumber

1/2 cup chopped green onions including 2 inches of green stem

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Dressing:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 head Boston lettuce--optional

To make the salad:  Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add sugar snap peas; cook 1 minute, then transfer peas to a strainer with a slotted spoon.  Rinse with cold water and drain.  Add orzo to the same pot.  Boil until tender but still firm to bite; about 8 minutes.  Drain and cool.

In a large nonreactive bowl, mix together orzo, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, parsley, mint, and lemon zest.

To make the dressing:  Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic in a medium bowl.  Gradually whisk in olive oil.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Pour enough dressing over the salad to coat well.  You may have a little dressing left over.  Season salad with salt and pepper, if needed.  (The salad can be made 1 hour ahead.  Do not let it sit longer, or the peas and onions will start to lose their bright color.  Cover salad and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before serving.)

To serve, line shallow serving bowl with lettuce leaves, if you desire.  Mound salad in bowl.



Source:  adapted from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom