Country Bacon & Cheese Quiche

We couldn't decide what dinner was going to be so we made it up as we went. We love the country, applewood, thick sliced bacon that we ordered for Christmas. That crunchy goodness along with four different savory cheese made for the perfect toss-tegether dinner Quiche.

We made our in our deep dish pizza pan...

Ingredients:

• 12 slices cooked country bacon
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
• 1 cup shredded smoked Gouda
• 1 cup shredded baby Swiss
• 1 cup shredded Coby/Jack blend
• 4 green onion diced 
• 10 eggs
• 3 cups half-and-half 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Roll pastry dough into circle large enough to fit your pan or 4 (9-inch) pie dishes. Places in dishes and flute edges
• Mix together bacon, all the cheeses and onions, place into the bottom of large pan or decide equally between pie dishes between shells. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper until blended. Pour into pan or pie dishes, remember to fill only about 3/4 full to allow 
• for expansion during cooking. 
• Bake 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Pie dishes will only need to bake for about 15-20 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
• Yield: 1 deep dish quiche or 4 regular quiches (8 - 16 servings each). 

TWD: "Baking With Julia" - Savory Puffs

I have been trying to come up with a fun and easy treat to take to share with the girls for lunch at camp tomorrow. Plus I am craving my mother's chicken salad. So making "Savory Puffs" was a great way to combine both.

Cream Puffs... Are the world's most temperamental pastry next to meringue and divinity candy! And even though they can be time consuming, I make them often using this recipe and they always turn out perfect. :)

We really like to serve ours filled with my mother's Chicken Salad. You can find that recipe here...

CREAM PUFFS & CHICKEN SALAD

Make-Over Monday - Mini Quiches (Gluten Free)

Here's a yummy flavor packed quiche that is crust-less and gluten free. Great for both appetizers or tasty treats on a brunch buffets.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 or 2 fresh parsley stems finely chopped
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 diced ham
• 1/4 cup diced red pepper
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup diced smoked cheese of choice 
   
• Preparation 
  
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (190°C). Lightly spray two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray 
  
  
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper.
  3.  Add a few small pieces of  each of the diced ingredients and a generous portion of cheese to each of the oiled muffin cups. Pour the egg mixture over the diced items and cheese in each cup, filling as many as you can to 3/4 full.
  
  4. Bake until the tops are puffed and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool for about 5 minutes, then turn the quiches out of the pans, arrange on a platter or individual plates, and serve.

"ATW80DS" - Italian Frittata

Good Morning Italy... we are so exited to know that we almost made our way around the world. We are going to be spending some time here in Italy to explore some of the different regions that we might have missed during our "Tour of Italy" challenges last year.

So today we thought we would start off with a great Italian brunch item.They define Frittata as an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. The word frittata is derived from Italian and roughly translates to "egg-cake". You can put anything you want into them to get what ever flavors you are craving and they are delicious served warm or cold.


1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large handful of chopped fresh spinach,
1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
1 - 2 roma Tomatoes sliced thin
6 large eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
1/2 cup mild cheddar grated
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large handful of leftover spaghetti
A few dashes of salt


Beat the eggs in a small bowl with half of the cheese, the fresh parsley, and salt and red pepper.
Add olive oil to an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes or until golden brown; add the spaghetti and cook 1 more minute. Add spinach and tomatoes, Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. With a fork, gently move the egg mixture from side to side allowing the egg to seep to the bottom of the pan. Do this for 5-7 minutes, until the eggs start to solidify and a crust begins to form around the edges. Give the pan handle a jiggle, and when the eggs appear nearly set, evenly sprinkle the second half of the cheese over the top of the frittata.

Remove the pan from the stove top and place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes, or until the top begins to puff up and turn golden brown. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Let cool for a couple of minutes before slicing. Serve hot or at room temperature.

"ATW80DS" - Armadillo Eggs (New Mexico)

 Armadillo eggs are not eggs, and they are definitely not from armadillos. In fact real armadillo are mammals, so the only real armadillo eggs you can enjoy are delicious appetizers popular in the Southwest. I got my recipe from a friend that had grew up in New Mexico and tells the story of her mom making these for every holiday.

Ingredients:

• 6 pickled jalapeno or 3 sweet banana peppers
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz. cream cheese
•  1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1 teaspoon chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped bacon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pound bulk pork sausage
• 3 cups breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon canned green chilies chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup favorite BBQ dipping sauce and Sweet Pineapple & Pear salsa. (Recipe found below)

Directions

• Mix together cheese, cream cheese, onion, garlic, bacon, Cut each pepper in half lengthwise; remove seeds and stems. Stuff each pepper half with about 1 tablespoon cheese mixture. In a bowl, combine the uncooked sausage, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and green chilies. Salt and pepper to taste,  mix well. Shape about 2 tablespoonfuls around each pepper.
• Dip into eggs, then roll in the rest of the bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Grill or Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional Facts 1 appetizer equals 126 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 36 mg cholesterol, 543 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 5 g protein. 

Sweet Pineapple & Pear Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1  Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and diced. Needs to be fresh, canned does not work well.
• 1 cup fresh pineapple,  chopped & drained (can use 1 can tidbits)
• 1 cup dried cranberries or dried blueberries
• 1/2 tsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon mango juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped red onion 
• 1 tablespoon sweet red pepper, chopped fine

Directions

In a glass bowl, combine the pear, pineapple, cranberries and red pepper. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes. Stir in juice, onion and cilantro, Allow to stand another 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 1/2 cups or 4 generous servings.

"ATW80DS": Toad-in-the-Hole

We have made it to England in our goal of 80 Days. It is really hard to combine Couch to 5K recipes and cook your way around the world, but this recipe can be found on both lists. :)

TOAD - IN - THE - HOLE

What You Need:

12 slices of bread (recipe calls for 2 slices per person, but we only used 1)
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine , softened
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
6 eggs
6 slices Bacon, cooked, crumbled


What You Need to do:
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Cut hole in center of each of 6 of the bread slices, using 1-1/2-inch cookie cutter or rim of drinking glass. Discard removed bread circles or reserve for another use.
SPREAD remaining bread slices with margarine. Place, margarine-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Top with cut-out bread slices to make four sandwiches. Break 1 egg into each hole. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the bacon.
BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until cheese is melted and eggs are set.

"ATW80DS" - England

For our First Cooking Challenge we choose "Yorkshire Pudding". Yorkshire Puddings are one of the major components of the National Dish of England which is Roast Beef served with two Vegetable sides and Yorkshire Puddings. The recipe is very simple and if made correctly, should be well-risen, golden brown with a crisp exterior and soft middles when served fresh from the oven.


You need:
4 large eggs
Equal quantity of milk to eggs
Equal quantity flour to eggs
Pinch of salt
6 teaspoons vegetable oil or drippings
2 tablespoons of cold ice water


Heat the oven to 425*. Pour the eggs and milk into a large mixing bowl and add the pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly with an mixer, blender or whisk. Let to stand for 10 minutes.

Gradually sieve flour into the milk and egg mixture, again using an mixer, blender or whisk to create a lump free batter resembling thick cream.

Let the batter to rest for minimum of 30 minutes, longer if possible.

Add ½tsp vegetable oil in 12-hole muffin tin and heat in the oven until the oil is smoking. Give the batter another good whisk adding 2 tbsps of cold water and fill a third of each section of the tin with batter and return quickly to the oven.

Leave to cook until golden brown approx 20 minutes. Repeat the last step again until all the batter is used up.




If anyone would like to join us in our Challenge "Around the World in Eighty Days" next week we will be in Paris, France.

Make-Over Monday: Eggs Benedict

Oo.... Eggs..... Easter.... Monday..... Morning...... Eggs.... Easter..... Monday.... Morning....Why not BREAKFAST?

This is a great recipe that we found a BH&G... It was surprisingly really good!

"LOWER-FAT EGGS BENEDICT"

Ingredients for four people:

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
2 teaspoons skim milk
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash ground red pepper

Nonstick spray coating

4 eggs

4 ounces Canadian-style bacon (4 slices)

2 English muffins, split and toasted

Directions

For sauce, in a small saucepan combine yogurt, mayonnaise, milk, dry mustard, and ground red pepper; set aside.
Spray an 8-inch skillet with nonstick spray coating. Fill the skillet halfway with water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat so water is simmering. To poach eggs, break 1 egg into a small dish and slide egg into water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until eggs are just soft-cooked.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Cover; keep warm.
Cook and stir sauce over low heat just until heated through, but do not boil.
To serve, top each muffin half with 1 slice bacon, 1 egg, and one-fourth of the sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 254, Total Fat (g) 12, Cholesterol (mg) 296, Sodium (mg) 563,Carbohydrate (g) 18, Protein (g) 16, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Barefoot Bloggers - Creme Brulee - Nov. 12

MMMMMM..... MY FAVORITE DESSERT next to Banana Cream pie of course! We were so excited to see this as one of the challenge recipe this month. It is a quick and easy dessert that is definitely the hit of the party around our house.

Ingredients:

• 1 extra-large egg
• 4 extra-large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
  

 Directions:  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Memories of my Mother-in-law...

Today would have been her birthday and one of my favorite memories was coming to visit and she had made her famous Mint Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies. So I memory of her, I give you....

Mint-Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

6 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar until very firm. While continuing to beat the egg whites, gradually add sugar and vanilla, beat until eggs whites will set up in stiff peaks. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls on pan. Bake 275 degrees for 25-30 minutes. They should only be lightly browned.