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Archives for April 2012

Cheese and Bacon Quiche

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Cheese and Bacon Quiche

This recipe is an all-time favorite. . . and why wouldn’t it be? Crisp bacon, Swiss cheese, and a light egg custard – all baked up in a flaky, buttery tart shell . Sliced into wedges, it can be served hot or cold any time of day.
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Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 10 slices bacon fried crisp and crumbled
  • 1 Tart Shell partially baked* (click on the link to see my recipe)
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups light cream or half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups Swiss cheese grated

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 425º F. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the bottom of the partially baked tart shell .
  • Combine the eggs, cream, salt nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Beat to mix thoroughly.
  • Sprinkle the grated cheese over the bacon and ladle the custard over it.
  • Bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF.
  • Lower the heat to 350ºF and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean.

Notes

*To partially bake the tart shell, make the pastry according to the directions.  Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork.  Bake at 425 for 8 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before filling it with the quiche ingredients.
 
Variations:
Spinach Quiche
Omit the bacon and use only ½ cup grated Swiss. Add 1 cup cooked, chopped spinach – well drained, and 2 Tablespoons minced onion – which has been sautéed in 1 Tablespoon of butter.
Onion Quiche
Omit the bacon and add 2 onions, thinly sliced, which have been sautéed in 3 tablespoons of butter.
Goat Cheese and Herbs
Omit the bacon, Swiss, and nutmeg. To the egg mixture, add ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, 2 tablespoons chopped scallions and 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley. Slice 4 ounces of fresh goat cheese (chevre) into quarter-inch rounds. Spread the goat cheese slices evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Beat the custard once more and carefully pour it over the cheese slices. Bake at 375 ºF for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden and the custard is set. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. For a more rustic look, crumble the cheese instead of slicing into rounds.

Creamy Gratin of Hard Cooked Eggs

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Creamy Gratin of Hard Cooked Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs baked in a creamy Bechamel, topped with buttered bread crumbs. Baked in individual gratin dishes or in a large casserole, these eggs are wonderful served any time of day. Served with steamed or roasted asparagus and buttered toast points - heavenly.
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Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8 Hard-boiled eggs peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
  • 2 cups half and half (or heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (1 1/2 teaspoons is equal to 1/2 tablespoon)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • paprika

Instructions
 

  • Peel the hard-boiled eggs and slice in half lengthwise.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set the oven rack in the middle position of your oven.
  • Butter a 9x13-pan, a flat casserole dish that will hold at least 2 quarts, or enough individual Gratin dishes to hold the eggs
  • Arrange the peeled and halved eggs cut-side-down in the buttered casserole dish.
  • Melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Combine with the 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Set aside.
  • Combine the cornstarch with the 1/4 cup water. Mix to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
  • Heat the half and half or cream in a saucepan set over a medium flame. When the liquid begins to bubble, add the cornstarch mixture. Whisk continuously for one minute while the sauce boils.
  • Remove from heat. Stir in the Swiss cheese, mustard, nutmeg - if using, and the salt. Pour the bechamel evenly over the eggs; top with the buttered bread crumbs. Sprinkle with paprika.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes - until the gratin bubbles and the top turns golden brown.
  • Serve hot.

Notes

Special Equipment – a buttered, 13×9-inch casserole; a saucepan that will hold at least 2 quarts
Be sure that you set the oven rack at the middle position;
This dish can be prepared ahead of time.  If you are not going to bake the gratin right away, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
This dish reheats well.  Low and slow.

Deviled Eggs

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Deviled Eggs

An all-time classic. The recipe is based on using 6 hard-boiled eggs
- but you can easily increase the number of eggs. For each 3 eggs added, add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard and a pinch of salt.
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Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Boil the eggs using your favorite method - or click here for my instructions for cooking the perfect hard-boiled eggs
    . Cool the eggs completely. (The eggs can be boiled up to several days in advance.)
  • Carefully peel the eggs. Pat them dry.
  • Halve the eggs and place the yolks in a bowl. Set the whites aside.
  • Mash the yolks with a fork.
  • Add the mayonnaise and mustard to the yolks. Continue to mash and mix until well combined. If the mixture seems dry, you can add up to 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into halved whites.
  • Sprinkle paprika over the yolk mixture if desired.

Notes

Try sprinkling the eggs with any of the following:  chopped chives, dill weed, crumbled crispy bacon. . . . maybe some smoked salmon.
How about adding a little creamed horseradish in with the mayonnaise?

Here’s what’s Happening on the Homestead

Spring.  Just the word congers up images of blossoms and bunnies, eggs and chicks. . . . and catalogs filled with tableware, linens and all the fresh spring color imaginable. . . . so when my spring edition of the Pier1 catalog arrived – I was immediately drawn to devour every page.  The dinnerware, table settings, linens were, in typical Pier1 form, a wonderful feast for the eyes. pier1-catalog-page

But, there was one thing that especially drew my attention. . .their adorable folded napkins – especially the little bunnies in the upper right corner of the page. The catalog directed readers to log on to their website for instructions  – which I immediately did.

Upon arriving at the page, I  searched for the Bunny Fold pier-one-bunny-ears-directionsand found this.   I grabbed some cloth napkins (which happened to be from Pier1) and, following their directions, began folding.  It only took me to the 4th step to figure out that there was a real problem with the directions – they were rolling from the wrong side of the napkin. . . and by the final step – it was unmistakable.

wrong-way-bunny-napkinI had created this.  I took an unfolded napkin and the directions to my husband – who, as a builder, reads instructions for a living  . . . and his response was immediate – these are not right.  They have rolled from the long side and not the point – and used directions for a granny knot.  It needs to be an ‘overhand’ knot.  (50 plus years of scouting – he should know his knots!)

After making a few simple changes – rolling from the point and using an overhand knot – the finished product looked like the one in the Pier1 picture.  Success!    folded-bunny-napkin-perfection

 And so, as much as I LOVE Pier1, no one is infallible.  I have done my own set of instructions, including pictorials, for your use should you be wanting to try these little treasures.  Such a simple way to dress up a spring  or Easter table.

Just Click Here to go to the instructions.  Happy Spring!

Enjoy,

Kathy

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