Quiche

Last week held full, stressful days at school, so on Thursday when I came home to supper already baking, it was a nice treat.

I was amused that Wayne had documented his progress.

But, I'm glad he did. It was delicious. We finished the entire thing!

Quiche



Unbaked pie crust  dough (1 cup flour, 1/2 cup Crisco, 1/4 cup cold water, 1/2 tsp salt). Mix and press into ungreased 9-inch pie plate.

8-oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons flour

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cups diced ham (instead, Wayne used a mixture of broccoli-sauteed until softened, ham and salami)

1/4 tsp salt

dash pepper

Toss cheese and flour in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350* for 1 hour, or until golden brown and set.

Fiesta Egg Casserole

At Christmas, I made this egg casserole for our family. I'd say it was a hit. Sorry I don't have a picture for it.

Fiesta Egg Casserole

10 eggs
1 pound ground pork sausage, browned and fat drained

4 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
1 can green chilies
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13"x9” casserole dish. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared dish. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is set, 35-45 minutes. Serve with Pico de Gallo or salsa.

Grits

I'm not sure why, but I've been in a baking mood lately. I've tried some old recipes, and some new, including these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins. So far so good.

This morning, I tried a grits recipe from the old More-With-Less Cookbook. I am in love. This recipe has everything that I love about grits (even cheese and Tabasco). Sadly, I am the only one in my household with an affinity for grits, so I have quite a bit leftover. So, if you are also a lover of grits, you must try this recipe. On second thought, come on over and help me eat my leftovers.

Grits and Cheese Casserole

Bring to a boil in saucepan:
4 c. water

Add:
1 c. hominy grits

Cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Add:
1/3 c. margarine
2 c. shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
6 drops hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
1 t. salt
3 eggs, beaten

Turn into 2 qt. casserole. Sprinkle with paprika (or not).
Bake at 275 degrees for one hour.

Apple-Raisin Bread Pudding

I made this bread pudding last night for dessert. I halved the recipe and used an 8x8 inch pan. It's good comfort food on a cold evening.

Apple-Raisin Bread Pudding

Taste of Home -

"Our six children love this for breakfast on a chilly morning, but try it for your next party. It makes the kitchen smell warm and cozy." Janelle Fahnestock, Lititz, Pennsylvania

12 Servings
Prep: 20 min. Bake: 40 min.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 loaf (1 pound) day-old cinnamon-raisin bread, cubed
3 cups chopped peeled tart apples
7 eggs
2-1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

VANILLA SAUCE:
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Pour butter into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Combine bread cubes and apples; sprinkle over butter. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Pour over bread.
Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. (I left it in for an additional 10 minutes, and the knife still had butter on it, so I pulled it out. It was done).

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water until smooth. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Serve with warm bread pudding. Yield: 12 servings (1-1/4 cups sauce).

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

This morning was a busy one. I was responsible for the children's story (based on Numbers 21:4-9). If you look it up, you might appreciate how much fun it was to turn that into a children's story. :) I played during the children's singing, which really isn't a big deal. And, finally, I brought snacks for our group during the Sunday School hour. Since several people requested the recipe, I thought I'd share it here for anyone else who may want to try it. Sorry, no pictures, but it did look pretty.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- from Women of Great Taste (Wichita Junior League)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Combine remaining crumb mixture with sour cream, 1 egg, almond extract, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Spread dough over bottom and 2 inches up the sides of prepared pan. Beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg until blended. Spread over dough. Spoon preserves evenly over cheese filling. Combine reserved crumb mixture and almonds and sprinkle over top. Bake until cheese filling is set and crust is a deep golden brown, 45 t0 55 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, remove sides of pan and cut cake into wedges.

Serves 10-12

Happy First Day of Spring

We had a gathering this evening to celebrate the first day of Spring. Well, actually, we just wanted to have friends over before the end of Spring Break, so it was a good excuse. Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures. But, we did have a good time.

We made waffles with lots of toppings. Our toppings included sausage gravy, hot peaches/sauce, peanut butter, yogurt, strawberries, whipped cream, and of course butter and syrup. (Thanks, Mom and Dad for our New Year tradition - I thought fondly of home while I was preparing and eating our meal). It was also a good excuse to buy a new Cuisinart waffle maker. The one we got for our wedding has long ago stopped working. To go with our waffles, our friends brought egg casserole, fruit, and mimosas. Yum! Breakfast for supper is always welcome!

And we followed supper by chatting and playing Catch Phrase. A game that I really enjoy, but always reminds me that I need to go back to school and re-learn a lot of history and geography!

The waffle recipe I used is a recipe passed down by my paternal grandmother, Laura (Wagler) Miller. And, it's the waffle recipe my mother has always made. It's simple and uses ingredients I (should always) have on hand.

Waffles

1 3/4 cup flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
2 egg yolks
2 beaten egg whites (beaten to stiff peaks)


Mix in order given. (Dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients). I added a little vanilla extract - probably 1 teaspoon. Last fold in beaten egg whites.
Makes about 10 1/2-cup waffles

Blueberry Muffins

Thanks to my friend, Michelle, I own (and love) the cookbook, Sara Moulton cooks at home. One recipe that I have been making often as of late is Aunt Alice's Blueberry Muffins. I like the muffins best when they're still warm because they have a nice crispy top. Tyler loves to help bake, and he requested we make these tonight.


Aunt Alice's Blueberry Muffins
- Sara Moulton

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole milk (I substituted 1% milk)
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, preferably wild (I've always used frozen blueberries and they're very good)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter 15 2 1/2 x 1 1/4-inch muffin cups. Beat the butter with the sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Pour in the milk, add the egg and beat until smooth.

Sift (instead, I whisk together) the 1 3/4 cups flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just moistened. Toss the blueberries into the remaining tablespoon of flour in a bowl. Fold into batter. Fill the muffin tins halfway with the batter. (My size 30 scoop makes this go pretty quickly).

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife blade around each muffin. Lift slightly on one side and tilt gently to remove from the tin. Cool briefly on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Bran Muffins

Wayne found a bran muffin recipe that he wanted me to try because he needs "more bran." :) It was delicious. I especially love the crisp top. It probably comes from the sugar...which isn't the point in a bran muffin. I keep telling myself that they have to at least be a little better for me than a chocolate or blueberry muffin, right? But, who needs an excuse? These are the fluffiest, yummiest bran muffins!


Classic Bran Muffins
-Janet Kalman/ allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins (I didn't put these in)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin tin (12-regular) or line with paper liners.
2. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla. Add bran mixture. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into buttermilk mixture, just until blended. Fold in raisins. Spoon into prepared pan(s).
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Banana Bread

I made this banana bread recipe last evening from Orangette's blog. I had a couple of large overripe bananas sitting on the counter and this used them nicely. I love the way she writes - enjoy.

Sunday

Wayne reminded me that we still have not officially welcomed our new neighbors with a plate of cookies or something. So, today after church, I decided to make cinnamon rolls. My aunt, Delilah, gave me her recipe. I hope it's okay that I'm sharing it. They are the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had. After they were done, I let Tyler have a small one. His review is the following, "Yeah...good...really good." (scarf, scarf)

Cinnamon Rolls - Delilah Yoder

3/4 cup water, very warm/hot

3 rounded Tablespoons yeast

pinch sugar

Mix and set aside

5 eggs, beat until light and foamy

Meanwhile, heat on stove until "almost boiling":
3 cups milk

1 cup margarine

Add to milk mixture:

1 cup sugar

3 tsp salt

Add milk mixture to egg mixture, then add yeast mixture.
Finally, add 11-12 cups flour. I substituted 2 cups of the white flour with wheat flour. I think I added more than 12 cups. Basically, add flour until the dough is still tacky, but you can work it without it sticking to everything. I used my stand mixer to a point. It just made too much dough to fit it all in there.

Oil a bowl, place dough in bowl and oil the top. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down. Let rise again and punch down. Divide into 6 balls. Let rest 10 minutes. Roll one ball out into approximately a 12-inch square. Brush with melted margarine and sprinkle (lots) of cinnamon sugar. Cut into 1-inch rolls. I was never told this, but they look much better if you trim off the very ends and don't use them. Well, actually when I was all done, I put the ends in another pan and baked them like monkey bread. Also, don't seal the edges and roll loosely. It makes for rolls that lay more nicely. Place into a greased pan. (I used 6 8-inch foil pans). Continue with remaining dough. Let rise again. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown (or until internal temperature reaches 170-190 degrees). Let cool on cooling rack.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup half and half (plus more)

2 pound bag powdered sugar

Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil on low heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Add half and half. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cool - but you really don't have to wait too long. Add powdered sugar and beat to make it more fluffy. If needed, add extra half and half. (I added more). The consistency should not be too thick -almost runny. Spread over cinnamon rolls.

I made 1 1/2 the recipe and had plenty of frosting leftover, but I love frosting and wanted to have enough. I felt my butt getting bigger as I sampled them, but they are yummy.

Quiche

Tonight we had one of Wayne's favorite breakfast foods for dinner, quiche. I don't remember anymore where I got the recipe, and I usually alter it from the original recipe anyway, but I like to have a base to work from.

Quiche
9" unbaked pie shell
2 c chopped tomatoes, green beans, onions or mushrooms
1/2-3/4 c chopped chicken, sausage, ham, bacon or ground beef
1/2 t dried basil, sage, thyme or oregano
1 t salt
dash pepper
1 c grated Swiss, Cheddar, or mixture of whatever you like
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 T flour
1 c evaporated milk (or I've used a little milk and/or cream if I don't have it)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake pie shell 10 minutes.
Lightly saute veggies and meats (or not - I didn't saute anything tonight). Spoon into pie shell.
Sprinkle seasonings, salt and pepper on top. Cover with cheese. Combine egg, flour and milk. Pour on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set. Let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting/serving.

I'm not much of a pie maker - that's probably why I love the pie crust I found. It's easy, turns out well, and is very tasty! I got it from a Food Network recipe for an apple pie. I will give the original recipe which is for a double crust, but I only made half (1 crust) for the quiche.

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t baking powder
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 t salt
About 1/3 c ice-cold water

Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse a few times until the mixture begins to become mealy and the butter forms plainly visible pea-sized nuggets.

Dissolve the salt in the water. With motor running, pour the water in and let mix until the dough pulls together. Do not over-mix dough.



I also dipped our strawberries in sour cream then brown sugar. It is a very yummy treat.