Recipe: Quiche Lorraine/ Quiche Alsatian

Bacon and eggs seem like the typical American breakfast. It can become mundane if you have it all the time so if you feel a little adventurous, you can take those ingredients and turn them into a classic French dish!
Quiche Lorraine is actually name for the Lorraine region in France (not for someone named Lorraine). The quiche itself was created around the 16th century. If you add onions to the quiche, it becomes Quiche Alsatian. The addition of onions is nice to get some vegetables into your diet otherwise...LOL!




Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon sliced into small strips crosswise the length
  
• 2 medium onions sliced thinly (if you want to make it Alsatian)
  
• 4 eggs beaten
• 2 cups half & half
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese shredded
• 1 frozen deep dish pie crust
• pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• salt & pepper
  

Directions

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions into the pan with the bacon fat until onions are tender (about 6 minutes). Spread onions and bacon evenly on the bottom of the crust.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, half & half, nutmeg, salt & pepper.

3. Pour into the frozen pie crust just to the top (you might have some quiche mixture left over which you can make into an omelet to preview the taste). Top with the shredded Swiss cheese.

4. Bake in the oven at 350° for 30- 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. You can also eat this at room temperature.

I like to serve this with a small salad for lunch or a light supper.

Serves 6-8 people.

Recipe: Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

I modified this from another recipe that I found years ago. The flavors are VERY Indian. A nice vegetarian hearty dish.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
5 teaspoons curry powder (try not to use Madras curry unless you like spicy) use more or less to your liking
About 6 cups small cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head) or 2 boxes frozen (thawed)
2 15 1/2-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (available in the Asian section of your supermarket)

Preparation

Heat oil in large skillet over high heat.

Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Add curry powder and stir for about 15 seconds. (Make sure curry powder doesn't burn)

Add cauliflower and garbanzo beans; stir for 1 minute coating everything in the onion curry oil.

Stir in coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently until cauliflower is tender and liquid thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over white rice.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan Croutons

Nothing could be simpler to make than this when you stock up on frozen winter squash and chicken broth when on sale.
Thanks to Birdeye for this easy recipe.



Ingredients



* 2 boxes Birds Eye® Cooked Winter Squash (12 oz)
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup Parmesan croutons
* Dried chives


Instructions

Combine squash and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until heated through, about 10-15 minutes. Season with ground white pepper if desired.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish each serving with croutons and chives.

Target, Walmart, K-Mart

You'll be surprised at what you can find in these "Department Stores" or "Mega Stores".
If you have a chance to visit one of these, check out the grocery section. You can sometimes be pleasantly surprised with the prices on food, especially on their own store brands.

Keep an eye on the register screen!

Can never say this enough!
When you are shopping, keep a running tally in your head or better yet, write it down.
If you are buying groceries, make sure that you pick up the supermarket circular once you get into the store. Chances are when you are on the check out line and you items are being scanned, an item or two will scan in at it's regular price or higher price than that marked or advertised.

In these days of computers, it is easy for a manager to miss adjusting an item's sale price into the main terminal at the start of a sale week and an unwary shopper can spend more than they were expecting to. If you have a sales circular on you when you are checking out, you have physical proof.

If you have a junior manager argue the point with you that the item that you are purchasing is not what is pictured in their circular and YOU know that you are right, go over their heads and ask to speak to a head manager. They HAVE to honor the advertised sales from their corporate office. If they don't, then make a scene and have the salesperson take it off. Call or email the corporate office and let them know your experience.

Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

Just made a sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. Bought the sausage patties from Walmart and English muffins when on sale. They keep nicely in the freezer until needed. A large cookie cutter sprayed with PAM makes a nice egg mold and prevents sticking.

I was so hungry that I forgot to take a pic of it and ate it voraciously. It was SO good!

Ingredients

1 egg
1 English muffin
1 sausage patty
1 slice American cheese

1. Spray a small saute pan and the cookie cutter with spray oil (I used PAM)
2. Heat pan over medium heat.
3. Break the egg into a cup and gently pour it into the cookie cutter. Cook until white sets.
   
4. Lightly toast the English muffin
5. Microwave the frozen sausage patty according to package directions
6. Gently remove cookie cutter and flip egg over to other side and cook until done.
7. Assemble sandwich with English muffin, sausage, egg, and layer cheese slice. Top with English muffin.
8. Enjoy!

I used maple flavored sausage patties for a slight sweet taste against the salty sharp tang of the American cheese.

Recipe: Honey Soy Glazed Salmon and Gomae

Here is a Japanese take on Salmon and Spinach. I WAS going to make salmon en croute but that would mean having to buy puff pastry and I just wanted to use what I had on hand. I buy my salmon at Costco and keep it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it. Salmon freezes well! I always buy frozen vegetables when they are on sale and keep them handy in the freezer.


Honey Soy Glazed Salmon

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 6-ounce salmon fillets

• In a small bowl whisk together honey, soy sauce, lime juice, mustard, and water.
• In a small non-stick skillet heat oil over medium high heat and cook salmon 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and just cooked through. Transfer salmon to 2 plates.
• Add honey glaze to skillet and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Spoon glaze over salmon.

Serves 2.

Spinach in sesame dressing (Gomae)


1 10 oz. box of frozen spinach
4 Tablespoons sesame paste (tahini found in the Ethnic aisle of Supermarket or Health Food Store),
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoons soy sauce
Splash of water

• Follow instructions on box to cook spinach.
• Put cooked spinach into a sieve to squeeze out excess water or wring with hands.
• Set aside in a medium bowl
• Make sesame dressing by mixing the tahini, sugar, soy sauce, and enough water to make a dressing (thickness depending on preference)
• Toss dressing with cooked spinach and serve at room temperature or cool.

In the picture you can see that I served it with brown rice. Quinoa also makes a nice starch to serve with this dish. Enjoy!