Quesadilla broccoli pie

It seems that we've started to trend towards quesadilla pies and away from quiches in our family.  Not sure why...

Quesadilla Broccoli Pie

Extra large flour tortilla
Cooking spray
3 slices of bacon
2 c fresh broccoli, chopped and steamed soft
Onion, chopped

1 c shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c milk
1 egg
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Spray 10 inch deep dish pie pan and press tortilla into it. Lightly spray the tortilla.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain most of grease and set bacon aside. Saute onions and steamed broccoli in skillet until softened.

Scrape vegetable mixture into the prepared tortilla. Add the Swiss cheese, spreading evenly.  In a small bowl, mix the flour through the Parmesan cheese well and pour over the tortilla. Top with the crumbled bacon. Cook at 450 for about 20 minutes.


Quesadilla Chicken Pie
Quesadilla Mango and Chicken Pie

Rice salad

I don't get very excited about Rice Salad, but this one has a bit of a tangy kick and is better than the average.  If you are requested to bring a rice salad to a summer picnic, this one ain't too bad!  High praise, huh?

Rice Salad

Brown rice (I used basmati)
Lemon, juiced and zested
Asparagus, snapped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Shallot, minced
Feta cheese, chopped
Almonds
Parsley (optional)

Boil or steam the rice until tender.  Mix in some lemon juice and set aside.  Cook and brown the asparagus in olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until bright green and still crisp.  Set aside to cool and then cut into pieces.

In a glass cup, whisk together some olive oil, lemon juice and zest, the shallot, salt and pepper.  Place the rice in a serving bowl; add the dressing, asparagus, and some feta and almonds, reserving a few for the top.  Toss and top with parsley if desired.  

Sliced tomato salad platter

This is just a variation on a Caprese salad with tomato slices and fresh basil leaves, but using a different type of cheese - grated Asiago - and adding some artichoke hearts and kalamata olives. Drizzle with olive oil and add black pepper and salt.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

With lots of black pepper...just the way I like it!

If there's anything better than ooey gooey macaroni and cheese, it's mac and cheese with lobster meat!  I found this lovely recipe in the Hannaford Fresh magazine this summer, and we've had it twice.  I made two changes.  First, I couldn't find a brick of provolone cheese, so I used an Italian cheese mixture that was mostly mozzarella.  And second, we like a crusty top, so I stuck it under the broiler for a few minutes before removing from the oven.

I just checked the website and noticed that half of the recipe directions are missing, so here is my slightly rewritten version for you:

Lobster Mac and Cheese

1 lb. penne

Salt

1 c dry white wine, such as chardonnay

2 medium shallots, diced

1 1/2 T flour

1 pint cream

6 oz. smoked gouda, shredded

6 oz. aged provolone or mozzarella, shredded

4 oz. Asiago cheese, shredded

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 lb. cooked lobster meat, chopped (from about 4 lbs. of lobsters)

The recipe can easily be halved . Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle with a rounded tablespoonful of salt and add pasta. Cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes, drain, and set aside to cool in the colander.

While waiting for water to boil, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with vegetable cooking spray. In a large saucepan, bring wine to a simmer, then add shallots. Simmer over medium-low heat until shallots are tender and wine has reduced by two-thirds, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle flour over shallots and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed and flour just begins to color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add cream and heat over low heat until hot to the touch, stirring frequently to avoid scorching; be very careful not to let it boil, as the mixture may then separate.

Gradually stir cheeses into hot cream in four or five additions, stirring constantly with a slotted spoon and allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Continue until all the cheese has been incorporated and the mixture forms a smooth, thick sauce.

Place the pasta in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir well. Stir in the lobster meat, and spread it out, making sure the lobster is covered by sauce and pasta. Cover with foil and bake about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. Broil to crisp the top if desired. Set aside to firm up for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Watermelon and feta cheese salad

I've shared this recipe for Watermelon Tabbouleh before, but it bears repeating before this summer's crop of watermelons is finished!  Instead of making tabbouleh, I left out the grains and served the rest of the main ingredients over a plate of chopped butter lettuce.

Chicken and mango quesadilla pie

I've made Quesadilla Chicken Pie several times since I first started experimenting with it, and my most recent rendition involved mango salsa and feta cheese!

Quesadilla Mango and Chicken Pie

Extra large flour tortilla
Cooking spray

Vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, chopped 
Large handful of arugula

1/2 c mango salsa plus more for serving
1 c crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder 
1/2 c milk
1 egg

Spray 10 inch deep dish pie pan and press tortilla into it.  Lightly spray the tortilla. 

Saute chicken until cooked thoroughly.  Add arugula and wilt.  Remove skillet from heat.

Spread mango salsa onto tortilla.  Top with the chicken mixture and add about 3/4 c of the cheese.  In a small bowl, mix the flour through the egg well and pour over the tortilla.  Top with the remaining cheese.  Cook at 450 for about 20 minutes.  Serve with more salsa.

Springtime vegetable tart

Another winner from Hannaford's Fresh magazine.  I made several changes, including using a large tortilla for the shell instead of pie crust.  I've been doing that more and more lately, trying to avoid the heaviness of pastry for dinner!  If I made it for company, I'd probably make my regular pie crust instead of using the tortilla.  Either way, I wouldn't be using a store-bought pastry like the one they suggest, sorry.

Queso fundido and endive salad

I had to laugh, hard, when I found out that Queso Fundido means "melted cheese."  I found this particular recipe for it in Martha Stewart Living magazine, but you can grab it online at the link above.  I paired it with her Endive Salad, which was very tasty.  The two dishes worked well together.  I made a few modifications, but not enough to really bother mentioning :-)

Quesadilla chicken pie

Tired of the same old quiche?  How about a quesadilla pie instead?


Quesadilla Chicken Pie

Extra large flour tortilla
Cooking spray
3 slices of bacon

Small onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

2 chicken breasts, chopped
Large handful of arugula

1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c milk
1 egg

Spray 10 inch deep dish pie pan and press tortilla into it.  Lightly spray the tortilla.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp.  Drain most of grease and set bacon aside.  Saute onions and peppers in skillet until softened.  Saute chicken until cooked thoroughly.  Add arugula and wilt.  Remove skillet from heat.

Scrape chicken mixture into the prepared tortilla.  Crumble bacon on top and add about 3/4 c of the cheese.  In a small bowl, mix the flour through the egg well and pour over the tortilla.  Top with the remaining cheese.  Cook at 450 for about 20 minutes.   

Brie with cranberry chutney

I've seen this done many many times, but this recipe caught my eye because the cranberry portion was a speecy-spicey chutney instead of the usual (canned!) cranberry sauce.  Yeah for Hannaford...they figured it out!

Warm Brie with Cranberry Chutney

1 c cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 c sugar
1 t fresh ginger, minced
1/3 c golden raisins
3 T cider vinegar
1/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t cinnamon

1 - 8oz wheel of brie
1/4 c sliced almonds
Crackers for serving

In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries through the cinnamon.  Simmer over medium-low heat until all the berries pop, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool and thicken. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Place brie on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Top with chutney and bake until the cheese is heated through, about 12 to 15 minutes.  While brie bakes, toast the almonds in a small skillet.  Place brie on serving plate and top with almonds.  Serve with crackers or small bread slices.

Spinach with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese

I don't have a real recipe to share for this, but then, you really don't need one...it is that simple!

Spinach with Prosciutto and Parmesan Cheese

Olive oil
Prosciutto, cut in short strips
Onion, chopped
Clove of garlic, chopped
Spinach
Parmesan cheese

In a skillet or dutch oven, heat the oil and crisp up the prosciutto strips; remove and set aside.  Saute the onions and garlic until soft.  Lower the heat and add the spinach to wilt, stirring the onions and garlic together with it.  Just before serving, stir in the prosciutto and top with Parmesan cheese.   

Pasta with leeks and sugar snap peas

Fresh sugar snap peas are at their best in the spring and early summer.  Combining them with leeks, lemon zest, and some tasty cheeses was inspired.  Thanks to Martha Stewart for this delicious pasta recipe.  My major change was to use orecchiette pasta instead of the pappardelle noodles she suggests.

Spaghetti al Vino Bianco

Oh my gosh.  This stuff is absolutely delicious.  I know it looks like normal old pasta without very many interesting things even added to it, but trust me...it's not!  This is Spaghetti al Vino Bianco, where the pasta is actually cooked in the white wine.  It doesn't turn out that disgusting purple color that you get when you cook it in red wine.  It is just amazing. 

Pasta with walnuts, ricotta, and lemon

I went looking for campanelle pasta recently, because I wanted to try a new Martha recipe, but I drew a blank at my local market.  Instead of subbing in another twisty pasta shape, I decided to go with orechette, one of my new favorites...you'll be seeing more of it here!  Here's the original recipe for Campanelle with Walnuts, Ricotta, and Lemon.  I made a half-recipe, and it was more than enough for two of us.

Spanakopita

I am a huge fan of Greek spinach and feta pie (Spanakopita) ever since I first had it.  But it can be a monstrous bear to make.  Surprisingly enough, Cook's Illustrated, the magazine with a reputation for amazing but complicated recipes, has one of the best versions I've ever had...and it didn't take me all day to make it!

I made some minor adjustments, upping the eggs to 3 and reducing the feta cheese to 8 oz (Mike doesn't like it quite so salty), and I also swapped olive oil for the butter that they called for in the phyllo layers.  I mean really!  This isn't baklava!

Pasta with lentils and walnuts

It's hard to imagine anyone ever getting tired of spaghetti with a good homemade red sauce, but if you ever do, you might want to try this unexpected combination.  You will have to pre-cook the lentils, so it might be a good idea to make this sometime when you've cooked up a big batch of lentils for some other purpose.  You can use whatever color you want...I think next time I'll make it with red lentils to get a bit more color in the dish!

Since Mikey doesn't care too much for walnuts, I subbed in pecans and it tasted just fine.

Pasta with Lentils and Walnuts

1/2 c dried lentils
1 c chopped walnuts (or pecans)
A dash of garlic powder
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c toasted sesame seeds
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c wheat germ
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb spaghetti or other pasta

Cook the lentils until tender.  Drain and mix with the walnuts through the parsley.  Keep warm but do not cook further.  Boil  the pasta until al dente.  Drain.  Mix with the sauce and add in the wheat germ and cheese.  Garnish with more parsley and serve. 

Happy Pi Day: Broccoli quiche

Here's a really simple, basic, but delicious recipe for broccoli quiche.  Yeah, I know...Martha Stewart and Paula Dean make it better, and with way more calories.  But sometimes you just want a nice simple, basic meal.  Sometimes.

No Extra Fuss Broccoli Quiche

Dough for a single pie crust (leave out the sugar)

1-1/2 to 2 c chopped fresh broccoli
1/2 onion, chopped
Olive oil
4 eggs
2 c milk
Salt and pepper
1 t dried mustard
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c grated Swiss cheese

Make the pie crust and roll it out to fit a deep pie pan.

Microwave or steam the broccoli until just tender.  In a skillet, saute the onion and broccoli.  In a large glass measuring cup, mix the eggs, milk, and spices.  Arrange the vegetable mix and the cheese in the pie pan and pour in the egg mixture.  Bake for 15 minutes at 450.  Lower oven temperature to 350 and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes more, until a knife comes out clean. 

Brussels sprouts with Gouda sauce

The smokey quality of Gouda cheese stands in well for bacon.  Of course, you could still add bacon if you really wanted to, but this sauce stands well on its own!

A mornay sauce is nothing more than a classic white sauce (aka bechamel sauce) with cheese added. 


Brussels Sprouts with Gouda Sauce

1 lb Brussels sprouts

Mornay Sauce:
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 c milk
2 oz grated Gouda cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.  Steam or parboil the sprouts on top of the stove until just barely soft.  Drain and place into an oven-safe dish. 

Prepare a white sauce (bechamel sauce) with the butter, flour, and milk.  Stir in grated Gouda cheese, reserving just a bit to sprinkle over the top later.

Pour the sauce over the sprouts and stir to coat.  Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Top with a bit of leftover cheese and brown under the broiler just before serving.

Butternut squash filling for ravioli

Quite a bit of work, and much easier with help, especially since you'll probably want to have other vegetables with this meal.  We had it with Sesame Asparagus, Beet Greens, and Triple O Bread.  Three people was the perfect number to handle the cooking.  Good thing too, because my kitchen might not have handled more!


Butternut Squash Ravioli

One batch of fresh pasta dough

Filling:
Small butternut squash (around 1 lb)
1 T butter
1 onion, chopped
2 t sage

1 clove of garlic, minced
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Sauce:
1/2 c salted butter
1/3 c hazelnuts, chopped coarsely

Pre-cook the butternut squash in a water-filled baking dish at 400.  It will take between 40 and 60 minutes to be soft enough.  Remove and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, mix up the Fresh Pasta Dough, and set aside to rest.  In a small skillet, cook the onion, sage, and garlic in butter until golden brown; remove from skillet and set aside.  In the same skillet, melt the butter and heat the nuts until the butter has browned slightly.  Pour into a glass measuring cup and cover with foil to reheat later. 

Scoop the butternut squash flesh into a bowl and add the other ingredients.  Mix together by hand. 

Roll out the pasta dough into long strips.  Place teaspoons of filling about 1 1/2 inches from the long edge and about 1 1/2 inches apart from each other.  Fold the edge over and use a crimping wheel to cut out the raviolis.  Press the edges together to seal well before cooking.

In a large pot, bring water to a gentle boil.  Cook the ravioli in batches, removing with a slotted spoon when ready.  It takes between 6 and 10 minutes to cook them.  Remove to a baking dish and cover until ready to serve.  Reheat the sauce in the microwave and serve. 

Tomatoes with feta and oregano

No recipe needed.  Just substitute thin slices of feta cheese and fresh oregano for the usual mozzarella and basil.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Yum.