Cheesy Crustless Quiche

Quick is a nice dish to serve for lunch, brunch, or a tea.  This recipe is so easy to make because you don't need to worry about making a crust.  For me, that is a plus.

This recipe is pretty versatile.  I din't have the cherry tomatoes and my family hates green onions so I just topped it with bacon.   I also substituted Gruyere cheese for the Swiss cheese.

The quiche came out perfectly.  It is very creamy and it was delicious.   The combination of the cheeses added to the flavor as did the Dijon mustard.  The family loved this recipe.  Next time, I will be sure to have the cherry tomatoes on hand.    You can get the original recipe here  Simply Recipes.   My rendition is below.


Cheesy Crustless Quiche
From Simply Recipes Adapted Slightly From My Southwest Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups milk
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 eggs
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions:
1 Make a roux: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir in flour; cook, stirring until bubbly.
Gradually add the milk; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
Remove from the heat; set aside to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
2 Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cottage cheese, baking powder, salt and mustard; set aside.
3 Make the filling: Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the cream cheese, the cottage cheese mixture and the milk/flour sauce.
Stir in the Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses.
4 Bake: Pour into a buttered 10" pie plate. Sprinkle the top with chopped  crumbled bacon.
Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. A knife inserted into the center of the quiche should come out clean. Let rest for 15 minutes, serve.

Serves 8

Chicken and Stars Soup

When I was little, Chicken and Stars soup from Campbell's  was my favorite soup.  I loved the little star shaped pasta.   Fast forward a few decades, and I am making Chicken and Stars soup a la Saucier.

I start by removing the meat from a rotisserie chicken and shredding it.  In a large pot I add chicken broth, the shredded chicken, vegetables, seasoning and some herbs.   I let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender.  I then add the stelllini (star shaped pasta) and cook until the pasta is done - about 3 minutes.  I then whisk in some butter, and lemon juice.  Lemon juice makes this soup pop.   I taste and add additional seasoning if necessary.

A hearty bowl of soup loaded with veggies, chicken, and pasta.  A delicious bite in every spoonful.  



Chicken and Stars Soup
Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed from bones and shredded
8 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 medium carrots thickly sliced
3 celery stalks thickly sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3/4 cup stellini (tiny star pasta)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a 6-quart pot, place the shredded chicken meat and the other ingredients up to the stellini (pasta).   Stir well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
2. Add the pasta to the pot and cook for about 3 minutes or until the pasta is done.
3. Whisk in the butter and lemon juice.  Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Serves 6

Memorial Day

Grilled Halibut with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

An easy recipe and tasty recipe for grilled halibut.    Perfect for summer weather.  The halibut filets are grilled in a somewhat tangy lemon vinaigrette with basil and capers.  The result is a delicious piece of fish that is nice, moist and very flavorful.   A nice dish for a light and satisfying meal.




Grilled Halibut with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
Epicurious

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried
2 teaspoons drained capers
4 5- to 6-ounce halibut filets (about 3/4 inch thick)

PREPARATION

1.Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic cloves and grated lemon peel in small bowl to blend.  2. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh basil and capers. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
3. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Season halibut steaks with salt and pepper. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, dividing equally. Grill or broil halibut steaks until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Rewhisk remaining vinaigrette; pour over fish. Garnish fish with remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve.

Serves 4

Famous Blueberry Muffins

These are the best blueberry muffins I have ever made.  The family agreed.    This recipe is a clone of the Jordan Marsh Department Store blueberry muffins.    I pretty much followed the recipe except that I added 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.  I love the lemon blueberry combination.  MMM.

This was a very easy recipe to make. The batter came out perfect and the crushed blueberries added great flavor.  Don't skip the sugar on top - it kicks the muffins up a notch.  These muffins where chocked-full of blueberries and they were very moist.  They were delicious.  I am going to make another batch as soon as I finish writing this post.

Famous Blueberry Muffins
King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (113g) butter, at room temperature
1 cup (198g) sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (241g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (113g) milk
2 1/2 cups (354g) blueberries, fresh preferred
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup (50g) sugar, for topping


Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin; or line the tin with papers, and grease the papers.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and beating well after each addition.

4. Beat in the baking powder, salt, and vanilla.

5. Add the flour alternately with the milk, beating gently just to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.

6. Mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries. Add the mashed and whole berries to the batter,  along with the lemon zest, stirring just to combine and distribute.

7. Scoop the batter by the heaping 1/4-cupful into the prepared muffin pan; a muffin scoop works well here.

8. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon granulated sugar atop each muffin, if desired. It's traditional — go for it!

9. Bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, until they're light golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

10. Remove the muffins from the oven, loosen their edges from the pan, and after about 5 minutes transfer them to a rack to cool.

Makes 12 muffins

Chicken Piccata with Lemon Sauce

I made the best tasting chicken tonight for dinner. Chicken Piccata with Lemon Sauce is a delicious  breast coated in a flour mixture with Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and then dipped in a seasoned egg substitute mixture.  The breast is then  fried in some olive oil oil until golden brown.

A delicious lemon sauce is the made  using butter, lemon juice and white wine.  The sauce is drizzled over the chicken breasts.

The breast is moist, somewhat tangy, and delicious.   My family loved this dish.


Chicken Piccata with Lemon Sauce
From Taste of Home
 Ingredients
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth, divided
5 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1. Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. In a shallow dish, combine the egg substitute, 2 tablespoons wine, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic and hot pepper sauce. In another shallow dish, combine the flour, Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt. Coat chicken with flour mixture, dip in egg substitute mixture, then coat again with flour mixture.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, brown 4 chicken breast halves in 1-1/2 teaspoons oil for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. Drain drippings. Repeat with remaining chicken and oil. Remove and keep warm.
3. In the same pan, melt butter. Add the remaining wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until sauce is reduced by a fourth. Drizzle over chicken.

Serves 8

German Potato Salad

German Potato Salad is a nice change from traditional Potato Salad.  Instead of using mayonnaise as the dressing base, the potatoes are coated in a nice mustard vinaigrette with bacon and onions.   These flavors compliment the potatoes.  This salad is delicious. It can be served hot or cold.

German Potato Salad
From Simply Recipes  
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds (about 8) small red potatoes
3 slices (about 4 ounces) thick cut bacon, diced
2 medium (3/4 pound) red onions, diced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup low sodium vegetable or chicken broth (store-bought or homemade)
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (I like a mixture of chives and parsley)

DIRECTIONS
1 Steam the potatoes: Fill a pot with an inch or two of water and set a steamer basket inside. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Rinse the potatoes and place them in the steamer basket.
Steam the potatoes, covered, for 20 minutes. To test for doneness, use a paring knife to pierce one of the potatoes; steam for a few more minutes if not quite done.
Remove the steamer basket from the pot and let the potatoes cool for 20 minutes.
2 While the potatoes are cooling, make the bacon dressing: In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the bacon until it begins to render some of its fat, about 5 minutes. (For crispier bacon, cook for 8 minutes.)
Add the onions and sauté for 5 more minutes, until the onions are softened and translucent, and the bacon is cooked through.
Add the vinegar to the skillet. Stir it in with the onions and bacon and let it reduce, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, mustard, salt, and pepper, and turn off the heat.
(If your potatoes aren't quite ready yet, turn off the heat, but then warm briefly again before mixing in the sliced potatoes in Step 4.)
3 Peel and slice the potatoes: Use your fingers or a paring knife to gently peel the potatoes. (You can also leave the skins on if you like a more rustic potato salad.) Slice the potatoes 1/4-inch thick.
4 Stir the potatoes and herbs into the warm dressing: Add the potatoes and chopped herbs to the skillet with the vinaigrette. Gently stir until the potatoes are coated evenly with the herbs, onions, and bacon.
5 Serve the salad warm or chilled. This salad can be made up to a day ahead.

Serves 4-6