Leftovers Quiche, yes, another one. IF you have food leftover, chop it up, throw it in a pastry lined dish, add eggs, bake and VOILA...FOOD

I like quiche and it seems I send more out than I make to eat in, a fact I intend on rectifying in the immediate future.

I cooked breakfast at a Masonic Lodge on the weekend and there was bits and pieces left over.  I offered to take it home and transform it in quiches for their meeting tonight.

It's quick, easy and I am going to keep a 'quiche bowl' in the fridge so that food from the week, not enough to make a meal from, will be put in and turned in quiche as soon as I have enough "stuff".

In the mean time, here's my updated quiche and press in crusty recipe:

QUICHE, FROM LEFTOVERS IN A PRESS IN CRUST

EASY, QUICK, DELICIOUS
(and no rolling pastry out!)

Press in pastry first:

IN  pie plate:
1 1/2 cup a/p flour
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1/2 cup plain oil
1 T (generous) milk

Mix the dry, add the wet, mix with fork until crumbly and press into the pie plate.  Do an arty edge if you're in the mood :)

            

I pop it in the fridge while I deal with the innards. 

Ok, Filling.  Chop up whatever you have to put in your quiche.  I have ham, fried onions, fried green peppers, sausages, hash browns, tomatoes, cheese. That's going to make some pretty yummy man quiches :)   Divide the fillings between the quiches if you're making more than one or just load up the one you're making.  

   

NOW the eggs.  I'm making 3 quiches so that's 18 eggs, luckily donated from the breakfast.  I use 6 eggs per quiche.  In my gigantic bowl, I mix:

18 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup half and half (because I didn't have cream)

salt, pepper, thyme, nutmeg (a few grates)

Mix like mad and divide between the quiches.

   

They looked bland so I put the sliced tomatoes on top... oh lovely

 

BAKE at 400 for 15 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven then lower the temperature to 350 and let them go another 20-30 or until they are set except for the smallest jiggly bit in the middle.  Put them on a rack to cool.

 

I like to eat them at room temperature with a salad or just a big hunk on a plate.  I'll let these cool completely then cut them and deliver them to the Masons so they have something to snack on while they meet and do Mason things.

There you go, my latest quick and easy 'anything' fridge quiche.  I hope you enjoy it! 

/enjoy

MY version of the Brazilian Flan, yeah, you're going to want to make this

I grew up enjoying a custard dessert with caramel on the bottom, it's called creme caramel.
I love creme caramel.

I moved to Texas and voila, my beloved creme caramel is called Flan.
Ok, I'm easy, I still love creme caramel Flan.  Ok, Flan.

THEN while researching something completely different I stumbled upon Brazilian Flan.  Seriously?  it appears the only difference is the blending and the addition of sweetened condensed milk.  Wow, there's nothing wrong with that at all.

After some more research and testing, I came up with this, my version of the Brazilian Flan.  It's thicker and creamier than it's French and Mexican relations and that's ok in my book.  It's a snap to throw together, makes a ton (10 ramekins!) and did I mention delicious??  It's also in a jar, Flan in a Jar, baby.

It occupies that spot in time and space between a flan and a creme brulee.  It's custardy and creamy and light and sweet and rich all at the same time.  You're going to have to make this.

BRAZILIAN STYLE CREME CARAMEL FLAN in a Jar - MY VERSION

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (or make your own)
1 (scant) can (use empty ^^ can) milk
4 eggs, Large or better
pinch salt
dribble of vanilla
nutmeg if you're in the mood

Combine in a blender and blend till well combined, leave to settle and the bubbles to subside, or skim them off.

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar in  a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup, add a little water to moisten.  Microwave on high about 6 minutes, until it's the color you like.

Divide hot sugar mixture between 10 ramekins or the 4 oz glass jars I use for everything.  Put them in a dish with a towel on the bottom then divide the caramel.

Fill with the milk egg mixture

Pour hot water to 1/2 up the sides of the containers and pop ainto a 350 preheated oven for 40 minutes.  The top browns, don't freak out, it's supposed to.  The condensed milk is the culprit, don't fret.

When they're set but a little jiggly, transfer them to a rack and leave to cool.  Pop the lids on the jars and throw them in the fridge till tomorrow or until they're really cold.

Invert onto a plate or just dig in.

Rich, cold, caramelly, sumptuous, delicious, tasty, yummy, moorish, the reason to get out of bed in the morning, the middle of the day or the middle of the night.

You're welcome :)

ENJOY!

Put the ramekins or jars in a pan om a towel.  Mix the egg and milks in a blender and set aside

  

 Make the caramel in the microwave, this took about 6 minutes on high.  I'd say be careful, it's hot, but then  we all know boiling sugar is hot so I'm not going to say it, we're not idiots.

 

Divide the caramel between the jars then fill with the milk and egg mixture.  Bake for 40 then remove to a rack to cool completely.  

Put them in the fridge, covered and leave them to get icy cold.  

(confession:  I love them warm)

 

 

That's it, make them, enjoy them then make some more :) 

Tracy

QUICKIE DRIVE BY dinner idea for leftover chicken... wrap it in a crepe, throw sauce on it and call it dinner

Oh, fancy drive by leftover chicken time.

I had about half a leftover roast chicken, I picked the meat and threw it in a ziplock in the fridge. That's where we start

QUICKIE DRIVE BY -  CHICKEN CREPES WITH GRUYERE CREAM

Make 10 crepes, use a family recipe or google it or buy some, it's pretty easy either way.  Don't fret about how they look or if they're too thick, they are merely a vessel to carry chicken and gruyere cream to your mouth.

I will update this with my crepe recipe but i'm in a hurry to get this posted so it'll wait for now.

IN a heavy bottom sauce pan, make bechemal sauce.  Start with about 2 Tb butter and melt it, when it foams, add 2 T flour and fry it around for a moment, don't let it brown.  Add cold milk about 3cups at all once.  Do not fret or get all chefy and add a dribble then whisk then a dribble more, just dump it it.  I've been dumping milk into my cream sauce for 183 years and it's never been lumpy, just do it.

Dump the milk in and whisk until it comes back to the boil and thickens.  Add more milk if it's too thick.  Add salt, pepper and grates of fresh nutmeg.  When it tastes lovely and is a consistency you like, take it off heat and add a handful of whatever cheese you have.  I had Gruyere so that's what I used.

Keep a little of the sauce back to use on top and Mix the cooked, shredded chicken to the remaining sauce.

Fill each crepe with the cooled mixture and lay in a buttered pan.  Pour remaining sauce over, add more grated cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes in a hot oven till it's bubbly and heated through.

Serve with rice and something green.

  

:D

QUICKIE DRIVE BY recipe - Mini Donuts because DONUTS!

Sometimes you want donuts and sometimes you realize that you always have the ingredients for donuts in your house, I'm about to ruin you for all time, you're welcome.

I treated myself to a mini donut pan because I had a weird coupon for it and, well, mini donuts have no calories, especially if you eat them standing up. I think any mini donut pan would work so I'm not recommending one or another.  *IF you make donut pans and you want me to try yours, email me :)



ANYWAY, this is the batter I settled on as my favorite.  I tested a bunch for you, you're so very welcome, I'm selfless like that.

QUICKIE DRIVE BY BAKED DONUTS

PREHEAT oven to 335

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
CREAM TOGETHER LIKE MAD then add all at once
1 XL egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
a few grates of fresh nutmeg
WHIP TOGETHER, IT WILL LOOK LIKE A CURDLED MESS, that's perfect
DUMP in all at once:
1 1/2 cup a/p flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
FOLD together with a spatula

The batter is thick and lovely.  Put it all in a Quart size ziplock bag and cut a tiny corner off so you can pipe this super thick batter into your mini donut pan. Grease the pan well with spray and only fill them about 1/2 full...  or else you'll get muffins, ask me how I know....

Pop the pan into a preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and leave in pan about a minute then bang the pan on the counter, upside down and they all pop out.  Put the little darlings on a rack to  cool and cook the rest.

I make a glaze of

1 cup icing (confection) sugar  with enough melted butter to turn it the consistency of peanut butter, thick peanut butter.  Then drizzle in evaporated milk until it's the consistency you like for dipping the donuts, thick to top or thin to dip, your choice :)

When the donuts are cool you can top glaze them or dip them in icing sugar or you can butter them then roll in cinnamon sugar or you can dip glaze them if you make the glaze thinner or you can make ganache or ice them with icing sugar and lemon juice; the possibilities are endless.  Here's the beauty shots from the testings.  All delicious, all eaten :)

Go make some, now!

ENJOY!

 

 

 

QUICKIE DRIVE BY dinner idea - Roasted Asian salmon with stirfry rice noodle.

I'm starting a new segment here, Drive By Dinners... no long recipes just ideas and lists of ingredients that I threw together to make dinner and they worked :)  No play by play pics, just a couple of shots of the finished product.

IF you need a detailed recipe, let me know and I'll update the posts.

OK, here we go:

ASIAN SALMON WITH STIR FRY RICE NOODLE

INGREDIENTS:

Salmon 1 1/2 - 2 lb piece or however much you have
Rice vermicelli noodle

Whatever veggies you have in the fridge, chop then small.  Grate the ginger and the garlic

cabbage
green onion
onion
carrot
ginger
garlic

Broth or water

Asian type spices from that shelf in your fridge you never use

Soak the rice noodles in a big bowl in the sink in hottest tap water, shush them around with your hands a bit to soften and divide them, takes about 5 minutes.  You know when they're soft enough when you can wrap them around your finger and they don't break.

I get in there with scissors and cut them up, I like short noodles for this.

Make a sauce combination for your salmon:
2 big tablespoons of honey, same amount of soy sauce
a few drops of sesame oil and a glug of vinegar (rice wine, or herbed or plain)
spoonful of sugar
a garlic clove minced and about an inch of ginger, also minced
chopped up green onion a little water to thin
TASTE it!!

Put the salmon in a huge piece of foil, mix up the sauce and pour it on the salmon.
Wrap the salmon tightly and throw into a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Open the foil and broil the salmon till it's dark and dark and dark and crazy caramelized delicious



While the salmon cooks toss oil in a huge pan, throw in a couple of beaten eggs, whip them fast and take them out.
Add more oil and throw in ginger and garlic, shush it around till you smell it and add all the rest of the veggies you have, chopped small...  fry them around a bit, add a little water to help cook it down.

Throw in whatever you have like soy or some of the sauce from the salmon, and add the soaked and drained noodles and about 1/2 cup of water or broth, toss it all around, adjust seasoning, keep it moving.  Throw in the eggs.  The noodles absorb the liquid, add more, i like it to be relatively dry.

Put huge amounts in bowls and serve the salmon on top with any sauce, liquid in the foil...

Sprinkle with green onion.  EAT!

PS it's great cold, tossed as a salad!!

ENJOY!!!