Quiche

I have a super tasty crustless quiche recipe that I got from a friend several years ago (thanks, TL!) but it's really rich and makes a lot of quiche.  Because Son #2 is allergic to eggs and can't even eat one single bite, I opted for a smaller quiche baked in a 9" pie dish.  Since I have an easy pie crust recipe, I opted for a quiche with a crust.  I had to adjust the new recipe I was trying because it seemed too "wet" so I added a little flour and baking powder and crossed my fingers in hopes it would turn out.  It did!

I found this "My No Roll Pie Crust" recipe a while back and it's the only pie crust I'll make.  It's easy, flaky, and ohhhhh sooooooo goooooooood!  I've used this crust for apple pie, berry pie, and now quiche.  This is the perfect crust! 

Easy Pie Crust

Yield:  1-  9" pie crust

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 c  canola oil (can use vegetable oil)
• 2 tbs milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Put dry ingredients in pie dish and mix together with a fork.
3. Make a well in the center and add the oil and milk.
4. Using a fork, carefully mix dry mixture into wet mixture and keep mixing until a ball is formed.
5. Flatten and press into pie dish.
6. Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
7. Makes one pie crust.

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No photos as the quiche got eaten up before I could snap a pic.

Guess I have to make another quiche soon!

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As for the quiche, it isn't an "eggy" quiche.  It's light, fluffy, and delicious.  My sister doesn't like eggs but she liked this quiche.  Good stuff!

Quiche

Yield:  1-  9" quiche

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 c  milk
• 1 c shredded cheese
• 3/4 c  sliced sausage  (can use ham, bacon, or veggies of choice)
• 8 oz can diced green chile (optional)
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1- 9" pie crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine eggs, milk, cheese, sausage, and chile in mixing bowl.  Mix well.
3. Add flour and baking powder to egg mixture and mix well.
4. Pour into pie crust but don't over-fill.  Discard extra egg mixture.
5. * Bake for 45 minutes or until knife inserted into center of quiche comes out clean.
6. After fully baked, let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

* NOTE:  I didn't want to cut into the quiche so I baked it for 1 hour.  To test for doneness, I gave the pie dish a little shake to see if the top was set or jiggly.  A fully cooked quiche shouldn't jiggle when you shake it.

Garlic Lemon Parsley Chicken

Whoa, I just realized that I haven't blogged in a year.  One year and two days to be exact.  Last January, I went back to school so I set my blog aside and focused on my classes.  I continued to cook and bake but didn't have time to post my recipes.  Lately, I've been making lots of great stuff in my Vitamix blender and friends have been asking for recipes so I'll get back to blogging.  Let's see if I can keep it up...

A couple years ago, we went to a barbecue and our friend grilled Moroccan Chicken Kabobs.  The marinade was super tasty and he was kind enough to share the recipe.  I never made the chicken because the recipe called for 14 ingredients and he didn't measure what he put into his marinade.  Wow, 14 ingredients and I had to wing it?  I don't think so.  I wasn't confident enough to try it until today.  BUT.....I changed up the recipe and simplified it.  I cut out so many ingredients that it's not even the same marinade but it turned out great and the fam ate it up.  It was delicious!  This recipe's a keeper and I'll definitely make it again.  

This was a fast and easy marinade thanks to my Vitamix blender.  I love that thing!  If you don't have a Vitamix, use your food processor.  You need to puree the ingredients to get the best flavor for your marinade.

Marinate your chicken for 2 hours so consider the wait time if you're making it for dinner.  Don't marinate it too long as the acidity of the lemon will "cook" the chicken.

Grilled to perfection.

Garlic Lemon Parsley Chicken

Yield:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs chicken (breast, thighs, legs...your choice)

Marinade:

• 1 lemon- juiced
• 1/4 c  extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• half "bunch" Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
• 1/2 tbs ground cumin
• 1/2 tbs paprika
• salt/pepper to taste

 Directions:

1. Put marinade ingredients into the Vitamix (or food processor) and blend it well.  Texture will be slightly thick. 
2. Taste the marinade and add more salt and pepper if needed.  
3. Put chicken into ziploc bag and add marinade.  
4. Zip bag shut and massage the marinade all over the chicken.
5. Marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.
6. Then, grill chicken until cooked thoroughly.  
7. Serve with salad, rice, and a veggie.  ENJOY!

Source:  A.E. from San Diego.  :)

Baked Shells n Cheese

My boys LOVE when I make homemade mac n cheese because I add all sorts of good stuff to it. The shells are little pockets of deliciousness and each bite bursts with flavor. What is the "good stuff?" The addition of onions, garlic, veggies and sausage. I use whatever veggies/meat I have in the fridge and the dish always turns out delish.

Yum yum yum!

I love comfort food!

Baked Shells n Cheese

Yield:  8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shells, cook according to package directions (or pasta of choice)
• 12 oz package Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage (or protein of choice), cut into bite size pieces
• 1-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4-5 garlic cloves (more or less taste), diced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs flour
• 2 1/2 c milk
• 3 c shredded cheese (set aside 1/2 c for topping)- I used 1 1/2 c cheddar and 1 1/2 c monterey jack
• 1/2 c panko bread crumbs (optional but tastes great because it adds a slight "crunch.")

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and put drained pasta back in the pot. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375F.
3. Heat oil in large pan and saute onions and garlic 4-5 mins.
4. Add sausage and heat for another 3-4 mins. If your sausage is not a "fully cooked packaged sausage," then thoroughly cook the sausage at this point. Check your package carefully. 
5. Place onion, garlic, sausage mixture in pasta pot and set aside.
6. Make sauce in same large pan used for onion mixture. Melt butter over med heat. Add flour and stir frequently for 2-3 mins.
7. Slowly add milk, cayenne and paprika. Simmer 8-10 mins and stir often.
8. Add 2 1/2 c shredded cheese to milk mixture. Stir till melted. 
9. Add cheese mixture to pasta pot and mix all ingredients well.
10. Pour pasta mixture into 9x13" dish. Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 c cheese.
11. Bake 20-30 mins till pasta is browned. If panko bread crumbs haven't fully browned, place under broiler for 3-4 mins. Keep an eye on it so you don't burn it.
12. Let stand 5 mins before serving. Careful when eating as the pockets of hot cheese in the shells can burn your mouth. ENJOY!

Baby Back Ribs

Hubby has gout so I've been trying to make foods that aren't high in purines. We're trying to watch what we eat but we had a craving for ribs so we went for it. We figured a small portion couldn't be that bad. Happy to report that the meal was a success!

This will be a quick post to share with you how to get tender, juicy, caramelized, rib-o-licious ribs! Easy, delicious and sure to impress anyone who eats them. I baked plum glazed baby back ribs and used up the last of my plum preserves I made over the summer.

I made two packages of baby back ribs from Ralph's. 

Cut up the slabs into 3-4 rib segments, salt and pepper them and then bake them.

We enjoyed this with a big salad and homemade garlic bread.

Yum-O!

Baby Back Ribs


Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 slabs baby back ribs
• salt/pepper to taste
• sauce of choice: BBQ, Asian, spicy, honey, preserves, rub, whatever you like...

Directions:

1. Line baking sheets with foil. Baking sheet must have raised edges to contain the oil as you bake.
2. Rinse off ribs under cool water and pat dry.
3. Cut into 3-4 rib segments and place on prepared baking sheet.
4. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of ribs.  Place meaty side down.
5. Bake at 250F for 2 hrs.
6. Remove from oven and turn ribs boney side down. Place ribs back in oven and add HOT water to baking sheet, just enough hot water to cover bottom of baking sheet. This helps steam the ribs and keeps the ribs nice and tender. 
7. Bake another 45 mins-1 hr. If using honey, drizzle honey at this step.
8. Cool slightly before you eat. ENJOY!

Emeril's Essence

I haven't posted in FOREVER as I have been busy. Very busy! In mid-May, we put our house on the market so I had a lot to do to get it ready. Then June was a busy month with the boys' end-of-the-school-year activities, and when summer vacation hit, the boys kept me busy and I didn't have time for blogging. In Sept., the boys started a new school so the 15-20 min. drive in the mornings and afternoons added to my busy schedule. By late Oct., we received an offer on our house and we went into escrow. Packing nine years of stuff was not an easy task but we did it. We had everything packed up and cleaned out in less than three weeks. In Nov., I decided to go back to school to get my Education Specialist Credential so I can teach Special Ed. I'm nervous about the workload but I'll figure out a way to balance family and school. So now it's already December and I haven't blogged since September. It's unbelievable how time just flies these days. I can hardly believe it's almost Christmas and 2011 is less than two weeks out. Crazy, right?!

I mixed up some Emeril's Essence to give to a few friends and family as part of their Christmas gifts. I use that stuff on just about EVERYTHING! It goes well on so many foods and I love the flavor. Chicken, pork, beef, fish, eggs, soup, sandwiches, quesadillas...endless possibilities I tell you. It's perfect. It's Emeril's Essence. Try it. You'll love it! Mix up a batch or two, divide it up into nice containers, tie a ribbon around it and include a recipe card. Simple and inexpensive.

Emeril's Essence

Yield: 2/3 c

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tbs paprika
• 2 tbs salt
• 2 tbs garlic powder
• 1 tbs black pepper
• 1 tbs onion powder
• 1 tbs cayenne pepper
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• 1 tbs dried thyme

Directions:

1. Measure out ingredients in medium-sized bowl.
2. Mix ingredients thoroughly.
3. Put Emeril's Essence in empty seasonings container, airtight container or ziploc bag.

Source: foodnetwork.com

Vacation and Cooking

The end of August, we went on our annual, week-long summer vacation to South Lake Tahoe. We had great weather (low 70s while there was a spike in temps back home) and we enjoyed a fire-free summer for a change. This was the first vacation in four years that we didn't have to worry about fires, smoke, headaches and Son #2's asthma. The wind was a little crazy towards the end of the week and it even hailed our last day in Tahoe. Different weather than we were used to but a great vacation nonetheless.

Every Mom knows that a Mom on vacation with her family never truly enjoys a "vacation-vacation." There's still cooking and cleaning that needs to get done so I usually need a vacation from vacation. :) This Tahoe trip actually felt like a real vacation for a change. Even though I made all our meals, I planned easy ones so it didn't feel like work. We didn't have much planned other than bike rides and beach days so it was quite relaxing. We all had a blast!

This year, we did our vacation on the cheap. I'm talking super cheap. On our drive up, I jotted down breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas for the week and then made my grocery list. The list worked out really well! We went grocery shopping as soon as we rolled into Tahoe, and because we bought all the food, I stuck to the menu. We saved loads of money by eating at home and packing lunches for our beach days. We didn't eat out at all. That was the first time we've vacationed like that. The easy, inexpensive and quick meals kept our costs down but also ensured that I'd continue to cook healthy meals for my fam.

Meal Planning is not only good for vacations but if you're a busy mom, too. If you have the food in the fridge and know what you're going to make, it keeps you from going through the drive-thru. Keep it simple so you stick to the plan. :) Leftovers are also great for fast meals. I'm a big believer in cook once, serve twice so don't be afraid to grill up some extra chicken, pork or steaks. Just be sure to change up the dish so you don't serve the same boring leftovers.

This post is dedicated to my friends who ask me how I manage to stay busy in the kitchen...

Breakfast:
Cereal, fruit, bagels or quesadillas. The bacon and brie quesadilla was everyone's fave!
I cooked a large package of bacon in the oven and used a slice or two of bacon in our "gourmet" sandwiches.

Lunch:
Sandwiches or wraps...change it up every day so it's not "just a sandwich:" salami, turkey, ham, grilled chicken (leftover from dinner the night before), roast beef and add different cheeses, too (sliced cheddar, provolone, brie, etc.). Don't forget the lettuce, tomatoes and pepperoncinis. :)
Serve with chips/crackers, fruit and a cookie. When I serve a little junky snack with the healthy foods, my boys really enjoy their lunches and don't ask to eat out.

Dinner:
Make grilled chicken (grill extra chicken for sandwiches, quesadillas, burritos or enchiladas), spaghetti (get a large jar of sauce so extra sauce can be used for meatball subs), steaks (again, grill an extra steak or two), burritos (from leftover chicken or steak), enchiladas (again using leftover meats) and meatball subs (Super easy- just heat frozen meatballs in spaghetti sauce and serve in hot dog buns.  The buns are the perfect size for kids.)
Serve with salads, veggies and fruit. Serve a little ice cream to make dining IN a treat.  ;)

**To start, plan 2-3 days worth of meals and use the leftovers to get another 2-3 meals out of it. It's the perfect way to make healthier food choices for your fam. Stick to the plan and stay away from the drive-thru. :) 

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

In my prior post for "Enchilagnas," I mentioned getting meal deliveries through our local chapter of MOMS Club after I had Son #2. Having friends deliver hot meals at the end of an exhausting day was THE BEST! I got great meals but my FAVE, FAVE, FAVORITE!!! during the two week rotation was White Chicken Enchiladas from my sweet friend SL. I had never eaten a white sauce enchilada until she brought them over and I was HOOKED! They were one of my go-to recipes for the past six years and I make them often for friends and fam. They seem so fancy but they're the easiest dish to make and they taste amazing. In Feb., I started to blog about SL's awesome enchiladas but never got around to finishing it because I was trying to duplicate the white sauce from Amigo's in Bishop, CA. 

I LOVE Mexican food and I was on a hunt for new Mexican recipes to try. Last week, HW, a good friend from high school sent me a recipe for her Mom's enchiladas. The sauce base was the same as SL's white sauce but the addition of chicken bouillon cubes in HW's sauce added a new dimension to the sauce. WOW! The fam enjoyed EVERY bite! DEEEELISH!!!

I've since made a combination of the two white enchiladas. I used the salsa verde chicken mixture from SL's enchiladas but used HW's sauce. It was the perfect combo!

This creamy chicken enchilada is delicious. 

A buttery tomato and onion chicken mixture. YUM!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 10 enchiladas in 13x9" pan.

Ingredients:

• 10 soft taco size flour tortillas (or use 12 corn tortillas)
• 1 lb jack cheese, shredded (I used ~ 1/2 lb, just enough for a thin layer over enchiladas.)

filling: 

• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2-3 tbs butter 
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 4-6 oz green chiles, diced
• 15 oz corn, drained (optional)
• 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

sauce:

• 1 pint heavy cream
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Melt butter over med. high heat and brown onion. 
3. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 mins.
4. Next, add chicken and simmer 20 mins.
5. While chicken mixture is simmering, make the sauce. Dissolve bouillon cubes in the cream and stir well.
6. Stack tortillas and place chicken mixture across "end" of tortilla nearest you. Roll and place seam-side down in dish. Continue with remaining tortillas.
7. If you have leftover chicken mixture, add it to the sauce and mix well.
8. Pour sauce over top of enchiladas and spread evenly over entire dish. 
9. Add cheese over enchiladas, cover with foil and bake 25-30 mins or until bubbly. ENJOY!

Note: If you don't have time to make the tomato and onion mixture for the chicken, you can use 14-16 oz of salsa verde instead for the filling.

Source: Adapted from SL's and HW's White Chicken Enchiladas.