Crustless Asparagus-Mushroom Quiche

During the “stay at home” orders, I have decided to work on a couple of new recipes that both my brother and I would enjoy. Knowing that he likes asparagus, one recipe I settled on was an asparagus quiche. I modified this recipe after reading through many online recipes. We both enjoyed it very much. 

EQUIPMENT 

Cutting board 
Chef’s knife

Large bowl 

Small bowl

Sauté pan or skillet

Rubber/silicone spatula or wooden mixing spoon

Hand grater or food processor

9” round pie pan

INGREDIENTS FOR SAUTE                                             INGREDIENTS FOR CUSTARD
1 T extra virgin olive oil                                                   5 large eggs, the best you can buy

1 cup finely chopped yellow or Vidalia onion                 ½ cup half and half or heavy cream 

1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms                                1 t mustard of your choice     

1.5 cups asparagus, ¾” lengths                                        8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 t minced garlic                                                              ½ t sea salt

¼ - ½ cup minced parsley (optional)                                ½ t freshly ground black pepper 

¼ t madras curry powder (optional)

½ t dried thyme (or 1 t fresh)

Pinch sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

RECIPE

1.    Preheat oven to 350ºF with the oven rack in the center shelf. You may wish to place a baking sheet on the rack to prevent spills during cooking. 

2.    Prepare veggies. Using a chef’s knife, peel and dice the onion on the cutting board. Place the pieces in your mixing bowl. Bend a representative piece of your asparagus enough so that it snaps in two. Line the top of the piece up with the tops of the remaining uncut asparagus on your cutting board and slice all of the asparagus to the same length. You will use the top pieces for the quiche. Cut those into equal length pieces between ½ and 1” and toss those into the bowl with the onions. The woody bottom ends can be frozen for making soup later, composed, and even fed to your pets. My dogs love them (and get asparagus pee!). Finally, clean and dry the mushrooms. Slice them into 3-5 slices each and put the slices into your bowl.

3.    Sauté vegetables. Bring a skillet up to temperature over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add your veggies all at once with a pinch of salt. Stir frequently, ensuring that the veggies are not burning. If they seem to be burning or sticking, reduce the heat on your pan. Then, mince the garlic. Remove the parsley leaves from their main stalks, mince and then add both the garlic and parsley to your pan. (If you prepare your ingredients in advance, you will want the veggies to sauté for about 5 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients). Add the curry powder and thyme, ensuring you are not getting any stalks from dried or fresh thyme in the pan. You can rub dried thyme between your palms to crush any stalk pieces and release the essential oils. You can easily pull leaves off of fresh thyme by gently grabbing the bottom of the stalk and pulling upward. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions and asparagus are soft – about 10-12 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the veggies to cool somewhat.

4.    Make the custard. Great the cheeses. 8 oz is about 1 standard block. It is best not to buy pre-grated cheese because those cheese are specially made to not stick together when packaged… they don’t melt well. Break open 5 large eggs and put the contents in your bowl. It is best to break them into a separate bowl and pour each individually into the larger bowl, just in case there is a problem with the egg. Beat gently until the yolks are mixed evenly through the eggs. Add the half and half, mustard, salt, and pepper, and thoroughly, but gently combine. Add the grated cheese in and mix to combine well. Finally, add the veggies and mix to combine well. 

5.    Bake the quiche. Lightly grease your pie pan (this is optional as I find this really does not stick to my pan) with oil or butter. Add your egg and vegetable mixture to the pie pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread it out evenly. Place in the pie pan in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, checking for doneness at 40 minutes. To check for doneness, place a knife into the thickest part of the center. If it comes out clean, your quiche is done.

Once baked, allow the quiche to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with fresh fruit, a nice salad, or even a bowl of homemade tomato soup. Enjoy!

Cook’s notes: this can be made with any vegetables of your choice, although vegetable quiches are traditionally broccoli or asparagus. Make sure whatever veggies you use are nice and cooked, but not soggy. Let your creativity be your guide. 

Vegetarian "Unstuffed" Cabbage Soup with Fennel

This is a wonderful and easy go-to soup that is hearty and delicious.  Fennel and cabbage go so well together and below is my favorite variation of the classic stuffed cabbage soup. (photo forthcoming)

SIMPLE VERSION

INGREDIENTS
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 fennel bulb, diced
1 package of your favorite veggie "ground beef" crumbles
6 cups julienned cabbage, cut into 2" lengths
28-oz can of organic crushed tomatoes (or a quart jar of any home-canned tomato product you love)
28 or so ounces of water
1-2 cups of fine egg noodles (optional)

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
mortar and pestle or spice grinder (optional)
chef knife
cutting board
stock/soup pot

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large heavy-bottomed stock pot to medium.  While it is heating, peel and slice your garlic and, if you have one, crush the fennel with a mortar and pestle. If you don't have a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, just toss the fennel in whole. Also trim and dice the fennel bulb.  Once hot the pot is heated, pour in your olive oil.  Add the sliced garlic, fennel seed and crushed red pepper.  Stir frequently and when the garlic begins to brown, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chopped fennel bulb and your frozen veggie crumbles (or even lean ground beef or ground turkey).

Keep an eye on the pot and stir regularly, breaking up the veggie crumbles as they thaw. In the meantime, slice half of the cabbage into ½" slices then chop into 2" pieces.  Once the fennel is softened, add the tomatoes, water, then cabbage, increase your heat to medium high and bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and allow the soup to softly boil for 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes, add the noodles and continue to boil your soup for the time stated on the package.

VARIATIONS:
- If you don't have access to fennel bulb, you can omit it entirely.
- If you don't like the fennel flavor, eliminated it and replace fennel seed with 2 bay leaves and fennel bulb with white onion.
- Eliminate the noodles and serve over rice.
- Cook the beef with the fennel bulb.  Wrap the mixture in fresh cabbage leaves, and line a 9x13" glass baking dish.  Create sauce with garlic, fennel seed, crushed red pepper and tomato.  Add 1 c-ox can of tomato paste, about 28 oz of water and heat through.   Use as a sauce and pour over the stuffed cabbage.  Top with cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Buffalo Cauliflower

This very simple, delicious dish is a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving table or special occasion.  I also love to pour a hot bowl of Manhattan clam chowder over a few florets of cauliflower cooked this way.

Make no mistake, it is not light or calorie-free.  At the same time, this cauliflower is not breaded and can be vegan and gluten-free.  

Finally, if you do not have quality heavy-bottomed pots, try this in a large ramekin or heat-proof deep glass dish, cover with parchment paper and then foil and cook in the oven at 350F.

INGREDIENTS

1 head of cauliflower that is the approximate diameter of a saucepan you wish to use.  (This is VERY important for the dish to work

2-3 Yukon gold potatoes (or sections of zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage)

8 oz butter or vegan butter (I use Smart Balance, but use your favorite)

*** Chef's note: this is delicious without adding the below additions*** these are optional ***

1T finely minced hot pepper (I use habanero) WARNING: YOU MUST WEAR GLOVED OR WASH YOUR HANDS VERY WELL AFTER MINCING HOT PEPPER. 

1T finely minced garlic

¼ cup Tabasco sauce (you can use any vinegar-based hot sauce, just increase the volume if you choose one less hot, such as Crystal)

1 teaspoon chili powder

GARNISHES (optional)

chopped fresh parsley

sweet paprika

EQUIPMENT

Chef's knife

Cutting Board

4 qt saucepan with tightly fitting lid 

INSTRUCTIONS

Remove the leaves from the bottom of your cauliflower.  Put the cauliflower head down in your saucepan.  Trim the cauliflower so that it fits as snugly (diameter-wise) as possible in the pot, but the lid fits tightly on the pot.  It is alright if the cauliflower is too short.  Typically, they are so large, I cut off about ½ from the bottom and then make a few shaves in the pot. Check that the lid easily fits all the way down. 

Remove the cauliflower from the pot and over very low heat add your butter or butter substitute.  Once the butter begins to melt, add the hot pepper and garlic. Watch carefully so your butter doesn't burn.  It will be melted in a short time. When it is fully melted add the chili powder and tabasco and stir. Remove from heat. 

Place the cauliflower head down in the pan. Cut wedges of potato (or zucchini, squash or cabbage) that will fill the gaps between the flat side of the cauliflower and the pan.  You want to ensure as little steam as possible escapes, so you want everything wedged in tightly.  When finished, check your lid tightness again and trim everything that might be blocking the lid from sitting all the way down. 

Place back on very low heat and allow to simmer for 1.5 hours.  Do not lift the lid at any time during the cooking process.  

Once finished remove the cauliflower and other veggies carefully with tongs and a spatula and then pour any remaining butter sauce on top.  If for some reason your cauliflower is not done enough for your taste, put it back in the pot and continue simmering.  It should be falling apart on the plate. 

Top with your favorite garnishes and serve on a platter.  

Mexican Frittata

A frittata is a great way to use leftovers from any meal.  Combined with fresh ingredients, it allows the flavors of your favorite dinner to be reinvented as a savory brunch.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced white button mushroom
1/4 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup grated cheese (I used sharp Vermont white cheddar)
6 eggs
freshly ground black pepper
1/2-3/4 cup "leftovers"
(in this case, I used Mexican black beans)

Toppings:
Mole Sauce
Coriander Lime Yogurt Sauce


To make the black beans:  Heat a dry heavy skillet to medium high and add a tablespoon of ground cumin allow the cumin to begin smoking and darkening while occasionally stirring.  Once it has uniformly darkened a shade, add about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, about 12-14 oz cooked black beans, 3-4 minced garlic cloves and 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced.  Heat through and cook until peppers and garlic are softened.  Toss with 1/4 cup fresh cilantro.  This makes an excellent filling for any kind of burritos or a side dish.  The hot pepper may be omitted or exchanged for a more mild pepper.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Begin making the frittata by putting a tablespoon of oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium heat.  once hot, add the red bell pepper and mushroom. Sautee until the vegetables soften and then add the beans and zucchini.    Crack the eggs into a bowl. Mix half of the cheese into the eggs, add some freshly ground black pepper and even a bit of garlic powder if you like.  Beat gently.  Add the mixture to the vegetables and mix to disperse the veggies evenly through the eggs.  Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes and sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top of the egg mixture.  Put the pan into the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  If the frittata begins to brown, cover with the lid or aluminum foil.  After 20 minutes, the eggs should be set.  If not, allow to cook longer, watching carefully so the frittata doesn't become overdone.

Cut into pie shaped wedges and serve.  Mole sauce and/or yogurt sauce are wonderful with this frittata, as would be salsa or hot sauce.  I serve my frittatas with a side of fresh berries!

Enjoy.

Variations:

Greek:  Feta cheese, olives, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke
Italian: Tomatoes, italian sausage, fennel seed, parsley and asiago cheese
Spaghetti: tomatoes, cucumber, garlic and left over noodles
Simple:  Your favorite cheese

Use your imagination, anything goes!

It Ain't Your Father's Cincinnati Chili

Easy to make, you can create a delicious vegetarian version of Cincinnati chile while you boil water and cook your pasta.  This recipe will feed 4 very hungry people and may even yield left-overs.  It is delicious served with a dark green salad and basil vinaigrette dressing.

2T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium vidalia onion, diced
2 dried whole chili
6 gloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato paste
28 oz water
1T ground cumin
2 t chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t ground cinnamon
4 whole cloves
2 14-oz can black beans, well rinsed

1 box whole wheat spaghetti
pinch of sea salt

Optional Toppings:
sharp cheddar cheese
diced onion
sour cream
lime-coriander yogurt sauce

Bring a sauce pan or covered large sautee pan to medium heat.  Add the oil, onions and whole dried chili, and stir occasionally to keep the onions from browning.  When the onions are transparent, add the garlic, tomatoes and water.  Add the dried spices and then the chili paste, turn to a simmer.  Rinse and drain your beans and add them to the pot.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for your pasta.  Once at a rolling boil add a healthy pinch of sea salt and return to a full boil.  Add your pasta and cook just to al dente.

Allow the bean and sauce mixture to simmer gently until it reaches your desired thickness.

Put the drained pasta in the pot with the sauce, turn off the heat and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes so that the pasta absorbs the lovely flavor of the sauce.

Plate the pasta and enjoy with your favorite toppings.

Curried Cauliflower with Chick Peas and Roasted Tomato

This is a modification of a wonderful recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking.  It is terrific as a side dish or over rice as a main dish.  For non-vegetarians, a terrific modification is to add consider adding peeled, deveined shrimp rather than the chick peas.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium or large head of cauliflower, stemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 14-oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas), well-rinsed and well drained
4-5 T canola or regular olive oil (a splash of mustard oil is nice if you have it on hand)
1T black mustard seeds
1T fennel seeds
14-oz roasted diced tomatoes
approximately 14 ounces water
a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder

PREPARING YOUR INGREDIENTS

Rinse and drain the chick peas.  Allow them to sit until they are fairly dry, shaking off excess water.  Canned or softened from dry will work fine.  A 14-oz can or 1 1/2 cups is a perfect amount for this recipe.

One secret to cooking delicious cauliflower is to allow it to off-gas prior to cooking or serving.  Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces.  Place in a large bowl and cover with water.  Allow the cauliflower to sit like this for at least 1/2 hour.  Then drain well.

RECIPE
While the cauliflower is soaking, put oil in a large skillet on high heat (one which you have a cover), a stock pot or dutch oven.  The oil should be about 1/8" thick in the pan. Whatever will hold the ingredients so that the cauliflower is spread as thinly as possible is best.  Use a thick bottomed pan if you have one because you want to control the heat of the pot.  It is very easy to scorch the food in a thin pan. I used my enamel coated cast iron for this recipe.

Throw in the mustard and fennel seed.  When the seeds begin to pop, add the drained and dry as possible chick peas.  Note that the water on the surface will cause the very hot oil to splatter, so be very careful.  You may want to wear an oven mitt so that you aren't burned.

Allow any water to boil off and the peas to fry and brown lightly in the oil, stirring occasionally.  Once they have begun to brown, add the cauliflower and stir thoroughly.  Allow the cauliflower to slightly brown in the oil, stirring only occasionally (but keep your eye on it because you are on high heat).  Once it begins to brown, add enough water to coat the bottom of the pan.  Add your tomatoes and mix through.

Now, you are going to steam the cauliflower. Add enough water so that you can easily steam the cauliflower (should be about equal in total to the amount of tomato you added).  You might also choose to add some tomato sauce if you prefer this dish to be more tomato-y.  Add a pinch (1/8t) or more of cayenne pepper, depending on your taste.  A tiny bit of heat is nice.  If you are out of cayenne or it is too hot for you, chili powder will work fine.  You still only want a small amount or the dish will be bitter.

Leaving the heat on high, over the pan and allow the cauliflower to steam for 8-9 minutes.  Be mindful of the amount of liquid in the pot to avoid burning the cauliflower.

Serve over saffron-lemon rice or simply as as side dish. If you would like to add shrimp, they are best added during the steaming portion of cooking.

Enjoy!

Mushroom & Black Bean Enchiladas

This fourth of July was a difficult day for me, spending the holiday by myself.  Certainly, I wasn't going to fire up the grill, but I wanted something new and tasty and decided to make enchiladas and a great salad.  I started thinking about a nice rich dish and made a light but delicious mole sauce.

I rummaged through the pantry and found my some delicious ingredients that made this a wonderful and unusual treat.



INGREDIENTS:
1 package mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 12-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3-5 T crushed tomatoes, tomato puree or tomato sauce
1 T extra virgin olive oil
black pepper to taste; pinch of salt (optional)
6 soft tortilla shells (I used wonderful spelt shells)
1 cup mole sauce 
1 package goat cheese, crumbled

RECIPE
Preheat oven to 400F.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and beans and a pinch of salt and saute.  Add the garlic when the vegetables begin to soften.  You will notice that the mushrooms absorb liquid rapidly.  The salt will help them to weep, keeping the mixture moist.  If it gets to dry, don't hesitate to add as much tomato sauce as you need to maintain a nice consistency as they cook.

Once the vegetables are cooked, your filling is finished.  Place about 2-3 T of the mushroom-bean filling in the center of your tortilla shell and roll it up.  Place the rolled tortilla in a glass baking dish.  Continue until all 6 tortillas are filled.  Top with mole sauce and goat cheese (white cheddar would be great here, too).

Bake in the oven at 400F until the cheese is slightly melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Cauliflower with fennel and mustard seeds

Cauliflower has long been one of my favorite vegetables and it is very good for people with stomach issues. One of the most important things about cooking good cauliflower is the preparation of it:

Preparation & Ingredients:

1 small cauliflower head
5 T extra virgin oil (you can use safflower or canola)
2 teaspoons mustard seed (I prefer dark, but either will work)
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1T garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon madras curry powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 - 1/3 cup water

Cut the cauliflower head into bite sized florets and soak in cold water for a minimum of 1/2 hour. This removes the gasses and prepares it for crisp cooking. Drain the cauliflower and set aside.

Cooking Instructions

In a large skillet, fry pan or sautee pan (preferably one for which you have a lid) add the oil over medium heat.

Once hot, toss the seeds into the oil. As soon as the seeds begin to pop, add the garlic, stirring fairly constantly. As the garlic begins to brown on the edges, add the tumeric, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix through and add the cauliflower, water and a pinch of salt.

Stir the ingredients to mix thoroughly and cook for about 8 minutes. The cauliflower may be slightly browned, but should be crisp yet cooked through. Add small amounts of water if needed. If your dish is not cooked thoroughly enough for your taste, leave the pot covered during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking and another 2-3 minutes of cooking after you turn the heat off.

Variations

You might enjoy adding garam masala rather than curry powder. You may leave both out altogether.

Italian variation: Omit the mustard seed, tumeric, curry powder and cayenne. Increase the amount of garlic. Instead, add about 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. Consider adding a bit of chopped fennel root with the cauliflower. Steam in about a cup and a half of diced tomatoes (I use canned for all cooked application except when the tomatoes are freshly picked because they are generally better quality and higher in nutrients than out of season fresh).

Casserole variation: Add 2-3 egg yolks to a cup of heavy cream to make a custard. Stir thoroughly. Place cooked cauliflower in a casserole dish and cover with the custard mixture. Mix throoughly and top with a sprinkling of cheese mixed with bread crumbs or panko (parmesan, cheddar, swiss, whatever you like). Bake in a 350 oven for 1/2 hour.