Recipes for the Dinner

Ok, I know I am bad about posting recipes. I am making the effort to be better. Here are some recipes. The quiche recipes are based on what I did - which were variations on a basic quiche recipe I found online.

Quiche Crust (from a recipe online - makes 2 crusts)

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 stick of cold, unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp sour cream or creme fraiche

Directions:

1. Mix the flour and salt together (I use a fork) in a bowl.
   
2. Cut the butter into cubes or chunks. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, work the butter into the flour. It should be like coarse sand when it is ready
3. Create a hole in center of the mixture.
4. Break the egg into the hole and add the sour cream or creme fraiche.
5. Beat the egg and sour cream/creme fraiche together with a fork, slowly incorporating the flour mixture as you go.
6. Use your hand to get all of the dough to mix stick together.
7. Break the dough in half and form each into a disk shape.
8. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
9. Allow dough to warm up a little bit before rolling out.

Ham and Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of ham, cubed
• 1 cup of wilted spinach (you can use frozen or fresh, but you will need a lot more fresh to get 1 cup)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (any kind you want - just not the white button mushrooms, please)
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 2/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 9-inch pie pan lined with the quiche crust (kept in the refrigerator until the last moment)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute onions until soft (3-5 minutes)
3. Add mushrooms and saute until tender (3-5 minutes).
   
4. Add the ham and allow heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
5. Add the parsley to the mixture, mix and turn off heat.
6. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and half and half together.
7. Add the Gruyere cheese and the wilted spinach to the egg mixture and incorporate well.
   
8. Add the ham, onion and mushrooms to the egg mixture and work together.
9. Pour the mixture into the lined pie-pan.
10. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
11. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Smoked Whitefish and Asparagus Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of smoked whitefish, deboned and in chunks
  
• 1 cup of sliced asparagus (however size you like, but larger chunks will take longer to cook)
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (any kind you want - just not the white button mushrooms, please)
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 2/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 9-inch pie pan lined with the quiche crust (kept in the refrigerator until the last moment)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute onions until soft (3-5 minutes)
3. Add mushrooms and saute until tender (3-5 minutes).
   
4. Remove the onions and mushrooms to a bowl and add the sliced asparagus. Saute until the slices green up.
   
5. Add back the onions and mushrooms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
6. Add the parsley to the mixture, mix and turn off heat.
7. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and half and half together.
8. Add the Gruyere cheese and the smoked whitefish to the egg mixture and incorporate well.
   
9. Add the asparagus, onion and mushrooms to the egg mixture and work together.
10. Pour the mixture into the lined pie-pan.
11. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
12. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.