Cherry Tart, Quiche Recipies

Yesterday afternoon, I was in a cooking kind of mood. I made the above cherry tart, quiche, fresh salsa, veggie sloppie joe's and a fruit salad. In response to my friend Breaker's pleas, I've decided I will try to post a tried and true recipe, maybe monthly.

Let's start with that cherry tart/pie thing. So easy and so impressive! And of course, tasty. I had fresh cherries so I found a recipe in a magazine and altered it to what I had on hand. I de-seeded and halved about 2 cups of fresh cherries, mixed them in a bowl with 1/8 cup of sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch. I then spread them out onto the center of a ready-made pie crust (ripped the edges off a bit for a more "rustic" look), folded them up, spread some egg wash on the dough and sprinkled with sugar. Put back into the frig for about 10 minutes and then baked at 375 F for oh, maybe 45 minutes in my toaster oven.

But here is the Quiche recipe that friends have requested after having eaten.

2 Pre-made pie crusts
1 Med. Vidalia Onion, sliced(or any onion)
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Cup Parmesean Cheese, grated
5 Eggs
2 Cups Milk (I use whole)
1/4 Cup Mayo
Salt & Pepper

1) Cook your pie crust a bit accourding to instructions.
2)In a medium heat pan, sautee onion and garlic. Season with S & P and when starting to get soft, add about a tablespoon of sugar, making them nice and caramelized.
3) In a blender combine eggs, milk, mayo S & P.
4)Disperse caramelized onions between the 2 pie crusts. Sprinkle with grated cheese and finish by pouring the egg mixture from the blender between the pies.
5) Cook at 350 F for about 40 minutes-1 hour.

This is such a great basic recipe, given to me from my cousin the chef. Instead of onion & parm I've done mushrooms and swiss as well as chedder & broccoli. I always serve it with a balsamic dressing-based salad as the tartness of the dressing goes so well with the creaminess of the quiche. Enjoy!

p.s. Let me know if you try it :)

Grilled pizza

Yesterday afternoon when Tony said he was in the mood for pizza, I was so excited since I had actually just bought some pizza dough while grocery shopping a few days prior. Which brings me to the news I've been spreading for the past couple of months since we first tried it::: Grilled Pizza is wonderful!!! It's so easy once you get the hang of it and tastes as good if not better than the best pizza you've ever had. I just did a recipe search to link to but the ones I've read all make it sound more difficult than it really is, but here is a decent one*. Basically you have a hot grill, throw your dough on it for a few minutes. When that side is done, flip it onto a baking sheet with the uncooked side down. Quickly put your toppings on the cooked side and using some tongs and a spatula, slide it back onto the grill for about 5 more minutes. It has come out wonderfully for us every time.
We gorged ourselves last night and even had some leftovers to snack on today during our Tuesday hangout with my sisters. (We're still trying to find a replacement for the Lair and today wound up at a family friends' pond.)

* This recipe calls for a charcoal grill-we use gas. Also it says to use cornmeal so it doesn't stick-we just use a bit of flour.

fresh eggs

I spotted a cooler at our local produce stand during our weekend visit. A look inside revealed a few dozen farm fresh eggs, brought from a local woman. I have been wanting/looking for these for a looong time so I am super excited. I feel like they're better for all the obvious reasons (hormones, antibiotics, bad chicken lives) but they really do taste better, or so I think.
Otherwise, I've been bitten by the spring-cleaning bug, so I probably won't be doing anything creative this week. Just lots of deep cleaning, organizing, fun. (not)

cool link: book by it's cover

yum

Loot from my monthly Asian grocer trip. Our family goes through the red (& panang) curry like crazy. I always love the packaging.

( Hello Jenny if you are reading this! Wish you could've come too.)

what a life...

Since winter here is so beautiful, we spend lots of time in the backyard on a cozy blanket or two. Usually I'm the one on the blanket actually, while Enzo plays like a wild boy (sword fighting the trees/plants, "fixing" the fort, chasing/being chased by Clementine and basically running around like the maniac he is.) Yesterday after drinking some fresh squeezed orange juice (the oranges were actually on our tree 20 minutes prior) I got this picture of the two of them and I just love it. Their bodies, similarly posed, stayed like that for just a moment and they were off again, running.

White Chili Recipe

This is one of my most favorite winter recipes. You will have to believe me when I say it's really yummy and easy to make. do it.

1 Onion, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. Ground Turkey (or soy crumbles)
2 (4 ounce) cans of green chili peppers, chopped
1 Tablespoon ground Cumin
1 Tablespoon ground Oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cayenne Pepper-more to taste
3 (15 ounce) cans Canellini beans (I prefer Goya brand)
1 Can Chicken broth
1 (8 oz. block) Monterey Jack cheese
Sour Cream

1) In a large pot over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic and ground turkey (salt and pepper) and saute for 10 minutes, or until turkey is well browned.
2) Add the chili peppers, cumin, oregano, cinnamon and cayenne and saute for 5 more minutes.
3)Add 2 cans of the beans and the chicken broth to the pot.
4) Take the third can of beans and puree in a blender/food processor.
5)Add this to the pot along with the cheese. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing cheese to melt.
Serve with dollop of sour cream (much recommended!).

cookin' machine

Since having Enzo I've realized how much of life is cyclical. Nothing provides such a poignant example as having a kid. Just when you think you've reached a point that you've got something figured out (or maybe you cannot seem to figure something out), things inevitability change. And from the looks of it that's just the way it is.
Which brings me to my cooking. And I'm sure everyone is like this--sometimes you are really into cooking and sometimes, not so much. Well, apparently this week I really was. Last night we tried the recipe I got out of a Gourmet Magazine my mom gave me. I am always a sucker for anything with a Thai flavor and have been looking for an excuse to use the metal skewers we got last year, so when I saw this recipe I was in. And the dip to go with it. I really loved the chicken while Tony thought the dip was the very best. While we were all outside hanging out by Tony and the grill, Enzo said, "Let's have a picnic!". And since he is the boss of us, we did.



And later on, I baked the cookies Enzo and I had made earlier in the day. They're called "pesto coins" and contain butter, flour, parm, garlic, basil, and pine nuts. I had such high hopes for these, but they were just mediocre. I was so exited since Enz is always requesting to make cookies (but no one in our household really likes cookies) and I finally thought I'd found a "cookie" that we'd love as it's savory, not sweet. They were just OK, but we did have a fun time making them. Anybody know any good savory cookie recipes?