Quiche Lorraine

This was a great addition to our Easter brunch this past weekend. Dave refuses to eat quiche - he says that it isn't very manly. However, by simply changing the name to "egg pie," he decided he was willing to eat it, and verified that it was delicious!

I actually made these the day before, kept them in the fridge overnight, and then rewarmed them for about 15 minutes in the oven the next day. These also freeze really well!

Quiche Lorraine

1 (9-inch) deep dish pie crust
6 slices of bacon
1/4 cup green onions
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
4 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

Cook the bacon until it is crispy. Cut or crumble into small pieces. Set aside.

Lightly saute the green onions in the cooking oil. Set aside.

Beat the eggs. Mix with half-and-half, salt, dry mustard, and nutmeg.

Layer cheese, onions, and bacon in the pie crust. Pour egg mixture over the top.

Cook in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. You should be able to insert a knife near the center and remove it still clean when it is fully cooked.

Note: I also made another "healthier-version" of the quiche. I omitted the bacon, added some other veggies that I sauteed with only Pam Spray, substituted the eggs with Egg Beaters, and used fat-free cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. I also used some basil instead of the dry mustard and nutmeg. It was a hit!

Back To Basics

It's just been one of those weeks when I wanted comfort food that was easy to make. Tonight we had beans with cornbread.

After the first five years of our marriage, Spouse Guy finally told me doesn't really care for beans and cornbread as a main dish. So I fried up some ham to go with it. He had ham for his main dish, but it was more of a side dish for me, since I love beans so much.

Growing up, we had beans about once a week or so. Sometimes my mom put ham in them, but as often as not, she made them without meat. She'd add just a little saved bacon fat to add flavor and help reduce the foam that sometimes forms when you cook beans.

Supposedly, eating beans as often as I did growing up is one reason why they don't bother me too much afterward. The more often you eat beans of any kind, it's said, the more easily your body digests them without producing as much gas. Products like Bean-O help a lot, too. Another "remedy" is the herb "epazote", used sometimes in Mexican dishes. I bought some recently, but hadn't tried it yet, so I divide the pot of beans and added the epazote to one portion about 15 minutes before serving. I'd read the flavor is an acquired taste, so I wanted to see if we liked it before I added it to an entire pot of beans.

I'm not sure if you've ever noticed the difference in flavor between refried beans at your favorite Mexican restaurant and those you buy at the store or make at home, but the difference is apparently the epazote. To me, it has a slight dill flavor. I like the flavor, but I guess it's not for everyone.

My favorite bean is the Great Northern White, which I used in this recipe. You can use just about any bean you like, though, especially navy beans or pinto beans. Your cooking time and the flavor of the soup will vary with the bean you use. It's also recommended that beans be soaked overnight. I never noticed much difference in cooking time or flavor when I soaked them, so I gave up soaking a long time ago.



Great Northern Bean Soup

1 lb. dry Great Northern Beans
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon (approximately) bacon fat or olive oil
2 teaspoons (approximately) salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic, if desired
pepper to taste

Sort through beans, removing any shriveled or discolored beans, small stones or pieces of dirt. Rinse well and put in a Dutch oven.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for several hours. The time will depend on the type of bean you are using, how fresh the beans are, etc. Check oven to make sure the beans are covered with at least 1" of water. When beans are tender, taste, then adjust seasonings as desired. Serve with ham, cornbread and fried potatoes.

Makes about 6 servings.

Spinach Lasagna and Green Beans with Carrots & Mushrooms

I never cook my lasagna noodles beforehand when I make lasagna. It isn't necessary and I find I'm not very coordinated when I try to work with limp, wet noodles. In the stores I've seen "special no-cook" lasagna noodles. You can buy those if you like, but any kind will work just as well.

I like to serve this lasagna with garlic toast and Green Beans with Carrots & Mushrooms. This is probably my favorite recipe for green beans.


Spinach Lasagna

1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, or better yet, homemade sauce if you have it
1/4 cup dry red wine*
1/4 cup water
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
12 oz. cottage cheese**
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray a 12-in. x 8-in. baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside

In bowl, combine spaghetti sauce with wine and water. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce over bottom of pan. Place a single layer of dry lasagna noodles over sauce.

In medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, garlic powder, chopped onion and Parmesan cheese until mixed well. Spread half of this mixture over lasagna noodles in pan.

Sprinkle half of the well-drained spinach over the cottage cheese. Top with 3 more lasagna noodles and half of the remaining sauce mixture.

Repeat layers of cottage cheese mixture and spinach.

Top with remaining 3 noodles and the rest of the sauce. Make sure noodles are entirely covered with a layer of sauce (the need not be submerged in sauce, but should be well coated).

Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover tightly with foil and back at 350° F. for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serves 4- 6.

* Or you can use 1/2 cup water if you don't want to use wine.
** If you prefer, use Ricotta cheese. Spouse Guy prefers cottage cheese, so it's what I usually use.


Green Beans with Carrots & Mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
5 medium button mushrooms, with stems, sliced
1 pound whole fresh or frozen green beans (thawed if frozen)
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter and oil in large skillet. Add all ingredients and saute until carrots and green beans are tender-crisp.

Serves 4 - 6.

Olive You Very Much

The picture doesn't do this dish justice. Tonight we went meatless with Olive Lovers' Fettucine, with French bread and salad. I thought about having a glass of white wine with it, but decided against that at the last minute.

My husband, Spouse Guy, doesn't mind meatless meals a few times a month, especially when pasta is the main ingredient. I like meatless meals because they are usually quick and easy to make, tasty, fairly healthy, and good for the budget.

I try to make as much of our bread homemade as I can, but I didn't have time today, so I bought some from the grocery store bakery's day old shelf and made garlic toast with it.

This pasta is great as it is, or you can dress it up with any of the gourmet olives that are now available at most grocery stores.


Olive Lovers' Fettucine

12 ounces fettucine
1 (6 oz.) can pitted black olives
1 (3 oz.) jar pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 small bunch fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare the past using the package directions; drain. Cover pasta to keep warm.

Drain and slice the black and green olives. Chop the parsley. Mince th garlic.

Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Saute just until the garlic begins to brown. Stir in olives, parsley, water, oregano and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the pasta to a heated serving platter. Spoon the sauce over the past. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serves 4.