Spinach & Mushroom Quiche
Servings: 6
Ingredients
One 9-inch refrigerated pie crust
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup diced red onion
5 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 8 cups), coarsely chopped
6 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. Fit the pastry into the pie pan and flute the edges.
Cook the bacon and drain on paper towels. Retain bacon fat in the skillet.
Scatter the crumbled bacon in the bottom of the prepared pie pan. Scatter 1 cup of the cheese over the bacon.
Add the mushrooms and onions to the bacon fat in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add spinach; cook, tossing constantly, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk eggs, cream, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Fold in the mushroom mixture and 1 cup of cheese.
Spoon into the prepared pie pan. Bake until set and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a salad. I made a Caesar salad.
Caesar Salad
2 servings
Ingredients
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and finely chopped
1 cup croutons, see recipe below
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper for garnish
Dressing
1 anchovy, finely chopped or use anchovy paste
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise made with olive oil, if available
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Add the anchovy, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl and whisk together.
Gradually whisk in the 1/4 cup of olive oil, whisking until the dressing is emulsified.
Place the chopped lettuce in a bowl and toss it with the dressing, and croutons. Top the salad with extra cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Croutons
Ingredients
2 cups cubed bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl combine the bread cubes and olive oil. Toss well to coat.
Pour the bread cubes onto a baking sheet. Spread them into a single layer. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes to prevent burning. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Greek Chicken Kebabs
2 servings
Ingredients
2 boneless chicken breasts about 6 0z each, cut into 4 pieces
Tzatziki Sauce, recipe below
Marinade
½ large lemon juiced, reserve the remaining half for the kabobs
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove of crushed fresh garlic
½ teaspoon Greek seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Combine marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag.
Transfer chicken to marinade and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. It can also marinate overnight.
You can cook the kabobs for the same amount of time on a grill, in the broiler, or in the air-fryer.
Add approximately four chicken pieces to each skewer. Slice the remaining half of the lemon and place slices between the chicken cubes on the skewers.
Air-Fryer Directions
Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees after the chicken has marinated.
When the Air Fryer is hot, spray or brush the tray with olive oil and place the chicken skewers in a single layer. Cook the skewers at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, flip them and cook for five more minutes. Serve with Tzatziki Sauce
Tzatziki Sauce
1/2 cucumber, peeled seeds removed and grated
2 scallions, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or finely minced
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Combine ingredients ts in a serving bowl and store in the refrigerator until serving time.
Mediterranean Farro Salad
Best made early in the day so the ingredients can marinate. You can also use leftover cooked farro.
Ingredients
¾ cup farro uncooked
½ a cucumber, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes halved
1 cup cucumber diced
⅓ cup chopped Tuscan peppers (pepperoncini)
⅓ cup feta cheese crumbled
½ cup chopped scallio0ns
½ sliced Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 clove garlic minced
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Place farro in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until farro is tender about 14-16 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water.
While farro is cooking, prepare vegetables. Place all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Combine cooled farro, dressing, and vegetables in a bowl. Toss well and refrigerate for until serving time.
Garnish with feta cheese and serve chilled.
Tuna Salad On Pumpernickel Bagel
4 servings
Ingredients
4 pumpernickel bagels
6 oz canned tuna, drained
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 slices American cheese
4 large Iceberg lettuce leaves
Directions
Combine the tuna, onion, celery, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl.
Slice the bagels in half and lightly toast them under the broiler.
Place a slice of cheese on top of each warm bagel half.
Divide the tuna salad evenly between the 4 bagels.
Top with a lettuce leaf and the a bagel half.
Serve with your favorite sides such as pickles, sliced tomato in fries.
4 servings
For the chicken
1 lb chicken tenders, about
12 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the salad
1 medium head Romaine lettuce, torn into small piecess
Half a red onion diced
Half a medium cucumber, diced
hHalf a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
For the dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Dirrections
Marinate the chicken overnight-combine the chicken and the marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
For the dressing-combine the ingredients in a jar, shake well and set aside.
To cook the chicken
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken in a single layer. Cook 5 minutes, turn the tenders over and cook 5 more minutes.
Assemble the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl, add some of the dressing and mix well. Serve on individual plates, top with each with several chicken tenders. Serve the remaining dressing on the salad with warm pita bread.
Butter Basted Rib Eyes
Salt
Two 1-inch thick boneless rib eye filet {petet} steaks
4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 large clove of garlic, grated
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Mushroom Sauce
4 oz can of sliced mushrooms, drained
¼ cup red wine
Coarse black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a medium skillet over high heat.
Salt each rib eye on 1 side. Place salt-side down in the pan and sear until brown, about 3 minutes. Salt the top side of the rib eyes and turn over. Cook until brown on the flip side, about 3 more minutes.
Add the butter to the pan and allow it to foam. Add garlic and thyme and baste steaks with butter. Cook, flipping after 2 minutes and continuing to baste until desired internal temperature is reached, about 2 more minutes for medium rare.
Remove steaks to a platter and cover lightly with foil.
Add the mushrooms and wine to the skillet and simmer on low heat, for about 5 minutes. Add pepper and pour over stacks to serve.
Green Salad With Dried Cranberries And Nuts
Salad
4 cups torn Romaine lettuce
1 tomato, diced
¼ of red onion, diced
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup toasted walnuts
1cup croutons
Dressing
¼ cup raspberry vinegar
1tablespoon honey
1teadpoon dried Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
1garlic clove, grated
½ cup avocado oil
Directions
Make the dressing in a jar, Shake well, and set aside.
Arrange salad ingredients in a salad bowl and drizzle with some of the dressing. Toss until well combined and serve with the steaks.
Ingredients
5 cloves garlic
1 medium or 2 small shallots
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
2 (10-ounce) or 3 (6.5-ounce) cans of chopped clams in juice
8 ounces of dried linguine pasta
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
Finely chop the garlic and shallots (about 1/4 cup), and place both in the same small bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a deep 12-inch frying pan over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add 1 cup dry white wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half about 3 minutes.
Using a strainer over a bowl, empty the cans of clams. Add the liquid to the skillet.
Reserve the clams for later. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate the oil into the broth fully. Reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer while you cook the pasta.
Add 8 ounces of dried linguine pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente, about 7 minutes.
Using a skinner or tongs, transfer the linguine directly into the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing the pasta often, for 4 minutes. If the pan is dry, add the pasta water a tablespoon at a time as needed. Add the reserved clams and gently toss until fully combined and the clams are just warmed through (do not overcook), about 2 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the heat. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the pasta. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and the parsley. Stir and toss vigorously until the butter is melted and the parsley is evenly distributed.
Serve this dish with a salad made of mixed greens, shaved Parmesan cheese, and Italian dressing.
I prefer pork cutlets for this recipe, but you can use veal in this classic northern Italian dish.
Ingredients
1/4 cup flour
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus extra for shaving over the salad
1/2 cup dry Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 scallopini {veal, pork or chhicken}i, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness, about 6 ounces each
Vegetable oil
2 big handfuls of baby arugula or other salad greens
12 grape tomatoes, halved
Some fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Place flour in one shallow bowl or pie plate and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the beaten egg in a second dish. Combine parmesan and breadcrumbs in a third.
Dredge veal in flour, then egg. Allow excess egg to drip off, then transfer to breadcrumbs. Turn to coat evenly, pressing crumbs so they adhere. Transfer scallopini to a large plate.
Add oil to cover the bottom of a medium skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the scallopini to the hot oil. Cook, swirling pan occasionally until golden brown on the first side, about 1 1/2 minutes. Carefully turn with tongs and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt.
Toss arugula, tomatoes, and basil s in a medium bowl with olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place a scallopini on a dinner plate, top it with half the salad and shave parmesan over the salad. Serve with Ciabatta bread.
Steak
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Steak Seasoning
1 T-Bone Steak
Directions
If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat your air fryer.
Set the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Season your steak with salt and pepper on each side.
Place the steak in your air fryer basket. Do not overlap the steaks.
Medium Steak: Set the time to 12 minutes and flip the steak at 6.
Medium Rare: For a medium-rare steak, cook the steak for 10 minutes and flip it at 5 minutes.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
Salt
3 ½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ to ⅓ cup heavy cream
Directions
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until very soft, about 20-25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and put them into a ricer and press the potatoes back into the cooking pot. Add the butter and just enough cream to moisten. Taste for salt and warm the potatoes.
Caesar Salad
2 servings
Ingredients
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and finely chopped
1 cup croutons, see recipe below
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper for garnish
Dressing
1 anchovy, finely chopped or use anchovy paste
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise made with olive oil, if available
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Add the anchovy, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl and whisk together.
Gradually whisk in the 1/4 cup of olive oil, whisking until the dressing is emulsified.
Place the chopped lettuce in a bowl and toss it with the dressing, and croutons. Top the salad with extra cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Croutons
Ingredients
2 cups cubed bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl combine the bread cubes and olive oil. Toss well to coat.
Pour the bread cubes onto a baking sheet. Spread them into a single layer. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes to prevent burning. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Tuna Patties
Ingredients
2- 4 ounce cans of Italian tuna in olive oil
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons chives, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
1 egg
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salad
Salad greens
Sliced red onion
Sliced tomato
Kalamata Olives
Hardboiled Eggs
Pita bread
Italian salad dressing
Tzatziki Sauce
1 cucumber, peeled
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup fresh dill, stems removed
2 cups Greek yogurt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or finely minced
Directions
For the tuna patties
Place the tuna and its oil in a bowl, and add all the ingredients except the 2 tablespoons of flour and the olive oil. Mix well.
Place the 2 tablespoons of flour on a small plate. Form medium-sized patties, place them in the flour, and cover them lightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. Cook the patties for about 7 minutes on each side until lightly brown.
For the salad plate
Line individual plates with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, red onion, olives, and sliced hard boil egg. Drizzle the plates lightly with your favorite Italian dressing. Place the 2 patties on each plate. Add a scoop of Tzatziki sauce a pita bread.
For the tzatziki sauce
add a handful of feta cheese to the sauce for more flavor/
Grate cucumber into a colander resting over a bowl. Sprinkle salt on grated cucumber. Let this sit for about 15 minutes.
Chop the dill and then add it to a bowl with the Greek yogurt, olive oil, and pressed garlic. Mix well.
Squeeze the water out of the cucumber in a kitchen towel or paper towel and then add to the tzatziki. Salt, to taste. Refrigerate for several hours.
As you can probably tell from recipes this past week, eggplant is in season in the south. The varieties are extensive and I am coming up with lots of recipes. Stay tuned for more.
Ratatouille Pot Pie
Ingredients
Filling
2 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper and 1 red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
2 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese
3 tablespoon olive oil olive oil
Pastry
1 pkg. Pastry dough for a 9-inch pie
11 egg, beaten
Directions:
Can be prepared a day ahead.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a greased 9×13″ pan, combine garlic, onion, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread out in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Place the diced vegetables on top of the onion mixture, but do not combine. Drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about an hour, or until veggies are softened and beginning to brown slightly. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set them aside.
When ready to bake – heat the oven to 425ºF.
Stir the cheese into the eggplant mixture.
Unroll the dough and arrange one crust in a 9=inch pie pan. Pour the eggplant mixture into the casserole. Place the top crust on and flute the edge. Brush with beaten egg.
Bake 45minutes until crust is golden brown and vegetables are bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Greek Salad
Creamy Greek Feta Dressing
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup feta plus extra for the salad
¼ cup Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon mint
Salt and pepper
Salad
8 large leaves of leaf lettuce, sliced crosswise
1/4 large red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into large dice
1 vine-ripened tomato, cut into wedges
1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 Kalamata olives
6 Peperoncini peppers
Directions
For the dressing
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
For the salad
Combine the lettuce, onion, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, olives, and feta in a large salad bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss until all of the ingredients are well coated. Add extra feta cheese if you would like more. Serve immediately/
