Asparagus and Gruyere Quiche

 Morning! 

For Thanksgiving morning I wanted to cook up something special for my family. Little did I know how unbelievably good Gruyere cheese is! LOL Jack liked it too, in very small nibbles, of course!

The first step was creating the Press-In Crust (page 17). I stirred together tapioca flour (I searched but couldn't find any oat flour), all purpose flour and salt. Then drizzled in melted butter and ice water. Mixed well by hand and pressed into the pie pan. For this crust I needed to par-bake it for about 10 mins before adding the filling. 

Next I set the oven to 375 and started the filling, bending each asparagus stalk in half at their natural breaking point. Then cut the top halves in half. I went ahead and cut off any harder stalk ends. 

In a pan, I heated up some olive oil and added the asparagus, julienned yellow onions, salt and pepper. Then cooked, stirring occasionally, until the onions were soft and asparagus turned bright green. Which only took about 5 to 7 minuets. Important, remove from heat and let cool. You do not want to put hot veggies into a cream/egg mixture.

While cooling, I whisked together 4 eggs and 1 cup light cream in a separate bowl and seasoned with salt and pepper. 

Next was Jack's favorite part, sprinkling the Gruyere cheese on the bottom of the crust. He watched with anticipation...of course I gave him a nibble! 

Then I added the now cooled asparagus and onions with a bit of thyme over the crust. Then I poured the egg mix over the top and added the remaining cheese, sprinkling the delicious shavings all over. I don't know why I was surprised, but it was starting to look like a real quiche!  I set this good lookin quiche into the over and baked from about 25 minuets. 

Checking to make sure the top was a golden brown and custard set I removed the pan and set aside. There is was, the first quiche I have ever made and it was perfect! 

This quiche had an old-world flavor. True to what I think Theresa Carle-Sanders was trying to achieve. It was simple yet rich and cheesy. Totally savory, scrumptious and satisfying! My family loved it and the quiche was gone in seconds. 

Thank you Outlander Kitchen for another amazing meal! Happy Holidays!

Bunny

Comfort Foods

Howdy, 

First of the menu, Penne and Arrabbiata Sauce with a tangy carrot and tangelo salad! Pasta will always be a comfort food for many, us included. We tend to watch our carbs so this was a real treat!

This is another dish that I came home to. My sweet hubby already had it prepared and even down-played the spiciness on my portion. I guess Arrabbiata means "angry sauce" named for it's heat/spice due to the combination of tomatoes, garlic and dried red peppers. I didn't mind the spice it had and found the creamy mozzarella melting around the pasta  mouth-watering! I mean...who wouldn't! It was glorious! 

The side dish of carrots and tangelo was juicy and hearty. I enjoyed it a lot. A combo that neither of us would have thought to put together. 

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Next we have the yummiest comfort food of them all, grilled cheese! This specific grilled cheese has a healthy twist including beets that I very much appreciated. I present Fontina and Beet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. For these I need to quote straight from the card, 

"These gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches combine creamy fontina with sautéed arugula and—for a layer of delightfully earthy, tart and sweet flavor—pickled beets." 

That would have been enough for me to down this sweet sandwich but then you rub garlic on the toasted sourdough. Come on....amazing! The citrus salad was very seasonal and refreshing as well. Good flavor combo.

Such a perfect comfort food feeling. Brought me right back to my mom's kitchen. I will definitely have to remake this!

Thanks, 

Bunny

Quiche from Blue Apron

Howdy, 

So I was beyond excited to get the items for this dish. Maybe more excited than someone should be about food LOL but I love me a good Quiche! I rarely get to have one so it was extra special. Side note: Kelly's French Bakery on the Santa Cruz west side have AMAZING quiches. So buttery and scrumptious!

This Blue Apron Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quiche had everything. It was savory and flavorful, marrying each ingredient together creating a satisfying dinner. I liked that I knew what was in the quiche and it was yummy but a bit healthier than maybe a store bought one would be. Adding the goat cheese was a smart choice too, giving the quiche a little bit of tanginess. I will definitely try to recreate this!

In all honesty...I did not like the Arugula salad...arugula is not my friend and the lemony dressing did not help. My taste-buds immediately rejected it! Craig ate mine ha ha!

Thanks Blue Apron for such a yummy dish!

-Bunny

Blue Apron Love

Happy Friday!

While I have taken a small break from cooking/baking, I have been receiving scrumptious meals from Blue Apron. Each week I opened my door Monday morning to find a huge Blue Apron box. Inside the items are kept in insulated wrapping and on top of two huge ice blocks. All meat items are kept closest to the ice. The box contained three recipes for the week (which you can pick/swap on their website) and each item needed to prepare the meal. We mainly did vegetarian options and two that included fish. Craig always adds some more meat to his portion if needed. It was fun to match all of the ingredients together with their respected receipt card and then pick which to try first. I was always excited about the ones with cheese! he he

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I was working late the day after our boxes arrival and came home to a rich and flavorful home. Either driven by hunger, curiosity or love, Craig surprised me with our first Blue Apron meal. It was the sweetest thing! The Indonesian-Spiced Salmon was delicious. It's something that honestly I would have never tried. I didn't know if my tummy or taste buds would be able to handle it but they did. The flavor was light but well seasoned. The freekeh paired well with the salmon and was indeed sweet, spicy and sour!

The Fettuccine with beet, goat cheese and poppy seeds quickly made it's way to the top of my love list. The noodles were so deliciously homemade and the added beets and chard turned them pink! The addition of the veggies and cheese took this seemingly simple meal to another level! I must recreate this he he!

The Za'atar-Roasted Broccoli Salad was another dish I would have strayed from but was pleasantly surprised. I really liked the Fregola Sada paired with the broccoli. Plus the egg brought in more flavor and the roasted almonds a bit of crunch! Good call Blue Apron! 

With our last dish done we felt so accomplished, so adult. We had put meals together before but none so simple yet intricate LOL!  I love that Blue Apron comes with everything you need, even if you still have to chop, slice and season yourself, it's fun and teaches you to try new things. I wasn't really sure how some of these would taste...I am always weary when it comes to spices but was pleasantly surprised. Each ingredient combination worked perfectly. 

Unfortunetly Blue Apron is a bit pricey, at least for us, but we still have a few recipes to try this week! I can't wait to share! 

They have shown us a peek into the amazing flavors the world offers. I would definitely recommend! 

https://www.blueapron.com/pages/sample-recipes

Thanks! 

-Bunny

Bread Pudding First Attempt

Morning!! 

Bread pudding has always been yummy but my true love for it bloomed while we were in New Orleans. For our anniversary date we went to the Commanders Palace which in it's own right was magical and had their famous bread pudding for dessert. Every bite was a piece of heaven!

 I found an older cook book for the Palace and decided to try their bread pudding recipe. For an amateur baker I believe it turned out rather well but there were a few little problems. Which is why I say that this is my first attempt! Even though I really don't need more delicious pudding around the house. I have absolutely no control when it comes to desserts...I can not be trusted! he he

Pudding Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar 

8 tablespoons Butter; softened 

5 Egg; beaten 

1 pint Heavy cream 

1 dash Cinnamon 

1 tablespoon Vanilla extract 

¼ cup Raisins 

12 slices French bread, fresh or stale; 1" thick 

Rum Sauce:

1 cup Sugar 

2¼ cup Water 

1 Cinnamon stick; OR 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground 

1 tablespoon Butter, sweet 

½ teaspoon Cornstarch 

1 tablespoon Rum, light or dark 

To start I cut up my bread into 12 slices and preheated my oven to 350. 

Then started on the mixture, adding the sugar and butter first then the eggs (beaten), cream, raisins, cinnamon and vanilla.

 In a small pan I added the mixture and placed the bread pieces over the top. I let them soak for 5 mins then flipped them over for another 5 to 10 mins. After the bread has hopefully soaked up a lot of the pudding mixture, push them to the bottom of the pan. 

Place the pan in a larger one with about a few inches of water. Cover the pan with tinfoil and place in the oven.

Cook for 35 mins and then remove the tinfoil and cook for an additional 10 mins.

 I think this might have been where I went wrong, I may have not cooked the pudding long enough. It was still a bit soupy. I tried to cook it for a bit longer and it got a little firmer.

While the dish cooked I made the rum sauce! In a pot I stirred together the sugar, water (2 cups), ground cinnamon and butter, bringing it to a boil. Then added the remaining water and cornstarch, switching to a simmer and stirring. The sauce is supposed to become clear but I couldn't get it that close. Either way it was yummy! Once "clear" I removed the pot from the heat and added the rum.
I spooned out some of the bread pudding into a bowl and added the rum sauce....what resulted after that moment can only be described as pure satisfaction...the look of contentment and joy washed over our faces as we consumed bite after bite. This bread pudding was warm, sweet and hearty. Even though it was not quite Commanders status it was no less scrumptious. I will definitely be giving this a second try!!!

Thanks for readin! -Bunny

Totally Surprised Birthday Cake

Howdy! 

I was missin True Blood somethin awful, plus I just got my new "Cake" dress in the mail so I thought how perfect!! Check out the link below to Amourdress. Now let's make a delicious cake to celebrate! 

In the True Blood Eats Drinks and Bites Cookbook there is a recipe for an awesome vanilla cake with lemon filling...OMG it was just begging to be made! This is the cake that Maryann, Karl and Eggs surprise Tara with for her birthday! Now I have never really made a cake from scratch...so it was a long process but completely worth it.

To start I made the lemon filling by combining the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium pan. I gradually stirred, bringing it to a boil over medium heat. After about a minute I removed the pan and stirred in the butter and lemon zest and gradually whisked in the lemon juice. Then set it aside to cool. I found that one good sized lemon made just enough juice and zest! After it had cooled I had a small taste and it was just like a lemon square...one of my favorite desserts!

Quickly I made the berry topping by slicing up strawberries and raspberries and sprinkling them with sugar. For the cake mix, I first preheated the oven to 350 degrees and greased/flowered two round pans. 

In my large mixing bowl I blended the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt then slowly added in the shortening, 2/3 cup of milk and vanilla. 

After mixing for about 2 minutes I added the remaining 1/3 cup of milk and the egg whites. Making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl I mixed for a few more minutes and then the batter was ready to go into the pans! Jack was so interested but don't worry I didn't let him have any he he!

After pouring in the batter and placing the pans in the oven (for 30 mins) I started on the frosting. 

First I beat the egg whites until they formed soft peaks, then in a pan I heated up the sugar, corn syrup and water bringing it to a boil. Using a thermometer I made sure the mixture reached 242 degrees. Once it was ready I slowly poured it into the egg whites while the mixer was running. I kept mixing until the frosting held stiff peaks, then added in the vanilla! This frosting was probably the most difficult task in making this cake...we had some trouble with the sugar hardening but that's what this is for, to learn! I think I might have to try it again sometime he he.

After the cakes were done baking and had cooled I took one layer, flipped it, and spread the lemon filling on, almost to the outer edge. I placed the second layer, right-side up, on top of the filling. I took the frosting and started with the sides of the cake and moved to the top, evenly covering the cake. Once the frosting was on I added the yummy berries, letting their juices flow down the sides of the cake. 

The frosting was a bit melty he he! but it tasted so good! The cake itself was hardy and rich and definitely tasted home-made. The lemon filling was really tasty...the bit of tart helped to cut the sugary frosting, complimenting it. Absolutely the most perfect birthday cake...very much a good old-fashioned strawberry shortcake! I had to make myself stop eating it he he! SO GOOD!

My awesome dress is from Amourdress on Etsy: LINK

Thanks for readin!! 

Cheers, Bunny

The Frog King Cake

Good Morning!! 

In the spirit of Mardi Gras I made a savory King Cake! I was looking around for recipes and found that a few people have been making Boudin cakes for the occasion. These, like the traditional King Cakes, are circular but instead of being well...a cake... they are stuffed with Boudin sausage and cheese. I chose to not use the more seafood style sausage and went with one I knew Craig would like. That's why I'm calling it the Frog King Cake, after him.

First I set the oven to 350 degrees and got out my non-stick baking pan. Then for my cake I took four sausage links and cut them down the middle, added pepper jack cheese inside each link and then wrapped them in Pillsbury croissant dough. I smushed each wrap together to make a circle then brushed the dough with a combination of hot-sauce, eggs and pepper. A little messy, as you can see! I sprinkled a bit of extra cheese on the top as well!

Next I placed them into the oven for 40 mins, or until the pastry dough was a nice golden brown. Once cooked, I let it cool for a few mins then added some more hot-sauce to the top and sprinkled on some green onion and bacon bits. 

Ta da! A savory delight! 

The crust turned out perfectly flaky and golden. The sausage, while not a true Boudin sausage added a lot of flavor and made the cake hardy! Initially I was going to bring this into work but Craig ate too much of it and did not want to share ha ha! 

I'm so happy he loved it but how can you go wrong with cheesy dough! 

Thanks for readin! 

-Bunny

Little Bites

Howdy!
A few things I've been making! Breakfast with an English muffin, eggs, cheese and some bacon!

Dark chocolate cookies too. I also found some butterfinger pieces to add in! Yum!!

Bunny

Dublin: The Ashling

Hi! Dublin was our first stop on our honeymoon excursion! We landed, found our rental car and made our way to the Ashling Hotel. While it looked very much like most hotels in San Fran, we found it very modern but cozy. http://www.ashlinghotel.ie/

The lobby was lightly decorated for fall and Halloween and the floors were black and sparkled. Staff were really sweet and helped us figure out our sightseeing too! 

Our room was small but fancy and the bed was so comfy...as you can see we were tired ha ha! Staff even left us a congratulations card and some chocolates. Little did we know this was only the first of many chocolates on our trip he he!

 

From our room we could see the Guinness Storehouse sign. After cleaning up a bit we headed down to the bar area and got some food. Craig of course had his first Guinness in Ireland! 

We ordered a simple salad and Fish and Chips. YUM! The chips also came with some thick pea soup...which was actually really good! Later on in our trip I tried some at a pub and it was nowhere near this one....yuck lol! 

 

After a night of sleeping on a cloud we managed to make our way downstairs for breakfast. I've been to a few complimentary continental breakfasts before but this was impressive. 

Lots of bread, pastries, eggs, bacon and my favorite hot chocolate. 

Now I'm not talking about a jug of cocoa or a glass the server brings you...I'm talking about a chocolate fountain, of yum that I considered stealing...all for myself!! This thing constantly stirred the chocolate for optimum sweetness...plus there were marshmallows.

 

After breakfast we packed up and went for a walk to the Dublin Zoo and then to the Guinness Storehouse! Both were awesome and definitely a must see. 

My only regret on this trip was not allowing us more time in Dublin. There are a few things that we did not have time to see but I guess that means we will have to return some day!! 

-Bunny

PS. They also had these adorable jack-o-lanterns around the lobby!