Crustless Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

Crustless Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche
By Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion, authors of KEEPERS (which just won the IACP award for 2014!)

The chicest mom Kathy knew growing up (think Jackie O with a platinum bob) made a version of this dish. That was in the ‘70s, when quiche was all the rage, but in our minds, it defies trend. She was a busy woman, so she skipped the crust and often baked the filling in individual ramekins in advance.

Aside from blanching the broccoli, the quiche can be assembled in minutes. If you prefer to use frozen broccoli, there’s no need to blanch it; just thaw and pat dry.

Recipe: Crustless Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche
Makes one 10-inch quiche

You'll need:
Unsalted butter for greasing the pie dish
Salt
3 cups small broccoli florets (from about 1 large head of broccoli)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
6 large eggs
Pinch of nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
Pepper

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350F, with a rack in the middle position. Butter a 10-inch glass pie dish, then set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and season it generously with salt; it should taste like seawater. When it returns to a boil, add the broccoli and gently boil, stirring once or twice, until just crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, then thoroughly pat dry and scatter over the bottom of the pie dish. Scatter the cheese evenly over top.

In a 1-quart measuring cup (see tip below) or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste until smooth, then pour over the cheese. Bake until the custard is just set in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. (Don’t worry if the center is a little trembly; it will cook a little more as it rests.) Let cool slightly before serving.

TIP: For convenience, we use a four-cup measuring cup to measure all of the ingredients for the quiche, ending with the custard, which we whisk right in the cup. First, measure the broccoli, then the cheese. Next, measure the 1 cup milk, add enough cream to reach 1 2/3 cups, then add the eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk together, then pour the custard into the dish.

Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
12-16 ounces bacon, diced
2 onions, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans minced or chopped clams, do not drain
8 ounce bottle clam juice
4 cups water
2 cups heavy cream
6 large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and fresh ground black pepper
fresh parsley, for garnish
bread bowls (preferably sourdough!) for serving (optional)

Instructions:
Have a slow cooker ready to go. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced bacon. Cook, stirring often, until bacon is crisp and the fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Set aside to cool. Then refrigerate until ready to serve the chowder.

Carefully spoon out all but 1-2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat. (Place the bacon fat in a glass jar or bowl, let cool, then refrigerate for another use.) Add the onions and celery to the skillet. Cook for 5-10 minutes, scraping up any cooked on bits from the bacon. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds more.

Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker, making sure to scrape the skillet clean with a spatula or wooden spoon.
To the slow cooker, add the clam juice, undrained canned clams, water, cream, potatoes, and thyme. Stir well. Place lid on slow cooker and set to HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.

Check to see that the potatoes are tender. Taste and season well with salt and pepper. Warm up the reserved bacon. Ladle into bowls or bread bowls and garnish with the reserved diced bacon and fresh parsley.

Yield: 8-10 servings

TIPS:
- For a thicker clam chowder, add 2-4 Tablespoons corn or arrowroot starch mixed with some of the water or cream at the beginning of cooking time. Flour can also be used, but it loses its thickening power after long cooking times.
- For a heartier chowder, add other diced veggies like carrots, leeks, or extra potatoes.
- For a hint of spice, add a few shakes of Tabasco or a pinch of cayenne.
- Fresh clams can be used in place of canned. Use about 5-6 pounds clams, scrub them clean, steam with a little water. Discard any that don’t open. Reserve any juices to add to the chowder. Pour them through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove any sand or sediment. Remove the clams from their shells and roughly chop. Proceed with recipe as directed.
-This recipe can be done on the stovetop in a stockpot. It will take about 30-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Be sure to stir often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

Sausage Balls

Ultimate Balls, Sausage Style

In a bowl, thoroughly mix the following:

•
  One pound Miss Bertie’s Pride Ground Sausage. The package at Rosewood was a pound and a half. I saved the half-pound for a pancake breakfast.

•
  4 cups shredded cheddar, aged seven years, from Happy Cow Creamery. This was about a pound of cheese.

•
  2 cups (one package) “Ya Mama’s Buscut Mix” by Gullah Gourmet. (Incidentally, that is not a typo. That’s how they spell it.) 

I recommend using plastic gloves to mix the ingredients and handle the balls, because you don’t want your hands to get all greasy. This combination is very hard to remove from underneath the fingernails. The size of the balls is up to you. I thought I preferred bigger balls, about two inches in diameter, but as I experimented with dozens of balls, I found I preferred slightly smaller ones, about one inch in diameter. One-inch balls are bite-sized and easier to eat. And eat them you will — each Sausage Ball tastes like an entire sausage biscuit, without all the crumbs.

Place the rounded balls on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil and cook them for about 15 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven. Let them cool a little before transferring them to a paper towel, which will soak up some of the grease. Overly greasy balls are a travesty. 
This recipe makes four to six dozen balls, depending on your size preference, so you might want to freeze some for later. They hold up nicely when thawed and reheated.

Sausage balls are like pizza: always good. And with South Carolina’s own superior ingredients, they are even better. But be prepared: When you whip out these balls at a party, your guests will go nuts. - See more at: http://www.free-times.com/archives/its-time-for-sausage-balls#sthash.bKt3mlky.dpuf

Sausage and Shrimp Chowder

Sausage and Shrimp Chowder

canola or olive oil, for cooking
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped (with leaves)
1 carrot, chopped
1 mild or spicy Italian sausage
3 Tbsp. flour
4 cups (1 L) chicken stock
2 small potatoes, unpeeled and diced
1 can sweet kernel corn
salt and pepper
1/2 lb. raw, peeled shrimp
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Drizzle some oil in a heavy pot set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft; squeeze the sausage out of its casing into the pot and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until no longer pink.

Shake the flour over the mixture and stir to coat everything well. Pour in the stock, add the potatoes and bring to a simmer; cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the shrimp. (If the soup is simmering, take it off the heat first – the shrimp will cook gently with the heat of the soup. Stir in the cream, adjust seasonings, and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Mushroom Risotto

Recipe: Mushroom Risotto 
Serves 6-8

You'll need:
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup arborio rice (you need this type of rice)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth (hot is better)
2 cups chopped mushrooms (I used portabella, mini bellas and shiitake)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped parsley (optional)

What to do: 
Heat a heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil. When the oil has warmed, add onions. Stir and cook until onions are glossy, but not brown.

Add rice and stir to coat with onions and oil. Add white wine, stir well, and let sit a couple of minutes until wine evaporates, but rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add one cup of chicken stock, stir well and let sit until almost evaporated. Repeat until you reach last cup of broth. 

Once you've added the last cup of broth, stir well and add mushrooms, butter, parmesan, salt and pepper. Let sit until broth slowly evaporates and the butter and cheese melt. 

Stir well until well combined and no liquid is left. Turn off heat and let sit about five minutes until rice has a nice creamy consistency. Taste and add more seasoning if you wish.

Serve in bowls and sprinkle with parsley and some more grated cheese if you wish.

Pork Souvlaki & Chopped Greek Salad

Instead of grilling vegetables for the souvlaki, Rodgers suggests serving his chopped Greek salad, along with pita bread. Adding to options, he also points out that the souvlaki can be cooked on an oiled broiler rack in a preheated broiler. Cook, turning the skewers occasionally, until the pork is cooked through, about 12 minutes. The lemon-onion marinade, "which is nothing short of terrific," Rodgers says, is great with lamb and swordfish, too.

PORK SOUVLAKI

(Preparation and cooking time under 30 minutes)

2 pounds center-cut boneless pork loin

12 cup chopped onion

12 cup fresh lemon juice

14 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

12 teaspoon salt

14 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Metal skewers (or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained)

Trim the fat from the pork and cut it into 112-inch cubes.

Puree the onion with the lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Pour into a zip-tight plastic bag and add the pork cubes. Refrigerate to marinate while you prepare the fire, or for up to 24 hours.

Build a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill and let burn until the coals are covered with white ash. (Or preheat a gas grill on high.)

Thread the meat onto the skewers, leaving a little space between the cubes. Lightly oil the grill. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until the meat is well browned and looks barely pink in the center when prodded with a sharp knife, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the pork from the skewers and serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

CHOPPED GREEK SALAD WITH FETA AND OLIVES

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

14 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeds and ribs removed, and cut into 12-inch dice

2 kirby cucumbers, scrubbed, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, and cut into 12-inch dice (or use 12 English cucumber — no need to scrub or discard seeds)

2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into 12-inch dice

2 scallions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped

12 cup crumbled feta cheese (see note)

13 cup coarsely chopped Kalamata olives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pulse the vinegar, oregano and garlic in a blender to combine. With the machine running, gradually add the oil through the top vent.

Combine the bell pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, feta and olives in a medium bowl. Add the dressing and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Serve chilled.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: Feta cheese, made from sheep's milk, comes from many different countries, and the quality varies greatly. You are more likely to find a good feta at an ethnic food store or cheese shop than a supermarket, Rodgers says.

Blackened Steak Salad

Blackened Steak Salad

Chicago Chop House, Chicago, IL via Epicurious.com

Makes 2 servings

ingredients

For spice mixture

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

For salad

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 6 cups (packed) mixed baby greens
• 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

• 2 5- to 6-ounce beef tenderloin steaks, each about 1/2 inch thick
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1 tomato, quartered

preparation

For spice mixture:

Mix all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

For salad:

Whisk oil, vinegar and mustard in large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Add greens, bell pepper and onion and toss to coat. Divide salad between 2 plates.

Spread spice mixture on plate. Coat both sides of steaks with spice mixture. Dip both sides of steaks into melted butter. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add steaks and cook to desired doneness, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to cutting board; let stand 2 minutes. Thinly slice steaks crosswise. Arrange slices atop salads. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with tomato and serve.