Friday Night

The last week has been a bone-grinding torture-fest. There was the worst yet in a series of winter storms. There were snowbanks that I couldn’t see over to get out of my driveway. There was air that hurt my face. There were early work mornings and late work nights and long work shifts. There were heavy things to lift. There were deadlines to meet. And there were Balrogs.

I think the only thing that saved me was that I had 2 vacation days this week and I only had to give up a small part of one of them (deadlines!), so I got to spend some time….

Reading…

**Terminal Uprising by Jim C. Hines. This is the second book in the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse series. And I love it! This series is so much fun to read. The story is great, the characters are great, the humor is great. These are among the most entertaining books I’ve read in the last year. If you like science fiction, or humor, or the custodial sciences, you must read Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse!

**The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. Not for everybody, I know, but I enjoy writing fiction, and find this collection of world-building scriptures - from no less than the godfather of fantasy world building - inspirational. (This is where the Balrogs are.) I have listened to the very good audiobook version of The Silmarillion read by Martin Shaw at least twice, but I’ve never read my way through from cover to cover. My husband recommends The Prancing Pony Podcast as a companion work if you really want to delve into The Silmarillion, and I can say that the little bit that I’ve listened to was engaging and fun.

Cooking and baking…

**Pancakes and French Toast. I made two successful hot breakfasts last weekend, including the Fluffy Orange Pancakes I posted, and a rich and delicious make-ahead raspberry French toast. I hope to post that recipe in the next few days.

**Pie crust. I talked a lot about making the crust in my most recent post with a recipe for Spinach and Feta Quiche with Parmesan. I just think it would be really great to get “into” pie making, and I need to get better at making crust. I was inspired by the beautiful book, Sister Pie, by the beautiful Lisa Ludwinski, and went all hands-on. I wish it had been more fun, and I may mess a bit with the food processor, but I truly believe I am one step closer to being a confident pie person. The next few months will tell.

**Risotto. Delicious risotto! Using the same basic formula I posted here and here, I put together a risotto with roasted garlic and black pepper last night. I was planning to make Soup Beans, but failed to make the necessary preparations. We were disappointed, so I really had to come though. This concoction was so delicious, the disappointment has been forgotten! (And I think it cured a cold.) More on this recipe soon.

**Banana Cake. Finally, there was a simple banana cake with multigrain flour and chocolate chips, based on a recipe in Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce. I flirted with the idea of frosting it, but, gosh, it was just so munchable, I didn’t want to make the unnecessary extra effort. I’ll get a post together for this cake as soon as I can.

It’s now March, or so I’ve heard, but it looks like it’s going to be a long slog until spring. I hope to continue making pies, maybe even following through with ideas for butterscotch cream pie and Irish coffee cream pie. I have a recipe for some luscious-looking peanut butter bars that I want to try. I’m also missing these energy bars, which I haven’t made in way too long. I guess I have plenty to keep me happily occupied until things get greener again.

I hope your coming week is full of joy! And free of Balrogs.

 

Spinach and Feta Quiche

I realize that I posted a quiche recipe just a little while ago, but here’s another one anyway: no excuses, no apologies, no regrets. The basic formula is the same in its ratio of dairy and eggs, but this one has a vegetable in it. I also took down the butterfat in the filling by forgoing the luscious heavy cream and using low fat milk instead. It’s still really good. And some Parmigano-Reggiano makes up for it quite well, thank you.

While I love, love, love quiche, my relationship with pie crust has become decidedly love-hate. I want to make good pastry by hand, but find it time consuming, and when my crusts are lackluster at best, it’s really disappointing. (I try not to have rage.) For this quiche, I made my first attempt at the luxurious All Butter Pie Dough recipe in Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski. (I’m dying to have time to explore this book and this seemed like the proper place to start.)

This dough recipe is a labor of love, with the butter (much, much butter!) cut into the flour by hand, and the ice water-vinegar mixture worked in by hand. You may be able to do this with a food processor, but I wanted to experience this whole thing at its most primal level. About one third of the way through I was questioning my own sanity.

I used to make pie crusts this way, and I don’t remember finding them this painfully difficult. I won’t grumble, because I don’t want you to be discouraged by my laziness. I think everyone who has an interest in learning things about good food should do this for themselves. (And the engaging instructions and photos in Sister Pie are a great place to get your lessons.) In the end, the crust was probably the best I’ve ever made!

That being said, I did learn something important about making quiche, and blind baking crusts in general: you’re going to need to use visual cues and develop some experience to get the crust right. I didn’t bake mine long enough because I followed the instructions I used with the store-bought crust (and some other homemade crusts) that encased my quiches in the past. Ludwinski’s All Butter Pie Dough is special and needs more time in the oven, perhaps because of all of the butter, perhaps because the crust ends up thicker.

Ok, so quiche is much more than crust. Spinach and feta are wonderful with eggs, and this was a fabulously delicious example of that. I also stirred a dose of good parmesan (the Real stuff, actually, but use what you like) into the custard mixture, and its flavor permeates and enhances every bite. I didn’t miss the cream in the custard, but it would still be good if you like extra-rich quiche. The lighter mixture was perhaps a cleaner showcase for the spinach and the sharp, creamy feta cheese.

So, in the last few weeks, I’ve posted a rich and bacony quiche and a lighter vegetarian one. Hopefully this demonstrates the power that quiche has to take on many forms and suit many tastes and needs. Lots of things can be mixed in. It can be served at any meal. Once the crust is mastered (or purchased), it really doesn’t take very long or require many cooking tricks.

And I will continue on my pie crust Odyssey. If you really can’t do crust, there’s always frittata. Enjoy!

Spinach and Feta Quiche with Parmesan

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

You can use your favorite pie crust recipe here. I tried out the recipe for the All Butter Pie Dough in the book Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski, which is similar to Pate Brisee from classic sources like Martha Stewart. I found that it really needed more time in the oven during the blind baking stage, and recommend you use color and other visual cues to determine whether your crust is properly blind baked rather than time.

1 pastry for a single-crust pie

4 eggs

1 ½ cup milk (I used 2%)

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

About 4 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, about ½ cup once squeezed

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Roll out the pastry dough into about a 12-inch circle. Drape into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges decoratively if desired.

2. Spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place the foil, spray side down, on the pastry. Place pie weights inside the foil. Bake the crust at 450 F for 8 minutes, or until the crust is just beginning to brown. Remove the foil and the weights. Return to the oven and bake 4-10 minutes more, or until the crust is gently browned and appears dry. The time will depend on your crust recipe, with store-bought crusts taking less time than thicker, buttery homemade ones. When the crust is finished blind baking, remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.

3. While the crust is baking, begin the filling. Beat the eggs in a medium-size bowl. Beat in the milk. Stir in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan.

4. Place the pie plate with the baked crust onto a sheet pan. Spread the spinach evenly over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over the spinach. Pour the egg mixture over all, being careful not to overflow the crust.

5.Place the quiche on the sheet pan into the oven and bake at 325 F for 40-45 minutes, or until the center is just set. A knife inserted in the center will come out without any liquid egg on it.

6. Remove from the oven and cool at least 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 main-dish servings. Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave to serve (the crust will not remain crisp, but all will still be pretty tasty.)

Other recipes like this one: Bacon Cheddar Quiche, Chard Tart with Feta Cheese and Olives, Spinach and Feta Souffle, Winter Squash and Kale Frittata with Feta

One year ago: Caraway Rye Soda Bread

Coming soon: Raspberry Cream Cheese Baked French Toast!

Fluffy Orange Pancakes

 

Did you know that you deserve pancakes for breakfast every day? Because you do. And you deserve all your favorite flavors mixed into pancakes, plus all your favorite toppings. This should be your life. It really could be that easy.

Ok, so I’m dreaming for all of us. I know producing an exciting hot breakfast on a busy morning is likely to be completely out of the question. It totally is for me. But then there’s that snowy morning when I have all the need for comforting deliciousness and all the time I need to create it, and just the perfect person to share it with. That’s how these seasonally delicious orange-infused pancakes came to be on a Saturday morning.

This recipe came from an old (like 18 years old!) recipe clipping. (I’m an incurable hoarder.) I swapped out the lemon in the original recipe and made my pancakes with orange juice and zest. I also used some sour cream to increase their rich tanginess, and took out some of the butter. 

 

I kept the most important part of that old recipe: the puffy, beaten extra egg whites. They are the key to making a fluffy batch of griddle cakes with a bit of bounce and a souffle-like consistency. These pancakes do deflate as they stand, so are best eaten as soon as possible after getting them off the griddle. I recommend a pat of butter and real maple syrup for serving, but a fruity sauce would be good, too.

 

Pancakes or other delicious breakfasts that go beyond turning on a toaster or pouring some milk may be an unachievable dream most days of the week, but I think I’ll be happy to dream of these Fluffy Orange Pancakes until I get a chance to make them again.

Fluffy Orange Pancakes

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

2 tablespoons unsated butter, melted and cooled

1 egg yolk

½ cup sour cream

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3 egg whites

1. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk together to combine well. Add the orange zest and whisk or stir in to distribute evenly. Set aside.

2. In another medium-size bowl, combine the melted butter, egg yolk, sour cream, and orange juice. Whisk together until smooth. Pour into the flour mixture. Stir together just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

3. In another medium-size bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they are glossy and form stiff peaks. Spoon a small amount of the beaten whites into the batter mixture. Mix together somewhat briskly to lighten the thick batter. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, a little at a time, to make a light, fluffy batter.

4. Preheat an electric frying pan or griddle to 350 F, or heat a skillet over medium heat. Drop the batter in about ¼-cup scoops. Gently smooth out each pancake into a relatively round shape, but without deflating the batter. Each pancake will not spread out much, but should stay puffy as it cooks. Cook until golden brown. Flip each pancake and cook until the other side is golden brown. Keep the pancakes in a warm oven until ready to serve. These are best served just after they are made.

Makes about 10 4-inch pancakes.

Other recipes like this one: Barley Pancakes with Orange Juice and Vanilla, Orange Millet Waffles

One year ago: Carrot Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting