Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

A delicious quiche, made this a few weeks ago, for our weekend brunch. For the pastry, I've used Nick Malgieri's Flaky Pastry Dough, which I made a few weeks ago, and have kept frozen one half of it, enough for one single tart. Simply thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using it the next day.

We love broccoli! I've added in some bacon to the filling, well, just because! Bacon makes a delicious addition, but I'm sure, you knew that! 

I love Nick Malgieri's pastry crust, it is tender, buttery and flaky, everything you would want in a pastry crust. There's no need to prebake the crust, simply fill with the filling, and bake until the crust is golden and the filling is set.

We love savoury pies, tarts and quiches in my house, and this will be making its way into my kitchen again!

* my changes listed in blue
Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche
(adapted from : Williams-Sonoma Breakfast Comforts, Rick Rodgers)
Buttery Flaky Dough (I've used Nick Malgieri's Flaky Pastry Dough)
flour for rolling out the dough

2 cups (4oz/125gm) broccoli florets
1 cup (8floz/250ml) half-and-half (I use whipping cream)
5 slices streaky bacon (chopped), my addition
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup (4oz/125gm) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

I've used my frozen dough, made with Nick Malgieri's recipe, Flaky Pastry Dough from my previous post. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Roll it out and line the base and sides of a 9" tart pan. While this recipe from Williams-Sonoma calls for the dough to be blind-baked first, I have omitted this step. I filled the dough with the filling directly and bake as directed.

To make the filling :

Bring a medium saucepan three-fourths full of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook until the florets are barely tender, about 5 minutes. (I steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes with the steamer cover slightly ajar, so that I do not overcook the broccoli) Drain well, and pat dry with kitchen towels. (Fry chopped bacon in a dry saucepan until just lightly brown. Dish out and drain). In a bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use just a pinch, as bacon and cheese are already salty), and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until combined.

Scatter the broccoli, (fried bacon, if using) and cheese evenly in the prepared crust. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the crust. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F (180C) until the filling is puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve.

I'm linking this post with :

Cook-Your-Books #18 @ kitchen flavours

Mushroom Omelet with Cheddar and Thyme

Little Thumbs Up : Baking and Cooking event, selected ingredient for the month of May is "MUSHROOMS"

Little Thumbs Up, is an event organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen from my little favourite D.I.Y. , where an ingredient is selected each month and everyone is welcome to join in by using the selected ingredient either in your bakes or in your cooking pot. I am the host for this month, and my selected ingredient is "MUSHROOMS". Please do join us, cook or bake any recipes using Mushrooms as one of its ingredient, post it in your blog within this month, (only new and current posts), and link to Little Thumbs Up, in the thumbnail linky which is provided at the bottom of this post. To find out more details on Little Thumbs Up, please click here.

While this month's theme is MAY : MUSHROOMS, the selected ingredient for June is Curry Powder or Paste and will be hosted by Everybody Eats Well In Flanders. Cook  or bake any of your favourite curry dish, and link that up in June which shall start on 4th June.

*****************

Mushroom recipe for today : Mushroom Omelet with Cheddar and Thyme. Made this delicious omelet for our afternoon lunch, and it was yummy!

Mushroom For Today : Fresh Shiitake Mushroom

Fresh mushrooms contains lots of water, so these are sliced and sauteed till the juices oozes out and evaporates. The recipe uses white or cremini mushrooms, but any fresh mushrooms would work well in this omelet, here I have used fresh Shiitake mushrooms. When the mushrooms are lightly browned, season with some salt and pepper along with some fresh thymes, keep aside while you prepare the eggs.

Eggs are beaten lightly with a little cream, salt and pepper. Heat up some oil, pour egg mixture in heated pan, cook over low heat until just begin to set. When eggs are almost completely set, sprinkle some grated cheese over one half of the egg, and scatter some of the cooked mushroom over the cheese. Fold the unfilled half over the mushroom and cheese, cook for a further 30 seconds and slide onto a serving plate.

Sprinkle more chopped thymes over and serve immediately. Yum!
This is perfect for a lazy weekend brunch.

I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up event, hosted by Joyce, kitchen flavours, organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen for my little favourite D.I.Y.

To join us, simply bake or cook any recipes using the ingredient for this month MUSHROOM.  Submit your post by linking to the thumbnail linky provided at the bottom of this post. 

• Your submission must be a current and new post.
• Mention Little Thumbs Up in your post, and submit your post to the thumbnail linky to the host of this month, Joyce from kitchen flavours, and link to Bake For Happy Kids, and my little favourite D.I.Y. 
• Feel free to display Little Thumbs Up badge in your post.
• Last date of linking will be on 31st May 2013.

Mushroom Omelet with Cheddar and Thymes
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma : Breakfast Comforts", Rick Rodgers)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 lb (125gm) white or cremini mushrooms, sliced (I use shiitake)
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup (60gm) shredded fontina cheese (I use cheddar)

1. In a frying pan, preferably nonstick, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the juices evaporate and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 200F (95C). In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper just until blended. Do not overbeat.
3. Add half of the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the frying pan and melt over medium heat until hot. Tilt the pan to cover the bottom evenly with butter.
4. Add half of the eggs mixture to the pan and cook until the eggs have barely begun to set around the edges, about 30 seconds. Using a heatproof spatula, lift the cooked edges and gently push them toward the center, tilting the pan to allow the liquid egg on top to flow underneath, then cook for 30 seconds. Repeat this process two more times. When the eggs are almost completely set but still slightly moist on top, sprinkle half of the cheese over half of the omelet. Scatter half of the mushrooms over the cheese.
5. Using the spatula, fold the untopped half of the omelet over the filled half to create a half-moon shape. Let the omelet cook for 30 seconds more, then slide it onto a heatproof serving plate. Keep warm in the oven. Repeat to make a second omelet in the same manner. Sprinkle both omelets with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme, dividing it evenly. Serve at once.

#45/100

Crispy Corn Fritters with Fresh Cilantro

These corn fritters are darn good! If you have some frozen corn kernels in your freezer, I suggest you make these fritters for a delicious afternoon weekend tea-time snack with the family, especially if you love fritters, like we do! When I made these fritters, they keep "disappearing" minutes after out of the frying pan, by the time I've finished with the frying of the batter, there are just a few pieces left and that too "disappeared" in no time at all! 

This book "Williams-Sonoma : Breakfast Comforts", one of the books which I've bought from the BBW booksale back in December, is fast becoming one of my favourites. I have made four recipes from this book, and all are winners. These four recipes that I've tried are really not for our breakfast, but rather for the kids' after school lunch and tea-time snack during the lazy weekends, such as this Crispy Corn Fritters. 

The recipe uses chopped fresh cilantro, which I do not have, so I've used a couple of fresh sawtooth coriander leaves and fresh chives, both from my potted garden. Have you ever tried using sawtooth coriander in your cooking? These leaves are extremely fragrant. 

I've used thawed frozen corn kernels, and since I have about 1-1/4 cup in total, I've used them all up.

Prepare the batter and add in the chopped coriander, chives, chopped yellow onions, and thawed frozen corn kernels, or fresh corn kernels. Stir them all up until just combined. 

Scoop tablespoons of batter into the hot oil and fry until both sides are golden brown.

 Drain on absorbent paper or paper towel. Wait for a few minutes and then eat! 

Rick Rodgers says that his dad omit the onions and cilantro when making these Corn Fritters, then serve with maple syrup. I think for us Asians, we would go with chilli sauce with these fritters, either with or without the onions and cilantro!  Which we did! We ate these with our favourite Lingham chilli sauce, yummy!

 These were gone in minutes!

 Very delicious, crispy on the outside, and soft in the centre, very tasty!  Double Thumbs Up!

Crispy Corn Fritters, anyone?  Don't forget to make a pot of warm tea. So perfectly good for a weekend afternoon tea snack.

I'm linking this post with Little Thumbs Up, where the ingredient for this month is Corn, organised by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and hosted by Esther from Copycake Kitchen.

I'm sharing this too with :
See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage


Crispy Corn Fritters with Fresh Cilantro
(adapted from : "Williams Sonoma : Breakfast Comforts", Rick Rodgers)
makes about 24 fritters
canola oil for deep-frying
1-1/2 cups (235 gm) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup (185 gm) fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1. Pour oil to a depth of at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) into a large, heavy saucepan, preferably cast iron, and heat over high heat to 350F (180C) on a deep-frying thermometer. Preheat the oven to 200F (95C). Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and place near the stove.
2. While the oil is heating, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs and pour into the well in the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Gently fold in the corn, onion and cilantro.
3. In batches to avoid crowding, add tablespoons of the batter to the hot oil. Deep-fry the fritters until golden brown, turning once at the halfway point, about 3 minutes. Using a wire skimmer or a metal slotted spoon, transfer to the rack and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining fritters. Serve at once.

#31/100

Tomato Tart with Basil and Ricotta

From the recent Big Bad Wolf's booksale, I've bought this amazing book "Williams-Sonoma : Breakfast Comforts" and there are already dozens of recipes that I would really love to try. Almost all of the recipes are really great for brunch, and this is one of them. I've used some of my Homemade Ricotta Cheese, (refer to my previous post), to make Tomato Tart with Basil and Ricotta, recipe taken from this lovely book.

Juicy sweet, Cherry Tomatoes

My Homemade Ricotta Cheese

The recipe has given the option of making your own puff pastry or using store-bought. I have taken the easy way, by using the store-bought puff pastry. Please refer to the rolling and cut-out size in the recipe below when using homemade puff pastry. Since the one I bought are only 4" square in size, I have made mini tarts for individual serving, so I have skipped the part on rolling and cutting, and go straight to the ricotta filling.  

The filling is first made by mixing the Ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese (I used Cheddar), egg, minced basil leaves, salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
Prepare the puff pastry : Score a 1/2-inch border along the four sides of the pastry, taking care not to cut through the pastry. Score the border with diagonal marks about 1/2-inch apart. Pierce the pastry inside the border with a fork.
Spread the ricotta filling evenly inside the border, then top with the sliced tomatoes. Here I have used cherry tomatoes and arranged them in a fun pattern of flowers.
Drizzle some olive oil over the tomatoes and filling. Brush the border with some egg wash.

Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.  

Serve warm with some sprinkling of chopped fresh basil. I served this delicious tart with some fresh greens and more cherry tomatoes. The ricotta filling with bits of fresh basil and seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg is so yummy. A bite of the creamy filling with the cherry tomatoes, and the crispy light pastry is so good!

This definitely gets the Thumbs Up from the kids!

I'm linking this post with Little Thumbs Up, where the ingredient for this month is Tomato, organised by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and hosted by my little favourite DIY.

I'm sharing this too with :
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage
See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace

Tomato Tart with Basil and Ricotta
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma : Breakfast Comforts", Rick Rodgers)
625gm puff pastry or purchased puff pastry
1-1/4 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used Cheddar)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil, plus chopped basil for garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 large tomatoes, preferably heirloom
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a 16-by-11-inch  rimmed baking sheet. Turn the baking sheet over, and place the parchment on the underside. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. Transfer the dough to the parchment paper. Refrigerate the dough on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. (I skipped this step as I've used store-bought puff pastry, size 4" square)
2. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 of the eggs, the 3 tablespoons minced basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Using a serrated knife, slice the tomatoes into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Shake out the majority of the seeds (don't worry if a few seeds remain). Place on paper towels to drain briefly. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Using a pizza wheel, trim the rough edges from the pastry. Using the tip of a small sharp knife, score a 1-inch (2.5cm) border inside the edges of the pastry, taking care not to cut through the pastry. Score the border with diagonal marks about 1 inch apart. Pierce the pastry inside the border with a fork. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly inside the border, then top with the tomato slices. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and filling. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Lightly brush the pastry border with some of the egg.
5. Bake until the pastry border has risen and is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 3-5 minutes. Cut the pastry into 8 equal pieces. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped basil, and serve warm.

Variation : You can use just about any seasonal tomatoes, such as plum or cherry, adjusting the amount as needed to cover the ricotta filling.

#24/100