November 8, 2011: Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Here’s my favorite version of the classic Quiche Lorraine. The filling is just enough for the shell without overflowing the crust, as many other recipes will do. Being that I always have eggs on hand, this is one of my favorite brunch dishes.

Quiche Lorraine

Crust:

1 cup flour

¾ t. salt

1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) shortening

3 T. cold water

Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the water over the top and combine with a fork. Shape into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and fit to 8” pie pan.

Filling:

6 slices bacon

1/3 cup diced yellow onion

6 ounces sliced Muenster cheese, cubed in small pieces

4 eggs

1 T. flour

1 cup half and half

½ t. each black pepper, mustard, paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel. Add the onions to the same pan and cook for a couple minutes, just until soft. Crumble the bacon into the pie crust. Remove onions from skillet with a slotted spoon and add to pie crust on top of bacon. Sprinkle cheese over all.

Whisk together eggs, flour, half and half and seasonings. Slowly pour into pie shell. Cover edges with foil or a crust guard. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until firm in the center.

April 25, 2011: Ham and Leftovers Recipes

Did you cook a ham for Easter dinner? Even if you didn’t, I hope you picked up a ham while they were on sale at the grocery store. A lot of stores had a fantastic price just in time for the holiday; that’s always when I stock up on big ticket meats. And according to something I heard on the radio recently, the leftovers from a ham will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months as opposed to turkey, which should only be kept for 3 – 4 days!

While I’m not sure I want to put that theory to the test, I do enjoy leftover ham.

First I want to share you with the secrets I’ve learned to making an exceptionally tender, tasty ham and then share a recipe for a simple, quick breakfast (or even dinner) idea using the leftovers.

The Perfect Ham

Place your ham, cut side down in a roasting pan (no need to put it on a rack since the juices are going to keep it nice and moist).

Pour a baking sauce into the bottom of the pan. This year I used:

Juice of one large orange
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, curry powder, and paprika

Cover the roasting pan and place in a low (225 – 250 degree) oven. Cook for several hours (about half an hour per pound), basting with the pan juices occasionally. Remove the cover during the last 15 minutes of baking to crisp up the fat.

And here’s a tasty dish to use the leftover ham (serves one person for breakfast or a light dinner):

Simple Eggs Benedict

1 bagel or round sandwich thin (these are kind of like really thin bagels made by Oroweat), halved
Dijon mustard
Sliced ham
2 large slices fresh tomato
2 slices Muenster cheese
2 eggs
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Lightly toast the bagel or sandwich round halves. Spread with Dijon mustard; top with ham, tomato slices, and cheese. Broil for a couple minutes, just until the cheese starts to melt.

In the meantime, poach the two eggs. Carefully slide the raw eggs into boiling water to which you’ve added a sprinkle of vinegar. Turn down the heat to a gentle, rolling boil and cook for about 5 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, place the poached eggs on top of the bagel halves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.