Asparagus & Prosciutto Self Crusting Quiche

Some of you may recall Bisquick’s ‘Impossible Pie’ recipes published back in 1978. They were called ‘impossible’ because it made its own crust as it baked. There was no need to make a separate bottom crust before adding the main ingredients, and the Bisquick mix. Baking in a hot oven, this concoction magically became a glorious, thick quiche-like pie with a golden surface. Once out of the oven and cooled a bit, it sliced cleanly and released from the pan flawlessly.

The headline on their newsletter at the time read: ‘Bisquick Makes the Impossible Possible’. It wasn’t long before the number of impossible pie recipes grew to more than 100, including everything from beef, chicken/turkey, ham, sausage & bacon, fish & seafood, meatless to fruit pies. In 1997, the name was changed to ‘Impossibly Easy Pie’ in an effort to reach a new generation of cooks.

At some point in time, the original recipe was evidently removed from the Bisquick box. By the 1980s the North American diet was undergoing dramatic changes. In keeping with the low-fat diet recommendations that became so popular in the early ’80s, recipes for the heavy, rich foods we had previously favored were forgotten.

Nevertheless, quiche is supreme. This self-crusting, asparagus quiche made with gouda cheese and topped with prosciutto does not use the Bisquick mix but follows the same theory. Quick, easy & delicious!

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Asparagus & Prosciutto Self Crusting Quiche
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9-10-inch pie plate or ceramic quiche dish. Set aside.
  2. Use a veggie peeler to trim away the outer skin of the asparagus spears. Trim away the bottom 2-inches of each spear. Slice on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces, leaving tips intact. Set the tips aside.
  3. Grate cheese & toss in a bowl with 1 Tbsp flour making sure to evenly coat as this will help suspend it in the custard as opposed to having it all settle to the bottom.
  4. Whisk eggs, milk & cream together until frothy in a medium bowl. Season with thyme, salt & pepper.
  5. Spoon 1/2 of the sliced asparagus spears all over the bottom of the dish. Scatter 1/2 of the scallion slices over asparagus. Scatter 1/3 of the cheese over all veggies. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp chili flakes over this (if using). Scatter 1/3 of prosciutto slices over the cheese.
  6. Repeat with remaining veggies & another 1/3 of the cheese & prosciutto.
  7. Pour the egg mixture gently over the veggies & cheese. Top with the remaining cheese & the dill.
  8. Add the remaining prosciutto pieces & the asparagus tips over the cheese at this point as well, so that they will be slightly elevated, for presentation. You can use the extra slices of prosciutto slices to make prosciutto 'roses' for extra eye appeal by folding them in half lengthwise & rolling the up in rolls. Gently fold the edges out & down, to create the look of a rose.
  9. Place on a baking sheet & bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown & set. The center can still be ever so slightly giggly, but it shouldn't be soggy soft.
  10. Remove & allow to sit for a good 20 minutes to let the residual heat continue cooking the eggs. We enjoyed this quiche with a warm piece of focaccia bread.

Avocado Pancakes

Pancakes for me, are not just a breakfast food. I could eat them at any time of day … hot or cold. Originally, pancakes were made from wheat flour, olive oil, honey and curdled milk. At one point in time, they were often flavored with rose water, various spices, sherry and apples.

The name ‘pancake’ became a standard name in the 19th century. Before that, they were often referenced as johnny cakes, journey cakes, buckwheat cakes, hoe cakes, griddle cakes and flapjacks. Most early North American pancakes were made with buckwheat or cornmeal.

Pancakes exist all throughout the world, but each culture has their own unique way of preparing them whether its for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Avocado seems to be a trend that will ‘never’ die. This versatile fruit is found in guacamole, on toast, stuffed with fillings, etc., etc. Since I’m a lover of all things avocado, why not put them in pancakes?!

Finding a ripe avocado at the supermarket is hit and miss most of the time. Here’s a suggestion I hope you find helpful. Because ripe bananas or apples release a lot of ethylene, the hormone that triggers ripening in mature fruit, place one in a closed paper bag with your under ripe avocados and it will speed up the process.

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Avocado Pancakes
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Servings
small pancakes
Servings
small pancakes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. In a blender, whisk avocado & milk until creamy. Slowly add the dry ingredients, blending & scraping sides down with a spatula until mixture is smooth. Add the whole eggs & blend just until combined.
  2. Heat a large skillet or pan on the stove to a medium-low heat. Melt butter & spread evenly across the pan (or spray with cooking spray).
  3. Pour or ladle batter onto the pan forming round cakes about 3-inches in diameter. Allow to cook about 3-4 minutes, flipping carefully & pressing down on each to get more surface area on the pancakes to cook. Cook opposite side for 3-4 more minutes, & flip one more time. Gently press pancakes down with back of the spatula. The avocado wants to remain in its creamy state, so the center of the pancakes may be just slightly doughy.
  4. Serve immediately with some crispy bacon & a soft fried egg.

Mango Bread Pudding with Chai Spices

Bread Pudding ….. its just bread plus eggs plus a sweetened, spiced milk mixture. What makes it special is the blend of spices mixed into it and the sauce.

When done right, bread pudding should have the perfect balance of gooey goodness and chewy texture. That’s why stale bread is important. The bread needs a degree of crunch otherwise you will have ‘mush pudding‘.

For today’s recipe, I started by making a loaf of Challah bread. This is an ‘eggy’ bread that can soak up custard without collapsing. It will toast nicely on the outside and leave you with a creamy pudding inside.

Challah is a very straight forward bread to make. The dough is enriched with eggs and oil, while a few tablespoons of sugar add some sweetness and it doesn’t require any fussy techniques. Because challah is traditionally braided, proofing is key…. if the dough is not properly proofed, it will tear in the oven while baking.

Here’s where it becomes ‘comfort food‘ made with glorious challah, tropical mangos and spices inspired by the world’s love affair with Indian chai.

Chai, which is sometimes overlooked, adds a distinct warm flavor and depth. It can include a number of different spices. Cardamom is the most common ingredient, followed by some mixture of cinnamon, ginger, star anise and cloves. Pepper, coriander, nutmeg and fennel are also used but they are slightly less common.

For the finishing touch, I made a rum sauce. Who says bread pudding has to be boring!

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Mango Bread Pudding with Chai Spices
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Instructions
Challah Bread
  1. In a small bowl, place lukewarm water & sprinkle with yeast & a pinch of sugar; stir to combine. Let stand about 5-10 minutes until frothy. In a large bowl, place 4 cups flour, sugar & salt; whisk to combine.
  2. Make a well in the center of flour mixture & add eggs, egg yolk & oil; whisk to form a slurry. Pour the yeast mixture over the egg slurry. Combine with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough that is difficult to mix forms.
  3. On a floured work surface, turn out dough & knead for about 10 minutes. If dough is sticky, add flour a teaspoon at a time until it feels tacky. The dough should be soft, smooth & hold a ball shape. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise, in a draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Divide the dough into 3 or 6 equal pieces, depending on the type of braid you wish to make. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 16-inches long. If the ropes shrink as you try to roll them, let them rest 5 minutes to relax the gluten & then try again. For the 6 stranded braid as I made, the name of the game is 'over two, under one, over two'. Carry the right-most rope over the two ropes beside it, slip it under the middle rope, then carry it over the last two ropes. Lay the rope down parallel to the other ropes; it is now the furthest strand. Repeat this pattern until you reach the end of the loaf. Try to make your braid as tight as possible. Once you reach the end, squeeze the ends of the ropes together & tuck them under the loaf.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the braided loaf on top & sprinkle with a little flour. Cover with a tea towel & allow to rise about 1 hour. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350 F. When ready to bake, whisk the reserved egg white with 1 Tbsp. of water & brush carefully over challah. Bake 30-35 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Remove from oven & cool before cutting up for bread pudding.
Bread Pudding
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter an 8 x 8-inch baking dish; toss bread & mango cubes together in it. In a medium bowl, whisk the rest of the ingredients together & pour over the bread & mangoes; allow the mixture to soak for about 5 minutes. Bake about 1 1/4 hours, or until set.
Rum Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Mix together sugar & cornstarch; stir into the melted butter. Slowly pour in milk, stirring frequently until mixture begins to lightly boil. Continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & stir in rum. Serve warm over bread pudding.

Raspberry Almond Summer Rice Pudding

From what I have read, today August 9th, is  national rice pudding day  in the USA. I’m not sure how these holidays are figured out but who needs a special date to have rice pudding?!  In Canada & the USA, most rice pudding recipes were brought by European immigrants. The basic version contained long grain rice, milk, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg.

This food traces its roots to the grain pottage’s made by Middle Eastern cooks. Almost every region of the world has its own take on rice pudding. Some versions are sweet, while others are savory and some are thick while others are thin.

Summer rice puddings put a fresh twist on an this old classic comfort food. There is so much fresh summer fruit to choose from and combinations of flavors just waiting to be explored.

I remember my mother’s rice pudding with fondness. I wasn’t big on raisins at the time and always thought it would be perfect if they would be omitted, but it was still wonderful.

Today’s showy little dessert makes use of the season’s nice fresh raspberries. 


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Raspberry Almond Summer Rice Pudding

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Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, combine rice, sugar, milk & butter; bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 30-35 minutes until rice is cooked. While rice is cooking toast almonds in a skillet.

  2. When rice is cooked, allow to cool THEN add almonds & extract, lifting as you stir. Divide rice between dessert cups & refrigerate 30 minutes.

  3. Make raspberry jell-o according to package instructions. Once the jell-o is made allow to cool until slightly set. Top each dessert cup with 1/6 of the jello & refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until jell-o has set.

  4. Decorate desserts with fresh raspberries, crushed amaretti biscuits, sliced almonds & a sprig of mint if desired.

Pumpkin Chai Cheesecake Trifle

In the winter of 2011, Brion and I spent a month travelling Turkey. While in Istanbul, we happened to be staying in a hotel next to a Starbucks  coffee shop. By chance I tasted a ‘Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte’. That unique flavor left a lasting memory with me. Back at home, I wanted to recreate that flavor. The recipe today is what developed from that memory.

The word trifle comes from the old French term, ‘trufle’ and literally means something whimsical or of little consequence.  In actual food terms, it’s anything but. A proper English trifle is made with real egg custard poured over sponge cake, soaked in fruit and sherry then topped with whipped cream.

Though a simple dessert to make, trifle looks gorgeous with its multiple layers, colors and textures. It is not only served as a dessert but used as a centerpiece on occasion.

Many puddings evolved as a way of using leftovers, thus trifle originating from stale cake. Some of the many cake choices are sponge, Genoise, ladyfingers, pound cake and macaroons. Alcohol used, often ranges greatly from sherry, white wine, rum, liqueurs and scotch as well as just using a fruit juice. In order for the flavors to marry properly, trifle needs about 8 hours of refrigeration time. In North America, trifle is synonymous with the festive Christmas season.

My blog picture is a PUMPKIN CHIA CHEESECAKE TRIFLE  that I made for a Christmas event. If you like pumpkin and cheesecake this trifle is for you! 

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Pumpkin Chai Cheesecake Trifle
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Servings
Course dessert
Servings
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Pound Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch square pan with baking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (through allspice). In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, egg white, milk, oil and pumpkin until thoroughly blended. Combine wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring until just blended. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.
  3. Bake until lightly browned & a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack & allow to cool completely. With a wooden skewer, poke holes in cake about 2-inches apart. Slowly pour 1/2 cup Apricot Brandy over cake. Refrigerate overnight.
Pumpkin Filling
  1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese & pumpkin with a mixer until well blended. Add spices & dry pudding mix; beat until well blended. Gradually blend in milk.
Creme Filling
  1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; blend well. Fold in thawed Cool Whip.
Topping
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, coarsely crush wafers; place in medium bowl. Add butter, nuts, sugar & 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Spread onto the bottom of a shallow pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown; cool. Break cooled, baked nut mixture into smaller pieces; store in airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
ASSEMBLY
  1. Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes. Line bottom of a straight-sided trifle bowl with 1/3 of cake cubes, 1/3 pumpkin filling, 1/3 creme filling & 1/3 of the nut mixture. Repeat 2 more times. Decorate as desired. Drizzle with bottled Dulce de Leche Creme.

German Plum Cake / Tart

I know it sounds quite ordinary but we are not just talking about just any plum cake. Variations of the German specialty, ‘zwetschgenkuchen’, exist where some versions are made with a shortbread pastry verses a yeast dough, some have streusel – some do not – some are round, other’s are rectangular. One thing for sure is that they all use the plump, sweet, juicy European plums also known as Italian Prune Plums or Empress Plums. This variety is ideal for cooking not only because of their texture but also because their flavor becomes more complex through cooking.

Fruit and yeast-based cakes are a German hallmark with this cake being a perfect example. Its not overly sweet, has a touch of tartness to it, a small hint of cinnamon and that tender yeast dough.

When I was growing up and my mother used Italian Prune Plums in her canning or baking, I just thought it was because they were available at the time. I had no idea that they played such a special part in German baking until I was older.

I realize this is probably not the kind of thing you feel like making on a hot summer day. I suggest putting it on hold for a rainy day because it is well worth the effort. Just to encourage you further, I’ve added an alternate yogurt dough you could use instead of the yeasted one which would speed things up.

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German Plum Cake / Tart
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, German, Italian
Servings
Ingredients
Streusel
Yogurt Cake Dough (an alternate to use instead of yeast dough)
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, German, Italian
Servings
Ingredients
Streusel
Yogurt Cake Dough (an alternate to use instead of yeast dough)
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Yeast Dough
  1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup warm milk & allow to become frothy, about 5-10 minutes. With an electric hand mixer, beat together sugar, salt, warm melted butter, egg & vanilla. When yeast is ready, Combine with egg mixture. Add flour, 1 cup at a time to wet mixture. Stir well after each addition; dough should become smooth & elastic. It will not be firm enough to knead into a ball, more like thick batter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap & set in a warm, draft-free place to rise for an hour or until doubled in bulk.
Streusel
  1. In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients. Using fingertips, rub mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
'ALTERNATE' Yogurt Dough
  1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. In small bowl, beat together yogurt, milk, oil & vanilla. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add wet mixture & combine until dough forms a ball.
To make Plum Cake Tarts
  1. Generously butter eight - 4 x 3/4" mini tart pans or press out a rectangle of dough about 8 x 10" size on a baking sheet or a jelly-roll pan could be used. For tart pans, divide dough into 8 pieces & press dough out over bottom & up sides. For the rectangle shape, dough could be rolled out on parchment paper & laid directly on pan.
  2. Lay plums close together in rows, covering the entire dough. If using YEAST DOUGH, set pan in a warm place & let rise rise an hour. Sprinkle the streusel over the top & bake at 350 F. for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden. If using YOGURT DOUGH, evenly sprinkle farina over dough before placing the plums on the pastry ( it helps to keep the pastry from becoming soggy). Arrange plums on pastry; distribute streusel over cake. Bake at 350 F. for 30 minutes or streusel is light golden.