Quiche, April 3, 2016

Last Saturday, I put together a quiche with some leftover ham for our brunch. It was so delicious that we had it Sunday night for dinner, along with some steamed asparagus and Chambord-macerated strawberries (chop strawberries and toss with some sugar, vanilla, and Chambord---allow to macerate while you eat supper) on ladyfingers. It was a wonderfully spring-y dinner!

Ham & Cheddar Quiche

Crust for 9" pie

A handful or two of chopped ham

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp. butter or olive oil

8 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk or cream (I used 2%)

Salt & pepper

2 c. shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place crust in deep dish pie plate & flute the edges. Sauté onion in butter/oil until tender and slightly browned. Whisk eggs with milk, salt, and pepper. Add ham, onions, cheese. Pour into pie shell, cover lightly with foil, and bake 45 minutes. Bake another 10 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges for serving. Serves 6. 

Salmon Cakes & Scones

Tonight, I'd planned to make chile verde for supper, but by the time I got home, it was too late for a dish that takes 2 hours of cooking. So, it was on to salmon cakes, which are quick, easy, and scrumptious! The Rachael Ray recipe upon which I based my version calls for putting the salmon cakes on the salad, but I thought it would be better with the salad as a side. I also didn't bother buying the various pieces of the green salad base, instead picking up an organic spring mix salad. It worked nicely, cut prep time, and cost a lot less than buying 4 different kinds of greens. It's also a lot less wasteful for our 2-person household. The recommended accompaniment was rosemary & ham scones, which I made just like the recipe told me to make them, aside from switching biscuit mix brands because the store didn't have Jiffy. I am not much of an improviser when it comes to baking. They are truly stellar. I found the recipes in Rachael Ray's Around the Clock Cookbook, which has a bunch of other great dinners in it. A side of a favorite summer fruit (I am pretty mad for stone fruits & cherries) is a good dessert.

Salmon Cakes

1 can salmon (I get skeeved out by the little backbone thingie & the skin and remove it, but you don't have to)

1 egg white

A heaping 1/8th cup of Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs (the dry sort---and if you don't have seasoned ones, you can also toss in a smidge of oregano & basil, instead)

1 heaping tsp. seasoned salt (the original recipe calls for Old Bay---mine had gone rock hard)

A few drops of hot sauce

1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (Italian or flat-leaf is my preference here)

A good grinding of black pepper

1 tbsp. oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix everything but the oil together well. Heat oil in cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Form salmon into 2 patties and cook a minute or two on each side, to brown. Pop the skillet into the oven to bake about 8 more minutes. Serves 2.

Green Salad with Orange and Red Onion

1 bag/container spring salad mix

1 orange, peeled & chopped (if you're making the scones, zest the orange first)

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. grapefruit balsamic vinaigrette (you can leave this out---I had it on hand)

1/4 c. good quality, extra-virgin olive oil (I look for "first cold press" on the bottle)

Salt & pepper

Mix the greens with the orange and onion. Whisk the oil into the vinegar. Dress and toss salad.

Season. Serves 4-6.

Rosemary & Ham Scones

1 package buttermilk biscuit mix (the size that makes 4 or 5 large or 7 or 8 small biscuits. I used Bisquick)

3 tbsp. finely-chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 c. heavy cream

A pinch of salt

2 oz. diced ham (I buy the pre-diced sort and use the rest of the package in eggs, quiche, or what-have-you later in the week)

Zest of 1 orange (she actually directs you to use 1 tbsp)

A little sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix everything but sugar. Make 4 large or 8 small mounds of pressed-together dough on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and bake 10-12 minutes for large scones or 7-8 minutes for small ones. I was tempted, by the way, to omit the sugar & wasn't at all sure how I felt about the orange zest. They really made for a lovely contrast and I highly recommend them, even if you generally don't favor sweet with meat. I am looking forward to having a second one with a piece of fruit for breakfast!

Bean Soup As Good As Travis Griffith's

When I was a young woman, I loved my grandmom's cooking. One of the things she made well was ham & bean soup. When Jeannene was small, her dad did almost all the cooking in their family. It was how he showed love and he was a magnificent cook. He loved to make things like prime rib and shrimp cocktail and other classic dishes. However, he was from Harlan, Kentucky, and his southern roots shone in his cooking, too. He was famous for his biscuits & gravy. He was also well-known for his delicious ham & bean soup. The other night, I made a pot of my own. Upon tasting it, Jeannene said, "Daria. This is as good as my dad's. I wish he were alive again just so he could eat this." She proclaimed it, "Fabulous" and I was very honored to be placed in the ranks with Travis. I think my grandmom would have liked it, too. I served it with corn muffins and slices of Opal apple, a new variety to me, and Jeannene's new favorite apple.

Ham & Bean Soup
16 oz. dried navy beans
2 quarts water
1 center cut ham sliced (1 1/2-2 lb), cubed
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cubes Knorr ham-flavor bouillon (or 4 smaller-sized cubes, such as Wyler)
1/2 c. tomato juice
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. brown sugar

Rinse beans and sort through to ascertain that any stray bits of rock or what-have-you have been removed. Place in large soup pot with water to cover and soak overnight. When ready to cook, drain beans and add 2 quarts water. Add all but flour and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 3-4 hours. Mix flour with some of the soup broth and the brown sugar. Add to pot of soup, cover, and cook another hour.