2-25-2013 (Meatless Monday) Spinach Quiche Cups!

Okay, so, here is the first post I am actually remembering to take pictures of, and this is also quite experimental... Let's do a back story first!
So, my mom visited me Sunday, and we went to brunch at a place we very much enjoy, Sisters. The good part of it was that it was delicious, as always. The bad part: it took a lot more time than it normally does to get the food out, and it seemed like they had forgotten to place our order. I ordered Panko encrusted poached eggs, which came with hash, a lightly creamy, sauteed spinach, and a rosemary sourdough bread slice, and an a la carte crepe with dulce de leche, marscapone, and banana. YUM.

Now that I have activated my salivary glands, let's get on to the good stuff. On the visit of my mom, she also brought with her a collection of fresh produce from one of our favorite farmers markets, called County Line, near Palatka. Cauliflower, peas, brussel sprouts, and an unidentified mass of greens. I couldn't tell what they were because they seemed slightly wilted and very unfamiliar. It wasn't until today that I remembered that she said she was bringing spinach along with the other goodies, and I made the connection, because in the infamous word of Sherlock Holmes, "Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth." So this could be none other than the spinach she was telling me about. The only problem with it is that it was too wilted to be served fresh, so it is now time to cook it. I began washing and getting the leaves off the bundles to through into a pot to steam it for some form of creative steamed spinach, but there's just too much!
So what do I do with the rest of it? I really like fried spinach (using olive oil, salt and pepper), but I am feeling the desire for something new and different, maybe something crunchy? AH! How about spinach cups! I could do quiches, and since it is Meatless Monday, this would absolutely give me my protein! I still would like to have some crispy spinach, so, what I can do is lay out the spinach on a cookie sheet, drizzle some olive oil on it, throw it into the oven, then get started on these quiche cups.

I found a recipe for a butter crust for pies, but instead of using sugar, I wanted a more savory approach, and I used less butter, and to maintain moistness, I added in some olive oil. This was more or less and experiment and it worked beautifully! If you want to add meat to this recipe, it welcomes it, but it is vegetarian friendly, pretty healthy, not to mention tasty! 

Makes 9-10 mini Quiches
Ingredients:
1 Bundle of Cooked Spinach

1/4 White or Yellow onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Top of a Portobello Mushroom, chopped in large chunks
5-6 Large eggs
Dash of salt
(optional) Sliced sharp white cheddar

Rosemary Garlic Crust:
2 c. Flour
2 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary, or 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp Salt
8 Tbsp. (1 Stick) of Chilled Butter 
1/4 c. ice water.
Olive oil

Crust first:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).

 Add dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until evenly distributed. Add butter, in tablespoon chunks and mix with a pastry mixer, fork, or your hands. The butter should be well-covered with the flour mix, and slightly flattened. Add water to the mix, one tablespoon at a time, and fold it in. The dough should start to "crumb." Make sure not to overwork the dough. Divide the dough into two portions, wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. This dough is good for up to two weeks before you need to cook it. Cool! When you are ready to use the dough, take it out, let it chill for about 10 minutes, then roll it out to your desired thickness. This is when a little bit of olive oil should be used, it moistens the crust and adds a nice flavor.

I personally make little balls of dough, then press them into the cups of a muffin pan. Before putting any dough into the pan, make sure to grease it! Press the dough into the pan, making little cups.

Bake the dough at 350 degrees for at least 10 minutes. While the dough is baking, this is when you get started on the quiche filling. Add eggs and whisk them until fluffy. Add spinach, garlic, onions, mushrooms, and salt and mix evenly.

Pull the quiche cups out, and ladle the mixture into each cup, they should be mostly full. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. The quiches should not be liquid-y when ready. If you want to add the cheddar, do it 20 minutes in. Pull them out and use a knife to separate the quiches from the pan. Now they are ready to serve! 

Don't worry, loves, I did NOT forget to give some music for your ears. This is what I listened to as I jammed to my cooking. Keeping it mellow, with some stuff to keep it upbeat. Enjoy!

-K

Hello, World! I have returned!

So, it has been quite a while since my last post, and I take full responsibility for this, but I think that as part of my (belated) New Years resolution, I should try to make a blog post at least once a week, so that 1) I can create a habit of it, 2) maybe I'll have more views, and 3) possibly get some feedback so that I can continue blogging!

First off, here are some updates!

• I am officially legally able to purchase and drink alcohol in the United States! (Cooking with wine, here we come!)
• In May, I shall be graduating! It's kind of scary, but also really exciting, because it will lead me onto new adventures...
• Speaking of which, I should be going on a new adventure...to Thailand! Here, I should be teaching English as a second language, trying all sorts of new exotic foods that I haven't gotten into yet, and learning about the culture, as well as some medical practices.
• I've also been working out more consistently. This has been ongoing since August, and it hasn't necessarily been for me to lose weight, but so that I can be more confident with my body, as well as setting up healthier habits for when I am older.
• Healthy habits, you say? Well, let's get into that another day! But for those of you who are familiar with the Greek yoghurt trend that has been happ'nin, I would suggest you go to your local food market (by local, I don't mean the Publix that is four blocs away, I mean your grocery store that predominantly sells local and organic) and look for a brand called siggi's. It is labeled as a skyr, which seems to be the traditional Icelandic yoghurt. I personally need a decent amount of protein in the morning, but I don't have a lot of time to make my egg and canadian bacon sandwich, so this is a great substitute, with a whopping 12-14 grams of protein  per serving, which is typically a 5.3oz container. It advertises 0% milkfat for many of its skyr products...which also means 0% fat for any of those weightwatchers out there. If you really want to fill yourself up but not chow down two or three cups of this fantastic magic of yoghurt, I also recommend adding some chia seed, which expands to 16 times its size when hydrated! Plus it has all sorts of other yummy good stuff to add to your health benefits.

   Now, down to business, that is, food business! While at school, I have made some new things, experimented a little, and would like to get on with more awesome experimentation. I have found out that I am quite skilled with baking, but I prefer my heartier foods like pastas and meats, etcetera.
Here are my projects in the past that I actually remembered to take pictures of:
Cinnamon Pecan Rolls

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

 Spicy Coconut Chicken Soup

 Lowfat Grapefruit Poundcake with a Grapefruit Glaze

My first attempt at a birthday cake (White Cake, Strawberry Mousse filling, Graham Cracker covering, and almonds on the top)

Of the work I had NOT taken pictures of, there were some successes, and some...not so successes.
Avocado Lime Cupcakes(Success!), my own personal "Hodgepodge Stew,"(Success!) Chicken Piccata (Success!), Crispy Italiam Tofu and Garlic Pasta(Success!), Oreo "Truffles," (Tasty failure...) Roasted Banana Bars with Browned Butter Pecan Frosting(Success!), Butter Pecan cupcakes with Brown Sugar Icing and Maple Pecan Rum Filling (Success!), Sour Cream Cake with Peppermint Cheesecake Filling(Successful part!) and a White Chocolate Mousse Frosting (...tasty but Failed...), Dijon Brussel Sprouts (eh, they were okay, but I've done better).

There are a few recipes I would like to try in the near future, and hopefully remember to take pictures too! These may include my friend's FANTASTIC fish tacos, a chocolate hazelnut cake, a Dobos Torte (or Dobierge Cake, if that's the name you're familiar with), Caramel Frappaccino Cheesecake, Some casseroles, and finger foods for the parties I could appeal to in the food department.


I would love to start working on more recipes since I will start having more time in the near future, as well as getting my name out there as someone who could cater to small parties.
As for now, I will leave whomever off with a playlist of what music I have been listening to lately, and heads up, it will be eclectic!