Recipe Post: Mini Quiches

My church small group is having our Christmas party tonight, and anyone who has read enough of this blog knows that I never waste an opportunity to take photos of what I make for a get-together.

I have been charmed by the idea of egg "muffins" and homemade mini quiches for quite some time, and my Aunt-in-law Christy put up some photos of her egg muffins not too long ago and re-inspired me to give them a shot. I went with a mix of both, which I could claim was on purpose but in truth was because I only had so much dough to use.

Normally I'd do this using my pie crust, but I had some leftover puff pastry from my ramekin pot pies so I decided to give it a shot with puff pastry instead. Maybe some time soon I will try them with normal pie crust instead!

FYI, my camera battery charger is still MIA so there are less pictures than usual. It's been saying it's about to die since I made the berry crumble so my guess is that it's on its last leg.

Anywho.

Let's get down to it:

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Yields: 2 dozen quiche/muffins

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 sheet puff pastry

For the filling:

For all
16 eggs (or so...forgot to count!)
1-1/2 tablespoon light cream (or heavy cream if you're more adventurous than me)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Italian
1/4 small onion
8-10 mini plum tomatoes/cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon pesto
1/8-1/4 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Mushroom
1  6-ounce package mushrooms*
3/4 jar of black olives
1/4 small onion
*(of any variety--I used white button because they were on sale)

Broccoli Cheddar
1 small head of broccoli (florets only)
1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Crack and beat all of the eggs and add in the light cream and salt.

Please, add the salt. I forgot it. The quiches suffered somewhat for it. Live and learn (by my mistakes--you're welcome.).

I have no pictures of this step, but separate them into 3 liquid measuring cups. Makes it nice and easy to pour the eggs into the cupcake tin!

2. Make up your mixes for all three flavors.

For the Italian, mince the onion and tomato as small as possible and mix in the pesto.

Cook briefly in a skillet just to take a little of the bite out of the onions, then add it to one of the three measuring cups with egg. Throw in the finely shredded mozzarella too, and make sure you break up any cheese clumps. That clump will make one of these quiches very tasty and cheesy, but the rest not as great.

P.S., please use finely shredded. Did I put that in italics enough times? I recommend this for the same reason as I said to mince everything--for mini quiches, you need mini chunks of things. They mix better that way. And look nicer. And taste better. And make kittens weep with joy.

...I may be exaggerating with the last ones. It's mostly for the even mixing.

For the Mushroom, mince up the mushroom, olives and onions. I also sautéed these, but for a little longer. Why? Because I wanted to.

Add to the second egg measuring cup.

For the Broccoli Cheddar, use only the florets--the darkest green top part of the broccoli.

Mix in the cheddar cheese and throw into the third egg measuring cup.

Is this confusing you yet? This is why I usually take so many pictures.

3. Spray your cupcake tins with some kind of oil spray. It will make your life easier.

4. Lay out your puff pastry sheet on some wax paper. Attempt to roll it out. Fail, realize that it's sticking even to wax paper, curse the wax paper and the puff pastry, then start from scratch with just the normal puff pastry, only now it will be slightly more sticky and more frustrating than it started.

...Maybe that's just me. The lesson I learned here is that puff pastry does not roll well and will not get thinner just because you want it to. Better to follow these directions instead:

Lay out your puff pastry. Slice into small squares, slightly smaller than the openings on the cupcake tin.

Stretch each one a little bit with your hands, being careful not to tear them, and tuck each into one of the cupcake tins. If you're like me and made "muffins", too, once you run out of puff pastry just call it a day and start making muffins in the space left.

5. Pour each of your mixtures into as many cupcake spaces as they can fit into. Make sure that they only go up to about 3/4 of the way to the top, since they puff a bit while cooking.

As you can see I didn't follow my own rules with all of them. Those were the stubborn ones.

6. Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until no raw egg is visible in the center. You can check it with a fork, but I've personally always been safety conscious (read: slightly neurotic) about eggs so I cut one of each kind open to make sure that they were cooked all the way through before I called them done. (See the middle left one? That's what happened there.)

And there you go! (Pardon my shadow)

Italian:

Mushroom:

And Broccoli Cheddar.

To recap:

-Don't forget the salt.
-Don't try to roll out puff pastry.
-Spray your pan before pouring anything in.
-Use finely shredded cheese.

I think I'm done with my reminders now.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Credits:

-I referenced Ree Drummond's/The Pioneer Woman's normal-sized quiche recipe, and then did not follow it because we have no internet. It's her fault I added the cream. (But seriously, do it. Adds something!)

Recipe Post: Ramekin Pot Pies

Sorry for the little hiatus, guys! I was feeling uninspired to cook last week since Hubby and I were so busy, and I lost the battery charger to my camera. The second thing is still an issue, but I've been stretching that last little bit of battery the camera has left for as long as possible until I find the charger. Which will hopefully be soon.

I am still working on that post that I said would be coming--Hubby and I went on a wine tour a couple of weekends ago. I just keep forgetting to bring the recipe book from the wine tour with me when I have access to internet because, Gasp!, Hubby and I don't have internet at the moment! I always work on blog posts on my lunch break at work, and sometimes we go to the McDonald's up the street which has free Wi-Fi.

Anywho!

This is only a kind-of new recipe for here. It uses almost all of the same ingredients as the Turkey Pot Pie (and the same steps!), with a couple differences:

-I baked them in ramekins because ramekins are cute and conveniently single-serving-sized

and

-I made no pie crust for this so it was faster and easier.

And that's about it for differences. But check them out! They're so convenient. (And cute!)

Let's get down to it:

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes mins
Cook time: 1 hr 35 mins (if "turkey" not pre-cooked)
Serves: 5 ramekin pies

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2/3 package Puff Pastry sheets

For the filling:

1 Quorn Turk'y Roast, cooked following package directions
1 small package frozen casserole veggies*, about 3 cups, thawed and chopped
2/3 cup frozen peas
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups strong bouillon (2 cups water + 3 bouillon cubes)
3 heaping tablespoons flour
1/2 stick butter (or 1/4 cup)
Salt to taste (I only needed a couple pinches)
(*Potatoes, carrots, celery & onions)

Directions:

1. Follow the filling directions from the "Turkey" Pot Pie post, minus the soy milk because I forgot it this time around and it tasted fine without!

(I may or may not have stolen that picture directly from said post.)

2. Pour 1/5 of the filling into a ramekin up to somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of the way to the top. No bubbling over, see!

Very few things in life bring instant joy to me the way pot pie filling does. The sight, the smell, the taste... Just sayin'.

3. Place a square of thawed puff pastry on top just large enough to cover the filling (mostly).

Rinse and repeat for the other 4 ramekins...Or, if you're like me and only have 4 ramekins, bake 4, eat one, wash one and immediately refill it with the leftover ingredients and pop it in the freezer for when you feel like having another one.

And now back to your regularly scheduled program.

4. Bake at 375 for about 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry on top is crispy.

And there you have it! Hubby and I definitely still prefer the homemade pie crust, but these were cute and easy and I was in the mood for pot pie, and Hubby is always in the mood for pot pie.

Good thing we had leftovers. Another whole pie for each of us today for lunch. (I am so ready for this.)

These also make really cute gifts around the holidays! My ramekins even came with lids, so they'd be super easy to give out! Just include the baking instructions and there you go. Who doesn't want a homemade mini pie with a reusable ramekin? Yes, please!

I'm off to devour my leftover ramekin pie, now.

Enjoy!

What to do with Leftover "Turkey" & Recipe Post: "Turkey" Sliders

Happy Saturday after Thanksgiving! Anybody actually go out and shop for Black Friday? I only know a few people who actually brave the stores instead of just going online to get more deals with less hassle. (Did that sound like an infomercial? Sorry.) I can't judge, we actually went out for it this year, although the only things we bought were Taco Bell and Brad's Cookie Nook.

One thing that almost every family has in common the next few days after Thanksgiving, whether you participate in Black Friday or not, is a lot of leftover turkey or "turkey." My brother is a vegetarian, too, and my mom can't eat Quorn Turk'y (allergies) but also doesn't like real turkey, so my dad decides each year to not buy a real turkey just for himself since it'd be too many leftovers. My family always leftovers of the fake kind, the trickery of science and magic that is "Quorn Turk'y Roast."

I have a few of recommendations for turkey leftovers, of the real or fake variety. First, a new one that hasn't appeared on the blog before, and one of my favorite things to do with leftovers: "Turkey" Sliders.

This one uses up three of the main leftovers and is extremely easy. I made dinner in 5 minutes when I did these, and that was after deciding to make myself a second helping like Hubby.

Let's get down to it:

Prep Time: Whatever time it takes to make the original meal! Leftovers only.

Cook Time: Less than 5 minutes

Serves: 4 sliders (2 per person)

Ingredients:

4 slices Quorn Turk'y Roast
4 left-over dinner rolls
~1/2 cup leftover gravy

Directions:

1) Heat up your turkey and gravy (duh). We used mushroom gravy, but whatever kind you have is fine.

Take your rolls, slice them in half and toast them. This year we had Panera rolls with dinner.

2) Spoon a small amount of gravy onto the bottom of your rolls.

Place a slice of turkey on top and add a little more gravy.

Top with the second half of the roll. And just like that, you have a turkey slider.

Rinse and repeat for the other three, and you've got dinner for two! (*Pictured before I decided on having seconds.)

We also had leftover Berry Crumble.

Even better the second day!

Now, there are a couple of other recipes that have been on the blog already that would also be great uses for leftover turkey or "turkey":

"Turkey" Noodle Soup:

"Turkey" Pot Pie:

Whatever you do with it, enjoy! Hubby and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Recipe Post: Berry Crumble

Oh, my, it's a recipe post!

We had a very busy weekend. I'll be posting about the rest of it later in the week, but Sunday we had my family's Thanksgiving celebration early since my dad will be out of the country on actual Thanksgiving. I made this as a dessert. This was done in Mom's kitchen--hence all the pretty, colorful bowls I don't usually have.

The first time I made a blackberry crumble, it was based on a recipe out of my Kitchen Seasons cookbook (I think!) and I went into my backyard and picked enough blackberries for it, and it was marvelous. I had tons of scratches on my legs because I dove into those blackberry bushes like I was wearing pants and not wearing shorts and did not have delicate skin, and none of those things were true. The crumble was still delicious. Worth it.

I no longer live in that house and unfortunately neither do my parents, so I can't go pick them at their house, anymore.

One of the first things I am going to do once Hubby and I have a house and not an apartment is plant blackberry bushes if our new house does not already have them.

The original blackberry crumble of mine is modified from the cookbook, and this one further so because I decided to add strawberries this time around. Yum!

This is one of those recipes where my mouth is watering as I write this, and I wish I had some on hand at this very moment. Alas, it is at home in my fridge.

Let's get down to it:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Serves: ~9

Ingredients:

For the filling:
1 bag frozen blackberries
1 bag frozen strawberries
2/3-1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp flour
1/4 tsp-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 stick butter (or 1/4 cup)

Directions:

For the filling:

1) If you're using frozen berries, thaw them in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes on medium power. If you're using fresh, ignore that step!

Slice the strawberries that are too large. For frozen berries, this actually isn't too many.

Add the blackberries. Sometimes an enormous blackberry will slip in there and will need to be cut in half, so just keep an eye out. Mostly they're an okay size.

Stir those up.

P.S., Feel free to use a mix with more types of berries. These are just what I had on hand.

2) Add in the sugar.

And the flour (for thickening) and the vanilla.

Enjoy the extra little bit of dog butt I added in that shot for you.

Here's another one (face this time!):

My pup, miss Stella Artois--2-year-old female half Australian cattle dog, half miniature pinscher. She likes long walks on the beach (or would if we had beaches) and only the finest of Blue Buffalo brand dog-food (or anything else that she can get in her mouth).

And now back to our regularly scheduled blog!

You just mixed the berries, remember?

Set aside.

For the topping:

1) Start with your flour.

Add in your brown sugar.

And the cinnamon.

Slice up a stick of butter (or half a stick if you don't need the rest of the butter for rolls like we did.)

With your fingers, gently press the flour and the butter together. This is the longest part of the recipe. You are more than welcome to use some newfangled kitchen appliance of some kind instead.

By the end, you should have a very crumbly crust.

2) Pour your berries into a baking dish. I used 9x9 I believe.

Top with the flour mixture.

Feel free to halve the topping mixture if you want it to be thinner. This layer of crumble was a tad thicker than the berries!

3) Bake for 30-35 minutes in a 375-degree oven, until the top is getting crispy.

It may or may not boil over like mine did.

Still tasty!

Here we have a berry crumble in its natural habitat. See the broken crumble on the top, a signature quality that inspired its namesake?

(I'm feeling weird today, can you tell?)

Enjoy!

Too Soon?

Howdy, y'all.

I do not have a recipe today. (Sorry.) I do have a few very important questions to ask, though:

Question #1: How early is too early to put up your Christmas tree?

Hubby and I decided to get our Christmas tree early this year. It's our first Christmas as a married couple in our own apartment, so we were excited to pick out the tree. I was feeling festive, anyway. How can I not, when this is what it looks like outside my window at work?

November? Pssh.

We can't have real trees in our apartment and the fake tree that I loved was well over $130. (Blegh.) As much as I wanted to get a really nice fake tree to make up that we couldn't get a real tree like Hubby wanted,  I couldn't bring myself to spend that much.

So! We bought a plain little 6-foot tree at Walmart for $20. In a way, it kind of fits our simple apartment better, too. We're considering going back for the 75% off+ sale after Christmas to get that nicer fake tree. We'll see!

That's all fine. But when we got home, we couldn't not break out our new tree. So we did. About two weeks before Thanksgiving.

Is that too early?

I kind of thought it was a tad too early, but my family usually puts up their tree the day after Thanksgiving so it wasn't too early. They're a fake-tree family, too, FYI.

Which leads me to Question #2: Fake tree or real tree?

Oh, and we also got a little penguin ornament that I found misplaced on a shelf elsewhere in the store, as our first ornament to go on our tree. It was $0.97 so I didn't feel bad getting something a little extra in our trip.

And a star for the top, because I'm pretty sure the $20 tree could not handle a full-weight angel.

#3 Angel or star (or something else?) for the top of your tree?

And 2 Christmas CDs to listen to while we were decorating.

Question #4: Does anybody else know who Bing Crosby is? Hubby had never heard of him. He was one of the main voices of my Christmases as a kid. In Hubby's defense, he recognized a couple of Bing Crosby's songs as the versions of classic carols that he'd grown up with also.

This weekend or next week we will add the rest of the ornaments to our tree, too. ...Or maybe tonight. We'll see!

Hopefully more recipe posts again soon. It is about to be the most food-centric holiday of the year, after all!