Breakfast

Quiche Lorrain

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I don’t know who Lorrain is, but she makes a great quiche. I wasn’t a fan of quiche, until I tried this recipe. The recommendation is to use a pre-made crust. Marie Callender’s is pretty good.

Once you lay the pie crust out, the first step is to add some shredded cheddar and swiss cheeses.

 

Add a layer of cooked bacon  and steamed broccoli.

Whisk together some eggs, whipping cream, and seasoning, and pour over the ingredients.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.

FLAVOR ATTACK. bam!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 x 9 oz Roll out Pie Crust
  • 1/2 lb Bacon – cooked and chopped into pieces
  • 3/4 cup broccoli – steamed and chopped
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream (regular or heavy)
  • 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
  • dash of nutmeg
  • dash of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Grease 9″ pie pan. Lay rolled out pie crust into pan and pull 3/4 inch towards edge.
  2. Grate both cheese onto pie crust. Place cooked and chopped bacon and broccoli on top of cheese. Grate more cheese on top as desired.
  3. In separate bowl mix eggs, whipping cream and seasonings together. Pour egg mixture over the top of cheese and toppings.
  4. Bake at 375 degree F for 40-45 minutes.

Note: Can substitute other veggies/meats as desired.

Side

Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of the first dishes I learned to make as a kid. Out of a box of course. Eventually I developed a preference for Kraft spirals.  However, in my college years I became a fan of Stouffer’s. You can microwave or bake it. The cheese gets a little burnt; add a little pepper. Good times.

This Stouffer’s mac copycat recipe is  simple. Few ingredients: mild cheddar, flour, butter, milk, and pasta. Better yet, it tastes exactly right. The gourmet chefs use the same method. It’s all in the cheese sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 Cup Skim Milk
  • 5 tsp All-purpose Flour
  • 2 cups (6 ounces) shredded medium cheddar cheese
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Whisk the flour into the milk in a small saucepan, then place it over medium-low heat.
  2. Add the shredded cheddar cheese, butter, and salt and stir with a spoon until the cheese begins to melt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Use a whisk to stir the sauce every couple of minutes so that it becomes smooth and thick.
  3. While the sauce thickens, prepare the macaroni by dumping the uncooked macaroni into rapidly boiling water. Boil according to package directions, and then drain.
  4. When the cheese sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, pour the pasta into a medium bowl. Gently stir in the cheese sauce, and then pour the mixture into a loaf pan or casserole dish. Serve it right now or cover and freeze.
  5. For extra flavor attack, preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and bake until the cheese begins to brown slightly.

References:

http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Stouffers-Macaroni-Cheese-Copycat-Recipe.html

Dinner

Chili

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I love this recipe. Real chili doesn’t have beans in it right? Well, you can still add them if you want. My feeling is that a real chili recipe should have a lot of chili powder in it. So I kept looking until I found one that respected the chili powder, included beer, and can be made in a crock pot. We all know that more time cooking usually means more delicious.

Brown the beef, drain it, and add it to the crock pot.

Sweat the onions, garlic and habanero until translucent. Habanero is a killer pepper. Get this stuff under a fingernail and you will suffer. But when you cook it down and sweat it with onions and garlic it mellows out a bit.

Be sure to season the onion/garlic/habanero mix with salt, then add it to crockpot.

Next, add the spices – chili powder, oregano, cumin and cayenne and mix well.

Add the canned tomatoes along with their juices, and here’s a handy tip. Use some kitchen shears to chop those bad boys right up.

And, Boom! A little cerveza (12 oz to be exact) for more flavor, right?

Add some cilantro and give it a mix, then let it go on high for 5 hours. This will bring all the flavors together and make everything tender.

30 minutes before serving, add the kidney beans. I use dark and light red kidney beans.

I always make some elbow macaroni to go with the chili. I usually spoon my chili directly on top of the pasta. Then what really gives the dish some panache is the toppings. There is a straight up chili topping bar that has to happen. I like to include the following in mine:

Oh, and let’s not forget cheese. Taking a page out of the queso fundito recipe. Here I’m adding a Mexican white cheese (panela) option to my typical medium cheddar.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 1/2 pounds ground chuck beef, ground for chili
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 habanero chili, seeded and very finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 TB dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped with their juices
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle amber beer
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • tortilla chips, for serving
  • shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
  • chopped tomatoes, for serving
  • sour cream, for serving
  • lime wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add beef and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; drain in a colander, discarding fat, and set aside.
  2. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add onions, garlic, and habanero; season with salt. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes
  3. In a 6-quart Crock-Pot, combine beef, onion mixture, chile powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper; stir to combine. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and beer; cover and cook on high, stirring occasionally, for 5 hours.
  4. Add kidney beans and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook uncovered, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with desired toppings.