Sundays with Joy -- Leek & Asparagus Quiche

For the longest time I have been wanting to join some sort of cooking group.  I did the cookie swap in November, which was a blast, and I wanted more.  Unfortunately all the groups I found didn't fit right for me.  Either they were doing stuff I wanted to do but didn't have the skill level required (remember -- I am teaching myself how to cook here, folks) OR I had the skill level required but not the time OR I had the time but didn't want to do the recipes.  But I have a found something that fits me perfectly.  Sundays with Joy.

Here is why it fits me:  I am not only learning to cook, but I am finally, finally, starting to want to bake.  I used to hate it.  All that measuring and what-not... it was too complicated.  But as of late I have found myself baking a lot.  Cookies, tarts, bread... it has gotten into me.  And I am really really enjoying it.  So going through Joy the Baker's cookbook one recipe per week sounded like a great plan for me.  Especially since the title had the word "simple" in it ;)

For the past two weeks I have seen a few of the bloggers I follow (specifically Bakeaholic Mama, the starter of this brilliant plan) put up recipes for scones and muffins, and I thought, "I want those!"   Well, if I want some, I know how to get them... get in the kitchen and make it happen, right? 

The funny thing is that this week the recipe was not a sweet-treat such as a scone or a muffin, but a quiche.  That probably doesn't sound so funny to you -- until you hear that my poor husband has eaten egg-something everynight this week.  Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, egg and avocado pizzas... I think the last thing he really wanted to eat this weekend was some more eggs.

But he was good about it and supported me.  Which I needed, because I kind of felt like a fool asking the grocery-store-dude if he could help me find leeks when they were right there.  I guess that is what happens when I have only ever bought frozen, chopped leeks before...  (BTW - found out that nutmeg is considered a "seasonal item" at Trader Joe's.  Why?  I get that we use it in pumpkin pie, but wouldn't they think we might possibly want to use it at other times of the year for other things as well?)

I was happy he was a good sport, and so was he.  He loved this.  And when I told him some of the other bakers were putting bacon in it he said, "Oh!  You HAVE to do that next time!" 

It is official: there will be a next time.  Probably with bacon.

I have done it.  My very first recipe from my new cooking group.  I feel pretty darn good about myself right now!  Ninety-nine more to go...

Recipe from Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes.

Basically, it is a puff-pastry fitted to the dish (I used a thawed-once-frozen one and I don't feel guilty at all!) filled with cooked asparagus and leeks on the bottom and egg/milk/cream/and a dash of nutmeg, along with a big handful of Gruyeye cheese.  Bake at 350* for 55 minutes and viola!-- breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner is served :)

(For the full recipe, get the cookbook!)

Cost: $14.25                   Cost Per Serving (8): $1.78

PLUS bread, salad... around $2.50 per plate
(The cost could be lower if you find cheap asparagus -- I could not.)

A Week of New Recipes -- Day 4: Roasted Caulifower Quiche with Garlicky Green Beans

White and green, with a hint of yellow/tan thrown in.  That was the color scheme of dinner for night four. 

I have never made a quiche before, but I have eaten plenty of them, and I knew that I was excited to try to make one.  My husband was also excited to have some "quich-ee" (as it is pronounced in Portuguese).  I just wasn't so sure about the cauliflower.  I am really not a cauliflower girl unless it is raw and dipped in Ranch... then all I taste is the Ranch, and that tastes good ;)  But, alas, it was on the menu for the night and I decided to give it a try.

The recipe was meatless, but I had no worries about getting our protein in: we had eggs, and plenty of them! (Eight to be exact.)  According to weightlossforall.com, "Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids in the exact proportions required by the body for optimum growth and maintenance of lean, metabolically active muscle tissue."  Yeah, a little tough to break down, I get it, but in essence: Eggs are healthy for you.  Eat your eggs.  (We definitely did!)

When we combined those eggs with cottage cheese, the roasted cauliflower, some garlic, and a little bit of cheese, we got this:

Oh, it smelled so good.  So good!  And doesn't it look beautiful?  The first thing I said was, "It's so easy!  Next time we have a potluck get-together somewhere I am bringing quiche!"

Well, maybe I will.  But I won't be bringing roasted cauliflower quiche.  It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was not great.  The smell was great, it looked great, but it tasted... OK.  Paulo gave it a 6.5 (he says it didn't have a lot of taste) and I gave it a 7.5 (the egg part was a good enough, but that darn cauliflower taste!  and yes, it was a little bland...).  So, not necessarily a repeater for us, but if you like cauliflower, GO for it.  You just might want to add a little more cheese to intensify the flavor.

But the green beans were pretty good.  I will make them like this again, for sure.  Time to go find a quiche recipe with five stars to put them next to!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
• 4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 5 cloves garlic, 3 thinly sliced and 2 finely chopped
• 1 cup (about 2 ounces) fresh coarse whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 8 eggs
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 pound green beans

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease a 9-inch pie plate. On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper and arrange in an even layer. Roast until tender and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper, and toast until golden, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to a plate. Wipe out the skillet and reserve.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the parsley and chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Spread half of the garlic breadcrumbs in the pie plate and top with the cauliflower. Pour on the egg mixture, gently shaking the plate to settle the mixture; sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Bake, rotating halfway through, until set and browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
4. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beans and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining garlic breadcrumbs.

(Recipe from rachaelray.com)

COST = $7.75        PER SERVING (4) = $2.00