Breakfast

Asparagus Quiche in a Spinach Crust

Posted on May 7, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

Farmer Kim brought some asparagus with the eggs yesterday, enough for me to make 2 asparagus dishes this week – yay!  So I grabbed a few today to chop up, steam and put in a quiche.

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Spinach crust?  Yes, the crust is simply spinach, flour and wheat germ and it is a great crust for quiches such as broccoli and, in this case, asparagus. The crust and my general approach to quiches is based on Mollie Katzen’s quiche formula in the Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook.

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We enjoyed our quiche with a salad made with the romaine from the garden.  Things are finally starting to grow, late, but the greens all look very healthy.

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Optional tasty additions could be 2 leeks, chopped fine and sauteed, or a non-vegetarian addition would be to cook a couple of slices of turkey bacon and add them in the layer with the asparagus.

Asparagus Quiche in a Spinach Crust

Crust:

1 – 2 Tbsp Oil – Olive or Canola

10 oz spinach, finely chopped

3/4 tsp Kosher salt

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup wheat germ

Quiche:

4 – 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 – 10 stalks asparagus (from Farmer Kim)

3 eggs (from Farmer Kim)

1 cup milk

Freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Oil a pie dish.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the spinach and salt and saute until the spinach is limp, just a minute or so.  Remove from heat.

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Add the flour and wheat germ and mix well. Press the mixture into the pie plate to form the crust.  Bake for 15 minutes.  You do not need to let the crust cool to assemble the quiche.

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Sprinkle the cheese over the bottom of the pie plate.  Layer the asparagus over the cheese.

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Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl.  Add pepper and salt to taste.  Pour over the quiche.

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Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

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The quiche can be served at any temperature.  Enjoy!

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Serves 6.

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Categories: Asparagus, Breakfast, Recipe, Spinach | Tags: | Leave a comment

Fried Sage Omelet

Posted on May 4, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

First, a garden update..things are starting to happen in the garden and it is making me very happy.  As you can see in my header, the romaine lettuce is looking beautiful, and I used the first head to make a Greek salad with dinner the other night.  The rhubarb is getting huge.  I am not sure when to harvest it, but am trying to hold off so I can use it with the strawberries.  A very cheerful sight in the garden are the strawberry blossoms.  We are a few weeks behind because of the cold spring, but here they are, aren’t they beautiful?

strawberries

The tomato plants are looking healthy as are 2 of the 3 cucumber plantings.  I am not sure what is going on with the third mound.  This weekend I will add a couple more tomatoes, eggplants and plant seed for okra and green beans.  I love my garden!

The sage in my herb garden is looking old and leggy, so I bought a new baby plant to replace it. It is still sitting in my kitchen window, I am getting too much pleasure looking at it each day.  But it will likely move to the garden this weekend as well.

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But, while it is so close by, I figured I would pick a few leaves to use in an omelet with Farmer Kim’s eggs.  A flavorful omelet with just a few ingredients, the only other things needed are gruyere cheese, some salt and pepper for seasoning, and canola oil and butter for cooking.

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Typically I try to make a large omelet to feed more than one person; that does not work well for having a pretty omelet.  So tonight I was patient and made each omelet individually and, voila!, they look like real omelets!  And they taste yummy!

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Fried Sage Omelet

from Food Network Magazine, with my notes

For each omelet:

1 Tbsp canola oil

8 to 10 small fresh sage leaves, to taste (from the garden – or window sill)

Kosher salt

3 large eggs (from Farmer Kim)

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (it would also be very good with an aged cheddar)

Directions

Fry the sage leaves:  Heat a small non-stick skillet over high heat and add the oil. Have a tray lined with paper towels and a slotted spoon ready.  When the oil begins to look thinner and spreads to the sides of the pan, turnoff the heat and add the sage leaves.  Stir them to caot with oil and cook, stirring, until the sage pales slightly in color and gets slightly crisp, 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.  Use the slotted spoon to transfer the leaves to the paper towels. Season immediately with salt and allow to cool. Reserve the skillet.

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Blend the eggs:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 tsp water and 1/4 tsp salt.Whisk only enough to integrate the eggs;you don’t want to whip too much air into them or make them frothy.

Cook the omelet: Return the skillet to medium heat.  Remove the excess oil and add the butter, swirling it as it melts so it coats the pan.  When the butter is melted, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the egg mixture.  Use a fork to stir the eggs slightly, as if you were about to make scrambled eggs. Then allow to cook, undisturbed, until they start setting in the middle.  Sprinkle the cheese and sage leaves over them.  Cook until the eggs look almost fully cooked and only slightly loose, 1 to 2 minutes. (For making additional omelets, you may not need to add more butter, I made two omelets easily with the 1 Tbsp butter).

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Serve the omelet:  Lift the handle of the pan, tilting the pan away from you and towards the heat.  The omelet should slide down the pan a little.  Using a spatula, fold the edge closest to you toward the center.  Fold the other edge in toward the center and invert the pan over the center of a plate so the omelet lands seam-side down.  Season with pepper.  Serve and enjoy!

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Makes 1 omelet

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Potato, Onion & Cheese Scrambled Omelet

Posted on April 14, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

OK, I admit it, I have been in egg mode.  It happens every now and then, I will not make eggs for breakfast for a while, then suddenly I will make eggs for dinner several times a week for a few weeks.  I am not sure why this happens, but, I just go with it.  And when you  get fresh, beautiful eggs like these, why not?

eggs

My brother Mitchell used to make a potato, onion and cheese scrambled omelet before scrambled omelets were “cool.”  It was delicious, and this is my version of it.

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You can use other types of potatoes for this, but I found some local baby red potatoes, so I decided to use them.  Dicing the potatoes small helps the dish to cook more quickly.  I also think the small size works will with the scrambled omelet.

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Potato, Onion & Cheese Scrambled Omelet

1 generous Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb red potatoes, diced (locally grown)

1/2 large onion, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 eggs (from Farmer Kim)

3 – 4 oz Gruyère cheese, diced

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil.  Add the potatoes and onions.  Cook, stirring frequently, until tender and browning, about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

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Beat the eggs and add the diced cheese.

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Add the eggs and cheese, let settle, then fold to scramble, let settle then fold again.  Continue folding and letting settle until the eggs are cooked and cheese melted, just a couple of minutes.

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Serve and enjoy!

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Serves 3.

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Chiles Rellenos Egg and Cheese Bake

Posted on April 8, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

It is time again to showcase Farmer Kim’s eggs…and what better way to do it than with an egg and cheese bake?  This recipe is adapted from a chiles rellenos quiche from Cooking Jewish by Judy Bart Kancigor.  I often make this during Passover, but it is good for a light dinner or brunch at any time of year.

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I like making this as a light dinner and then having the leftovers for breakfast the next day. I like mine even more when topped with salsa to add more heat to it.

chiles rellenos egg bake

Chiles Rellenos Egg and Cheese Bake

8 large eggs (from Farmer Kim)

16 oz cottage cheese, can be low fat or fat free

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

8 drops Tabasco or other hot sauce

8 oz shredded cheddar jack cheese

1 can diced green chiles, drained (either 4.5 or 7 oz, depending upon your preference)

2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray a 9″ x 13″ glass dish with cooking spray.

In a blender, combine eggs, cottage cheese, salt and Tabasco.

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Blend until smooth.

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In a large bowl, combine the shredded cheese, chiles and melted butter.

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Add the egg mixture and gently stir to combine.  Pour into the prepared baking dish.

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Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350F and bake until golden brown and the eggs have set through, about 20 – 25 minutes more.

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Cut into 8 squares.  Serve alone or with salsa.

chiles rellenos egg bake

Serves 8.

Categories: Breakfast, Kosher, Main Dish, Passover | Tags: | 4 Comments

Passover Granola and the Start of Marathon Training

Posted on March 26, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

Hands down, this granola is my family’s favorite thing I make for Passover.  Even though it makes 2 quarts, I usually have to make it at least twice to get us through the week.

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The original version of this recipe comes from a book my mother got back in the 80′s “Cooking Kosher Naturally” by Jane Kinderlehrer.  It is funny that my mother never really cared about natural cooking, but the book has become my favorite for granolas, breads and some healthy baked goodies.  Oh, it also has a great tuna lasagna recipe that I will share some other time.

As with most granolas, make this on a day you have some time.  It has to bake for over two hours, with you stirring every 15 minutes. But, trust me, it is worth it. You can’t go wrong with the ingredients – matzoh instead of oats, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, cinnamon and a touch of honey.

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Then to add even more yumminess, you add raisin and dates.

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Enjoy it alone as a snack and with yogurt or milk for breakfast.  Here I tossed in a few frozen blueberries, yum, yum and more yum!

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Marathon training begins

So now the planning is over and the work begins….

I had a stress test last week as one last precaution my doctor wanted.  It was funny, the cardiologist examined me, told me I looked great and asked why was I there? Then he read my family history and said, yes, let’s get a stress test just to be sure. But all checked out, we talked and laughed through the test; the doctor overseeing the test even commented on my great walking form – can I say ‘a great time was had by all?’

I am using Jeff Galloway’s Run Injury Free training plan, so it is a long one – about 30 weeks.  I have also had to calculate in the 2 weeks I will likely miss when I am in Turkey for a conference.  So today was the official start of my training.  The symbolic kick-off will be the Cherry Blossom 5K through the Brandywine Zoo on March 30.  I am still looking for a 10k nearby on April 27 or 28.

As I filled in my Saturday distances on my calendar, I have to say I started getting overwhelmed somewhere mid-summer.  I am glad  I have committed to run the half-marathon with my nephew in Chicago in July.  That gives me my interim goal.  I will re-evaluate how my training is going and my body is doing after that.

I was not nearly as intimidated when I started training for my Century bike ride…. but I was also less than half the age I am now  :)

Passover Granola

6 matzohs, broken into 1/2″ pieces (preferably whole wheat)

2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup cashew pieces

1/3 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup honey (local)

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Raisins and dates, in whatever quantity you like

Directions

I am large bowl, combine the matzoh with the rest of the dry ingredients, except the almonds and dried fruit.

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In a small bowl, combine the honey and oil.

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Mix the honey and oil into the dry ingredients.  Drizzle the water onto the mixture, a little at a time, mixing in until it is all absorbed.

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Heat the oven to 225F.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Spread half the mixture onto each cookie sheet.

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Bake for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Add the almonds and bake for another 15 minutes.  The mixture should be a toasty brown.

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Turn off the oven and let the granola cool in the oven.

Once the mixture is totally cool, mix in the dried fruit.

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Store in tightly covered containers. Enjoy!

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Makes about 2 quarts (depending upon how much of it you ate while “testing” it at different points of cooking.)

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Roasted Vegetable Scrambled Omelet (Jerusalem Artichokes, Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts)

Posted on February 21, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

I still have more of Farmer Kim’s Jerusalem artichokes, so it is time for another creation.  I roasted them with two of my favorite winter veggies – cauliflower and brussels sprouts, then bound them together with eggs and cheddar in a scrambled omelet – yum!

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Roasted Vegetable Scrambled Omelet

(note: the pieces of all three vegetables below should be about the same size after being prepped)

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

1 pint Brussels sprouts, cut in half

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, cut in 1″ chunks  (from Farmer Kim)

2 to 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

salt (I used black sea salt)

10 medium or 8 large eggs (from Farmer Kim)

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Put all the prepped vegetables in a large bowl.

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Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper to taste, mix well until the vegetables are coated with the oil, salt and pepper.  Place the vegetables in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (you will probably need 2).

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Cook for about 45 minutes, until well browned, stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

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Beat the eggs in a bowl.  Mix in the shredded cheese.

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In a large skillet, preferably cast iron, cook the eggs over medium heat until they just start to set on the bottom.  Add the vegetables and mix all together until the eggs are finished cooking.

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Serve immediately.  We like ours with a touch of hot sauce, in this case it was sriracha.  Enjoy!

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Serves 4.

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Nutella French Toast

Posted on February 13, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

Everyone in my family loves french toast, and what better way to start off Valentine’s Day than with in some chocolate…in the form of  Nutella French Toast.  A friend at the University of Pennsylvania had suggested this to me – make a nutella-challah sandwich and turn it into french toast…I could not resist!

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Yes, it is a stretch to call these “from the garden”, but aside from the nutella, they are quite local…. the eggs are from Farmer Kim and the challah was made at our local bakery – Frankfurt Bakery.

I used a half a loaf of challah, you can use a whole loaf and double the recipe.

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We used a variety of toppings, sprinkled with powdered sugar, topped with sliced banana and maple syrup, and my favorite – with my home-made strawberry sauce (which was a strawberry jam that did not set up but has instead become my go-to breakfast topping).

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Nutella French Toast

1/2 loaf challah bread, sliced

Nutella

3 eggs (from Farmer Kim)

1/3 to 1/2 cup milk

cinnamon

butter for the pan

powdered sugar, maple syrup, bananas, other toppings

Directions

If the challah is large, slice the slices in half.

Spread the nutella on 1 slice of challah, place a similarly sized slice on top.

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Continue making the sandwiches until all the bread is used up.

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In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.

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Heat a griddle over medium to medium-high heat.  Spread with butter once it is hot.

Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture and place on the griddle.

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Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.  Cook until the bottom is brown and the bottom slice cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes depending upon the heat.  Flip, re-coating the griddle with butter before placing the sandwich down.  Cook till the bottom is browned and the sandwich fully cooked through, again 2 to 5 minutes.

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Serve with your choice of toppings.  Enjoy!

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Serves 4

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Honey-Lemon Scones

Posted on January 29, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

Honey and lemon – a nice, subtle combination, very tempting for scones.  I tried a new scone-cooking technique…cooking them in a cast iron skillet.  It saved a little effort by not having to roll the dough, but other than that, I think the two approaches (baking sheet and skillet) are about the same.

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We topped these two ways, drizzling honey (which is what was called for in the original recipe) and a lemon icing that I added.  They honey was good, but most people preferred the lemon icing.  With the icing and the pecans, they taste like a scone version of a pecan sandie.

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Although there is nothing from my garden in this, I used local honey and the egg is from Farmer Kim.  My daughter, Arielle, is doing work out at Farmer Kim’s farm, so now, I guess it is all in the family :)

farmerkim

Farmer Kim

 

Honey-Lemon Scones

(adapted from Natural Home and Garden magazine)

2 cups unbleached flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 cup cold butter, cut in small pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 egg, beaten (from Farmer Kim)

1/4 cup honey (local)

1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Honey for topping

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 Tbsp vanilla almond milk

1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F

In a large bowl, mix together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Cut in the butter until the mixture is a coarse pebble texture.  Stir in pecans.

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In a small bowl, whisk together egg, honey, yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla.

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Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour the liquid into the well.

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Mix together to form a soft dough.

Oil a 12 inch cast iron skillet.  WIth floured hands, press the dough into the skillet.  Score the top into 8 wedges.

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Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

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While the scone is cooking, make the icing – whisk together powdered sugar, almond milk and lemon juice.  If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar.  Set aside until the scones are cool.

Either serve warm with drizzled honey, or let cool and serve with lemon icing.  Enjoy!

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Makes 8 scones.

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Raisin-Peanut-Dark Chocolate Granola and Cranberry-Macadamia Nut-White Chocolate Granola

Posted on January 12, 2013 by andreasgardencooking

These sound decadent, and they are, but they are also healthy, with lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals in them.  I couldn’t decide what granola to make, so I raided the pantry and came up with these combos.  What goes better with macadamia nuts than white chocolate?  And dried cranberries and white chocolate are another great combo, so I put all three together.  For the other half of the batch it was GORP – good old raisins and peanuts – but with some dark chocolate thrown in, just ’cause I like it.

This fall, I was making granola for my husband.  He was so happy that I was making more granola for him, that he washed my car!  I should make granola more regularly!

I started with my normal batch amount and then split the oatmeal base in half to add the different nuts before putting them in the oven.  In case you want to make one or the other, I will write the recipes as if the batches were fully separate.

Raisin – Peanut – Dark Chocolate Granola

3 cups uncooked rolled oats

1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (raw)

1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds (raw)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup peanuts (preferably raw)

1/2 cup oat bran

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey (local)

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 250F.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, peanuts, and oat bran.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, honey and water.

Pour over the oat mixture and mix in.

Spread out on 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake until toasted, about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Stir in the raisins.  Let cool.

Stir in the dark chocolate chips.

Store in tightly lidded containers in the refrigerator or freezer.  Enjoy!

Makes about 2 quarts.

Cranberry – Macadamia Nut – White Chocolate Granola

3 cups uncooked rolled oats

1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (raw)

1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds (raw)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

1/2 cup oat bran

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey (local)

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 250F.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, macadamia nuts, and oat bran.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, honey and water.

Pour over the oat mixture and mix in.

Spread out on 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake until toasted, about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Stir in the cranberries.  Let cool.

Stir in the white chocolate chips.

Store in tightly lidded containers in the refrigerator or freezer.  Enjoy!

Makes about 2 quarts.

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Cranberry White Chocolate Agave Scones

Posted on December 31, 2012 by andreasgardencooking

Scones for breakfast is probably one of my favorite things (food-wise). One of the problems I usually find with baking in the morning is that I wake up really hungry and the time it usually takes to prepare and bake is a real turn off for me.  The beauty of these scones was that it was 1/2 hour from start to eating – that was fast enough even for me!

These red and white scones are  festive enough for New Years morning (or any other day).  These scones tasted especially good spread with blueberry lime butter.

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It is my first experiment with using agave nectar for baking, I am pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out.

Cranberry White Chocolate Agave Scones

3 1/2 cup unbleached flour

5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

10 Tbsp cold butter, cut up

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 egg (from Farmer Kim)

1/2 cup light agave nectar

1 cup milk (local)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the chips and cranberries.

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In a smaller bowl, mix together the egg, agave nectar and milk.

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Stir the wet mixture into the dry until just moistened.  Do not over-mix.

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Roll out the dough into a 1/2 inch thick circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.

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Transfer to a baking sheet.  Cook for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

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Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

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Makes 8 large scones.

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