Roasted Red Pepper and Fennel Quiche with Goat Cheese

Well, it's about time.

I've had so many requests for more recipes, more blog posts, it seems I can no longer neglect this little corner of the world wide web. My posts won't be frequent and they won't be regular, but at least I can offer a little something every once and a while. :)

I concocted this recipe the other day when I was searching for a tasty quiche recipe for a breakfast date with a friend. It ended up making enough for two, so I sent one off with my husband for his weekly work Saturday brunch potluck. If you don't want two, it is easy to half the recipe.

And it's a wonderful meatless Lenten recipe, something I'm always searching for more of.

Enjoy. :)

Roasted Red Pepper and Fennel Quiche with Goat Cheese

2 pie crusts

2 large red peppers

1 head of Fennel, green part removed

1 large yellow onion

8 oz. goat cheese

A dozen eggs

1 c. milk

2 t. thyme (I used dried, but it would be great with fresh)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place your red peppers on a baking sheet, whole and entire. Roast for 30 minutes, turning about every 10 minutes. Keep them in the oven until their skins are completely blackened. Once black, remove from oven and immediately wrap in foil. Leave inside for at least 30 minutes. Once cool, remove stem and seeds, and carefully peel off skin. Cut into thin strips.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F.

Chop onion and fennel. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and fennel for about 10 minutes, until softened. Place in bottom of pie crust along with roasted red peppers, split evenly between two pies. Sprinkle 4 oz. of cheese in each crust. 

In a small bowl, crack 6 eggs. Whisk eggs. Mix in a 1/2 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Pour into pie crust on top of vegetables and cheese. Repeat with second crust.

Place in oven for one hour, or until inserted knife comes out clean. 

Allow to cool for at least a half hour. Delicious hot or cold! 

Baking Our 'Muffin'

It may seem that my baking has been slacking over the past few months, but I assure you, it has been anything but.

You see, I have a little 'bun in the oven' who has kept me from my regular routine in the kitchen. :-) A combination of morning sickness, fatigue, heightened smell (for better and for worse), and a lack of culinary creativity has led to far fewer hours in the kitchen, and even less time wanting to think or write about it. I apologize to those who have been anxiously awaiting my recipes and posts.

Our little 'muffin' is due in about 2 weeks. We can't wait to meet her!

I'm hoping sometime after Thanksgiving to get back into a regular baking and writing routine, but it may take as late as until after the beginning of the year. Many life changes as I jump into motherhood so no guarantees....but I'll keep you updated. :)

Coconut Snowflake Scones

I had my first official snow day last week. Well, I didn't have to stay home from school or work due to snow, but we stayed inside the whole day watching as the flurries fell so it seemed like one.

I don't live in a place where it snows, but the mountains are just a short one-and-a-half hour drive from our home. Although, their winter weather has been quite a disappointment this year. Many of the ski resorts gave up and went home for the winter already due to a lack of snowfall.

But Mother Nature pulled a fast one in the Sierras this past week and dumped nearly 6 feet of snow. People were racing up with their snowboards and skis to hit the slopes.

As I rarely see snowfall, I was excited and eager to head up to the mountains. We sat inside a warm, cozy cabin with a roaring fire, watching as the flakes crept slowly from the sky.

I made these scones. Straight from the oven to warm our insides, but white as the snow that fell outside.

The flurries got thicker, the wind got heavier. In the time it took me to bake these beauties, nearly a foot had fallen. The winter wonderland was nearly enveloping the entire cabin. As fun and romantic as getting snowed in might be, we were afraid of our lack of supplies and an unknown period of being locked in, so we packed our things quickly and headed back down the mountains munching our snowflake scones.

Coconut Snowflake Scones

2 c. flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. baking powder

6 T. salted butter, cut into small pieces

1 c. sweetened, shredded coconut
1 egg white

1/2 - 3/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix together flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in pieces of butter and blend with your fingers until butter is the size of peas. Add in coconut.

Stir egg white and milk together, pouring into prepared mixture a little a time. Amount of milk varies depending on altitude and weather. You want the dough to just come together. Combine with your hands into a round ball. Breaking off clumps, form into smaller balls (about 1 1/2 in. diameter) and press down onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 10.

Ides of March

 

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A little history lesson: The 15th, or Ides, of March was traditionally, in ancient times, reserved as a festival day in honor of the god, Mars. However, Shakespeare warns us 'Beware the Ides of March!' His soothsayer in his famous drama, 'Julius Caesar,' predicts to Julius Caesar that he will meet his demise that day. A plot was afoot lead by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus to do him.  Caesar joked to his soothsayer when the day arrived, that it was here and he, indeed, was still alive. But the soothsayer reminds him that although it is here, it is not yet gone. By the end of the day, in 44BC, he had been stabbed to death by an angry mob in the Forum. Didn't turn out so good for him after all.

Having just realized it is the Ides of March, I thought I would share with you some fun dinner suggestions to celebrate this momentous day! Here are a few suggestions for a Roman-inspired meal:

ROMAN style artichokes (Carciofi alla Romana) make a nice appetizer. Perhaps begin the meal with a CAESAR Salad, topped with ROMANO Cheese. A ROMAN Pork and Apple Stew is a wonderful ancient recipe sure to put you in touch with your Roman side. Roasted Figs and Grapes are true Roman favorites, alongside a bottle of ruby red, Mulsum Wine. And a magnificent Honey Cake will be the perfect ending to this Roman meal.

Ethnic Libations

Often times we get stuck in a rut, sticking with only what we know. But one of the greatest pleasures in life is the variety available to us. The ability to try new things, encounter new experiences, is part of the great adventure of life.

Steve and I really try to adhere to this call to adventure, especially when it comes to food. We'll often search out certain ethnic foods in our area that we've never tried before, to get a better sense of their flavors and culture.

from Paajaka Recipes

Our biggest adventures usually come in the form of a libation. I recently had my first taste of a mango lassi. Made with yogurt, milk, mango, sugar, and cardamom, it is the Indian form of a smoothie. They are sweet treats, perfectly complementary with Indian curry dishes.

Accompanying our Ethiopian cuisine one evening, we enjoyed a bottle of mead. Mead is a rather syrupy wine, a bit too sweet for my taste. Flavored with honey, it dominates, but will certainly satisfy those who like the flavor. The alcohol content in mead is often in the 18% range, so it is not for the faint of heart.

Greek gyros find a friend in Retsina wine. From the fine island of Greece, this white wine gives off a pine scent and flavor. A bit striking on first sip, one accustoms well to its woodsy demeanor. Also good with a bite of baklava.


Please share some of your fun drink finds in the comments!