Quiche Maraîchère

One of the most incredible sights is the farmer's market at the end of August. The stalls are bustling with people and overflowing with abundant produce. Even in light of the dry and parched fields which surround us, the bounty is no less sweet. It is at this time that I get excited about trying new things - new ingredients that don't regularly appear on my shopping list - and new recipes for my family. Last week, one of the farmers who has never steered me wrong had the most delicious looking Swiss chard I had ever seen. The greens were crisp and enormous and the red stalks were sharp and enticing. I snatched one up, added it to my bag, and was excited about where I would use it.

Until I got home. And had no idea what I was going to do with it. I have a few wonderful soup recipes with Swiss chard, ones that allow for stretching a few extra days out of wilting produce. But the temperature hit 84 degrees. I wasn't making soup. However, after flipping aimlessly through my binder, I came across this quiche recipe. Maraîchère, according to the recipe, translates to "produce" or "market garden." And it called for Swiss chard! Hurray! And what made it all the more exciting was that, since quiche does well at room temperature or briefly reheated in a warm oven, it could be made in advance and ready after a busy day of doctors appointments and A's book club, which is where I found myself last night. If you don't have Swiss chard, fear not. ANY green vegetable will do (spinach? sliced Brussels? Sauteed broccoli? GO FOR IT!) 


You need:

1 large leek, or 3 small, trimmed and sliced (only white and light green parts)*
1 tbsp. butter
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 c. shredded cheddar or Gruyere cheese
1 9-in pie shell **
salt

Preheat your oven to 350. Heat the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Saute the leeks with a pinch of salt until they begin to soften, about 3 min. Add the Swiss chard with another pinch of salt and continue to saute 5 more minutes, until the chard has wilted completely. Remove from heat and cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk and the cheese. Spoon the cooled vegetable mixture into the pie shell. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Place a thin cover of aluminum foil just around the edges of the pie crust (but NOT over the egg and vegetable mixture) - this will keep the crust from getting too brown during the cooking process. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a side salad and some crusty bread.


* A word on leeks - if you don't usually cook with leeks, you aren't aware of how truly dirty they are. Imagine the dirtiest, sandiest, grainiest lettuce you've ever purchased, and then add even more dirt and sand. I liken leeks to a toddler after a day at the beach. Just when you think you've gotten it clean, more sand shows up in the most unexpected places. As a result, take good care when cleaning them. Peel each layer and clean individually. It might not make for the prettiest (or most efficient) slicing, but it makes for clean food. We eat enough sand all summer long, do we not? 

** This recipe calls for an already cooked pie shell, but I find them a wasted purchase. They don't store or freeze well. I keep 8-10 packages of ready made pie crust in my freezer all the time. They thaw quickly and you can make so many dishes with pie crusts. However, if you're going to use a ready made pie crust (or be even more adventurous and make your crust from scratch), be sure to pre-bake your crust (350 for 15 minutes) before you add the filling for the quiche. 

Recipe inspired from Kiwi Magazine

Out of the Garden Pancakes

I'm having fun in the kitchen again, experimenting with new recipes for our little man, who turns one NEXT WEEK (I cannot believe this fact), and looking for interesting dinner and lunch ideas for all of us when I head back to work next month (I cannot even begin thinking about this fact). This recipe was a great way to use up some delicious fresh veggies we found at the market. However, you can experiment with any fresh vegetables (or even frozen) to make these pancakes. The kids gobbled them up, and they freeze easily to reheat under the broiler for a quick lunch or side dish! Here's the recipe as I made them (which deviated from the original a bit!).

You need:

1 c. broccoli
12 asparagus spears
1 c. brown mushrooms
1/2 of an onion
2 garlic cloves
1/4 c. coconut oil*
2/3 c. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. fresh dill
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 large egg
1/4 c. milk**
1 c. shredded cheese

Steam broccoli and asparagus for 4-5 minutes. When tender, place broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in food processor. Pulse on and off to chop (but not pulverize or puree!) Transfer into a large bowl. Stir in oil, flour, dill, salt, and pepper. Add the egg and milk and mix thoroughly. Heat a griddle to medium heat and drizzle with a little olive oil. Drop batter by 1/4 cups and cook until firm on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn with a spatula and sprinkle cooked side with cheddar cheese. Cook remaining side until golden, about 1 min.

Enjoy with a side of greek yogurt, sour cream, or applesauce!

*if you are using coconut oil, bring to a liquid state before adding to the mix. However, I do not use virgin coconut oil in this recipe, because it will taste like coconuts. I use the non-virgin. (Experienced coconut oil? HA!) You can also use any vegetable oil of your liking.

** If the baby is under a year old or allergic to milk, you can substitute rice milk for this recipe and it will turn out the same!


from The Petite Appetit Cookbook by Lisa Barnes

Play Dough

We've been traveling a lot lately, so I haven't been very creative in the kitchen. We've relied on many summer stand-by recipes, so there hasn't been much to post. However, I brought with me (on one of our travels) some homemade play dough for the kids to play with. My cousin was astonished that I had made play dough. When she found out just how easy it was (not to mention ridiculously cheaper than the store bought kind), she asked for the recipe right away. Not only does it stay soft as long as you keep it in a plastic ziploc bag, you can make it festive using food coloring and spices (or extracts) for different holidays or seasons. The basic recipe is as follows:

You need:

1 c. flour
1 c. water
1/2 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tbsp. cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients in a sauce pan. Add oil, water,  and food coloring/extract (if using). Cook about 3 minutes, or until the mixture pulls away from the sides. Remove from the pan and knead well. Store in a plastic ziploc bag.

Chicken-Cucumber Salad with Tarragon

It's hot out there. I mean HOT. And we simply could not have another cold plate night of meats, cheeses, and olives. I decided to put together a rogue chicken Caesar salad, which made me immediately crave cold chicken salad sandwiches. However, although I love D's Chicken Salad, I searched out a recipe for something crisper and lighter for lunches on these hot days. I stumbled upon this recipe in a very old cookbook set that I bought when we first got married. Rather than cooking according to the original recipe instructions, however, I used chicken breasts that I marinated overnight in a lemon-garlic marinade. I grilled up a few pounds of chicken breasts so I could slice some up for the Caesar salad and use the rest for this recipe. Although I'm posting this before making it up for a sandwich, I did sample the finished product, and it is incredible. So light and delicious! I'm going to see if anyone is selling croissants tomorrow at the farmers' market - a perfect bread for this salad!!

You need:

3/4 lb. marinated, grilled chicken breasts, cubed small
1/3 c. plain, whole milk yogurt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. rice wine or white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cubed small
1 red pepper, cubed small

Combine all ingredients. For best taste, let the salad sit overnight before enjoying!

Adapted from Tuesday is Chicken

Herb-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Lemony Asparagus

May was an incredibly busy month. And I'm not sure what even transpired over the course of the month, but I know it was busy. However, due to its frantic pace, I didn't spend much time tackling new recipes, but rather I made a lot of old standbys. We got a fantastic deal on a couple of beautiful pork tenderloins, and I wanted to introduce pork into C's's diet, so I was able to take on two new recipes at once. This dish was incredibly easy to prepare. I changed only a couple of things, but the main thing I altered from the original was the cook time. I'm a real stickler when it comes to fully cooked pork (one too many articles on trichinosis?), so I wanted to make sure that the internal temperature was just right. Other than that, this recipe was a winner. If you are thinking of making the accompanying Minced Pork and Pear recipe for a baby, cut off a 1/3 lb. piece off of the end of the tenderloin before you start this process. 

You need: 

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
 salt and  pepper
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed
 1 lemon, sliced

Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender and browned, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, rub the pork with the parsley, thyme, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. After the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large ovenproof heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Brown the pork until crispy on each side, about 10 minutes. Add the asparagus and lemon to the pan and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Transfer the pan  to oven and cook until the pork is cooked through (175 degrees), for about 20 additional minutes. Let the pork rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the potatoes, asparagus, and lemon.

Inspired from Real Simple Magazine

Baby's Minced Pork and Pear

C has become an increasingly more adventurous eater. And he loves meat dishes. I've wanted to try this with him for a while, so it worked out perfectly when we had a little pork tenderloin that we could steal from the end of our dinner preparation to make this for him. As a side note, if you're in a hurry or short on fresh pears, you can always mix a pouch of baby food (apples, pears, or apricots) into the pork puree for a similar consistency!

You need:

1/2 c. baby stock or low-sodium broth
1/3 lb. pork cutlets, tenderloin, or boneless chops (fat removed and cut into 1/2 in. cubes)
1/2 pear, peeled and chopped
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Add the pork and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until pork is cooked through and no longer pink. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the pear with the nutmeg. When the pork is finished cooking, remove with a slotted spoon (reserving the stock in the pan), and set aside. Add the pear to the stock in the pan, cover, and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Remove with slotted spoon (reserving the stock in the pan), and set aside. Transfer the pork to a food processor and process to a consistency your baby can handle. Add reserved cooking liquid if needed. Mash the pear. Mix the pear with the pork. Add additional cooking liquid to adjust for moistness, if needed.

Store in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to a month.

Inspired from Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes.

Chicken Fajita Feast

Yesterday was a painful day. Maybe it was because the roads were wet and uneven. Maybe it was because C's horrific teething pain has caused his nighttime sleep patterns to revert to those he had when he was a month old. Maybe it was a combination of the two. But I had a very painful fall on a run yesterday morning. I hit a rough patch of road, my ankle gave out, and, I do not kid you, I rolled over twice, breaking my fall with my elbows. I, as gracefully as one can when one face plants on the street in one's neighborhood, grabbed my fallen iPhone and hobbled back to the house (unaware that I had accidentally called - or should I say "clutz-dialed" - my father, who was listening to my entire theatrical arrival home as my husband patched me up, good as can be, and sent me off to bed with some tea).

Nevertheless, I spent the majority of the day in a great deal of pain - sore, bruised, and scraped up. When it came down to put something together for dinner, for our weekly Taco Tuesday fest, I had to find something that I could make very easily. Upon checking my e-mail mid-morning, I got a message from Jamie Oliver's food revolution that included a super easy chicken fajita recipe that was light and healthy as well, except that I upped the number of veggies used. We love peppers! I added to it my own easy salsa recipe and a version of a guacamole recipe I got once from Wegmans. And since so many of the ingredients overlap, I had very little waste. (Even C was able to munch on some diced avocado along with the rest of his dinner.) I was able to prepare everything in advance, while C took his afternoon nap and A worked on her homework, and the actual "cooking" part of the meal took about 20 minutes. To quote A, "Oh man mom, I LOVE fajitas. Oh yeah!"


For the fajitas:

You need:

2 boneless chicken breast fillets, about 4 oz. each, sliced into strips
2 sweet peppers, sliced into strips
1 large sweet onion, cut into slices
1/2 lime
 1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
flour tortillas
sour cream or plain yogurt
shredded cheddar cheese

For the salsa:

You need:

4 medium tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lime
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
salt, to taste

For the guacamole

You need:

4 ripe avocadoes, pitted and scooped of flesh
1/2 sweet onion, cut into rough chunks
1 medium tomato, seeded and cut into rough chunks
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime
salt, to taste


Start with your salsa and guacamole, which can be made in advance.  In the bowl of a food processor, place the flesh of the avocados, 1/2 of the sweet onion, roughly chopped, 1 medium tomato, seeded and roughly chopped, and 1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped. Add salt to taste and the juice of 1/2 a lime and process to a consistency you enjoy. Scoop into a small bowl and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. In a small bowl, place the salsa ingredients together along with the juice of a lime. Stir and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. About 20 minutes before cooking, mix together in a large bowl the sliced chicken, vegetables, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Let the mixture marinate. Heat a grill pan or large skillet to medium heat and cook the entire mixture. While the chicken mixture is cooking, warm the tortillas in the oven.

To serve, scoop the cooked chicken mixture into the tortillas. Top with guacamole, salsa, sour cream or plain yogurt, and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!