Real Men Do Eat Quiche

Long days often make putting dinner on the table in a timely manner difficult, if not impossible.  A family can only eat so many pasta with sauce and grilled sausage meals (this is our old standby when I don't have the energy to make anything else).  Fortunately, quiche is always at hit in my house.  If you have the ingredients on hand--and all you really need are the kitchen staples of milk, eggs, and cheese-- everything else can be improvised and dinner can be in the oven in a matter of minutes.  I throw in whatever vegetables and meats I have available; sometimes it is ham or bacon or no meats at all.  As with most things, everything tastes better with bacon so this tends to be my most common add-in which helps to keep household interest up.

Aside from the actually baking of the quiche, which is totally hands off, the most time consuming aspect of the meal is the crust.  Sometimes I make my own following the simple three ingredient recipe of flour, butter, and water.  Purists may cringe, but more often than not I use a pre-made refrigerated crust.  It makes the whole process so much easier and faster.  If the goal is to quickly put a balanced meal on the table this is the way to go.  Throw together a simple green salad while the quiche is baking and you'll be all set.

BACON AND TOMATO QUICHE

1 deep dish pie crust

8-10 slices bacon

1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese (or a cheese of your choosing)

2 medium ripe tomatoes

1 1/2 cups milk- low-fat or whole

5 eggs

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

pinch dried mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Paprika

1)  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2) Prepare the crust of your choice.  Roll out the crust to fit a 10 inch deep dish pie crust.

3)  Shred the cheese and spread over the bottom of the pie crust.  

4)  Dice the bacon into 1/4 inch pieces.  Place in a large saute pan and cook over medium heat until
      browned and crisp, approximately 10-12 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon transfer the cooked bacon
      to a paper towel covered plate and drain.  Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the top of the cheese.

5)  Slice the tomatoes and place over the top of the bacon, arranging in a manner that will facilitate the
      even slicing of the cooked quiche.

6)  Combine the milk, eggs, flour, dried mustard, thyme, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Using a
     stick blend blend the mixture until smooth and the flour is thoroughly incorporated into the liquids.
     Pour the custard over the top of the tomatoes.  Sprinkle with paprika.

7)  Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center of the
     quiche is clean.  Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Served with a green salad this makes a perfect light dinner.  The quiche is even better the next day served either cold or at room temperature.

Chili For A Chilly Day

Ready to eat

The seasons are changing here in Albania with our hot summer days turning into damp and rainy early winter ones.  This weather makes me want to hunker down and cook so during our most recent rainy weekend I cooked up a batch of chili.  This recipe is more of a method as I add ingredients as I have them on hand and omit those I don't readily have access to (a necessary flexibility here in Albania where ethnic ingredients are hard to come by).  Traditionalists would eschew my chili--light on the meats and heavy on vegetables it is neither a carnivore or vegetarian delight.  Preferring strong flavors, I am heavy handed on the spices but as with everything else in this recipe, they can be adjusted based on personal preferences.  Remember, you can always add more spice as you go along but it is impossible to remove it once it has been added to the pot!

EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK CHILI

Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot thinly sliced
4-5 fresh peppers- I used a mix of red and green
4 small jalapenos- again I used both red and green that had been given to me by a co-worker; adjust
                  quantity based on personal preferences
1 lb ground beef (can substitute ground pork, veal, lamb or a combination of meats)
1/2 lb veal cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can corn kernels (fresh corn is preferred if available)
2 cans beans- this time I used kidney beans
3 cans whole Roma tomatoes- roughly chopped
2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce- adjust based on preferences
3-4 Tbsp chili powder- I like Penzeys Spice Medium Hot Chili Powder- but adjust based on personal
          preferences

Raw ingredients

1)  Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a Dutch oven or other heavy duty pot and place over medium high heat.

2)  Add the onions, garlic, peppers, carrot, and jalapenos to the pot.  Season with the salt and pepper to
      taste and stirring frequently, cook for 8-10 minutes until soft.

Vegetables cooking

3)  Add the meats and cook until well browned being sure to break up any larger pieces as you go.

Meat has been added

4)  Add the can of drained corn, the drained and rinsed beans and tomatoes with their juice and mix to
      combine.

5)  Add the Tabasco sauce and the chili powder.  Stir, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low.
     Continue to cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and adjust the seasoning
     to meet your personal tastes.

Flavors melding

I let the chili cook on low all afternoon and it tastes even better when reheated the next day.  The longer the chili cooks the more the flavors will develop.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and sliced avocado if desired.