With the arrival of the holidays comes the need for attractive meals which can be put together quickly; frequently for unexpected visitors. Julia Child has recently made a case for the return of the quiche, and rightfully so. Quiche fell out of favor a number of years ago for several reasons. As Ms. Child points out, "Quiche was everywhere, and cheap careless versions eventually ruined the appeal. The passion and the fashion dissipated." To that was added the ban on eggs as a primary cause of high cholesterol. As with many food-related studies over the years (the margarine/butter controversy for one), these findings have been reversed to some extent and eggs have returned to the list of things we can enjoy; "in moderation", as the "experts" always say. With that blessing, we decided to include a traditional quiche recipe, as well as a broccoli and tomato tart. Although local tomatoes are gone now, the tart recipe works well with the Roma tomatoes currently available in local grocery stores. Another fast meal that makes a wonderful presentation is the chicken in parchment paper. A solid-fleshed fish can be substituted for the chicken with a slight reduction in the cooking time.
We have not included a pie crust recipe since many people prefer to use frozen pastry shells. If you plan to make your own crust, Ms. Child recommends the following formula:
2 1/2 sticks butter,
4 TBS shortening,
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour,
2 tsp salt and 2/3 to 1 cup ice water.
This mixture will make enough dough for two-three 9" quiches or the 11" x 7" tart with leftover dough which can be frozen, uncooked.
Ingredients:
Wash asparagus and snap off fibrous ends. Cut, on the diagonal, into 1/2" long pieces. Steam in boiling water for 2 minutes and immediately rinse with cold water. Place asparagus pieces on paper towels to drain.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pie shell (either frozen or freshly made) in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven to cool and reduce heat to 375 degrees.
Cut bacon into small pieces and saute over medium heat until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle bottom of cooled pie shell with bacon and Swiss cheese. Lay asparagus on cheese in a single layer. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, cream and seasonings together until combined. Pour mixture over asparagus. Bake 40 minutes (375 degrees) or until a knife inserted in quiche comes out clean. 6 servings.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare crust as previously described. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out to a 15 x 11 rectangle. Fit the dough into an 11 x 7 baking dish. Turn edges under and crimp to sides of dish. Pre-bake crust for 10 minutes, remove from oven and lower heat to 375 degrees.
In large skillet with lid, combine broccoli, onion, butter and water over medium heat. Cover and simmer just until tender (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat.
In medium mixing bowl, whisk together cream and eggs until combined. Stir in Swiss cheese and seasonings. Add cooled broccoli mixture. In a small bowl, combine grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
To assemble tart, sprinkle 1/3 cup of bread crumb mixture on bottom of crust. Dip tomato slices in remaining bread crumb mixture and arrange half in a layer on crust. Pour broccoli mixture over the tomatoes. Arrange remaining tomatoes on top and sprinkle with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees for 60 minutes or until top is puffy and a knife inserted in the tart comes out clean. 8 servings.
Ingredients:
Place chicken pieces between sheets of waxed paper and flatten slightly. Dip chicken pieces in milk, then coat with bread crumbs. Combine sliced peppers, onion, mushrooms and Marsala in mixing bowl. Toss to coat with wine. In large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute chicken breasts for 2 minutes on each side.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay out 4 sheets of parchment paper (18 x 15") and fold each in half. Evenly divide one half of the pepper mixture among the four pieces of paper. Place chicken breast on top of mixture. Evenly divide remaining pepper mixture over chicken breasts. Add 3 lemon slices to the top of each chicken breast. Fold sides of parchment into 1/4" fan-fold, then seal the top in 1/2" folds so that the packet is slightly larger than its contents. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. 4 servings.
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