Light as Air

Julia Child said it best: "The souffle is the egg at its most magnificent. How glorious it is when borne to the table, its head rising dramatically out of its dish, and swaying voluptuously as it is set down." Wow!

If the very suggestion of making a souffle makes you shudder, I would ask that you reconsider and try it sometime. I've made a few and seriously think they are not difficult.

I once intended to make a spinach and cheese souffle only to find that my spinach was beyond its expiration date. Scrambling through the rest of my veggie bins, I discovered zucchini I had purchased at the farmer's market so I used it instead, grating it so it would require no pre-cooking. It worked out just fine and was so delicious. It was actually easier, I think. With spinach, you have to make sure to REALLY squeeze out all the water from it so you don't end up with a soggy soufflé. You don't have that same problem with zucchini. But, should you wish to use to spinach instead, just substitute "spinach" in the recipe below where it lists "zucchini".

My souffle dish is small because I usually only feed 2 people, and the recipe I use is for a slightly larger dish, but instead of adjusting the recipe down for a small quantity, I leave it as is and just put on a collar, allowing it to "puff up" well past the top of the dish. This photo shows what a collar should look like.

You can use foil but I find parchment or wax paper work well. I just wrap a long piece around the dish and tape it in place, making sure to butter the inside (melted butter smears so much easier), so that as the souffle rises, it won't stick to the collar and be ripped off later when the collar is removed. The collar should stick up out of the dish by about 3-4". Dust the paper after buttering it with a little grated Parmesan cheese. This helps it slide up the sides.

A souffle is a wonderful thing to make for lunch or for dinner. Serve it alongside a simple salad with vinaigrette dressing and you have a meal. I adapted Julia Child's recipe from her book Kitchen Wisdom.

 
Here, my final product. Let's hurry and eat - it's deflating!

Zucchini Souffle

For the vegetable:
1 Tbsp. minced shallots or green onion
1Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup grated fresh zucchini
1/4 tsp. salt
5 egg whites
a pinch of salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

For the soufflé sauce base:
1 tsp. butter
1 Tbsp. grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour (use rice flour or other light flour if you're avoiding gluten)
1 cup boiling milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
pinch of nutmeg
4 egg yolks

Directions:
Butter the soufflé mold and collar and sprinkle with Parmesan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure out your other ingredients.

Cook the shallots or onions for a moment in the butter. Add zucchini and salt, and stir over moderately high heat for several minutes to evaporate as much moisture as possible from the zucchini. Remove from heat.

Prepare the soufflé sauce base: Melt the butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour with a wooden spatula or spoon and cook over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together for two minutes without browning. Remove from heat; when mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in all the boiling milk at once. Beat vigorously with a wire whip until blended. Beat in the seasonings. Return to moderately high heat and boil, stirring with the wire whip, for one minute. Sauce will be very thick.

Remove from heat. Immediately start to separate the eggs. Drop the white into the egg white bowl, and the yolk into the center of the hot sauce. Beat the yolk into the sauce with the wire whip. Continue in the same manner with the rest of the eggs.

After the egg yolks have been beaten in, stir in the zucchini. Correct seasoning.

Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff. Stir one fourth of them into the sauce. Stir in all but a tablespoon of the cheese. Fold in the rest of the egg whites and turn mixture into prepared mold. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and set on a rack in the middle level of preheated oven. Turn heat down to 375 degrees and bake for 2S to 30 minutes.

VARIATIONS:

Ham
1/3 cup finely minced cooked ham
Cook the ham with the butter and shallots for a moment before adding the veg.

Mushrooms
¼ lb. finely minced mushrooms
1 Tb butter
Salt and pepper
A handful at a time, twist the mushrooms in the corner of a towel to extract their juice. Sauté in the butter for 5 minutes or so until the mushroom pieces begin to separate from one another. Season to taste. Stir them into the soufflé mixture with the spinach.

Other vegetable soufflés
These are all done in exactly the same manner as the zucchini soufflé. Use ¾ cup of cooked vegetables, finely diced or puréed, such as mushrooms, broccoli, artichoke hearts, or asparagus tips.

Real women eat quiche

Comfort food. Everyone has their favorite. That meal that takes you back to your childhood, that eases away the tensions of the day, that soothes the soul. What comes to mind for you? Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, perhaps? A hearty stew? Fried chicken? Mac n'cheese?

For me, it usually means something eggy and cheesy, so I like quiche - a rich and creamy concoction of milk, cheese and eggs and whatever vegetable happens to be around. 

Although quiche is now a classic dish of French cuisine, it actually originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, when it was under German rule, and which the French later renamed Lorraine. The word 'quiche' is from the German 'Kuchen', meaning cake.

The original Quiche Lorraine was an open pie with a filling consisting of eggs and cream with smoked bacon. It was only later that cheese was added to it. Add onions and you have quiche Alsacienne. (In Germany, there is a wonderful dish called Zwiebelkuchen or "onion cake", that I adore). Though the bottom crust was originally made from bread dough, it has long since evolved into a short-crust or puff pastry crust. Though fillings vary, they are all variations on the same theme: a fantastically flaky buttery crust holding in place a custard of eggs and cheese. Comfort food at its finest.

Swiss Chard and Bacon Quiche

1 Quiche crust (see below)

2 shallots, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 oz. bacon, cut into lardons

1 1/2 lbs. Swiss chard, ribs removed

3 eggs

1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream and sour cream combined

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4  oz. Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated
 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Fry the bacon. Remove from pan. Saute shallots in bacon fat (or remove bacon fat and add a little olive oil or butter) until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove to the plate with the bacon. Divide the chard leaves from the ribs: chop the ribs quite small and shred the leaves. First, fry the ribs in the bacon fat until tender. Then, add the chard leaves to the pan, cover and wilt, about 4-5 minutes.

Beat the eggs together with the creme fraiche and season with salt and pepper.

Combine the shallots, bacon, chard stems and leaves. Fill the quiche crust with this mixture, then sprinkle with the grated cheese, and pour over the custard (egg and cream). Bake for 50-60 minutes until quiche is set and browned. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Crust:

In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 tsp. salt. Add 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) plus 2 Tbsp. butter, cut into chunks; mix to coat with flour. With your fingers or pastry blender, rub or cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs. Add 1 egg and stir with a fork until dough holds together. Shape dough into a ball. On a floured board, roll out dough and fit into a 10-inch quiche pan or pie pan. Make dough flush with top rim, folding excess dough down against pastry-lined side and pressing firmly in place. Flute edge decoratively. If made ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using. Makes enough for 1 quiche.

Excellent served with a side salad and a glass of white wine. 

Flavor Profile - Mustard

I love mustard!

Everybody seems to have a favorite condiment they can’t live without. For some it’s ketchup, others mayo, yet others relish.  For me, it’s mustard.

What makes mustard more interesting, IMHO (in my humble opinion), than say, mayo or ketchup, is that there are so many versions of it. I mean, let’s face it: mayo is mayo, and ketchup is ketchup, but MUSTARD, my God, there are so many kinds! French’s basic yellow, Dijon, whole grain, Bavarian, and spicy brown, just to name a few. I once had an apple ginger mustard. It was fantastic.

Mustard seeds

Mustard isn’t just a condiment. It’s a great way to add flavor to food. Pork chops, pork tenderloin, salmon, chicken, beef, hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, cabbage slaw, potato salad, and as a hard-boiled egg filling.

Last Sunday, we had a picnic lunch at a local park. I made sautéed chicken breasts with whole grain mustard. Simple, yet packed with flavor. Had I served it hot at home, I would have likely added a little white wine and cream to the pan to make a delicious mustard cream sauce. But it was great cold the way it was.

Whole grain mustard

Naturally you can buy regular or gourmet mustards ready-made. But you can also buy a basic mustard and experiment with adding additional ingredients at home. Here are some ideas.

For a hot mustard, stir 3-4 finely chopped chipotle or jalapeno peppers into ¼ cup Dijon, yellow or honey mustard. Use roasted red peppers for a milder version. Serve on a burger with avocado.

Add finely chopped fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, parsley, cilantro, or basil, or a combination of any or all of them) to Dijon mustard. Especially good on chicken, fish, or pork.

Mix equal parts finely chopped walnuts, pecans or peanuts into Dijon. Could be good on chicken.

Mash cranberry sauce or cherry chutney into Dijon (puree in a food processor for a smoother texture). Try on a turkey or roast beef sandwich.

Other additions to mustard could be roasted garlic, horseradish, honey or rosemary.

And don't forget to add a tsp. of Dijon to your homemade salad dressings. Mustard is a great emulsifier, binding your dressing together so it doesn't separate so readily. Added to a good quality vinegar and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), it helps to make your vinaigrette fantastic.

Here’s a recipe I want to try. I’m actually going to make deviled eggs with it, so I’ll add a little mayo. As listed, I would smear it on chicken before grilling it.

Lemon curry mustard

Into 8 oz. of spicy brown mustard, add ½  tsp. lemon pepper, 1 tsp. curry powder and ¼ tsp. grated lemon peel.

Budget meals

It's the last week of holiday shopping, and you're likely pretty busy right about now, so there's not a lot of time, or money, left over for fancy dinners. Or so you think...................

You're not really THAT busy to skip cooking, are you? Think about it: in the time it takes to choose a place to eat, wait to be seated, get menus and make a selection, wait for the food, eat the food and pay the check, you've long since put your dishes in the dishwasher at home. And not to mention the cost of eating out: wow! Wouldn't you rather spend that money on a gift for yourself?!

Here are a few ideas for dinner that take very little of both time and money. They are also a lot healthier than what you'd eat out and we all could use a little more healthy food during the holiday season!

Both recipes feature eggs as the main focus. Not just for breakfast, they also make great, inexpensive dinners. The first recipe combines the techniques of a souffle and an omelet for a lovely puffed up wrap for spinach and cheese.

Souffled Spinach Omelet

1 pound spinach, washed and stemmed
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese or Gruyere

Wash the spinach and cut off the stems. Spin the excess water out. Drop the spinach into a large pot on the stove to wilt, about 3 minutes. (There will be enough water still clinging to the leaves to steam it.) When the spinach is cooked, drain, and plunge it into an ice-bath to seize the color. Remove the spinach and squeeze dry in a tea towel. Chop the spinach.

Heat half the butter in a frying pan, and gently saute the shallot. Add the spinach, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. When hot, turn off the heat, and set aside.

Put the yolks in a metal bowl and set over a pot of gently simmering water (make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.) Season the eggs with salt, and pepper, and whisk until thick and frothy. Remove the bowl from the heat. In a separate bowl, beat the whites to stiff peaks, and fold into the yolk mixture.

Heat the remaining butter in a large non-stick frying pan for the omelet.

Pour the egg into the pan and cook until the bottom is set, and golden, and the top is still fluffy and soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scatter the spinach mixture all over the omelet, then the cheese. Cover the pan for a few minutes to soften the cheese. Uncover, and fold the omelet in half, and slide it onto a plate. Serve immediately. Serves 2-3.

Recipe courtesy of Laura Calder's cooking show on the Cooking Channel, French Food at Home.

 

Next up, crepes. Another very inexpensive way to dress up savory fillings like vegetables and lean protein. Crepes can also be filled with sweet fillings, such as fruit, and served as dessert.

French Pancakes (Crepes)

3 eggs

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

In a blender or food processor, blend eggs and flour. Gradually add milk, mixing until smooth. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. This helps create a more tender crepe. In a flat-bottomed fry pan over medium heat, melt 1/4 tsp. butter and swirl to coat. Pour in about 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the batter, tilting pan so that batter flows quickly over the entire flat surface. If heat is correct and pan hot enough, the crepe sets at once and forms tiny bubbles. Cook until edge of crepe is lightly browned and surface feels dry. To turn, run a side spatula around the edge to loosen. Lay spatula on top of crepe and very quickly invert pan, flipping crepe out onto spatula. Then lay the crepe, uncooked side down, back into the pan and cook until lightly browned. Turn crepe out of pan onto a plate. Repeat with each crepe, stirring batter occasionally and stacking crepes. Use within a few hours or let cool and package tightly, and refrigerate up to one week. Freeze for longer storage. Bring crepes to room temperature before separating else they tear if cold. To reheat, stack crepes and seal in foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 min. Makes about 16 crepes.

Spinach and Onion Crepes

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 large onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 pounds spinach (bagged and washed would be easiest)
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp. each salt and lemon juice

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded swiss cheese

12-16 crepes at room temperature

In a 5-6 qt. sauce pan over medium high heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft (about 20 minutes).

Add spinach to the onions, cover and cook until limp. Stir in cream, salt and lemon juice. Cook over high heat, stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated. Spoon filling and cheese equally down center of each crepe, roll to enclose. Place desired number of crepes in a single layer in a shallow casserole dish. Cover and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  Remove cover from crepes and bake 5 minutes more or until ends are crisp. Serve with sauteed mushrooms, accompany with sour cream.

Sauteed Mushrooms: in a wide frying pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter, then add 1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are slightly brown. Sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley. Spoon over crepes.

Apple Oven Cake

On weekends, I really enjoy making breakfast. I put on the coffee and start whipping something up. My latest things are muffins (I've begun experimenting with all sorts of versions) and this, an Apple Oven Cake. I made it this morning and thought I'd share it with you. It's really tasty and is especially nice in the fall when apples are "in", but since apples are always "in" around here, you could really make it year-round.

It's super easy and quick, and delicious! I think you'll get hooked on it, too.

Apple Oven Cake

3 Tbsp. butter

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1 sweet apple, such as Fuji, peeled and sliced

3 large eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup each flour and milk

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425. Melt butter in a 12 inch ovenproof frying pan over high heat (pictured in the recipe was a cast iron skillet, so if you have one of those, you may want to use it). Add brown sugar and cinnamon, swirling to combine. Add apple and cook until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, whirl together eggs, salt, flour and milk. Pour egg mixture into pan (over the apples and brown sugar) and bake until puffed and brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve right from the pan.

Says: "Serves 6" (um! more like 3). Each serving has 189 calories, 5g protein, 9g fat, 23g carb, 203mg sodium, and 124mg chol.

Recipe courtesy of Sunset Magazine, Oct 2009.

Souffle Recipe

Sorry for the confusion. I'm learning Blogger as I go. I thought I could post to a new page called Recipes but it looks like I cannot. Here is the recipe I used for the souffle the other night:

Savory Cheese Souffle

For a 4-6 cup souffle mold, serves 4

1-1 1/2 Tbsp soft butter for the souffle dish and the collar
2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese for the souffle dish
2 1/2 Tbsp butter for the souffle
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup hot milk
1/4 tsp paprika
a speck of nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 grinds of white pepper
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1 cup (3 1/2 oz.) coarsely grated Swiss cheese

Prepare the souffle dish by buttering it and dusting it with Parmesan cheese. Make sure to include the collar. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and slide rack into lower third of the oven.

The sauce base:
Cook the butter and flour together in a saucepan until foamy - about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the hot milk.  Simmer and stir slowly for a minute or two to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk in seasonings, then one by one, the egg yolks.

Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Whisk a quarter of them into the sauce to lighten it, then delicately fold in the remaining whites, alternating with sprinkles of Swiss cheese.

Turn the mixture into the souffle dish and set in oven. Reduce heat to 375 and bake 25-30 min. until souffle has puffed up several inches into the collar and has browned nicely on top. The souffle should not jiggle as this means it is likely still raw in the middle. Remove collar and serve at once!

To make a vegetable souffle:
After making the sauce base, fold in 1/4 to 1/3 cup of well-seasoned cooked chopped spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, or broccoli, or like I did, raw grated zucchini. Complete the souffle as directed but use only 1/3 cup Swiss cheese.