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 Though the bottom crust was originally made from bread dough, it has long since evolved into a short-crust or puff pastry crust.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. 

Fear no Fish!

If you're intimidated by cooking fish at home, there really is no need. It's a relatively simple thing to do, and what's great is that it takes a short amount of time to prepare and to cook. Plus, the health benefits of eating fish makes it worthwhile incorporating it into your weekly meal plans.

We hear a lot about the "Mediterranean Diet" which focuses on fruits and vegetables, lean protein, especially fish, using olive oil for fat and drinking moderate amounts of wine, and many health professionals consider it to be the world's healthiest cuisine. Eating this way can do a lot to prevent disease. Fish is an important component of the cuisine, providing lean protein and the ever-important EFAs (essential fatty acids) that our bodies need to thrive.

When fish is fresh it should smell like salty sea air. It is best eaten the same day it was purchased (or at least within 2 days). After that it loses its freshness and the smelly fishiness starts to set in. Don't push it - fish is not very forgiving. We want flavor, but we don't want THAT kind of flavor.

If you're new to fish or are afraid of the fishiness factor, marinate it. I like making a little "sauce" of olive oil and fresh lemon juice, a little salt and pepper and setting the fish in it for a few hours. You can get fancy and add some fresh or dried herbs to it as well, but that's up to you. Put the marinade and the fish in a heavy ziplock bag and pop it in the fridge in the morning to eat that night. Just make sure to throw away the marinade and not reuse it.

What type of fish to buy? I like the white fish varieties. I am not a gamey meat kinda gal, so the whiter anything is, like chicken and turkey, the better I like it. Go to the fish counter at your supermarket, or better yet, to a fish purveyor or specialty market where they get fresh fish in daily, and ask him/her for a recommendation on what's freshest and the least fishy. Start there. You can always experiment later. Personally, I like halibut, John Dory (an Australian seabass), sand dabs, tilapia, and sole.

Where does your fish come from? Whatever you end up buying, try to avoid farmed fish whenever possible. The potential health hazards in eating farmed fish are being documented more and more. Farmed fish are given antibiotics to keep diseases in check because these fish are confined to living in pools where disease is rampant instead of out in the wild. They are also usually fed an unnatural diet, which passes along into the meat which we later consume (this is actually the case with beef, chicken and every other kind of meat as well, so sourcing your fish, meat and poultry is very important). Check out this website for more information on what types of seafood are best eaten in your region, in terms of sustainability, toxic load, and what should be avoided due to overfishing. The Monterey Bay Aquarium updates their Pocket Guide regularly so you can download it and carry it with you when you shop or go out to eat.

How to cook it? For smaller, thinner fish such as sole or sand dabs, pan sauteeing is best, and for thicker, denser fleshed fish such as swordfish or salmon, grilling is nice. Poaching is another simple way to make fish and you can do that with just about any of them, from the delicate ones to the sturdier ones. Here are two of my favorite fish recipes.

Pecan-crusted Fish with Beurre Blanc

Nuts with fish are a great combination and a nutritional powerhouse of essential fatty acids. Serves 2.

2 fillets of any type of white fish I listed above, about 4-5 oz. per person
salt and pepper
2 oz. finely chopped pecans
1 Tbsp each olive oil and butter
Beurre Blanc (recipe follows)

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Place the chopped nuts on a cutting board or plate and press the fish into the nuts so that they adhere to one side of the fish. Heat the butter and oil in a wide saute pan until very hot. Place the fish fillets in the pan nut side down, turn down the heat to medium and cook for about 4 minutes per side. Turn over and cook the other side. Transfer to warm plates and drizzle with Beurre Blanc or serve the sauce in ramekins alongside the fish if you prefer.

Beurre Blanc

1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar, such as champagne
1/4 lb. cold butter

Combine shallots, wine and lemon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce until the liquid is nearly gone. Don't let it get too brown, but a little darkening is good for flavor. Cut butter into chunks. Remove pan from heat and let it cool slightly. Remove half of the reduction and save to make another batch. Add a piece or two of butter to the pan and stir steadily with a spoon or whisk until it melts. Return the pan to very gentle heat, adding a little more butter, continuously adding more butter until all of it is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Keep the sauce warm by either leaving it in the pan if using immediately, or transfer to an insulated container for longer keeping.
Variation: add a Tbsp of chopped herbs such as dill, fennel, tarragon, chives or chervil to the finished sauce.

Salmon with Balsamic Onion Marmalade

The acidity of the vinegar and orange juice nicely compliments the richness of the salmon for a nice balance of flavors. Serves 2.

1 red onion
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (can be an inexpensive variety)
2 salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)
salt and pepper

Peel onion and cut into 8 wedges. Pour 1 tsp. oil into a 2-3 qt. pan over medium-high heat. When pan in hot, add onion and cook, turning once, to lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Add orange juice and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until onion is very tender when pierced, about 45 minutes. Shortly before onion is done, pour remaining oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add salmon. Cook, turning once, until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in the thickest part, 7-9 minutes total. Transfer salmon to plates and serve with the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside an asparagus risotto.

Roasted Squash and Quinoa

Butternut squash

Yeah - Fall is here! My favorite time of year.

The weather has cooled off, the light changes and casts a warmer glow in the late afternoons, the trees are dropping their leaves and new ingredients come into season.

Warm, comforting foods like baked apples, pumpkin bread, fruit pies and hearty soups and stews fill the kitchen with their wonderful aromas.

It's also the best time of year to eat squashes. They are especially good roasted and last year I created this dish, roasted squashes over quinoa, a fantastic, high protein grain.

Roasted Squash over Quinoa

Two kinds of squash: I like butternut and kabocha
Sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Garlic cloves
Freshly chopped rosemary
Red onions
Oil and butter
Balsamic vinegar
Quinoa
Vegetable broth

Cut squashes and sweet potatoes into a large dice and place into a bowl. Sprinkle on some olive oil, salt, pepper, a few chopped garlic cloves and fresh chopped rosemary. Line a cookie sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and lay the squash on it in one even layer, roasting it for about an hour at 375F degrees. Turn the squash once or twice during that time so that it browns on two sides.

While that's roasting, sauté a large red onion in a small amount of oil and butter. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add a Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking until the vinegar is reduced and syrupy (about 30 minutes). 

Quinoa

Cook the quinoa according to package directions, using vegetable broth instead of water. When it's done, serve the roasted vegetables over the quinoa.

They are excellent together. The nuttiness of the quinoa goes perfectly with the roasted vegetables, rosemary, and onions with balsamic.

Just perfect for Fall.