Cream Puffs

Cream puffs are an incredibly easy dessert to make and they always turn out fantastic.  The puffs can be made in advance, and for the filling you can either make something fancy, or go the easy route and just use pudding (for that extra special touch, top them with whipped cream and chocolate syrup).

The trick is to mix the dough a lot.  The extra beating is what makes the puffs nice and airy.

Cream Puffs

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring butter, water, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Remove from heat.  Add flour and mix well until a ball of dough forms.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition.

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto nonstick baking sheets.  Bake 45 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and with a small sharp knife, make a small slit (1/2 inch) in the side of each puff.  Back 10 to 15 minutes longer.  Let cool.

Carefully split each puff and fill them with preferred filling.

Pudding cream filling:

Combine 2 boxes of instant pudding mix with 3 cups milk and 3/4 cup whipping cream, until smooth and will blended.  Chill.

Quiche - A beginner's guide

I approach quiche ingredients like pizza toppings - there are tons of ways to mix and match them and almost all of them taste great.  There are some standard quiche recipes, like Quiche Florentine and Quiche Lorraine, but I prefer to throw just about anything in.  It's a great way to use up old ingredients - even leftovers!  Veggies, meat, and (my favorite) a wide variety of cheese all make for a great quiche.  

The last quiche I made had steamed zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, bacon, sauteed garlic, mushrooms, and onion (all sauteed in the leftover bacon grease), and five different cheeses: cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, Parmesan, and feta.

Below is a basic quiche recipe, adapted from the Quiche Lorraine recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook.  I've included a link for the original recipe, in case you'd like to start with something more traditional.  

I usually end up with so many ingredients that I end up making 2 quiches.  If you'd like, you can freeze a pre-made quiche fairly easily.  Just pull the quiche from the oven a little early, allow to cool, then cover thoroughly with foil before putting in the freezer.  When ready to eat, let the quiche finish cooking in the oven.

Experiment and have fun!

Quiche a la You

Ingredients:

Pie pastry shell (homemade or pre-purchased)

Quiche ingredients of your choice including meat and/or veggies

Shredded cheese(s) of your choice - I like to include a wide mix.  Strong cheeses like Swiss and feta will add lots of flavor, while creamy cheese like mozzarella will add a nice cheesy texture

4 large eggs

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Salt & pepper, to taste

Spices (if desired)

Directions:

Pre-bake your pastry shell as per directions.  If no directions included: Pre-heat oven to 425°F.  Carefully line pastry with a double thickness of foil, gently pressing foil to bottom and side of pastry. Let foil extend over edge to prevent excessive browning. Bake 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until pastry just begins to brown and has become set. If crust bubbles, gently push bubbles down with back of spoon.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Pre-cook quiche ingredients, if necessary.  For example, steam or saute vegetables, cook meats, etc.

Layer quiche ingredients and cheeses in pie dish to your liking. 

Beat eggs.  Add whipping cream, salt, pepper, and spices.  Mix thoroughly.  Slowly pour mixture into quiche dish.

Bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Original link (Quiche Lorraine):
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/quiche-lorraine/9a0749e1-6ba9-41f9-85e5-e5b2d3a63977

Tomato-Ricotta Tart

Looking for a way to use up all those tomatoes from your garden?  Try this!  I used heirloom tomatoes with a few yellow cherry tomatoes.

For the fresh breadcrumbs I tore up a day-old loaf of Pugliese Bread from Trader Joe's.  It worked perfect. I used a regular round glass dish because I was concerned the sides wouldn't hold up well enough for a springform pan.  My worries were unwarranted, and it would have worked just fine either way.

As a side note, when trying to figure out what to do with large amounts of seasonal produce, the Martha Stewart website is actually a great resource.  They have large galleries with recipes devoted to single ingredients, like pears, tomatoes, etc.

Tomato-Ricotta Tart

Ingredients

• 2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing over tart
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced beefsteak tomatoes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-inch springform pan, toss breadcrumbs with olive oil; press evenly into bottom.
2. In a bowl, whisk ricotta with Parmesan, eggs, and basil; season generously with salt and pepper. Spread over crust; arrange tomatoes on top. Brush with olive oil.
3. Bake until tomatoes are almost dry, 35 to 45 minutes; let cool. Unmold. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Original link:
http://www.marthastewart.com/312700/tomato-ricotta-tart

Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup with Coconut

This really easy vegetarian soup is incredibly delicious.  Because the flavors are so rich, I like it best as a small appetizer before a meal, but it can also be used as a main course.

Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup with Coconut

Ingredients:

2-3 large carrots, chopped small
1 onion, chopped small
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

Simmer the carrots, onions, ginger and curry powder in vegetable broth for 20-25 minutes, until carrots are soft.

Allow to cool slightly, and then puree in blender, working in batches if eneded.

Return to heat and stir in coconut milk until well combined.

Season generously with sea salt, to taste.

Serve hot, or, chill until cold and serve as a gourmet vegetarian and vegan appetizer soup. This carrot soup will thicken as it cools, so if serving this vegan carrot soup cold, you may want to add a bit extra liquid.

Original link:

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/soupsstewsandchili/r/carrotcoconut.htm