Dad would be proud

Well, I promised my co-workers I would bring a breakfast treat for a meeting we had this week, so I took the opportunity to try something in a new cookbook, "A New Way to Cook" by Sally Schneider (I really like Schneider's food philosophy, but wasn't all that inspired by the book as a whole).

Anyway, I made Coriander and Orange Scented Scones (p. 375). I had never made scones before (although I am the daughter of a baker: http://www.fatboybakery.com/ , I frequently fail when it comes to baking things myself), but the recipe seemed pretty simple.

I followed the recipe pretty closely (although I omitted the coriander), but adapted the shaping and baking processes a little. After kneading the dough, I shaped it into a rough rectangle and cut it into 16 triangles (instead of the rounds Schneider suggests) because I wanted "mini" scones. I then placed them on a cookie sheet and put the whole thing in the freezer overnight. Then, I baked them (for about 20-25 minutes at 375 F) in the morning while I was getting ready for work. The freshly baked orange-scented currant-flecked nibbles were a huge hit at work! I can't wait to try some other varieties with this basic recipe - maybe ginger & lemon, cranberry & orange, chocolate chip & almond...any other ideas?

Winter Garden Bounty

Well, actually this is the way it works: MO gardens, I cook, we both eat.

This is a beautiful salad we had over the weekend - with butter lettuce, red oak lettuce, yellow & orange baby carrots, sugar snap peas, and green onions...all from the garden! It's easy to forget that it's February when we have salads like this.

Quiche

I can't really remember if I ever made quiche before last week, but now that I know how easy it is - I'm sure I'll be making it again very soon. Also, you can serve it at any temperature and for any meal.

Basically, quiche is made up of crust, cheese, filling, and custard. The great thing about making quiche is that you can use whatever kind of cheese, whatever kind of filling you have (a great way to use leftover cooked vegetables) and you can use a store bought crust or homemade (I'll share my new favorite whole wheat-flecked crust recipe soon).

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. (For a crisper crust you can pre-bake the crust for 10-15 minutes while you are preparing the filling)

2. Sprinkle some shredded cheese in the bottom of the crust (I used about one handful)

3. Add filling (I sauteed leeks and mushrooms from the farmers market, then added some fresh baby spinach)

4. Beat together 3 - 4 eggs and 1 - 1 1/4 cups milk and pour over filling (depending on what size your pan is, you may need more or less liquid).

5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until just set.

My leek, mushroom and spinach combo was great, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas:

swiss cheese + onions + bacon, cooked and crumbled (this is the classic Quiche Lorraine)

feta cheese + sauteed spinach & garlic

pepper jack + leftover fajita veggies

cheddar + asparagus

mozzarella + sliced tomatoes + sausage, cooked and crumbled

jack cheese + sauteed mushrooms

Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

I found this recipe in a Gourmet magazine last year and I make it often during the fall and winter (including Thanksgiving at LoPo and KK's this past year - see photo). I can get brussels sprouts, carrots and shallots all winter at our farmers market and this is an easy and delicious way to get them eaten up! The recipe is good as is, but I usually use a little more cider vinegar (about 2 Tablespoons). You can find the recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrots-and-Brussels-Sprouts-241514