cheddar

Quick Ham & Cheddar Quiche

By in Breakfast, Easter, Main Dish, Pork 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , ,

quick quiche

I don’t know what’s with me lately but I feel totally uninspired in the kitchen. I’ve been making a few delicious things here and there that I’ve been excited about (and have shared with you) but to be honest, our dinner-times have been seriously lacking in the exciting department. Whether I’m meal planning or trying to decide what to make last-minute, my brain is just not co-operating and I’m in a dinner-time funk.

I think part of my problem is that I’ve been feeling this self-imposed pressure to make more complicated dishes. I see all of these inspiring people, with kids, making fabulous involved meals day in and day out and I felt like I needed to step up to the plate. But, after a few attempts at more complicated recipes that ended in failure I was brought down a bit and feeling a little like a farce.

Then I was reminded of something I’ve known for a long time – I just need to be myself and not try to live up to other people’s expectations. I’m not a multi-tasker. Making a complicated and involved meal while my kids run around my feet, means that either the kids will destroy the house, that dinner will be a flop or that I’ll be so stressed out by the end of it all that I’m sitting on the edge of insanity. Or, all of the above. That’s why I like to keep dinner-time simple. Why did I forget this?! Simple = delicious in this house.

Now that I’m embracing this fact once again, I’m hoping the mojo finds it way back soon. Hello, Quick Ham and Cheddar Quiche, I’ve missed your simplicity.

P.S. It probably goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyways, this is the perfect way to use up that Easter ham!

Quick Ham and Cheddar Quiche

This can also be made in a 9-inch pie plate but you will need to increase the baking time.

Filling
  • 1 cup chopped ham
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1.5 cups milk (I like to use whole milk for this)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Add the ham and green onions to a small pre-heated skillet with a bit of oil. Cook until the ham crisps up a bit and the onions are softened. Sprinkle evenly over prepared crust.

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over ham and green onions. Top with cheese.

Bake at 400ºF for 30 minutes or until set in the centre. Let cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

No-Roll Pie Crust
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a 9×13 baking pan. Stir in oil and milk until evenly combined. Crumble over the bottom of the pan and press down to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Fill and bake as directed above.

Serves: 6

No Roll Pie Crust adapted from all recipes. Filling adapted from Tartelette.

Loaded “Baked Potato” Soup

By in GF Mains, Gluten Free, Lunch, Main Dish, Soup 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

It”s still winter. Despite a few days of teasing here and there the cold weather is prominent and spring is still a month away. For my family this means soup – it”s kind of a winter staple around here.

Now that we”ve moved to New York my hubby”s office is only a five minute walk away which means he comes home for lunch almost every day. And, I”m loving it. We generally like to keep things pretty simple but soup and grilled cheese are pretty much a must. The thing I love about soup is that it keeps on giving – you make the recipe once and you can have it for lunch again later in the week.

James isn”t a big fan of potatoes, unless they”re in the form of french fries or mashed potatoes (drenched in gravy, of course), so I don”t make baked potatoes very much at all. Baked potatoes are one of my favourite ways to eat potatoes but for the potato-averted they seem to be a bit of a nightmare since they”re so full of… potato. Because of this, I was pleasantly surprised when James loved this soup. I think the number one reason is because the soup is smooth and silky – no bland chunks of potato to be found. Add some crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese and chives and you have a baked-potato-lovers dream that”s fit for non-potato-lovers too.

Loaded “Baked Potato” Soup

  • 4 strips bacon, diced

  • 1.5 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only

  • 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

  • 5 cups chicken stock

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • grated cheddar cheese and chopped chives, to serve

In a large saucepan cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Set aside for later.

Cook leeks in a couple tablespoons of the bacon grease until soft. Add potatoes, stock and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover loosely and simmer 15-20 minutes or until potatoes mash easily with a fork. Remove the sprigs of thyme and puree the soup with a handheld blender, food processor or blender. Strain through fine mesh sieve to ensure smoothness, if desired. Pour back into pot, add sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat until warm; do not boil.

Ladle into bowls and serve topped with cooked bacon, cheddar cheese and chives.

Makes: 6 servings

Adapted from Fresh with Anna Olson.

Jalapeno-Cheddar Drop Biscuits

By in Breads, Sides 10 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Jalapeno-Cheddar Drop Biscuits

The season of soup is drawing near. And, in my opinion, soup is just not complete without a side of biscuits – warm from the oven. Thanks to my favourite homemade baking mix, these biscuits could not be simpler to make. Four ingredients get stirred together, dropped onto baking sheets and baked until golden. I”m addicted to making biscuits this way. It”s so easy to come up with variations. Just stir in whatever suites your fancy for the day and you”re guaranteed to have fluffy biscuits in a flash.

These Jalapeño-Chedddar Biscuits are one of our new favourites and will definitely be going into the rotation. I love how the cheese gets crusty and caramelized on the outside with little pockets of melty cheese on the inside. The jalapeño adds a little touch of heat without being too spicy. You could easily add more of either depending on your tastes.

If you”re like me, a batch of fresh biscuits can be the spot of sunshine that perks up a cold and rainy day, so it”s great to be able to make them on a whim. Especially when you”ve got broccoli in the fridge and can whip up a batch of Broccoli Cheese Soup to go with it.

Are you looking forward to the fall weather coming up?

Jalapeño-Cheddar Drop Biscuits

If you prefer you can use real jalapeño. I can never find them at my store, but always have the canned stuff on hand, which is why I use the pickled ones in this recipe.

  • 2 cups baking mix (or bisquick mix)

  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeños

  • 2/3 cup milk

In a medium-sized bowl mix together baking mix, cheese and jalapeños. Pour milk over and stir just until evenly moistened. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 450ºF for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. Serve warm.

Makes approximately: 12 biscuits