Cheddar and Kale Quiche

This past Tuesday was the first anniversary of my blog.  It seems impossible that I’ve been blogging for an entire year.  To be quite honest, when I started greenhorn gourmande, I kind of assumed that it would fall by the wayside like so many other hobbies. Example: I just finished crocheting a scarf I started FIVE years ago...yeah...

Anyway, I’m really glad that I stuck with it.  This blog has served me well: as a creative outlet, a handy recipe guide for all of my favorites, and a way to share my passion for cooking.  As of today I can say that we are:

OVER 9,000! (page views)

 I apologize for nerding out... I think I’d better move on to today’s recipe:

Cheddar and Kale Quiche

This was my third attempt at a quiche.  The first time was over two years ago when I was just starting to tentatively dip my toes into the shallow end of cooking.  Looking back I realize that it was an incredibly ambitious recipe, although the end result was tasty (if somewhat liquidy), the overall experience was incredibly frustrating.

The second attempt was only a few months ago, but I ran into the same problem- the damn thing would not set!  Liquidy quiche once again reared it’s watery head.  This time around I fully knew what I was up against, and I managed to taste the sweet taste of success vis à vis a fully set quiche.

The cheddar kale combo is definitely a winner, and the crust is so easy to make.  The kale really shines in this dish, particularly the crisp bits on top which are essentially kale chips. This cheesy pie comes together in a little less than an hour, making this quiche a feasible weeknight treat.

Cheddar and Kale Quiche

Adapted from Eat.Drink.Love.

Ingredients

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp butter

1.25 cups 2% milk

4 large eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

3.25 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups kale, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp kosher salt

more salt and pepper to taste

pinch of curry powder

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  To make the crust, put the oats, flour, salt, and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the butter and pulse until you get a pebbly-like texture. Add a quarter cup of the milk and pulse a few more times to combine. Form the mixture into a ball and place it between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Roll out into a circle about 10 inches in diameter.  Butter a nine inch pie pan press crust into the dish. Bake for about 7-9 minutes and set aside.

2.To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic and saut until fragrant. Add the kale and cook until wilted seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

3.Reduce the oven heat to 350F. In a large bowl or measuring cup beat the eggs and add the, milk, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the kale evenly along the bottom of the crust and top with the egg mixture. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Mom's Potato Cheddar Casserole- 50th post!

I find that everyone has some special dish from childhood that holds a special place in their heart.  Usually something simple, warm, and comforting.  I was lucky, my mother was and still is a wonderful cook, so I have quite a few childhood favorites.

One of these is my mom's hamburger and potato casserole.  A quintessentially American dish that my grandmother used to make for my mom.  The tangy tomato sauce loaded with lean ground beef is a perfect match with the tender yet firm potatoes.  The cheddar makes the dish feel extra homey, and the extra crisp bits of cheese on the sides are quite possibly the best part.

I'm sad to say that while I've always been interested in eating, the cooking part of the whole process was quite foreign to me until a few years ago.  While my mother was performing magic in the kitchen, I was elsewhere.  So when I have a craving for an old favorite, I call my mother and try to squeeze the recipe out of her.

Don't get me wrong, she loves it when I call to ask for a recipe, but she is one of those skilled and experienced cooks that hardly ever follows a particular recipe.

Fortunately for me, I was able to recreate this dish (with a few small changes) that was almost as good as the real deal.

I replaced the classic orange cheddar with some extra sharp white, and I traded in a mix of red and green lentils for the lean hamburger (don't tell mom!).  The casserole tastes almost exactly the same, but the texture was a little off.  Lentils just can't compete for the delightful chew of ground beef.  At any rate this recipe is delicious, and makes a wonderfully hearty vegetarian meal.

Lentil and Potato Casserole

Ingredients

4 large yellow potatoes, sliced into 1/3in. circles
2 tbsp salt
3/4 cup green lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked over
3 cups water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock
1 tbsp oil (olive, canola, bacon grease, etc.)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1/2-3/4 cup ketchup (one made with sugar is preferred)
4 ounces extra sharp white cheddar, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1.  In a large bowl place sliced potatoes, 2 tbsp salt, and cover with cold water until all slices are submerged.  Set aside.  In a large non-stick pot place all of the lentils and 3 cups of your liquid of choice.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes.  By this point the red lentils will have lost their shape, and the green will still have a slight bite.
2.  Preheat the oven to 350F.  In a large sauce pan heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the chopped onions.  Saute until softened, and then add the minced garlic.  Continue cooking until garlic is fragrant.  Add the lentils, tomato paste, water and 1/2 cup ketchup.  Stir until combined and taste for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, and ketchup to taste.
3.  In a large baking dish (I used 9x13x4) place 1/3 of the lentil mixture.  Top with half of the potato slices in a uniform and single layer and cover with half of the remaining lentil mixture.  Repeat with the remaining potatoes and lentils for a total of two layers of potatoes.  Cover the entire casserole with the cheese and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Let cool slightly before serving.

As my title suggests, this is my fiftieth blog post!!  I have to say that I'm a little surprised to have continued with my blog so long.  Thank you to everyone who has ever left me a comment, or visited my blog!

Check out this fun blog party!

Roasted Broccoli and Potato Cheddar Soup

Soup is probably one of my favorite kinds of food.  There are so many different varieties, are generally easy to make, and are usually made in large batches.  Hello leftovers!!

This soup was made one night last week on a pure spur of the moment whim.  I originally was set on making some corn chowder, but then I realized I had a whole head of broccoli just languishing in my crisper.  Okay no big deal right?  I'll just make corn and broccoli chowder.

Roasted broccoli = best broccoli?  You betcha!

One thing led to another and eventually the corn was out and broccoli reigned supreme.  Soup eaters rejoiced throughout the kingdom.  Well... not really, but this soup was so good I had to make it again this week!  The creamy texture, depth of the roasted broccoli, and heat from the jalapeno make this soup positively addicting.