Breakfast Quiche

I've had this recipe for years.  Don't remember where I found this or who I got it from.  I know I had it way before I "discovered" the Internet - so you know its OLD!!!  LOL! 

It seems like a lot of work, but it really isn't.  Normally what I do is make the "crust" the night before and then do the "filling" the next morning.  See, isn't that easy!!  And it is so versatile.  I think you can pretty much use anything in this quiche - sausage, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, peppers, etc.  Just let your imagination run wild!!

Anyway . . . here is the main recipe . . .

Breakfast Quiche

24 oz. thawed hash brown potatoes (I found the shredded hash browns work best)
1/3 cup melted butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1 cup diced ham
1 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar cheese)

Crust (I usually make this the night before)

Squeeze the excess moisture from the potatoes.
Mix the potatoes with the melted butter and press into a deep dish 10" pie pan.
Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.

Filling

Spread the ham and cheese evenly in the pie pan.

Mix the eggs, garlic powder, pepper and milk together.  Pour over the ham and cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

VERDICT:

This is a recipe I have made several times so I know it is good.  The mistake I made this time is that I grabbed the wrong type of hash browns - diced potatoes instead of shredded.  It still tasted good but it made it hard working with the crust.  Shredded is really the way to go! 

This would be PERFECT for a brunch.  I usually make this for our Easter breakfast.   I just thought it would be a nice change of pace for my husband to have instead of the usual breakfasts I have been making for him.
 

 

Sausage., Summer Squash and Pasta Skillet Dinner

This is what we had for dinner last night and, boy, was it good!!  PLUS it was super easy to make!!  I found this recipe in the current issue of Cook's Country.  I did have to improvise on the pasta - the recipe calls for zita, I couldn't find that in our local Kroger's, so I used rigatoni instead.  Also, I didn't use as much as the recipe called for. Sometimes these pasta recipes have way too much pasta.

Anyway . . . here is the recipe

Ingredients

12 ounces mild italian sausage - casings removed and sausage broken into 1 inch pieces
1 pound yellow summer squash (fresh picked from my garden!!)
1 can of chicken broth
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
12 ounces of ziti pasta ** (I used rigatoni and only used about 10 1/2 ounces)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
fresh basil chopped

Directions

Cook the sausage in large skillet until no longer pink.

Cut the summer squash in half lengthwise and slice.  Some of the bigger slices, I quartered.

Add the squash to the sausage and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the broth, tomatoes with their juice, and the pasta.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the pasta is al dente.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with basil.

Enjoy!!!

VERDICT:

This is definitely a winner!!  Both my husband and I loved it.  And it is so easy to make.  Yep, we are going to have this one again!

Zapple Pie

No, that is not a typo - yes, I made Zapple Pie.  And I am sure you are going to think I have really lost it this time!  Zapple pie is a "mock" apple pie made with zucchini - yep, zucchini - thus the name Zapple!

I found this recipe in the book, appropriately titled Pie by Ken Haedrich.  It is so very simple to make - the hardest part was peeling and cutting the zucchini.  Surprisingly enough, it does taste like apple pie.  So why go to all the bother and just get apples and make a REAL apple pie?  That would be too easy!!  LOL!!  This  is just another recipe to use for the millions of zucchinis that you get from your garden and get REALLY tired of zucchini bread!

NOTE:  I did take pictures but can't find the cord to transfer the pictures from the camera to the computer.  Hopefully, I can remedy that situation soon!

Ingredients:

Use your favorite pie dough recipe for a single pie crust

6 cups peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced zucchini
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 T frozen appple juice concentrated, thawed
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
2 T cornstarch
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 T cider vinegar

Crumb topping

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Instructions

1.  Prepare the pie crust and refrigerate until firm for about 1 hour.  Line pie pan with pie crust and put in freezer for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  In a large soup pot, add the zucchini, sugar, apple juice concentrate, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Heat over medium heat.  While stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat slightly and simmer until the zucchini begins to soften, but does not get mushy - about 10 minutes.

3.  Combine the cornstarch and the lemon juice together in a separate bowl, stirring until smooth.  When the zucchini is tender, add the cornstarch mixture into the pot and cook, stirring nonstop to prevent it from sticking for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the cider vinegar.

4.  To make the crumb topping, add the flour, brown sugar, and pecans in a food processor and pulse several times to chop the nuts.  Slice the butter into the food processor over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles crumbs

5.  Spoon the filling into the chilled pie shell and smooth the top with a spoon.  Dump the crumb topping in the center of your pie and spread out evenly over the top.

6.  Place the pie on the center oven rack and reduce the temperature to 350.  Bake for 40 minutes.

7.  Transfer to a wire rack to let cool.

VERDICT:

Much to my surprise, this does taste like an apple pie!  And the longer you let it sit, the more flavorful it becomes.  My husband LOVED it!  This is definitely a winner recipe!

Zucchini Rigatoni

For some reason, I have been on an Italian kick lately - not sure why, but Italian just sounds so good for dinner.  And since my husband hasn't complained (yet!!), I guess we will continue eating Italian for a while - LOL!

I borrowed the book Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich from the library.  I think I will probably end up buying a copy, she has a lot of good recipes in there.  She has a cooking show on PBS, so you may have seen her.

If your garden is like mine, you have plenty of zucchini (or have a friend who willing "donates" tons of zucchini) and you can only make SO much zucchini bread!  Well, here's a recipe for you!!

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pound medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 loosely packed cup of basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 pound rigatoni
8 ounces shredded Fontina cheese or Mozzarella cheese if you can't find Fontini cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes - until the onions soften.

Add the sliced zucchini and cook an additional 5 more minutes until it begins to soften.

I sliced some of the larger pieces in half or quarters. 

Add the crushed tomatoes and chopped basil - slosh the tomato can out with 1 cup of water and add to the skillet.  Doesn't that look pretty!

Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package.  Drain and toss in the skillet with the sauce.

Toss the two cheeses together.

Using a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spread half the pasta/sauce mix and top with the cheese.  Press another layer of the pasta/sauce mix and add  remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered until brown and bubbly - about 20 minutes.

ENJOY!!

VERDICT:

My resident "judge" (my husband) loved it.  Asked me to put it in his lunch for the next day.  So this is definitely a keeper recipe.  I liked it (yes, you know there is a BUT coming) . . . BUT I thought it was a bit heavy on the pasta.  I think next time I would use only 3/4 of the box of rigatoni, not the whole box.  Just seemed to be too much pasta and not enough of the sauce/zucchini (just my own personal opinion).  Otherwise, I thought the recipe was great and I will be making it again with this slight modification. 

Recipe:

Zucchini Rigatoni
 
Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pound medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 loosely packed cup of basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 pound rigatoni
8 ounces shredded Fontina cheese or Mozzarella cheese if you can't find Fontini cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes - until the onions soften.
Add the sliced zucchini and cook an additional 5 more minutes until it begins to soften.
I sliced some of the larger pieces in half or quarters. 

Add the crushed tomatoes and chopped basil - slosh the tomato can out with 1 cup of water and add to the skillet.  Doesn't that look pretty!
Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package.  Drain and toss in the skillet with the sauce.
Toss the two cheeses together.
 Using a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spread half the pasta/sauce mix and top with the cheese.  Press another layer of the pasta/sauce mix and add  remaining cheese.
 Bake uncovered until brown and bubbly - about 20 minutes.