Quiche

This one is for my brother Lincoln.  Alan informed me some time ago that quiche is girl food, and several of my brothers in law are on an anti-egg bandwagon, so it was refreshing to serve it to my bachelor brother and have him scarf it, take home the leftovers, then ask for the recipe.  No picture with this because it was all gone by the time he asked :).  I make quiche once or twice a year when Alan's gone on business trips, so this was the week for it.  You can mix and match the cheeses and other fillings to suit your taste.  I particularly like a nice balance of veggies, meat and cheese, and I like to put it together in layers.  But it really doesn't matter.  Do whatever you want.  This is for two pies because the cheater pie crusts happen to come in a two pack, and a whole package of bacon divides out just right for two.

Quiche

2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 package bacon
1 red bell pepper, diced
6-8 mushrooms, sliced
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
3 cups shredded swiss cheese (or a mixture of cheeses)
10 eggs
2 cups half and half
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. each kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper

Pull the pie crusts out of the fridge and let them warm up to room temperature for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook your bacon.  I prefer to bake it at 400 degrees on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet until it's nice and crisp, about 20 minutes, remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool, and crumble.  Line two 10" pie pans with the crusts, prick with a fork, and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  While those are in the oven, saute the diced pepper and sliced mushrooms in a medium skillet over medium heat, using a tablespoon or two of the bacon grease for flavor.  Sop up the rest of the grease with paper towels, roll them up inside the foil and chuck the whole mess.  (Credit for that idea goes to Sarah and Kate at Our Best Bites - I have baked my bacon for a long time, but never thought of the foil lining/paper towel sopping...it's genius.)

Beat the eggs, half and half, nutmeg, salt and pepper together until well combined.  Divide the bacon, pepper/mushroom mixture, spinach and cheese in half.  Layer each quiche as follows:  spinach, bacon, cheese, pepper/mushroom mixture, spinach, bacon and cheese.  Pour equal amounts of the egg mixture over each quiche, making sure to coat the filling ingredients evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the center is just set.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing so that the egg mixture will be completely set.

An Evening In With An Omelet

Laura has seen a lot of my cooking, and this is one of her favorites. It is sort of a hybrid between a traditional omelet and raman noodles. It really brings together the best of both worlds.

2 packages of raman noodles or equivalent. I like to boil them for about 2 minutes or until they get tender. Be careful not to cook them too long and have them turn out floppy. I have also found a great trick is to add a bullion cube in addition to the spice packet while they cook. It just really brings out more flavor. Drain off the juice (or set aside for another soup), and leave the noodles.

6 eggs. Mix them with just a touch of milk to give some added fluffiness. Add the eggs to a heated pan with 1/3 stick butter melted in the bottom. The butter will help eliminate sticking, and add more flavor.

6 mushrooms. We usually like to use portabella or shiitake, but we decided to use up some button mushrooms that we had left over from a recent vegetable tray we made. Regardless, chop them into bite-size pieces.

1 cup chopped spinach. I do use vegetables on occasion.

1-2 cups chopped ham.

2- 3 cups shredded jack cheese. We usually add liberally.

Bacon crumbles on the top to garnish.

As the eggs are beginning to fluff, add in the other ingredients and mix well - saving the cheese for last. Make sure to flavor with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I have been known to add in onion salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. I have also found that liquid smoke goes well in this dish - it has a nice blend with the noodles. On occasion I will also use teriyaki sauces to give it an Asian fusion kick. Make sure to add the cheese last as it will melt on top. This dish will make any dinner in a success!