Quiche

Absolutely one of my favorite dishes! I usually make it when I've made veggies and had leftovers sitting in the fridge for a couple of days that need to be used up.

Of course there are more traditional quiche recipes - quiche Lorraine or a yummy spinach quiche - I love them all! When I make one of those quiches I use the recipes from my Better Homes and Gardens cook book with great success! I actually combined those traditional recipes to make this quiche. I love that I have a yummy way to get some more veggies in our diet and use up the leftovers in the fridge.

1 single pie crust (here is a good quick one - I use it often for quiche when I don't really care about getting the perfect flaky crust. I use my food processor and overmix to my heart's content. If I have a recipe where the crust takes a more prominent roll in the dish I use another recipe that takes a bit more prep)

6 beaten eggs (4 is OK too - especially if you have more veggies and don't want your filling to spill over with the increased volume)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

dash ground nutmeg

1 cup cooked veggies

2 tsp dried onion flakes

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tb all-purpose flour

Line unpricked pastry shell with double thickness of foil and bake at 450F for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 4-5 minutes until pastry is dry. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temp to 325F.

Whisk together eggs, milk and sour cream till well combined. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. I always cover the crust to prevent over-browning. Pour filling into hot pastry shell and bake until done. Check at 40 minutes, could take up to an hour.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Ripienos

...another winner from my college roomie Wendy. Rumor has it Wendy's parents enjoyed some fabulous ripienos when on vacation in Italy and begged the cook for the recipe. So here you have it - thanks to them for sharing!

Dough:

1 pkg yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 Tb sugar

1 cup water

3 c flour

1 t salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. After yeast has started to proof add flour and salt. Knead till dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise until doubles (30-60 minutes).

Filling:

1 32oz carton cottage cheese

6 oz shredded mozzarella

1/3 to 1/2 pound bacon, chopped and browned

sliced mushrooms (as much as you like - I use 1/2 pound)

I also add some dried onions - about 1 to 2 Tbs

Cook bacon and pat off grease, reserving a few tablespoons of grease in the skillet. Cool bacon. Cook sliced mushrooms in reserved grease and set aside to cool.

Mix the cottage cheese and shredded mozzarella together in a large bowl. (At this point I add the onions as well). After mushrooms and bacon are cool, add to cheese mixture. I usually have more time waiting for the dough so I just refrigerate the filling until the dough is ready.

Cut dough into six pieces, roll into a circle (I usually do 6-8 inches diameter) on a floured surface and place filling atop circle. Fold dough in half over the top of the filling and press edges to seal the ripieno. Then fold the edges over again and crimp - like a pie crust or just press with the tines of a fork. Place on greased cookie sheet. Brush the tops of each ripieno with tomato sauce (I usually don't unless I have leftover pizza or spaghetti sauce).

I always have left over filling - so I either double the dough recipe or put half of the completed filling mixture in the freezer for another meal. Or I nibble at it in the fridge for a day or two - it is so delicious!

Bake at 475 for 7-10 minutes or until the edges are nice and brown.

Obviously you can change up the filling and use whatever you have on hand or whatever your family likes! Other yummy variations would be to add some herbs to the dough - Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, etc.

Hot Cocoa

I found this recipe at the Hillbilly Housewife. Here it is adjusted to use my non-instant powdered milk. We love having this convenient mix at home! Everyone has loved the taste and we love the convenience of mixing up huge batches with little trouble or cost. Yummy!

2 cups non-instant dry milk

1 1/2 cups sugar (if you like a sweeter drink, more kid-friendly, use 2 cups)

1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix all the ingredients in a clean, dry bowl. Use a whisk to mix everything together, squishing out any clumps. Store in a sealed canister. Add 1/4 cup cocoa mix to 8oz hot water and stir. You can add more mix if you like.

I triple this recipe and use a gallon size Rubbermaid square food storage container from Wal-Mart.

The original recipe has some other optional add-ins: small box of instant chocolate or vanilla pudding, 1/4 cup of instant coffee for a mocha flavor.

Creamy Chicken Soup

This is a recipe from one of my favorite sources - an Australian Women's Weekly cookbook.

This cookbook give fresh ideas for every stage of a young baby's developing palate. From prenatal nutrition to rice cereal at four months to foods for 6 month-olds, one year-olds, toddlers and busy families you will find so many delicious and healthy recipes along with advice and hints. I love it! Whenever I feel stuck in a rut with my kids (and it is SO easy to do!) this is where I turn for inspiration. Everything is from scratch and gives directions for freezing and adapting meals to be suitable for babies and toddlers. And as a bonus there are some CUTE birthday cakes.

Picking a cake out of the Australian Women's Weekly Birthday Cake cookbook was something I looked forward to each year. And I'm happy to do with my kids as well. Here are some of the cakes I've made with their easy-to-follow directions. (Really - anyone can make these!)

Here's the book I have at home -

And here is a great recipe from AWW Babies and Toddlers! It is a favorite at our house and I like to bring it to new moms or sick families because it's comforting, mild for nursing moms, and the whole family likes it!

1 Tb olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 chicken thigh fillets, sliced thinly

2 medium carrots, chopped coarsely

2 trimmed celery stalks, chopped coarsely

1 can of creamed corn

4 cups chicken stock (I use water and bouillon)

1 cup short pasta (shells, elbow macaroni, etc)

1/2 cup cream

1 Tb finely chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in large pan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, until onion is soft. Add chicken, carrot, celery, corn and stock, bring to a boil; simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add pasta; simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in cream; reheat without boiling, sprinkle with parsley to serve.

Store up to 2 days in fridge (it is generally advised not to freeze cream soups or pasta because of undesirable changes in texture - but if you freeze it before you add the pasta or cream you should be fine!)

For babies: puree

For toddlers: chop to suit development

FOOD STORAGE: use canned/dehydrated veggies and canned chicken. Substitute whatever you have on hand for the cream. I would use evaporated milk (made from powdered milk or from a can) or thicken regular milk with a cornstarch slurry near the end of cooking time.

Damper

In colonial Australia, stockmen developed the technique of making damper out of necessity. Often away from home for weeks, with just a camp fire to cook on and only sacks of flour as provisions, a basic staple bread evolved. It was originally made with flour and water and a good pinch of salt, kneaded, shaped into a round, and baked in the ashes of the campfire or open fireplace. It was eaten with pieces of fried dried meat, sometimes spread with golden syrup, but always with billy tea or maybe a swig of rum.

description from aussie-info.com

Damper is a traditional Australian bread - popular at BBQs and super easy to make! Because of the limited supplies available out on the range it is not at all difficult to make. There is no yeast and little kneading so there is not much you can mess up here! This is the first real recipe that I ever made entirely on my own. In fact I made this for my 6th grade class (demonstrated in the classroom!) and it came out beautifully. (And - so they said - deliciously!) I love to make this hearty bread with soup.

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tb baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 oz butter

½ cup milk
½ cup water
extra flour

1. Sift dry ingredients into bowl, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, fairly even in size.
2. Make a well in center of dry ingredients, add combined water and milk all at once; mix lightly with sharp knife in cutting motion. Turn out on to lightly floured surface; knead lightly.
3. Knead dough into round, place on greased oven tray. Pat dough out to a 6 inch circle. With sharp knife, cut two slits across dough like a cross, approximately half an inch deep. Brush top of dough with milk, sift a little extra flour over dough. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes or until golden brown, reduce heat to 350°F, cook a further 15 minutes.

Chicken Curry Casserole

adapted from Kim's recipe

For a meatless meal - this is delicious w/o the chicken!

For a food storage meal - use canned chicken and veggies

2 cups brown rice (uncooked)

16oz broccoli florets (or use one pkg of frozen broccoli)

2/3 cup SOS mix (or use 2 cans of cream of chicken soup and omit water)

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup mayo

2 Tbs curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp seasoned salt

2 cups cooked chicken (or 1/2 of a quart jar of canned chicken)

1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded cheddar or cheddar mix

Cook rice and steam broccoli. In a small saucepan, add SOS mix and whisk in water water a little at a time to prevent lumps. Heat mixture to boiling, cook 2 minutes and then take off heat. Mix together cooked rice, cooked broccoli, soup/SOS sauce, mayo, seasonings and chicken. Pour into 9x13" dish, sprinkle cheese on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This is easily doubled (then you can use the full quart jar of chicken) and frozen in either a gallon freezer bag or in a 9x13" pan covered with 2 layers of foil. Make sure you label it!

Take out the night before to thaw, pour into pan and cook as usual. You can even thaw in the microwave for a last minute dinner.

Crash Hot Potatoes

First off - Best Name Ever! Having family in Aussie land I knew right away that the recipe must have originally come from there as well. I laughed when I saw it! Wondering what it means? "Crash Hot" is like "super". My mom always uses the phrase "crash hot keen" as in "I'm just not crash hot keen on the idea of you getting a tattoo." :)

I found the original recipe at Pioneer Woman and it is truly heavenly! Click here to find the original recipe.

Here's what I did:

Baking potatoes (however many)

Olive Oil

Salt

Nuke those taters until done. I placed them around the edge of the turntable and cooked for 5 minutes on high. Cook until tender - you may need to adjust the time depending on how many potatoes and how hot your microwave cooks.

Brush olive oil on a baking sheet and place your potatoes on the sheet - evenly spaced. Take the potatoes and smoosh them with a potato masher. Don't smash them all the way down. Leave a bit of height (at least an inch) so they still stick together as a unit and don't fall apart when you lift them to serve.

Now brush the tops with more oil. Season to your taste. Rosemary, S&P, parmesan, whatever you like.

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or so or until they are golden, crunchy and delicious!

Chocolate Pudding

3 cups milk (see note)

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa or carob powder

2/3 cup sugar

Good dash salt

3 tablespoons margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a two quart sauce pan combine the cornstarch, cocoa, sugar and salt. Mix it very well. Gradually add the milk, whisking it in until the mixture is smooth. Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring the pudding to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in the margarine and vanilla. The pudding will thicken as it cools. You can pour the pudding into a pretty serving dish, or small individual cups. I pour it into small individual cups with lids and send it in the children’s lunch boxes. Store it in the fridge either way. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Feel free to use powdered milk! I mix my dry milk in with the other dry ingredients and then add the appropriate amount of water. For 3 cups of milk I use 9 Tbs (1/2 cup plus 1 Tb) of non-instant powdered milk (this is the kind you buy at the LDS Cannery and the kind I use). If you are buying your dry milk from the grocery store follow the directions on the box.

I frequently forget to add the margarine and it still is delicious!

For another variation - I sometimes use Magic Mix to make pudding. If you follow the link you will find the recipe I use. I recently found another Magic Mix recipe from Washington State University that doesn't involve any fat that I'm going to try. It uses corn starch to thicken the sauce and since I use that trick myself to cut fat I'm eager to see how it goes!