Category: Quiches, pizzas & similar

Quiche Lorraine

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When Anna turned 30 she had an afternoon tea party at her house, and with plenty of guests she had asked a few of us to help with the baking. Ian’s mother made lovely scones, lemon drizzle cake and coffee cake. Anna and her mother made blinis with smoked salmon and sandwiches (ham; egg salad; smoked salmon) and I made a quiche.

Quiche Lorraine is a French classic containing bacon and cheese. I also added chives and parsley to the cream mixture.

I got plenty of compliments for the pie crust, which I was very pleased with, only a week after they made shortcrust in the great TV show The Great British Bake Off, so every one was well aware of soggy bottoms etc.

Quiche Lorraine, serves 4-6 as a meal, 8-10 on a buffet

Crust:

120 g soft butter

300 ml plain flour

a pinch of salt

1/2 beaten egg

Filling:

1/2 onion, finely chopped

300 g smoked and cured streaky bacon (fried in pieces, then drained on kitchen towel)

butter and oil for frying

150 ml grated cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

1 bunch chives, chopped

300 ml single cream

3 eggs + 1/2 left over from the crust making

white pepper (no salt needed)

Pinch together the ingredients for the dough, do not knead it. Place in the fridge for 30 mins-1 hour. Roll out the dough or push it into place in the quiche tin. Use a fork to make holes in the bottom, pre-bake in 180C for 10 mins.

Fry the onion soft on medium heat. Place in a mixing bowl. Fry the bacon crisp in the same pan, remove to the mixing bowl and leave to cool slightly. Add the cheese, eggs, cream, herbs and pepper. Fill the quiche and bake for 35 mins in 180C (or until set and golden in colour). Enjoy it hot or cold or in between.

Proper homemade Italian pizza

Published on by Hanna10 Comments

I love homemade pizza and have used the same recipe for years. It is very good but doesn’t feel all that authentic. So it was time to try something new, a real Italian recipe. It is a very simple recipe but quite different in texture compared to the other one. The strong 00-flour makes it very easy to shape the pizzas, or roll them out if you prefer. The bases also go really crispy in a regular oven on a regular (cold even) baking sheet.

The recipe is courtesy of Gennaro Contaldo, the man who has taught Jame Oliver all there is to know about Italian cooking. You can watch him make pizzas here.  The recipe for the tomato sauce is my own, but still authentic enough I hope. 🙂

Italian pizza dough, 2 pizzas

500 g 00-flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried yeast

325 ml lukewarm water

Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast. Add the water bit by bit while stirring with a wooden fork. Knead the dough until elastic. Cut the dough into two and shape to round balls. Put the dough balls back in the mixing bowl, sprinkle with flour and cover. Place somewhere warm and let it rise for 90 minutes.

Shape the dough into round pizzas or use a rolling pin to roll it out thinly. Add the toppings you like and bake in 225C, in a low oven, for 8-10 minutes.

Tomato sauce, for 2 pizzas

200 g passata

a splash of water

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dried Italian herbs

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/2 tsk brunt socker

salt, black pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a non-stick sauce pan. Bring to the boil and let it reduce (boil down) and thicken while stirring. Leave to cool.

Margherita topping for 1 pizza:

1/2 batch tomato sauce

olive oil

1 buffalo mozzarella

a handful of basil

Roll out the dough and drizzle some olive oil on it. Spread out the tomato sauce. Shred the mozzarella into chunks and place on the pizza. Add some basil leaves. Another drop of olive oil and put it in the oven on 225C, middle to low oven for 8-10 minutes.

Salami topping for 1 pizza:

1/2 batch tomato sauce

olive oil

200 g saucisson

1 garlic clove, pressed

oregano

Roll out the dough and drizzle some olive oil on it. Add the tomato sauce and spread it out. Shred the mozzarella into chunks and place on the pizza. Add the slices of saucisson. Distribute the garlic and sprinkle oregano on top. Put it in the oven on 225C, middle to low oven for 8-10 minutes.

Brunch and Henley Royal Regatta

Published on by Hanna2 Comments

In England some happenings are bigger than others. The Ascot’s, Goodwood and Henley Royal Regatta are a few of those, and so far I have only been to Henley.

Last year we had a picnic with friends there, but in the afternoon so many people arrived that we no longer could see the river although we were meters from it.

To avoid such nuisance we bought tickets to the Regatta enclosure, and this is (at least for us) the way forward. When we ventured out of the enclosure to look at the shops etc., it was too many prople everywhere.

Malin and Martin, Jess and Chris and us, started the dat with a brunch at our flat. We had champagne, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, croissants, mini quiches, blueberry muffins, bread, ham and cheese and things. It was a lovely start to the day and we all enjoyed it. But then again, who does not enjoy champagne?!

To brighten up the train journey out of London we had some more bubbly, then we switched to Pimm’s at the regatta. I love events like these, when you sit by the river, watching fit men row, looking around at all the pretty (and some horrible ones) dresses, Panamas and stripy blazers.

We enjoyed the early evening best though. When the serious people started to leave and the party crowd had not yet arrived. It was quiter and we could sit front row watching the rowing.

When the enclosure closed, we walked over the bridge into the village and had a nice meal. We must have been very lucky, walking in the six of us and managed to get a table!

Back at the train station, it was mayhem. There had been an accident on the tracks and several hundred people were fighting over the few taxis. Jess managed to find us one, and waiting for it we escaped the chaos and had a drink in a pub.

It was a perfect day with nice, but not too warm, weather and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Thanks guys!

Perfectly creamy scrambled eggs, serves six on a buffet

6-8 eggs

100 ml single cream

knob of butter

salt and pepper after taste

Heat up a teflon frying pan or sauté pan on medium heat. Add the butter. Beat the eggs with cream and season. Pour into the pan and lower the temperature. Stir the whole time with a wooden fork or a spatula, and watch the eggs slowly thicken. Remove from heat when a bit undercooked and keep stirring. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Mini-quiches with Saint Agure and leek, 12 stycken

80 g softened butter

200 ml plain flour

1/3 beaten egg

100 g Saint Agure in cubes

10 cm leek, sliced

2 + 2/3 eggs (left over form the dough making)

300 ml cream

100 ml grated cheese

Mix butter, eggs and flour to a dough. Line 12 aluminium cases with it. Place blue cheese and leeks in the pastry cases. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Mix eggs and cream, season with salt and pepper and divide between the cases. Bake in 200C for 20 minutes. Serve cold, luke warm och warm.

Blueberry muffins with almonds and lemon, makes 12

Oroginal Swedish recipe here. I made mine into larger muffins than the recipe suggests.

200 ml blueberries

125 g melted butter

150 g ground almonds

1 tbsp lemon zest

400 ml icing sugar

80 ml plain flour

5 eggwhites (about 160-170 ml)

Mix almonds, zest, icing sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the egg whites and mix. Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly. Place a few berries in each cake case, divide the mixture between the cake cases (fill them to 2/3). Bake in 200 C for about 15-20 minutes.  

Enchiladas

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

On Fridays we usually have something with prawns or Mexican, as it needs to be quick as the cook (me) is tired, go well with a glass of wine and give us that Friday feeling. Last Friday we had enchiladas and they certainly give you that feeling!

I used mozzarella on top of these, but it is actually even better with a grated strong or medium hard cheese on top for more flavour.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Enchiladas, serves 3-4

1 onion, finely chopped

500 g beef mince

cumin

chilli flakes

chipotle or other chilli paste

salt

black pepper

50 ml creme fraiche

1 jar enchilada sauce (store bought)

5-6 soft wheat tortillas

50ml grated cheese / 1 mozzarella in slices

3 spring onions, chopped

Fry the onion and put to the side. Fry the mince. Add the spices and the onion. Mix in the creme fraiche. Season to taste. Dip the breads into the enchilada sauce so both sides are covered, add a spoonful of the meat mixture and roll it up. Place in a greased oven tray and repeat until the meat is used up. Top the oven tray with grated cheese and spring onions. Bake in 200C for about 30 minutes. Serve with guacemole, salsa, creme fraiche and salad.

Italian asparagus tart

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I have been wanting to try Ursula Ferigno’s asparagus tart recipe in the wonderful cookbook Bringing Italy Home for a while now, and when I finally got around to it, it was as lovely as I had hoped it would be.

Because I had a roll of puff pastry that I needed to use up I substituted it for the pastry in the book, and that worked well too. The focus is indeed on the filling, which is moist and luscious, and I wanted to eat it before I even put the whole thing in the oven. Ricotta has that effect on me.

Italian asparagus tart, serves 6

1 roll puff pastry

350 g asparagus, trimmed

25 g unsalted butter

2 tbsp plain flour

4 eggs, lightly beaten

250 g ricotta

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

55 g Parmesan, grated

sea salt and black pepper

Cover a pie dish with the puff pastry. Pick holes with a fork and pre-bake for 10 minutes in 200C. Cook the asparagus in salted wanted until just soft (about 5 mins). Drain and leave to cool. Cut off the spears and put aside. Cut the stems into 2 cm large chunks. Make a roux with the butter and flour (melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour), leave to cool. Combine all the ingredients, apart from the spears, in a bowl. Pour it into the pie crust, smooth it out and decorate the top with the spears. Bake in 200C for 30 minutes. Serve as a starter, at a buffet or a lighter dish for say, lunch time.

Sicilian omelette

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Yet another recipe courtesy of the lovely Nigella. This omelette is quick, filling and absolutely delicious despite the fewingredients. I love omelettes, since I learned that I prefer them creamy instead of set, and they’re even better with cheese on. Perfect for brunch, lunch or for supper when you’re in a hurry.

Sicilian omelette, serves 1

2-3 eggs

a splash of cream/milk/water

salt/white pepper

butter for frying

creamy goat’s cheese

fresh mint

Beat eggs and liquid. Season. Melt butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Pour in the batter and turn the heat down to low heat. Cook the omelette until it starts to set. Add cheese and mint. Fry until it had the consistency you prefer. Serve straight away. 

Asparagus and wild garlic quiche

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

I am one of those people that are cold all the time. Weird I know, since I am from a cold country… I have certainly heard that before. Why I am so cold, I don’t know, but when I don’t move about I get cold straight away. And that is why I am no fan of winter. Here in the UK it’s ok, but the windy winters in southern Sweden are awful.

Now that spring is here and it is getting warmer, I am incredibly happy. I love spring and summer! Apart from pollen but everything else is great. The warmth from the sun, flowers in bloom and all the fresh vegetables.

In this quiche I have combined two of my favourite spring time veg – asparagus and wild garlic. Feel free to use even more wild garlic, I will do that next time. I served the quiche as a light supper with coldsmoked salmon and a cold sauce with creme fraiche, mayonnaise, caviar and dill. Lovely!

Asparagus quiche with wild garlic, 6 portioner

Pastry:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1/2 beaten egg

Filling:

2 bunches asparagus

about 6 wild garlic leaves (or more)

100 g philadelphia cheese

3 eggs + the leftover half from the pastry

350 ml milk

salt

white pepper

100 ml grated cheese

Bring salted water to the boil. First blanch the wild garlic, which is very quick, just leave for a minute and then drain on paper. Break the harder part off each asparagus stem and blanch them for about 5 minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Pinch the pastry together and coat a pie dish with it. Use a fork to make small holes in the pastry. Pre-bake it for 10 minutes in 200C. Leave to cool.

Fill the quiche with asparagus and wild garlic, and distribute dollops of philadelphia. Sprinkle over the grated cheese. Beat eggs and milk, add seasoning. Pour it into the quiche and press down the cheese so it is covered with the milk-mixture. Bake for 35 minutes, 200C or until set and golden brown on top.


Chicken quiche with pesto and cream cheese

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

It has been a lot of focus on Syria lately, so I thought it would be good to post a recipe before I show you the last posts about the holiday, to break it up a little.

Now that my stomach is (almost) back to normal, most days at least, it was wonderful to be able to enjoy a creamy homemade quiche with a salad and a glass of red. Don’t exclude the cream cheese because it complements the sharp pesto really well.

Chicken quiche with pesto and cream cheese, serves 4

Pastry:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

a pinch of salt

1/2 beaten egg

Filling:

1/3 cooked kyckling, bones and skin removed

60 g pesto

50 g cream cheese

3 1/2 eggs

250 ml soy cream

100 ml milk

150 ml grated cheddar

Incorporate the ingredients for the dough and press it out in a quiche dish. Make marks with a fork and pre-bake for 10 minutes, 175C.  Cut the chicken into cubes and put in the pastry case. Distribute the pesto and cream cheese. Beat eggs, soy cream and milk, add salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry case, sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake for 35 minutes 175C.

Yummy frittata

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It is sometimes needed to clear out the fridge, and I love when some leftovers result in a lovely meal. For this frittata I used up some new potatoes, asparagus, feta and sunblush tomatoes. It was lovely and the different ingredients really work together! It doesn’t matter how much filling you have really, it is the right amount of eggs to the right size pan that matters. For this large pan I used four eggs.

Frittata, serves 3

olive oil

150 g new potatoes, boiled

sliced chorizo

6 cooked asparagus

1/2 feta cheese

some sunblush tomatoes

4 eggs

4 tbsp cream

salt, white pepper

Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the potatoes and chorizo and fry for a few minutes. Add asparagus, tomato and feta. Beat the eggs and cream and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and turn the temperature down. Pour in the eggs and put a lid on the pan. Fry on low heat and make sure not to burn the bottom of the frittata. Serve when it has the consistency you prefer (I like mine runny and creamy on the top). Serve with a nice sallad.

The Pioneer Woman’s sourcream enchiladas

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A blog I like and follow is The Pioneer Woman cooks, an American blog that is incredibly popular. Ree writes in a warm funny way about what she cooks for her cattle ranch cowboy for a husband, she takes great photos and the recipes are great, so if you haven’t discovered her already, then take a peak.

I am so glad I stumbled upon her blog, because otherwise I would not have known about this recipe. OK, I actually prefer regular enchiladas to these, but they are very good and perfect for vegetarians and would cure any hangover with all that creamy cheesyness.

Mixing together the filling

Sourcream enchiladas, serves 3

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

6 tortillas

vegetable oil

1 jar enchilada sauce

200 ml soured cream

2 handfulls grated cheese, such as Monterey Jack

100 ml chopped spring onions

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

a few chilli flakes

some more cheese

Mix soured cream, cheese, spring onions and spices. Heat up oil about 2 cm high, in a  large pan. Pour the enchilada sauce into a large bowl. Put the tortillas, one at the time, into the oil for about 10 seconds, then dip in the enchilada sauce to coat it. Place on a plate and put 2 tbsp of the cheese mixture in the middle. Fold/roll together and place in an ovenproof dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Sprinkle more cheese on top and put in 200C oven for about 15 minutes. Enjoy with salad, salsa and perhaps some more creme fraiche.