Mushroom-Cheddar Quiche

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion; about 1 medium onion

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme; use more or less to taste

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

8 large eggs

½ cup milk

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

One 9" pie crust.

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Heat the butter.
• Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms start to lose their juices, about 10 minutes.
• Mix in the garlic, thyme, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Stir to combine; remove from the heat.
• Combine the eggs, milk, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt.
• Line the bottom of the crust with the cheese, top with the mushrooms, and pour in the egg mixture.
• Bake the quiche for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edge of the crust is brown, and the filling appears set.
• Remove the quiche from the oven, and serve warm.

Microwave Lemon Curd

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars. Store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

NOTES:

• Super sour and delicious!
• Mine took about 13 minutes in the microwave, roughly the same as making it the traditional, stovetop way, but I didn't have to worry about it scorching. It didn't require my full attention.J
• The original recipe also calls for the zest from 3 lemons. I didn't add this, but it would be a really nice addition.
• I doubled the recipe for my tea party for about 100. (It took longer than 13 minutes to thicken.)
• I made a trial batch about 6 weeks ago and it's still good in the refrigerator.

Baked Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan (2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• black pepper
• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

• Heat oven to 400° F. Mix cheese, butter, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and pulse once or twice to moisten.
• Place the chicken in an 8-inch baking dish; season with ¼ teaspoon pepper and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture.
• Cover with foil and bake until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Uncover and bake until crumbs are golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

Notes

• The cheese is salty enough that no extra is necessary.
• The crumb topping keeps the chicken very moist.
• Adapted from this.

Orange Rolls

Dough
2/3 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 package yeast
2 large eggs, room temperature
Zest from 1 orange
2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed


Filling
5 tbsp softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Zest from 1/2 an orange


Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Zest from 1/2 an orange
1-2 tbsp orange juice


Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave until an instant-read thermometer registers 110°–115°. Transfer milk to a 2-cup measuring cup; stir in 1 Tbsp. sugar. Sprinkle yeast over milk and whisk to blend. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs; whisk until smooth.


Combine remaining 4 Tbsp. sugar, zest, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add milk mixture. With mixer running, add 1/2 cup room-temperature butter, 1 piece at a time, blending well between additions. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Knead on medium-high speed until dough is soft and silky, about 3 minutes.


Brush a medium bowl with some melted butter; place dough in bowl. Brush top of dough with remaining melted butter; cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 1–1 1/2 hours


Roll the dough into a 10x 18 inch rectangle. Mix together the butter, powdered sugar and orange zest and spread over the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Roll from one of the long edges, pinching to seal the roll shut.  Cut into 9 even slices and place in a well greased 8x8 inch pan. Let rise for another hour or until puffy and filling the pan.


Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and orange zest; slowly add orange juice until it reaches a thick glaze texture, drizzle over the warm rolls.


Makes 9 rolls.


The dough is based on the Master Sweet Dough recipe from Bon Appetite.

Pita Pizzas

4 6-inch pita breads

1/2 cup hummus

1 cup crumbled feta (4 ounces)

1 small onion, sliced

2 cups fresh sliced spinach

1 tomato, seeded and chopped.

1/4 c sliced olives

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spread hummus on breads and sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese in melted.
• Top each pizza with vegetables.

Puffy Apple Oven Pancake

2 tbls. butter

2 tbls. packed brown sugar

1/4 ts. cinnamon

1 med. apple, peeled and sliced thin

2 large eggs

1/2 c flour

1/2 c milk

1/4 tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a 9 inch pie plate, melt butter (in microwave or oven) and brush it over the bottom and sides.
3. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the bottom.
4. Arrange apples over sugar.
5. Mix eggs, flour, milk, and salt. Do not overbeat or the pancake may not puff.
6. Pour into pie plate.
7. Bake 30-35 minutes until puffy and golden brown.
8. Loosen sides and turn upside down on a serving plate. Serve immediately.

Crusty Baguette

From the KAF Feb '12 catalogue

Yield: three (two) 15" baguettes.

Starter

• ½ c. cool water (1/3c.)
• 1 c. (4¼ oz) All-Purpose Flour (2/3 c., 2.83 oz.)
• 1/8 tsp instant yeast

Dough

• 3½ c. (14¾ oz.) flour (2 1/3 c., 9.83 oz.)
• 1 c. lukewarm water (2/3 c.)
• 1½ tsp. salt (1 tsp.)
• ¼ tsp. instant yeast

Mix the starter ingredients till smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.

The next day, mix the starter with the remaining ingredients, kneading until the dough is nice and springy, but not totally smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 3 hours, gently deflating and turning it over after one hour, and again after two hours.

Divide the dough into three pieces, and shape each piece into a rough oval. Wait 15 minutes, then fold each oval lengthwise, sealing the edge, and use cupped fingers to gently roll each piece into a long (about 15") log.

Peace the loaves into a lightly greased French baguette pan, cover, and let them rise until they're puffy but not doubled, about 2 to 2½ hours.

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425º. Very gently, use a sharp knife or a razor blade to make three diagonal slashes, 1/3" deep in each loaf.

Mist the loaves heavily with warm water. Bake the baguettes for 22 to 28 minutes, until they're golden brown. Take the baguettes off the pan and place them right on the oven rack. Turn off the oven, crack the door open about 2", and then the baguettes cool completely in the oven.

Notes: My pan (and mom's) only make two loaves, hence the conversions in parentheses. I only had active dry yeast, not instant, so I double the amounts and dissolved it in water (always using warm water) before continuing. I was really pleased with the results.