Food Review – Julia Child’s Quiche aux Fruits de Mer

aka… fancy way of saying seafood quiche

http://www.food.com/recipe/julia-childs-shrimp-or-lobster-or-crab-quiche-420139

Earlier this week I made this dish, I actually was easily able to double this recipe based on the amounts requested. I used imitation crab meat for this dish. I also doubled the amount of cheese that I put on top.. but who can blame me? A quiche should be cheesy.

The first night this dish was great, but as a person who tend to have a lot of leftovers when I cook, reheating is a big thing for me. Microwaving this, makes it so the pie crust is not as crisp as it was when heated in the oven.

In the next few weeks I hope to be cooking some more dishes. The next is going to be a bread pudding from the Downton Abby cookbook!

Food Review Mashup – Pork Kale Florentine Pasta

In the last few months I have been trying kale, I was purchasing it at the farmer’s market. This past grocery run I picked up two big bags of it (for under three dollars each). I thought that would be a great veggie to use and it really helps stretch your food budget.

So the reason I used pork instead of chicken is because, I had a small pork roast that I had to use. So I exchanged pork for chicken and it came out really well.

I first started out with this recipe for the kale and because I wanted some pasta and I really love chicken florentine so then followed this recipe. The reason it is a mashup is because I used the amount of garlic that the first recipe called for. The reason I did this? There can never be enough garlic. I don’t think I have tasted something yet that is too garlicy. Then I followed the other recipe all most. There are times when I like to follow the rules.. and then I like to find the loopholes.

I didn’t have any white wine (ops! I drank it all) so I used the chicken stock and as I stated before I used pork instead of chicken. Don’t be afraid to change the protein. I think steak, shrimp, pork or chicken would be really good in this dish. Unfortunately, I also didn’t have any pesto on hand. I do try to keep this in my pantry but I tend to use it up fast when it is there.

So this is the final result:

 

While you might think that is a lot of kale, and it is, but for me (a pasta freak) it was good to have a large kale ratio to pasta. It made me feel like I was eating more healthy then I probably was. I also have enough food cooked to last me for a few days, which is also a good bonus for those who are trying to stay within a set budget.

Drink Review – Snowy Days means Mulled Wine

For a while now I have been wanting to try mulled wine. Yesterday, while relaxing I saw that the Barefoot Contessa made a mulled wine with ingredients that I had on hand! So after I ran my errands and the snow was falling down on the Northeast I decided to make this wonderful warm wine drink.

I am not one for dry wine but because of the apple cider and honey this was a lovely drink that was not too sweet and just delicious! The cloves and cinnamon give the drink a lovely warmth and the aroma was wonderful. I am a big fan of cloves and cinnamon and the smell that they create to me is just the smell of home.

So for me this drink was a home run, and a great way to use red wine and apple cider! This is a great drink to make on Thanksgiving or during the winter months. I tend to have a gallon of apple cider in my fridge and I sometimes am given a dry red wine that is needed for this drink.

For me it used items in the house that I had in stock (cinnamon sticks, cloves and I used all spice instead of star anise).

Happy Holidays! And enjoy your cocktails!

Julia Child’s Beer Braised Beef

A few weeks ago I made Julia Child’s Beer Braised Beef.

Why, would I do you ask? Well, I looked around the house and I have a lot of beer, a lot of onions and I felt like cooking. So I was going to make Beef Bourguignon because I had most of the items but wanted to try something new. It was really easy to make and I was amazed at how the onions turned into the delicious brown gravy you see below.

 

Julia suggested buttered noodles to go with the beer braised beef and I felt I should not argue with her. It really was a good choice and I put them in the bottom of my bowl and covered them in the beef and gravy. It really was fantastic.

 

 

Bon Appetit!

Food Review – Deep Dish Apple Pie by Barefoot Contessa

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/deep-dish-apple-pie-recipe/index.html

I made the above apple pie for thanksgiving. I did not follow her pie crust recipe, I used my grandmother’s pie crust recipe.

I have never used granny smith apples in my apple pie, normally I just grab a bag of Cortland or whatever apple is in season at the orchard. The granny smith apples give it a very tart taste which is not something I am use to. I am use to a more sweet apple. It also has a strong nutmeg flavor which counteracts the tart apples but not enough to take the tartness away.

I did like adding the zests to the pie and I believe that I will try this pie again but I will change it to be half tart apples and half sweet apples and I like to add clove to my pie.