Quiche Oignon avec Lardons (Onion Quiche with Bacon)

Pâte Brisée

1 T. olive oil
about 6 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 t. fine sea salt
3 large eggs
200 ml cream
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
150 g. grated gruyere or emmental cheese
100 g. lardons (small strips of bacon)

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with 1/4 t. salt, and stir. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until onions are soft and translucent. Remove the lid, turn heat to med. high, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring, until most of the liquids have evaporated.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before using. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 25 cm quiche pan. Roll out the dough and transfer to the pan; prick all over with a fork. Bake for 7 minutes, until lightly golden, and remove from oven.

Remove onions from the pan and fry up the lardons until crisp.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Fold in the cheese, onions, and lardons, and pour into the tart shell.

Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden and the center of the quiche is still slightly jiggly. Turn off the oven and leave the quiche in the closed oven for 10 minutes, until the filling is set. Serve warm.

{recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini cookbook}

Porc Fermier (Farmer's Pork)

1 kg. pork roast
6 yellow potatoes
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
6 branches of parsley
1 bouquet garni
2 large (4 small) chicken bouillon cubes
6 black peppercorns
50 g. butter
50 g. flour
20 cl. milk
100 g. grated gruyere or emmental cheese

Place the pork in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Drain, rinse, and cover with fresh cold water. Add 3 branches parsley, peppercorns, bouquet garni, and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Peel the carrots and cut carrots into discs. Cut potatoes into cubes. Slice the celery. Add the vegetables to the pot and cook 20 minutes after it returns to a boil. Drain, reserving 30 cl. of the cooking liquid.

Cube pork, removing any remaining fat. Place pork and vegetables in a large gratin dish.

Prepare the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, then add flour, whisking vigorously, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the reserved cooking liquid and milk to the pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil while stirring, and let simmer 2-3 minutes, until it thickens. Add 3/4 of the cheese; salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Pour the sauce over the pork and vegetables, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve immediately.

Spinach Leek Tart

200 g flour
100 g butter
1/2 t. salt

4 large leeks
350 g fresh spinach
3 eggs
40 g butter
25 cl creme fraiche
80 g grated emmental cheese (or swiss)

Mix flour, butter and salt together gently with fingertips in a small bowl. Incorporate 3 T. water. Gather dough together in a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Clean and slice leeks, then sauté in butter for 15 minutes, over low heat. Rinse spinach. Place in a saucepan and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes over low heat. Drain and coarsely chop. Add to leeks and cook another 3 minutes. Salt and pepper and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pastry dough and place in a 12" tart or quiche pan. Poke with a fork and then add spinach/leek mixture.

In a bowl, mix the eggs with a fork and add the creme and cheese. Salt and pepper. Pour mixture over vegetables and bake for 30 minutes, reducing the temperature to 375 degrees after 15 minutes.

Jenn's Cheese Fondue

1/2 c. chicken broth
2-3 c. grated cheese
(cheddar with swiss, jack, or mozzarella -- I use whatever I had on hand, most recently sharp white cheddar, jarlsberg, colby jack, and a little blue)
a few tablespoons of flour
dash of garlic salt or tobasco
a little finely-chopped artichoke

Toss grated cheeses with flour.
Heat the chicken broth in fondue pot.
Gradually stir in cheese until melted.

Serve with chunks of hearty bread, apples, and vegetables for dipping.

Linda's Baked Cheese Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 can bean dip
1/2 pkg. dry taco seasoning
3-5 drops tobasco sauce
1 c. grated cheddar
1 c. monterey jack

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and bean dip well. Stir in taco seasoning and tobasco sauce. Stir in grated cheeses and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Chicken and Brie Sandwich with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Quite possibly the best sandwich ever.

1 t. olive oil
2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz. loaf French bread
4 oz. Brie cheese, sliced
3 c. shredded cooked chicken
2 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. mayonnaise

Cook tomatoes in 1 t. hot oil over med. high heat for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 T. vinegar. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Wrap handle of pan with foil and bake at 300 for 15 minutes.

Combine mayo, mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over top half of cut bread loaf. Spoon tomatoes over bottom half of loaf. Arrange Brie over tomatoes, top with chicken. Add spinach and replace top half of bread. Cut loaf into 6 pieces.

Nicole's Strawberry Spinach Salad

My niece Nicole took a cooking class and made this salad for a family function. It was a huge hit!

6 c fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
1 1/2 c fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
1/2 c red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 c swiss cheese, grated
1 c candied pecans (recipe below)

candied pecans:
1-1 1/4 c pecan halves 1 1/2 T sugar
3 T light corn syrup 1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Add nuts and toss well to coat evenly. Place nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been coated with non-stick coating spray. (I like to use parchment paper.)

Bake for 12-15 min, or until golden brown. Immediately scoop nuts onto a sheet of foil and spread nuts apart to cool thoroughly. Stores for 1 week in an airtight container. (this is by far the easiest way of making candied nuts I've ever tried)

poppy seed dressing:
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing
2 T sugar
1 T poppy seeds
3 T water
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c canola oil

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, adding the oil last. It's best to first toss the spinach with the dressing, then add the strawberries, pecans, and onion and toss again. Add cheese at the very end. Don't over-mix.

Spaghetti Pie

1 lb. ground round
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. sour cream
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. chopped green onions
4 c. hot cooked spaghetti (~8 oz. uncooked)
1 1/3 c. shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350. Cook meat in a large nonstick skillet until browned. Drain and return to pan. Stir in salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Combine sour cream, green onions, and cream cheese in a small bowl. Place the noodles in a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Spread the sour cream mixture over noodles. Top with meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serves 6.

Winter Salad

(we enjoy it all year round)

8 c. mixed greens
3/4 c. toasted, chopped pecans
3/4 c. dried cranberries or cherries
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 med. red onion, thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, sliced

dressing:
2/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. dry mustard
1/3 c. cider vinegar
(the dressing originally called for 2 T. grated onion, but I'm usually too lazy to do it.)

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined. Mix salad ingredients and add dressing to taste.

Crab potatoes

(This recipe was originally crab-stuffed twice-baked potatoes, but Mom came up with a much simplified, casserole version -- it tastes just as good but is so much faster and easier!)

3 pkgs. Idahoan Baby Reds instant mashed potatoes
lg. can lump crabmeat
2 T. dried onion
6 T. butter
dollop of whipping cream or milk
salt and pepper
2 c. grated sharp cheddar

Mix up potatoes according to package directions. Stir in remaining ingredients and bake until browned and heated through. Serves a crowd! (may be reduced)