Spinach & Pancetta Quiche

Well it’s official folks, I had my first big cry at work this past weekend… I thought I would make it through my first week without a hitch, but sadly I only got to day 3. By the time I got home on Friday night I was so brain dead that brushing my teeth required strict concentration 🙂 There were moments I contemplated just running out of the hospital with my hands above my head screaming obscenities!

Well with all this work nonsense going on, and the fact that I pretty much never have the opportunity to eat anymore, I decided to make something comforting for when I get home from work at midnight. I know shouldn’t complain since I have lost at least 5 lbs without even trying, but dammit people I’m freaking hungry!!

I know some of you might not think quiche + midnight = comfort food, but in my mind it is the perfect late night dinner. First off you can make it ahead of time, and then just cut yourself a slice whenever the mood. Second there is cured meat and cheese in there need I say more!

Ingredients (preheat oven to 350) Makes 4 serving

• 7 large eggs
• 2 table spoons heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4oz pancetta diced
• 1 + 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
• 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 a box of defrosted chopped spinach drained
• 1 frozen pie crust defrosted

Directions

Start by pan frying the pancetta over medium heat until crispy, drain and let cool on a paper towel. In a mixing bowl crack eggs, add cream, water, salt and  pepper. Mix to combine with a whisk. Next, add 1 cup of cheddar cheese, green onions, drained spinach, and cooled pancetta stir to combine.  Transfer egg mixture to your defrosted pie crust, top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and cook for 40-45 minutes at 350. The center should not wiggle and the cheese should be lightly browned.

Mexican “Corn” Dogs

Well folks with summer in full swing I must say, I cant get enough  classic summer food. Hot dogs, potato salad, burgers, brats, and corn  on the cob, I just love the smell of a good cookout. I found this recipe in the latest edition of Everyday Food by Martha, and liked the Mexican twist on a “Corn Dog”. This recipe is the perfect combination of salty and sweet. I also love that you can make this recipe using leftovers from a cookout. Enjoy!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• 4 hot dog buns
• 4 hot dogs (brand of your choice)
• 2 cobs of fresh corn
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 green onions sliced whites and greens
• Half a lime juiced
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Queso fresco
• Chopped cilantro
• Chili powder

Directions

Place hot dog buns in a 200 degree oven to get them warmed. Next cut corn kernels off the cob and place into a frying pan warmed to medium high heat. Cook till corn begins to brown. Add vegetable oil, the white part of your green onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until green onions have softened. Turn heat off and add mayo and lime juice, stir to combine, and set to the side. Cook hot dogs on a grill pan till warmed. Place each hot dog into a warmed bun, and top with your corn mixture. Finish by adding queso fresco, chopped cilantro, green onion, and a dusting of chili powder.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart

Artichoke Mushroom and Prosciutto Pizza

For those of you who live in the Milwaukee area do yourself a favor and eat at Transfer Pizza, you wont be disappointed. In my mind they have the best pizza in the Milwaukee area. They offer gluten free options as well as a variety of pasta dishes, but the pizza is a must! Every time we have dinner there we get the Prosciutto Fungi, which is the inspiration for this pizza.

Ingredients( Serves 4)

• 1lb fresh pizza dough ( I used Trader Joe’s fresh pizza Dough)
• 2 table spoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 11/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms thinly sliced
• 4 canned artichoke hearts diced
• 3 slices prosciutto torn into pieces
• 1 tablespoon parsley finely minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough into a 12in round, and transfer to a pizza stone. Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Top prepared crust  with cheese, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and prosciutto. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pizza is bubbly and lightly browned. Top with parsley, slice, and serve.

 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Years ago my I met some of my best girlfriends, while working at a local college pizza joint, were we bonded over homemade pizza and fcoccia bread…. We are still the best of friends and love to reminisce about our server years!  I must say I had a love hate relationship with the restaurant. I loved learning about food, but could have done without being a grease ball when I left.

Since moving on from the restaurant I still love to make homemade pizzas any chance I get.  The pizza I’m sharing today has become popular in the last few years, but I think it is just perfect for a weeknight dinner with the boyfriend 🙂

Ingredients ( Serves 4) Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees

1 lb Fresh pizza dough

Flour for dusting

6 oz of Chicken Cooked and Diced

1/2-3/4 Cup BBQ Sauce

1 Cup Provolone Cheese

1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 Cup Diced Red Onion

1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Directions

Dust a clean surface with flour and roll fresh dough out into a 12 inch round. Transfer to a pizza stone. Top with BBQ sauce, chicken, provolone and mozzarella cheese, red onion, and cilantro. Bake in your 400 degree preheated oven for 15-17 minutes. Slice and serve!

I would recommend serving with an ice cold pint of beer or a big glass of white wine, but hey that’s just me 🙂

Chocolate Cream Cheese Oreo Brownies

WARNING, THESE ARE NOT HEALTHY! They will make you wish you never laid eyes on them 🙂 This is not normally something I make or eat, but these are for a very special occasion. A good friend of mine just returned from Afghanistan, and I wanted to welcome him home with a guilty pleasure. I asked him what he wanted, and he requested brownies. I love brownies, but I wanted to make something extra decadent! He hosted a welcome home party this past weekend, and I brought these bad boys along to share.

(Makes 12 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
• 1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 Cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/3 + 1/4 cups of Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 3 Large Eggs
• 4 Oz of Cream Cheese
• 1 Bag of Mini Oreo’s

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan by buttering the bottom and then using two pieces of parchment paper criss-crossed over the bottom and up over the sides.
• Place chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Allow to melt, then stir to combine.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients well.
• When the butter and chocolate are melted, remove them from heat and stir in the sugar.
• Lightly beat 2 eggs in a bowl and then mix them into the bowl along with the vanilla extract.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula or spoon mixing just until incorporated.
• Put brownie mixture in your prepared pan
• To prepare the cream cheese mixture, mix softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar. Add the egg and mix well.
• Put dollops of brownie mixture in the pan and follow with spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture. Use a knife, moving it back and forth to swirl the two mixtures.
• Sprinkle the top with mini Oreo’s to your liking.
• Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. It should not be dry.
• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the brownies and let cool completely before cutting.
• Run a large knife under hot water and cut brownies into squares.

If you can imagine these were a total hit 🙂 I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Recipe Adapted from IslandSpice.com

Pea Soup and Grilled Cheese

Even with Spring is in the air, nights here in Wisconsin can still be on the chilly side. This recipe is a spring twist on the cold weather classic soup and sandwich. The soup is so fresh and light that you wont feel weighed down one bit!

Soup Ingredients ( Serves 4)

• 1 16oz Bag of Defrosted Peas
• 1 Medium Onion Diced
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 3 cups low sodium of Chicken Stock
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Heat butter and olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute till translucent (About 5 minutes).  Stir in garlic, and cook for another minute. Add your bag of peas, chicken stock, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring ingredients to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer ingredients into a blender and puree till smooth ( Make sure not to over fill your blender because you run the risk of an explosion. A good rule of thumb is to only fill your blender half way, work in batches, and be sure to hold down the top as your blend) . Return the soup to the stove, and allow it to simmer while you prepare your grilled cheese.

Grilled Cheese (Serves 4)

• 8 Big slices of your favorite bread
• 1 block of White cheddar cheese
• Misto Olive oil
• 8 slices of prosciutto
• Fresh spinach

Preheat a grill pan over medium low heat. Lay out 4 slices of bread, and top with big slices of White cheddar ( I love the mildness of the white cheddar, but feel free to substitute with what you have on hand) Top each slice with two pieces of Prosciutto, and finish with a few fresh spinach leaves. Again this would be fantastic with sliced tomatoes so please feel free to add them 🙂 Top with the remaining bread slices, and spray with your Misto so you get thoes beautiful grill marks. Place the misto side down on the heated grill pan, and spray the top side with your Misto. Cook on both sides till you get have grill marks, and all the cheese is melted. Remove from pan, slice on the bias, and serve with a big bowl of fresh pea soup.

Lasagna Bread

Alex and I are currently training for a half marathon, so after our long run days we like to do some carb loading! The race is only 3 weeks away so we are trying to stay motivated, which is hard since it seems like our bodies are giving out on us :). There has been a lot of hip cracking, and sore muscles in our house lately!

I saw this recipe in the latest issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. The recipe had all of those great lasagna flavors, but didn’t require you to fuss with cooking noodles. I made a few simple adjustments to the Rachael Ray recipe to make it even easier for weeknight dining, and added some greenery.

Recipe Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 Jar of Your favorite sauce
• 3 Cloves or Garlic Grated
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 lb of Ground Meat (I used venison, but beef, turkey, or even pork would be great)
• 2 oz of  Fresh Spinach (A big handful)
• 1 Cup Park Skim Ricotta Cheese
• 1/4 Cup GratedParmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons of Fresh Parsley Chopped
• 1 Loaf of Ciabatta, Split lengthwise
• 2 Cups of grated Mozzarella Cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then warm your jar of marinara sauce over medium-low heat, with the grated garlic for 10 minutes. While the sauce simmers, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the meat, and cook till fully browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add marinara sauce to the ground meat and, stir in the spinach. Allow the spinach to wilt. Next, combine the ricotta, parmesan, and parsley in a bowl.
•  To assemble, place the bread on a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the meat sauce over the top of each half of bread; dollop with ricotta mixture and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until melted and bubbly, 10-15 minutes. Cut into large chunks and serve.

This meal is very hearty and can feed a crowd, or two hungry runners! To round things out serve with a big Cesar Salad or Lemon Green Beans.