Quiche

I can't believe I'm making this post. This recipe has been a personal favorite of mine for years, and I wanted to keep the fame to myself by never sharing. But it's too easy and delicious.

World, you are welcome.

One of my all-time favorite cookbooks holds this beloved recipe. It's the most unusual cookbook but has some of the most amazing recipes I've ever tried. It's called The Best of France by Evie Righter. I'd highly recommend her other book The Best of Italy too. If you've ever wanted to try any of the classics, these are the recipes to start with...French Onion Soup, Creme Brulee, Meatballs, Alfredo sauce, etc.

So here it is. You can switch up the ingredients any way you like. Today I used ham, onion, spinach, and cheddar cheese. Try using bacon, leeks, tomatoes, Gruyere, Parmesan, fontina...the possibilities are endless. My favorite part about this recipe is that its egg-hater friendly. As much as I detest eggs, there are only 3 in the entire dish, and the texture is perfect. Word of advice, you may want to make two...

1 recipe pastry dough (store bought refrigerated or frozen in a tin are perfect)
3 eggs
1 C. milk
1/2 C. heavy cream
2-3 tsp. Dijon mustard
Freshly grated nutmeg (vital!!!)
Salt and Pepper

For the filling:
1 C. diced ham
1/2 C. thawed frozen spinach, drained and squeezed dry
1/3 C. minced onion

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and prepare the pastry dough by pressing into a pie pan and pricking with a fork to help vent (if using the frozen shells already in the pan, no extra steps needed!). Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, cream, mustard, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Sprinkle the toppings into the cooled pastry shell and pour the egg mixture over the toppings just up to the rim of the crust.

Place pie dish on a baking sheet and bake 30-45 minutes until the quiche starts to puff and brown. I like to cook the quiche well so that the middle no longer jiggles. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Balsamic Crock Pot Roast Beef

Adapted from this recipe
Serves 6

2-3 lb. beef round roast (I used round tip roast)
4-5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 small can beef broth
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
1 medium onion, sliced
Buns
Blue cheese and horseradish cream sauce (recipe below)


Combine the garlic, broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire, honey, and vinegar together in a bowl. Place roast in a slow cooker and pour sauce over. Cover, and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove from slow cooker, wrap in tinfoil and let rest for 10 minutes. Keep the broth for au jus dipping! When ready to serve, remove foil, and pull apart using a fork.  Spread blue cheese horseradish sauce on the bun, top with beef and caramelized onions. Be sure to use the leftover broth -- drizzle on top of the sandwich or dip. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese and Horseradish Cream Sauce

1 (8oz.) small container sour cream
2-4 Tbsp. horseradish (to taste)
2-3 Tbsp. blue cheese crumbles

Combine all ingredients together. Add horseradish to taste - depending on how hot you like it. Be careful not to add too much cheese as it can be overpowering.

What's the purple stuff you might ask? Mashed potatoes using blue and yellow new potatoes. Add a little greek yogurt, butter, ranch dressing, and caramelized onions.