Tuesday, January 15, 2008

we eat (probably a little too much)

Lots of cooking this weekend.

A quiche that's quickly become a favorite. I got the recipe from here.

A few changes: I used leeks instead of shallots and yellow chard instead of arugula. And I think it could stand to bake for 45 minutes instead of the recommended 35. It's never quite done after 35 minutes and I find myself having to run it through the microwave to fully cook the eggy middle. This quiche uses only 3 eggs (!) and you don't miss it in the taste. If you don't eat the crust, this could possibly pass for health food, but alas I have a weakness for crust. This would be tasty served with a simple green salad, but I wasn't organized enough to pull that off so we just ate the quiche alone. It's got enough leafy green vegetables in it to make me feel like I wasn't missing anything nutritionally. I'm still working on my pie crust skills. This last batch was fair but the thinner bits were a bit crispy. More flour and even rolling of the the dough is probably what was needed.

I finally made marshmallows!

This photo isn't nearly as tempting as the one that got me on board with this project. Once I saw that photo I knew that I wanted to make and eat homemade marshmallows. Just like the one Amy describes. I even wanted that slightly gaggy feeling of popping a whole, slightly warm and chocolately marshmallow that hasn't completely set. I know it's weird. I'm okay with that. Others seem to have been simultaneously inspired. I used the recipe that Amy used. She references it in her blog, but for the purposes of ease, you can get to it here.

And of course I had to dip it in chocolate and sprinkle nuts over it. I think that chopped almonds and chocolate is like the best combination ever. Mmm. No photos of that cause I was too busy stuffing my face. Also, m enjoyed nuking a few in the microwave and then drizzling it over ice cream with some of the chocolate sauce (his favorite kind of sundaes). And it's mighty tasty toasted over the open flames of our gas stove.

Bonus points: it's as easy to make as those other gals have said it was (a little too easy in that dangerous "I'll just whip up another batch of marshmallows..." kind of way) and the clean up was quick too!

Then I made chili con carne. I've been craving this for about a month now and I finally got around to making it. The recipe is from Martha Stewart Living November 2005 issue, but you can also find it here. I added the beans to the chili instead of serving it on the side. The prep was a little time consuming, but once you get everything in the pot, you just let it sit and become wonderful.

NB: This is a MEATY chili. Mostly meat (and some beans if you choose to throw them in like I did). All that other stuff was just for the flavor. I served it over hot corn bread with some grated cheddar cheese and avocado wedges.

And I have not stopped making and drinking pots of homemade chai. I experienced a moment of genius when I added some of the chai to a glass of ice cream and took the immersion blender to it. Chai milk shakes? It's totally rocking my world these days.

No comments: