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Showing posts with label Egg Dishes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Egg Dishes. Show all posts

Monday, October 21, 2013

Spanish Garlic Soup

For day 21 of Soup Month 2013, we made a rustic Spanish-style Garlic Soup.  This is a nearly clear broth soup that gets a majority of its flavor from smoked paprika, lots of garlic, and a perfectly poached egg on top.  And for such a simple soup, the flavor is extraordinary.

Believe it or not, there is a huge difference between "paprika" and "smoked paprika".  Regular paprika is very mild and is usually a blend of domestic or imported ingredients, and the taste is not really hot or sweet.  This generic paprika is great for garnishing, such as sprinkling over deviled eggs or on top of salads, but it doesn't add a lot of flavor, but mostly color.


Smoked paprika is from Hungary, where they consider paprika a national treasure, and they take this product quite seriously.  There are actually ten different varieties of smoked paprika ranging from delicate and mild, to medium and semi-sweet, to a more pungent flavor with more heat.  The color can also range from brownish to light red to bright red and even orange.  Lots of different choices.

The smoked paprika sold in the U.S., such as the one used in this recipe from Spice Islands, is a blend of chilies that are smoked over wood fires, and is perfect for adding a smoky, earthy flavor to paella, or added to dry rub mixes for beef, chicken or even lamb.  The flavor is so unique, you'll find yourself using it in more and more dishes to add just that little something extra. 

This recipe is super easy to make, uses only a few common ingredients, and it makes a perfect side dish when you don't want anything too heavy with your meal.  It is a little tricky dropping the eggs into the broth, but if you carefully slide the eggs into the soup one at a time, keeping them about an inch apart, it is easy to scoop them up and transfer to the bowls.  Enjoy!!

2 TB  Olive Oil
2 TB  Minced Garlic
2 tsp  Fresh Rosemary, finely minced
5 cups  Progresso Tuscany Broth (or regular chicken broth)
3/4 tsp  Genuine Smoked Paprika (not plain paprika)
3/4 tsp  Dried Oregano
2 tsp  Sea Salt (or more to taste)
5 large  Eggs
Large Croutons or Thick Toasted Bread Squares

In a medium soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic, rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt.  Sautee for 2 minutes or until the garlic begins to brown.

Add the stock, paprika, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt.  Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high and carefully crack the eggs onto the top of the simmering soup.  Simmer for about 4 minutes for a soft yolk, or add 2 minutes extra if you prefer the yolks to be set.

Place several croutons or toasted bread squares into the bottom of each soup bowl.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer a poached egg to each bowl, then ladle the soup over the eggs.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Crustless Quiche

Crustless quiche or egg casserole?  Regardless of the name, this fluffy egg dish with a mild green chili and spinach filling makes a delicious breakfast or brunch, or in this case a great weeknight meal. 

Since most mornings we are way too busy to fix a "fancy" meal, serving breakfast for dinner is something our family has always enjoyed.  Eggs are a great comfort food and they are also an inexpensive way to feed a family.  Plus with this dish, you'll even have leftovers for a quick breakfast.

12 Eggs
1/2 cup  Flour
1 1/4 tsp  Baking Powder
1/4 cup  Butter
4 oz can  Diced Green Chilies
1 pkg  Frozen Spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out
1 cup  Large Curd Cottage Cheese
2 1/2 cups  Grated Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt butter in a glass 13 x 9 inch baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl beat the eggs until blended, then add all of the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.  Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until golden on top and the center is set.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or hot sauce, a side of roasted potatoes and your favorite sausage or bacon.  Makes 8 servings.  Enjoy!!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Quiche Two Ways Makes a Great Dinner

A simple quiche can make a very satisfying meal and it can be customized to your own tastes with ingredients you already have on hand.  Usually when people hear the word "quiche" they think of Quiche Lorraine, which is an elegant dish made using Gruyere cheese, which can be a little pricey.  Although it is quite delicious, Gruyere is also not always a favorite with kids.  For this recipe we made the whole family happy by making 2 different varieties of quiche at once.

  
  

  

The first option was a Bacon/Red Onion/Mushroom quiche and the second was a Ham/Green Chili/Cheddar Cheese quiche that was a huge success with the kids.  (The picky eater didn't even mind the chilies..lol.) 

This recipe is a great way to use up leftovers and is very budget friendly.  You could easily serve this once a week and make a different variety each time.  Anything can be thrown in with the eggs.  Try any combination of leftovers like fresh tomato, white or red onions, scallions, leeks or broccoli.  If the veggies are fresh, just saute them lightly in a little butter just until softened, then add to the quiche. (You will want to keep the amount of liquid as low as possible so it does not dilute the egg custard.)

For protein you could try pepperoni, salami, leftover lunch meats like ham or turkey, and any variety of cheeses.  Just mix and match the ingredients until you find your favorite combination.

I did cheat a little on the crust for this batch.  Although homemade crust is so very light and flaky, (I  have a recipe for homemade crust somewhere and I'll post it later) when you're crunched for time the store-bought crust will work just fine. 

1  pkg  Pie Crust, 2 shells
8  Strips of Bacon, cooked and crumbled
8  Large Eggs
2 cups  Milk
1 cup  Half and Half
3 TB Sour Cream
1/4 tsp  White Pepper
1/4 tsp  Black Pepper
1 tsp  Kosher Salt
1 TB  Butter
1/2  Red Onion, thinly sliced
4-5 oz  Mushrooms, any variety, cleaned and cut into quarters
1 cup  Ham, diced
1  Small Can Diced Green Chilies
2 cups  Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Open pie crusts and cook according to package directions, with one crust in the bottom of each pie plate.  (I used 2 deep pie pans so the crust can be pulled high up on the sides.)  Be sure to pierce the crust lightly with a fork to allow the steam to escape.  If you have pie weights, these are used to keep the crust flat while cooking.  **No pie weights??  No problem.  Lay a large square of heavy duty foil on the counter and place 1 cup of dried beans in the center.  Fold the edges up tightly until the foil packet will fit inside the pie plates.  These can be reused many times!

While the crusts are cooking get your filling ingredients ready.  In a large bowl, scramble the eggs and add the milk, half and half, sour cream, salt and peppers.  Set aside.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat and saute the red onions and mushrooms.  Set aside to cool slightly.

When shells are cooked, place the filling ingredients in each pie plate.  For the first quiche, layer the bacon on the bottom, then spoon the red onion and mushroom mixture over the bacon.  Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar cheese.

For the second quiche, place the ham, green chilies and cheddar cheese in the pie plate in layers.

Carefully add the scrambled egg mixture to the pie plates, making sure not to overfill the shells. If you have any egg mixture left over, it can be refrigerated and safely used the next day.

Bake the quiche at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until quiche filling is set and the top is lightly browned.  Serve with sliced tomato and avocado or a tossed salad.  Enjoy!