Category Archives: Recipes

Aug1

Seafood Quiche

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Seafood Quiche

I had a hankerin’ for a different quiche.  Realistically, mine are typically some combination of bacon, onions, and a variety of vegetables.  I started looking through recipes until I decided on a combination crab/shrimp quiche, then pulled together my ingredients.

Best.  Quiche.  Ever.  I loved it so much that I made a second one the next day to make sure I remembered everything I’d done, and wrote it down so I wouldn’t mess it up.  Try this.  Seriously.  It’s so good.

Ingredients:

Par baked pie shell

4 large eggs

1 c. heavy whipping cream

4 oz. gruyere cheese, shredded

1/2 lb. large cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped

1/2 lb. lump crab meat, or imitation crab shreds

1/2 green, yellow, orange, or red bell pepper

2 small scallions, sliced (including tops)

1/2 c. chopped fresh asparagus, thin stalks

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. seafood seasoning

1/4 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

 

Once again, I’m not a pastry person, so I use a pre-made, store bought dough and unroll it into my pie plate.  If you love making your own pastry, go for it.  It will only increase the level of scrumptious.  🙂

Make plenty of perforations in the dough, then par bake for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Whisk the eggs and cream.  One at a time, add the seasonings to the egg mixture.  I use a seafood seasoning that I buy at a local spice shop.  I’m posting the ingredients in it so that you can duplicate it if you’d like (or just go to http://www.thespiceagent.com and order it).

Poseidon's Seafood Blend from The Spice Agent

Once your pie crust is par baked, layer the cheese, peppers, scallions, asparagus, shrimp, and crab.  For the peppers, I get the multi colored minis, and use one of each color.  It’s pretty :-).

Pretty Peppers

Pretty Peppers

Pour the egg mixture over the filling and bake in the 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.  Check for doneness by inserting a knife in the center, which should show moist but not wet when removed.

Let cool 15 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!  If you have leftovers, you can reheat in the microwave, 80% power for 60-75 seconds per slice.

Yummy

Yummy

Jul26

Crispy Baked Soy/Ginger Chicken Wings

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Crispy Baked Soy/Ginger Chicken Wings

This recipe is for about 2 1/2 lbs. of chicken wing pieces, which is approximately 20 pieces of combined drummies and flats.  You can easily double it for larger batches.

FOR THE WINGS:

2.5 lbs. chicken wings, drummies and flats separated

1 TBSP. oil

1/2 TBSP. kosher salt

1/2 TBSP. coarse ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easiest clean up), and set a wire rack on top of the aluminum foil.

Mix together the wing pieces, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Place on rack (don’t crowd) and bake for 40 minutes.

At 40 minutes, remove from oven and toss in sauce.  Return to rack and bake an additional 7-15 minutes until caramelized.

Remove from oven and toss in remaining sauce, serve.

 

FOR SAUCE:

2 TBSP. dark soy sauce

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. honey

zest from 1 orange

2 TBSP. ground ginger

2 TBSP. crushed garlic

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small non-stick saucepan and bring to a low boil.  Continue cooking, stirring regularly, until reduced by half.  (About 7 minutes).  Remove from heat and let cool.

Soy Ginger Chicken Wings

Mar17

Mu Shu Pork & Pancakes

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Mu Shu Pork & Pancakes
I love Mu Shu Pork, and thought it would be fun to try to make at home.  The recipes I found sounded complicated, but in reality it’s just the prep work and number of ingredients.  It’s quick and easy.  There are lots of substitutions that can make it an easier recipe to tackle.  I’ve put those in italics next to the original recipe.
Chinese (Mandarin) Pancakes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Flour for rollingDirections

In a bowl, stir together flour, pinch of salt, and boiling water. Add cold water, stir until dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Divide dough in half, cut each half into 5 pieces and roll each piece into a small ball.

Mu Shu Pancake DoughOn a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 3-inch pancake. Brush 5 of the pancakes with sesame oil, top each with another pancake. Roll each pancake into an 8- inch pancake.

Heat a dry heavy skillet. Cook each pancake, without browning, on both sides until blistered with several air pockets.

mandarin pancakes
Mu Shu Pork

Ingredients
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoon dry sherry, divided (any cooking sherry)
Hoisin sauce
1/2 pound boneless lean pork, shredded (leftover chops or roast work well, too)
4 dried black mushrooms (the grocers here carry a jar of mixed mushrooms in the $1 aisle that work really well)
2 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage
1 carrot, julienned
3 scallions, white and light green parts, slivered
1 cup bean sprouts
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten with 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons chicken stock
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugarDirections

Combine 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. sherry and 1 tsp. hoisin sauce in a bowl. Add the pork, toss to coat evenly, cover, refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for 20 minutes. Drain and thinly slice. If you are using jarred mushrooms, just drain, pat dry, and slice thinly.  Set aside on a plate, along with the cabbage, carrot and scallions.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and swirl to coat. Pour in the eggs, swirling and tilting the wok to form a thin film. Cook just until the eggs are set and feel dry on top, about 1 minute. Transfer to a platter, let cool slightly and cut into 1 inch strips.

Return the wok to high heat, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry to release the aromas, about 1 minute. Add the pork and stir fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. If using leftover (already cooked) pork, cook the veggies first and then add the pork.  Add the reserved mushrooms, cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, and scallions, along with the chicken stock, and stir-fry another 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and sugar, and cook, stirring until sauce boils, about 1 minute. Add egg strips and mix well. To serve, spread a small amount of hoisin sauce on a warm Mandarin Pancake. Spoon about 1/2 cup mu shu mixture in center of pancake, wrap like a burrito, folding the ends to close, and serve.

mu shu pork