Preheat oven to 350° F.
Line the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with foil or parchment paper (for visual reference, the quiche at the top of this post used a 10-inch pan, and the quiche the very bottom used a 9-inch pan). It’s best to use two sheets, crisscrossing the sheets. Place the side of the springform pan over the foil and close the latch. If using foil, fold the foil overhang up over the base of the pan. Spray inside of pan with cooking spray.
Combine quinoa, butter, water and baking powder in medium bowl; stir well. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Reduce heat to medium; stir in shallots and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Whisk eggs in large bowl; gradually whisk in evaporated milk. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle half of the cheese over the crust.
Top with mushroom mixture.
Add egg mixture and remaining cheese.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
To serve, carefully loosen and lift side of springform pan. Gently peel away foil. If desired, transfer to serving plate using a spatula (it transfers easily!). Cut into wedges and serve.
Happy Easter, my friends!
Complimentary salad recipes:
Walnut Caesar Salad Fresh Fruit Salad Share this:
Email Print Pinterest Facebook Twitter Reddit Google Like this:
Like Loading...
By Chris | Posted in Breakfast , Holidays | Tagged breakfast , brunch , Easter , light , prepared , quiche , quinoa | Comments (3)
A New Take on Homemade Granola: Quinoa Granola with Raisinets March 23, 2013 – 9:45 am Written by Chris -
March 24 th is National Chocolate Covered Raisinets Day. Did you know that? What better way to celebrate than with a brand NEW Nestlé Raisinets recipe !
Raisinets are best known as a movie theater treat, but they also make a great addition to granola (and cookies !). When I make homemade granola, snack or trail mix, I like a little chocolate and dried fruit, so Dark Chocolate Raisinets make the perfect addition!
Let’s talk quinoa. Quinoa has been around long enough that you probably already know how good it is for you. You also likely know it’s a great addition to salads , sides and mains . But have you tried it in granola?
Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod created a recipe for Crunchy Quinoa Granola that looked fantastic! I have her to thank for the initial inspiration. Thanks, Maria! Brandi of BranAppetit developed a Stove Top Spiced Raisinets Granola for Nestlé that I fell head over heels for. She used cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and maple syrup and something about that combination tantalized my taste buds!
In this recipe, cooked quinoa (cooked in just water or equal parts water and apple juice), oats, nuts, seeds and spices are coated with a little coconut oil and maple syrup and then baked until golden. Raisinets and toasted coconut are added to the mixture once cool. Oh wow is this good!
Here’s the recipe…
Quinoa Granola with Raisinets Ingredients for 24 (¼ cup) servings:
Parchment paper 2 cups cooked ivory or red quinoa (cooked in water)
cup old-fashioned oats 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds 1/2 cup raw pepitas 1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 package (11 ounces) NESTLÉ RAISINETS Dark Chocolate-Covered Raisins 1 cup shredded coconut, toasted Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
COMBINE quinoa, oats, almonds, pepitas, sunflower seed kernels, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt in large bowl. Add coconut oil and maple syrup; stir to coat. Spread onto prepared baking sheet.
BAKE for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time, until golden and toasted. Once it has cooled completely, stir in the Raisinets and coconut. Store the granola in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Here’s a little tip. Add a few tablespoons of this granola to nonfat Greek yogurt, and then drizzle with a little maple syrup. Perfect snack!
More Raisinets Snacks:
Nutty Raisinets Trail Mix Raisinets Cereal Snacking Mix Share this:
Email Print Pinterest Facebook Twitter Reddit Google Like this:
Like Loading...
By Chris | Posted in Kids Love It , Side Dishes | Tagged chocolate covered raisins , coconut oil , confections , Raisinets , snacks , trail mix | Comments (4)
Dark Chocolate Pinspiration!
March 21, 2013 – 11:22 am Written by Jenny -
If you have been looking for some new dark chocolate recipes to prepare, have we got some to share… ten decadent, super indulgent Nestlé® Toll House® Dark Chocolate Morsel recipes! We handpicked 10 bloggers to come up with tantalizing dark chocolate recipes with photos to match and did they deliver. Talk about amazing, creative and delicious recipes. Those trying them out in the kitchen had a hard time putting their forks and spoons down (present company included)! We sampled cookies, cupcakes, truffles, ice cream, panna cotta, pots du crème, bread pudding, ice cream cake. It was a tough job but glad we got to do it! All the recipes showcased our dark chocolate morsels very well.
Now it’s time for you to be the judge in this blogger competition. You can vote for any recipe on the Nestlé® Toll House® Dark Chocolate Pinspirations Board by “liking” them or repining from the board. Also, you may pin them to as many of your Pinterest boards as you would like. The blogger with the most likes and pins wins $5,000.
Here are the ten blogger entries… drum roll please!
Dark Chocolate Double Coconut Cookies from Christina G. of dessertfortwo.com 2. Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies from Sally M. of Sally’s Baking Addiction 3. Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes from Erin S. of Dinners Dishes and Desserts 4. Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Panna Cotta from Josie T. of Daydreamer Desserts 5. Delicious Dark Chocolate Java Infused Cupcakes from Robin C. of Type-A Baker 6. Dark Chocolate Amaretto Bread Pudding with Raspberry Cream Sauce from Anna H. of My Feelings Taste Like Cupcakes 7. Raspberry Dark Chocolate Ice Cream with Brownie Chunks from Annalise S. of Completely Delicious 8. Dark Chocolate, Caramel, and Pretzel Crunch Ice Cream Cake from Lindsay S. of Life & Kitchen 9. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Crème from Megan G. of What Megan’s Making 10. Dark Chocolate Toffee Truffles from Jamie L. of My Baking Addiction I hope you are as impressed with these photos as I was. Which one will be your favorite or will they all be? The last day to vote is 3/31, so get pinspired !
Dark chocolate recipes from verybestbaking.com :
Dark Chocolate Ganache Brownie Cakes Dark Chocolate Cherry Fudge Share this:
Email Print Pinterest Facebook Twitter Reddit Google Like this:
Like Loading...
By Jenny | Posted in Desserts & Sweets | Tagged chocolate , contest , Dark Chocolate , pinterest , prepared | Comments (1)
A New Favorite: Fennel & Apple Salad with Apple Vinaigrette March 15, 2013 – 10:00 am Written by Chris -
This Fennel & Apple Salad has become my new favorite salad – and mind you, this is coming from someone who avoided fennel her whole life. Really. I’m not sure why it took me so long to warm up to fennel, but now, I can’t get enough of it. Fennel and apple play so well together and I’m kicking myself for just discovered this.
I have our local Farmer Fresh to You program to thank for my new obsession. Bi-weekly, we get fresh, local and organic produce delivered to our doorstep, so I like to challenge myself to create new recipes from what’s in the box. Two of our recent deliveries were overflowing with apples and fennel. My first thought was – shoot, what am I going to do with all this fennel? Then I remember coming across a recipe for a stacked fennel salad that caught my eye. It was more the visual that I fell in love with, because, well, fennel was the star ingredient.
I nearly always add fresh thyme, glazed walnuts or pecans and crumbled blue cheese to my salads, so why not incorporate these elements into a stacked fennel & apple salad? I thought I’d tie it all together with an apple vinaigrette that I created for Nestlé. Wow! I am certain I ate at least 3 servings.
I used a mandoline to slice the apples and fennel, but you could thinly slice with a sharp chef’s knife as well. I made one minor change to this recipe after photographing it. I’ve been using the mandoline to shave the apples and fennel almost paper-thin. This way, you can eat it with just a fork. It’s really just a matter of preference. One tip: if you like fennel, double the recipe and save half. This salad gets even better the second day! The fennel softens ever so slightly, the apple stays crisp and the flavors marry beautifully. I was topping everything with it – turkey burger, ahi tuna – you name it.
Apple & Fennel Salad with Apple Vinaigrette Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 1/2 cups Apple NESTLÉ® JUICY JUICE® All Natural 100% Juice 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 small red apples, washed, cored and thinly sliced 4 small fennel bulbs, washed and thinly sliced (about 4 cups total)
to 3 slices red onion (optional)
1/4 cup chopped glazed pecans 1/4 (1 ounce) cup crumbled blue cheese Fresh thyme leaves Directions:
BRING Juicy Juice to a boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cook for 20 minutes or until juice is reduced to ½ cup. Cool to room temperature. (Juice can be refrigerated in covered container for up to 2 days.) Whisk in vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper.
TO ASSEMBLE: Alternately stack layers of fennel and apple (and onion if using) on salad plates. Drizzle with apple vinaigrette. Sprinkle with pecans, blue cheese and thyme leaves.
Related recipes:
Apple Quinoa Salad Spring Farro Salad Share this:
Email Print Pinterest Facebook Twitter Reddit Google Like this:
Like Loading...
By Chris | Posted in Side Dishes | Tagged apple , beverage , fennel , fresh , salad , spring | Comments (1)
How to Roast a Rack of Lamb: Roasted Rack of Lamb with Mint-Basil Pesto March 13, 2013 – 12:18 pm Written by Chris -
Easter is right around the corner, so I thought I’d share my favorite spring lamb recipe ! If you are having a few people over, this recipe is for you!
When it comes to recipes, I don’t “do” complicated. I just don’t. Perhaps when my kids are grown, I will change my tune. But, for now, I like keeping it simple, delicious and nutritious.
Take this recipe, for example. I am using a rack of lamb – not a crown roast or leg of lamb. All taste delicious, but a rack of lamb is hands down the easiest to prepare.
In the spirit of keeping it simple, I took a couple shortcuts with this recipe. I purchased the rack of lamb already frenched (more on that term later). I also used premade Buitoni pesto. Buitoni All Natural Pesto is really good, friends! There’s no need to make pesto from scratch – let Buitoni do the work for you. I did add a little fresh mint and lemon juice to the pesto – mint pairs so well with lamb and lemon adds a nice zing!
Back to the term “frenched”… this just means that the rib bones are exposed (see picture below). Most racks are packaged frenched. If they aren’t, you can ask your butcher to french them for you.
I usually buy Australian or New Zealand lamb from Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or Costco – it’s a bit leaner and less expensive. One rack typically has 7 to 8 ribs, and this will feed 2 to 3 people. I’ve finally graduated to two racks for my family of five. (I was really taken back by how much my boys like lamb – very nice surprise!)
The cooking time depends on how big your rack of lamb is (most are packaged at 1 ½ pounds), and how rare you want it cooked. Rack of lamb should be cooked rare, or at most medium rare. The instructions I’ve provided are for two 1 1/2 pound racks (roast time is the same for one rack). Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. I prefer it to register between 125-130° F which is on the rare side. Once it’s pulled out of the oven, as it rests, the temperature will continue to climb a few degrees.
If you have a large oven-proof skillet, it will work great with this recipe! If you don’t own one or are unsure if it’s oven-proof, simply sear the racks in the skillet you have, and then transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet that’s been lined with foil. The foil isn’t required, but it sure makes for easy clean up!
Roasted Rack of Lamb with Mint-Basil Pesto Ingredients for 6 servings (2-3 chops per serving):
2 (1 ½ pounds each ) frenched racks of lamb (about 8 ribs each )
Kosher salt and ground black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 container (9 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated All Natural Refrigerated Pesto with Basil , at room temperature 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 2 tablespoons water 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Directions:
TRIM excess fat from the lamb.
ALLOW lamb to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting. When it’s at room temperature, it will cook evenly. Season the lamb on all sides with salt and pepper.
PREHEAT oven to 400° F.
HEAT the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb racks, fat-side-down, in skillet; sear until browned (this should only take a few minutes – you just want them browned). Turn racks over and sear other side. At this point, I like to drain the oil from the skillet so it doesn’t spatter in the oven. Turn racks meat-side up; place skillet in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer placed in thickest portion registers 125-130° F (medium-rare). It’s best to check it at 15 minutes, especially if your oven runs hot.
TRANSFER lamb racks to a work surface and cover loosely with foil; let them rest for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step – this is what makes the lamb so tender and juicy! Now is a good time to prepare the pesto sauce since it takes only a few minutes to put together.
COMBINE pesto, mint and water in medium bowl; stir well to combine. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add 1 more tablespoon if you prefer more tang. You might question why I added water to the mixture. I wanted it to be a little thinner in consistency – it’s just a matter of preference. I love the tang the lemon juice provides, but didn’t want to add too much. I could have also added more oil, but I didn’t want to add the calories. So water it was!
Cut the lamb between the bones into single chops. The chops above are too done for my taste, but they are cooked to perfection for my kids. They like their lamb medium, and this was their rack. The lamb in the image below was cooked rare to medium-rare. Just the way I like it!
Arrange chops on plates; drizzle with pesto. That’s it! This is truly one of the easiest recipes to prepare. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Related recipes:
Marinated Leg of Lamb Baked Cola-Brined Fresh Ham Share this:
Email Print Pinterest Facebook Twitter Reddit Google Like this:
Like Loading...
By Chris | Posted in Holidays , Main Dishes | Tagged Easter , easy , lamb roast , mint , pesto , prepared , spring | Comments (1)
A Make Ahead Brunch: Pan Dolce French Toast Bake March 11, 2013 – 3:37 pm Written by Nick -
I love classic French Toast. Growing up it was always a special treat to have French Toast, but my dad would be stuck in the kitchen while we were eating. The idea of a French Toast bake is new to me. It wasn’t until I had a friend’s Overnight French Toast that I even thought of making this type of dish. So, when I saw this Pan Dulce French Toast Bake , I knew it was something I had to try.
The recipe was simple and it keeps you out of the kitchen and with your friends and family. It would be a great dish for Easter brunch or whenever you might have friends or family for brunch. The toast was crispy at the top and had a cake like consistency in the middle. The coffee and cinnamon combination was perfect, giving it almost a coffee cake taste. It was so flavorful, you don’t even need to add syrup (although it’s quite delicious with NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Dulce de Leche if you want a decadent treat).
If you’re new to the French Toast Bake, try this one out. You’ll be glad you did!
Pan Dulce French Toast Bake Ingredients for 4 servings:
• 2 tablespoons NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Pure Instant Coffee Granules, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water • 1 (12 fluid ounces) can NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk • 4 large eggs, beaten • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 8 (about 4 small) cups cubed pan dulce (sweet Mexican bread)
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan.
WHISK coffee, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon in large bowl until well blended.
PLACE pan dulce cubes in prepared baking pan. Evenly pour egg mixture over pan dulce, ensuring all cubes are moistened. Let stand for 5 minutes for cubes to absorb the liquid.
BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Dulce de Leche or your favorite syrup.
