Spinach Quiche

This is actually called Spinach-Ricotta Pie from Moosewood Cookbook, but I generally don't use ricotta and I think of it more as a quiche so... I'll give the original recipe (which I don't think I've ever tried, so I can't say how it is, except that everything I've had from this cookbook tasted great), and then I'll tell you what I usually do :-)

Crust
1 cp flour (all AP or mostly AP and some whole wheat)
1/3 cp cold butter
3 T cold buttermilk (or water)

Cut butter into flour (I also add some salt). Add buttermilk and stir. Form a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least one hour.

Filling
1/2 lb chopped spinach
1 small, diced onion
butter
black pepper
salt
1/2 tsp basil
1 lb ricotta cheese
3 beaten eggs (I just crack them into the bowl)
3 T flour
1/2 cp grated sharp cheese
dash nutmeg
1 cp sour cream
paprika

Preheat oven to 375F. Roll out crust and put in pie pan or quiche form. Sautee first six ingredients. Mix everything together, blending well. Spread into unbaked pie shell. Top with sour cream, spreading to edges of crust. Sprinkle with a generous amount of paprika. Bake for 40-45 minutes and serve piping hot.

Other options:

• use cottage cheese instead of ricotta
• use a combination of cottage cheese (about 1 cup) and feta (about 7 oz)
• use feta only
• use feta and cheddar cheese
• use a block of cream cheese (or neufchatel) mixed with some yogurt instead of the sour cream
• use more spinach (I've used 12 oz to 24 oz! In the last case, I should have added another egg.)

If you try anything else, please let me know!

Kidney Bean Salad

My mom made this growing up, and I could seriously eat at least half of this recipe below if no one (including my conscience) stopped me! It is absolutely more-ish! Addictive! Just a note about ingredients: I had searched for years in vain for a pickle that tasted like the ones my mom used when I was growing up. Then my niece Devin made a comment about the pickles at the deli counter being somehow different than what you got in a jar, so I tried one, and, eureka, that was it! Also, about the mayonnaise, I was always a die-hard Hellman's fan. Until I tried Duke's. It's incredible. So close to homemade. It really makes a difference if you can find it. Enjoy! (125g = 111 calories)

2 15.5 oz cans kidney beans
1 large dill pickle
4 T mayonnaise

Drain the beans and rinse in a colander. Put beans in a medium bowl. Chop pickle in pieces the size of the beans or smaller. Put pickle in bowl with beans. Add mayonnaise and stir.

Jalapeno Garlic Cheese Spread

This won a ribbon at the fair in 2012. Oddly enough, I'm not so crazy about it but my mom absolutely loves it--especially in the summer!

3 cloves garlic

2 green jalapenos

2 red jalapenos

8 oz sharp cheese, room temp

dash of salt

dash of Worcestershire sauce

¾ tsp chili garlic paste

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

Combine garlic and jalapenos in a food processor. Add cheese in bits. Add rest of ingredients.

Pizza Dough for Thin Pizzas/French Rolls

This is actually a recipe for French Rolls that I got out of TeaTime (May/June 2010), but it makes wonderful thin pizza dough! It makes two pizzas. I, personally, do not use a food processor to mix mine. I just use the old-fashioned Amish dough whisk from King Arthur and then do it by hand. I think you only need to let it rise once for pizza.

1 3/4 cups bread flour

1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/4 tsp coarse salt

1/2 cup plus 3 T warm water (110 to 115 F)

1. In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, yeast and salt together until combined. With the motor running  add water through work-bowl spout, blending until dough comes together and forms a ball. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until dough forms a ball. Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm (85 F) place, free from drafts.

(The rest of the recipe is for the French rolls, although I've never made them, I thought someone might be curious.)

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times until dough forms a smooth ball. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise a second time until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

5. Divide dough into 12 pieces. Shape pieces into smooth balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush with butter. Let rise until doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 425 F.

7. Bake rolls until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with butter. Serve warm with more butter.