foodie wednesday: mushroom & brie mini quiche

for my family's christmas eve gathering, i offered to make an appetizer.  i wanted a delicious, savory, crowd-pleaser.  so, i came up with mini quiche filled with sauteed mushrooms & onions in a garlic butter phyllo crust.  yum!  my family seemed to enjoy them quite a bit : )

2 1/2 to 3 cups sliced mushrooms (any kind will work)
1 large onion, chopped
3 scallion stalks, chopped
8 eggs
1/4 lb brie
5 tbsp butter
10 sheets of phyllo
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of half & half
olive oil
salt & pepper
muffin trays (2.5 dozen)

1. preheat oven to 375.  while that preheats, saute mushrooms and onions in a bit of olive oil for 20-25 minutes.  season with 2/3 of scallions, salt & pepper.  (reserve final 1/3 of scallions as topping)

2. transfer veggies to a bowl and melt butter in the same pan that you cooked the veggies in.  add garlic and be sure not to let butter burn.

3. brush 30 muffin cups with butter mixture and then line each cup with 1/3 a sheet of phyllo folded in half.  brush with butter again.  be sure the buttered phyllo evenly covers the cup to prevent egg from sticking when it bakes.

4. spoon mushroom mixture into cups and top each with a chunk of brie.

5. mix eggs with half & half and salt.  pour egg mixture evenly into cups.

6. sprinkle each cup with a bit more salt, pepper and reserved scallions.

7. bake for 10-15 minutes until eggs are firm and phyllo is lightly browned.

these can be made up to 3 days in advance and just reheat before the party.  they are best if served warm.

enjoy!

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foodie wednesday: goat cheese with caramelized onions

this simple and extraordinarily delicious appetizer is always a hit at holiday parties.  the creamy, tanginess of the goat cheese paired with the sweet richness of the onions is culinary perfection.  i have to credit my sister, hannah, for this lovely combo : )

credit {here}

1 log of goat cheese

3 vidalia onions, sliced into ribbons

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

rosemary sprigs for garnish

cracked pepper to taste

(fresh bread, focaccia or crackers)

1) preheat oven to broil and heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.  add olive oil.

2) add onions to preheated skillet and cook on medium to medium-high heat until the onions are a rich, dark caramel color and have greatly reduced in size. this can take 30+ minutes, but it's totally worth it, trust me.

they look so delicious, don't they?! credit {here}

3) place goat cheese log in an oven safe dish (that you plan to serve it in) and heat briefly in oven until slightly melted.

4) once onions are completely caramelized, pour them and the oil from the skillet over the goat cheese, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and cracked pepper.

serve with crusty breads or artisan crackers.  this is one of my all-time favorite appetizers ever! 

credit {here}

want to make it into a side dish?  another great option is to turn this into a pasta side dish - add the goat cheese, caramelized onions and the olive oil the onions were cooked in to 1 lb of cooked penne and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and cracked pepper.  delish!

hope your holiday celebrations are as memorable as they are delicious : )

cheers!

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foodie wednesday: christmas breakfast

for christmas breakfast, my mom often makes an egg strata.  for those of you who are unfamiliar, egg strata is sort of like a savory bread pudding filled with ooey-gooey cheese and other deliciousness.  as you can tell from the recipe below, we always improvise...and it always turns out great!  another bonus?  you can make it in advance and bake it the day-of.  or, you can even bake it in advance and just reheat it in the oven on christmas morning.  it makes the whole house smell fabulous!

credit {here}

here's what you'll need:

1/2 a loaf of day-old crusty bread (we like to use rosemary focaccia)
2 onions chopped

approx. 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (a hearty, pungent cheese like swiss or cheddar tends to work best)
4-6 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk or half & half
mustard, worcestershire or ranch dressing to taste
salt & pepper
butter or olive oil

View full recipe

preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

1) while oven preheats, saute onions in either olive or butter over medium heat.

2) in a large, buttered oven-safe baking dish mix together chunks of bread, sauteed onions, cheese (saving a bit for the top) and season with salt and pepper.

3) in a bowl, beat eggs with milk (or cream) and season with salt, pepper and either mustard, worcestershire or ranch.  totally your choice, but traditionally my mom uses worcestershire sauce : )

4) pour egg mixture over bread mixture and press bread to make sure it absorbs egg mixture thoroughly. sprinkle top with remaining cheese.

5) bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown on top and eggs are set. 

credit {here}

this makes approximately 8 servings, so there will be plenty of leftovers to enjoy later or the next day.  keep in mind, above is a very "basic" strata recipe, so don't hesitate to add your own personal flare.  mix in roasted tomatoes, fresh herbs or crumbled chicken sausage to really impress.  yum!

merry christmas breakfast!

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foodie wednesday: pumpkin peanut curry

channeling some inspiration from our recent trip to marrakech, morocco, i wanted to try my hand at making a curry dish.  i wanted it to have a creamy, but not too heavy of a base, so i opted for puréed pumpkin to add a subtle richness to the dish.

here's what you'll need:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
3 medium yukon gold potatoes in 1/2 in cubes
2 cans (15 oz each) chick peas, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) organic pumpkin purée
1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes with sweet onion
1 can (12 fl oz) evaporated milk
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp curry
1 tsp cumin
dash of cinnamon
1/2 tbsp olive oil

1. in a large stock pot, saute onion & pepper in 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.

2. as they cook down, add 1 tsp curry & 1/2 tsp cumin.

3. once onions are translucent, add potatoes, garlic and peanut butter.  stir to coat all veggies with peanut butter.

4. add pumpkin, milk, tomatoes, a dash of cinnamon and the remainder of the curry & cumin.  stir.

5. simmer for approximately 35 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender.

6. once potatoes are cooked through, add chick peas and remove from heat.

serve over couscous or rice to soak up all the good sauce : )  makes approx. 6 servings.

bon appetit!

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