You Say Fritatta, I Say Crustless Quiche

I can't think of a time where I don't want a quiche. The lightness of the egg, the freedom to throw whatever you'd like into it as long as there's dairy and something you naturally crave - simple ham and cheese, the shrimp and asparagus, the lobster and sour cream. I mean really, if you can make an omelet, you can make a quiche.

Most of us always have the ingredients around. Walk over to your fridge and take a look. I bet you have everything that you'd ever want, well maybe except the crust. Well if you don't have a crust, then you have the makings of a fritatta!

Stuff:
9 eggs
handful of thin asparagus ~1/2 cup
1/2 cup Black Forest ham, thinly sliced and diced
2/3 cup of whole milk
ground pepper
1 cup of grated sharp cheddar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter


Process:
Preheat your oven to 350.

Clean and break your asparagus. For those that have never done this, hold the stalk in your hands and slowly bend it. It will break in the correct area and provide the best tasting portion for you. It may seem wasteful, until you try to cook the entire stalk and get some rather fibery parts. Really the last thing you need are overly chewy chunks of asparagus in this dish.

Once you have broken apart these tasty treats, roughly chop them into smaller portions and set aside. Stack and dice the ham into very small pieces so that they will evenly distribute into the egg mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk, eggs, milk, and half of the cheese together. Once everything is smooth, mix in your pepper and set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in your ovenproof skillet on medium high. Just as the butter and oil begin to smoke, toss in your asparagus and cook for four to five minutes (or until bright green). Once you reach this point, toss in your diced ham and cook for another three minutes.

Pour asparagus and ham into the egg mixture and lightly combine. Some people pour the egg into the hot pan, but I prefer this method to prevent as I find it easier to spread the meat and vegetable around in the bowl and away from the heat. Too much activity in the pan can scramble the eggs when you really just want them to set.

Once mixed thoroughly, return to pan and reduce heat to medium low and pour remaining cheese on top. Allow the egg mix to cook for approximately another 10 minutes to set. As the mixture becomes somewhat solid, remove from the stove and place in the oven and cook for 20-5 minutes or until golden brown.

As you remove the dish, the fritatta will puff up and look like it will break free from the confines of the skillet but have no fear. As it cools, it will reduce back to its normal size. This should take 5 minutes. Waiting will also allow the cheese to continue to melt and spread and allow you time to make a side salad or some garlic toast.

Slice and serve.

Apple, Cheddar and Thyme Turnovers

Stuff:

1 tart apple
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 package of frozen puff pastry -- thawed
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon of chopped thyme
1 bowl of water

Process:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core and chop the apple into very small portions.

Slowly melt butter in a small saucepan and set aside once it's thoroughly melted.

Spread out the two sheets of puffed pastry and cut into 12 squares. If the puff pastry begins to get too doughy, place it back in the fridge for ten minutes. Place 1/2 teaspoon of cheese, 1 teaspoon of apple and a pinch of thyme in the center of each square, brush the edges with a scant amount of water and fold over into a triangle. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining squares.

Brush the tops of the turnovers with the melted butter and if you have extra cheese you can sprinkle atop as well.

Bake the turnovers for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve while they are still warm.

Curried Butternut Squash Samosas

What you need:

1 butternut squash
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 diced white onion
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of curry power
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 egg
1 package of wonton wrappers
canola oil for frying

Optional Items:

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
Chinese Hot Mustard

What you need to do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut your butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and filaments. You can certainly clean and wash the seeds and roast them in a light sprinkling of olive oil and salt. It really would be a shame to throw out this great protein snack. Lube up the squash halves with one tablespoon of olive oil and bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until the the flesh of the squash is easily punctured with a fork. remove from heat and let cool. Once you can handle them easily, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl.

Heat up the remaining olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan and saute the onions and garlic until they are soft. Shouldn't take more than seven minutes. be sure not to burn the garlic or everything will come out a bit too acidic. Remove from heat and stir in the curry powder. Once this is completely blended, add the butternut squash in sections. Continue to mix until smooth and then add in the sugar and salt.

Let this mixture rest some and taste it. Gauge whether you need anything more to bring out the tastes you like. Too many cooks forget to taste things along the way and run into problems of over salting or sadly under salting. Now I like to let this rest in the fridge for an hour or two so that the mixture is completely cooled before I start assembling them in the won ton wrappers, but you can really just jump right in.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg until it's blended completely. Take out your won ton wrappers and place roughly two teaspoons of the mixture in the center of the wrapper and seal it up. I've found that using a melon baller really does the trick with these items. Try to remove all of the air pockets with either the back of the spoon or your thumbs. Brush the edges with the egg batter and repeat until you've filled all of the wrappers.

Now before you start frying, clear out in area where you can use a cookie rack with paper towels underneath. Fill a deep skillet with the canola or vegetable oil and heat on medium high until very hot. Work in small batches and remember to never toss anything into the grease and carefully fry each samosa for 2 minutes on each side. Remember to only turn them once.

Once they begin to turn golden brown remove them for the grease and let them cool on the racks. Think of these just as you would when you are making bacon -- get them out before they are done and let them finish cooking on the rack. Cook the remaining samosas in this fashion and serve immediately.



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The Simple Pleasures Really are the Best

Every now and again I remember to let the food dictate my process. Sometimes I get ahead of myself trying out a new recipe or process and forget what I'm even eating.

This was not one of those times.

Simple, flavorful and unabashedly exactly what you'd expect it to be.

Roasted Pork Belly with Acorn Squash.

Few words would trigger an auto drool feature in the modern eater. Take some time to think about those six words. Let images of crackling and soft meat resting in its juices come to your frontal lobe. Think about your fork splitting up the tender meat and how it'll feel when you break through that slightly resistive coating and get to the moist meat within.

What do you need to get here?

Time. Three hours to be exact. Now this sounds like a long time, but really this is how you let the food speak and become the star. This isn't about the presentation, but know that liking the way something looks certainly increases the enjoyment of your meal.

Items:

One pound of pork belly - split in two equal sizes
Two tablespoons of olive oil
One white onion - thinly sliced
Half of bottle of white wine - I prefer Sauvignon Blanc
Salt and Pepper
One acorn squash

Process:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Examine your pork belly and trim off excess fat. You really do not need anything more than a centimeter on the top of either piece. You should also try to make sure that both sections are as close to identical for even cooking.

With a sharp knife, slice thin lines down the fat of the bellies to allow for the juices to run away and rend down. Be sure not to cut all the way to the meat. This also makes the finished product look oh so nice.

Thinly slice your onion so that you have a series of rings. I prefer using a mandolin for consistency and ease. Place these rings on the bottom of your roasting pan. You can also use a aluminum foil lined cookie sheet if you'd like. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of your olive oil on the onions and lightly add salt and pepper.

Rub salt and pepper on the pork belly and then drizzle the remaining olive oil on the pork. Really massage the meat with the mixture as it will really make a difference in the end. Place the pork belly pieces on the onion and roast for fifteen minutes.

You are cooking at this high heat initially to create a nice crust. After fifteen minutes reduce the heat to 325 and now we just settle in and wait. Once another 45 minutes has passed, carefully remove from the oven and drain the fluid from the pan. Return to oven and pour in wine but NOT on the meat.

Cook for another hour, drain and return to oven for final hour.

While this is happening, slice and clean your squash into equal parts. There should be roughly 6 portions. Remove the seeds and strings from center and cover in remaining olive oil and salt. Place on a baking sheet and cook along with the pork bellies for the final hour.

Remove the meal from the oven and cover the pork in foil and rest for ten minutes.

Plate and enjoy.

Comforting Chicken

As it gets deeper into fall, I like to make straight forward meals that don't take much time to prep and toss in the oven. I want something that fights off the cold and lets you enjoy the soothing flavors, like grilled rosemary and olive oil, or the filling heartiness of potatoes.

This chicken bake is quick and easy and hits all of those savory notes without much effort. You get the lovely feeling of crunchy chicken skin as well as the moisture of dark meat, the filling feeling of boiled and roasted potatoes mixing with tomatoes and olive oil. It's almost guiltless comfort food and you can (and should) serve the meal directly from the roasting pan on the table.

All in all the meal takes 45 minutes to cook, but most of that time is waiting for the goodness to come out of the oven.

6 chicken thighs - de-boned
2 pounds small potatoes
8 cloves of garlic
4 whole tomatoes or 2 14 ounce cans of tomatoes (drained and rough chopped)
4 sprigs of rosemary
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash potatoes and boil in 2 quarts of water for seven minutes. Once you are able to squeeze and burst a potato with a pair of tongs easily, drain and roughly tear them up with your fingers and place in your 13x9 baking pan.

Thoroughly wash and de-bone chicken thighs and pat dry. After all of the chicken has been cleaned and dried, roughly chop into chunks around two inches and place in a large bowl. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil over chicken and toss lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a skillet (I prefer stainless for a better browning process) and cook chicken skin side down for three minutes and then flip for another few minutes. You don't need to cook it all the way through, just create a good sear for the skin. Drain on a cooling rack. Once cooler to the touch place in your baking pan.

With the tomatoes you have two options -- blanching or using canned.

If you are using fresh tomatoes, blanch them to remove their skins. To blanch you will need to cut an "X" on the top of each tomato and place them in boiling water for one minute. Immediately remove the from heat and into a container of ice cold water. The skins should come right off. If they don't, use a paring knife and carefully remove the stubborn skin.

If you're going the simple route, open the can and drain the excess juice out.

With either approach you'll be roughly chopping them and placing them into you baking pan. Peel and coarsely chop your garlic and rosemary and also toss into the pan. Pour the remaining olive oil over the mixture and toss with your hands.

Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy. Pair with a tossed salad or mixed greens.

Seared, Sizzling and Satisfying

When you think of a steak, what comes to mind? A seared top and when you cut into it, you see that warm and juicy pink center.

Everyone says that they can make a steak but rarely does this come to fruition. It's really because people often try to add too many things and end up taking away from the meat itself. How many times have you seen something like this on a menu: rosemary infused, balsamic threaded or some other dreadful thing the chef came up with. In the end you spend the money and time to have a well prepared piece of meat cooked to your liking and paired with something that compliments the aforementioned steak.

Simple is always going to be better. Remember this. If you go to a friend's house and they try to shove garlic in the meat, or pound the steak for "tenderness," walk away and save yourself the pain to follow. The only thing that should be asked is how pink would you like the steak.

So how do you get to this magical place of meat bliss? You only need four food related items: a thick (an inch to an inch and a half) cut of NY Strip, olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and an oven proof skillet and tongs.

List:

3/4 pound NY Strip, roughly an inch and a half thick
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly ground pepper

Side Dish
1/2 pound of butternut squash, peeled and rough chopped
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Process:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel butternut squash and roughly chop into similar sizes for even cooking. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and cook for 30-40 minutes.

After thoroughly defrosting your steak, lightly squeeze it together to create more height. This action will give you greater control of doneness. Keep this in mind when buying your steaks as it's worth the money to go bigger not necessarily wider. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a plate. Sprinkle and press 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper on steak and then repeat on the other side. It may look like too much seasoning but remember that some will fall off during the cooking process. Coat each side of the steak in olive oil and place in a preheated, oven proof skillet.

Cook on each side for three minutes. Do not touch nor move it around. Just let it cook and create a good sear. Once you have seared the meat, place in the oven with the butternut squash. Cook for another 10 minutes for medium rare.

The Beautiful Simplicity of Fall

As we get deeper into fall, the food gets easier to cook as we all just want something filling, warm and savory to make us feel better. I love that really all it ever takes is a few ingredients and time. So with five ingredients and 45 minutes, I've put together a meal that recalls many of the things I love about this season -- crispy and savory skin on a moist bird, hints of heavy flavors with the herbs and the sweetness found in corn, oh and butter.

Have a go at this recipe.

Stuff
2 1 1/2-pound Cornish hens, rinsed and patted dry
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp crumbled dried sage
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sweet corn


Preparation

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of the butter with two tablespoons of sage and the salt. This is made far easier by letting the butter come to room temperature first. Resist the urge to pop the butter in the microwave or put it on the stove top. Believe me on this. The mixture should still have some resistance to it.

Loosen the skin covering the breast meat on each hen by slipping your fingers under the skin and sliding them between the skin and the meat. It'll feel a bit weird to be lifting the skin up but its' all worth it once you get in there. Be careful when you're doing this because you don't want to tear the skin.

Once you create some loose space under the skin of the hens, break up the butter mixture into equal portions and begin filling in the space underneath. Be sure to spread the butter out underneath the skin and get in as many spaces as you can. Afterwards season the hens with salt and pepper. If you'd like you can tie each hen's legs together with kitchen string. I don't find this step needed but some cooks really enjoy this presentation piece.

There are two options at this point.

If you have a large enough ovenproof skillet, you can heat the remaining butter and and sage sear the hens with the breast side up for one to two minutes and then place the skillet in the oven.

If you do not, heat butter and sage in a skillet and brown the hens one at a time (depending on space restraints) for one minute and then transfer hens to roasting pans with all of the juices.

Once the birds are in the oven, cook for 45 minutes. You should baste the hens in their juices every ten minutes. Continue to monitor the temperature until it reaches 180 degrees at the inner portion of the thigh.

I prefer using a steamer to prepare vegetables. Just keeps everything moist and it's just easier. Pop that corn into a steamer and cook for 12 minutes. Once done, place on plate and cover in some of the juices from the hens. The sage butter will really boost the flavor of the corn.