Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook (8 page)

This is an elegant take on spinach quiche. If you desire a bit more spice, try adding more Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper than the recipe calls for. This is what I did for another of those church potlucks, where I always find an eager bunch of hungry tasters.

Serve with sliced fresh fruit, a green salad with vinaigrette dressing, and hot rolls.

1.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

2.
In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter and press on the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool. (Leave the oven on.)

3.
Cook the spinach according to the package directions, place in a strainer, and press out all the liquid. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, heavy cream, mustard, and salt until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add the spinach, grated cheeses, scallions, paprika, and cayenne. Beat on low speed until well combined.

4.
Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for about 1 hour 5 minutes, or until the filling is set and browned. Cool for 15 minutes on a rack.

Makes 12 servings

The Boulder Chili that accompanies this dish is not vegetarian. You can use vegetarian chili, if you wish.

1.
If using the Boulder Chili, make it and allow it to cool.

2.
In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the cream, salt, and pepper. In a broilerproof nonstick medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When the pan is hot, pour in the egg mixture. Cook over low heat until the edges begin to set. With a heatproof silicone spatula, gently push the edges of the cooked egg into the center of the pan, using a minimum number of strokes. Tilt the pan so that the uncooked portion of egg flows out into the bottom of the pan, making an almost-even overall layer of egg.

3.
Position a rack 6 inches from the heat and preheat the broiler.

4.
In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and Cheddar and set aside. When the eggs are about halfway done (i.e., when they are about half liquid and half solid), spoon on the chili in 3 spokelike lines that divide the eggs into 6 equal sections. (The eggs will look like a pie.) Scatter the chopped tomato and scallions between the
lines of chili. Carefully spoon the sour cream–Cheddar mixture on top of the chili spokes. Do not worry if some spreads off the chili.

5.
Place the pan under the broiler and broil, watching carefully, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the eggs are done and the cheese has melted and puffed slightly. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 large servings

1½ pounds lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, crushed through a press

5 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon prepared powdered chili mix

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1½ teaspoons salt

Contents of one 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Contents of one 15-ounce can chili beans in chili sauce, undrained, such as Kuner's

2 tablespoons Pinot Noir or other dry red wine

In a large sauté pan, sauté the beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until the beef is just browned and the onion and garlic are tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the tomato paste, powdered chili mix, mustard, salt, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and beans. Add 2 tablespoons spring water and the wine to the chili bean can and scrape down the sides, then pour into the beef mixture. If the mixture is too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons more water. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling.

I set one mystery in a public library, which inspired dishes named from Charles Dickens's works. (See also the Bleak House Bars
here
.)

1.
In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half over medium-low heat until very hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat.

2.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the flour, and whisk a couple of minutes, until it bubbles. Slowly add the half-and-half, whisking constantly. Cook and stir this cream sauce until it thickens and is very smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside, stirring frequently, until cool enough to touch with your (clean) finger.

3.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.

4.
In a small bowl, whisk together the baking powder, salt, and cayenne. Stir this mixture into the cream sauce along with the mustard. Whisk until smooth. (Do not reheat.)

5.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs until they are frothy. Keeping the beaters going, slowly add the cooled cream sauce and beat on low speed until completely combined. Toss the cheeses together, then thoroughly stir them into the egg-cream sauce mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

6.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the pie is puffed, brown, and set in the middle. Serve immediately, as the pie deflates as quickly as a soufflé.

Makes 8 large servings

When local fresh asparagus appears in the grocery store and at farmers' markets, it's time to pounce. This dish turns that lovely vegetable into an entrée.

1.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

2.
In a small sauté pan with a lid, heat about ½ cup spring water just to a boil. Pour in the cut asparagus, cover, and remove from the heat. Allow the asparagus to steam, off the heat, while you prepare the other ingredients.

3.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until they are very well blended. Beat in the cream, mustard, salt, paprika, and cayenne on low speed until well combined. Using a heavy wooden spoon, stir in the cheeses, stirring until well combined.

4.
Drain the asparagus. (It should still be bright green, with a tender, slightly crunchy texture.) Arrange it over the bottom of the pie plate. Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus and place the quiche in the oven.

5.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the quiche has puffed, browned, and set in the center. Allow to cool 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 8 servings

Note:
  
Since this is a crust-less quiche, it should be served with rolls or other bread.

Maybe a frittata is indeed a fancy name for an omelet. Who cares? The kids will undoubtedly call it “scrambled eggs” anyhow.

1.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

2.
Rinse the broccoli, remove the stalks and discard. On a large cutting board, chop it into florets. Measure out 2 cups and reserve the remainder for another use.

3.
Place the broccoli on the baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then put the onion on top of the broccoli and pour 2 more tablespoons of oil on top. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, then return to the oven for 15 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. (Leave the oven on.)

4.
While the broccoli and onion are cooling, rinse the spinach and, in a medium covered saucepan over medium heat, use only the water clinging to the leaves to steam until wilted. This only takes a couple of minutes. Watch carefully; do not scorch. Drain and allow the spinach to cool. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, use paper towels to carefully wring out all liquid. Remove the spinach to a cutting board and chop it.

5.
Using a clean cloth towel that can be stained, or paper towels, wring all the liquid out of the mushrooms.

6.
In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the scallions and mushroom pieces and cook until the mushrooms begin to separate. Remove from the heat and place the scallion-mushroom mixture, along with any liquid, into a bowl. Wipe out the skillet.

7.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are well blended, then blend in the cream, salt, pepper, Havarti, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan. Mix the cooled spinach, broccoli, and onion into the egg-cheese mixture. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat, just until it ripples. Carefully pour the egg-cheese-vegetable mixture and the scallion-mushroom mixture into the skillet. Stir to combine.

8.
Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan on top.

9.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the center is set.

Makes 8 servings

This is our family's favorite quiche. The original recipe, over which I would make changes through the ensuing forty years, came from a fellow art history graduate student, Deb Berek, to whom I am forever grateful.

To my dismay, Ferdinanda's Florentine Quiche is the one recipe in a Goldy book that was printed with an error in the first printing of the hardcover of
Crunch Time.
I'd doubled the recipe when I was testing it, so I could take two of them to a church function. Unfortunately, I forgot to cut the cottage cheese back in half when I typed up the recipe for the book. Later versions of the published recipe (including this one) contain the correction.

For the rice crust:

1.
Butter a 9-inch glass pie plate.

2.
In a bowl, beat the egg until frothy. Add the rice and Gruyère and stir well. Press this mixture into the buttered pie plate. Set aside, or refrigerate, covered, until you are ready to make the quiche.

3.
When you are ready to make the quiche, preheat the oven to 350˚F.

For the filling:

1.
Cook the spinach according to the package directions. Drain thoroughly, place in a sieve, and press out all the liquid. Place the spinach in a bowl and stir in the melted butter.

2.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Stir in the cottage cheese, cream, mustard, salt, paprika, cayenne, and grated cheeses. Stir until well mixed. Add the buttered spinach and stir again, until well mixed. Pour the spinach mixture into the rice crust.

3.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown, and set in the center. (Check the center with a spoon to be sure it is no longer liquid.) Allow to cool 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Makes 8 servings