Basic Quiche

I LOVE Quiche -- It's such a simple dish to make. You can pretty much put anything you want in it - its totally up to you! It's very family friendly and its got ALL your major food groups too. Easy to reheat and portable - what else could you ask for!

Gingered Ham, Roasted Garlic Broccoli, and 4 Cheese Quiche

Here are some of the flavor combinations I've tried:

Roasted Butternut Squash, Cheddar, and Italian Sausage
Simple Ham and Broccoli with Cheddar
Spinach, Roasted Tomato with Gruyere

Added ingredients formula:
Cheese, Veggies, and Meat. Try not to add more than 4 flavors so you don't overwhelm the quiche.

Here's my Basic Recipe:

1 Pie Crust, uncooked, store bought or Homemade
4-5 Large Eggs
1 Cup Whole Milk - I sometimes use Coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup Veggies, cooked and cooled - roasted gives the best flavor **
1 Cup Meat, cooked and cooled
1 tsp seasoning of your choice
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Cup Cheese, grated is best

Preheat your Oven to 350F.

~           Prepare your pie crust in your baking dish, Put in Fridge to keep cold until ready to fill.
~           Whisk the eggs with the milk until well combined.
~           Add salt and pepper, whisk.
~           Add cheese to the milk mixture and combine.
~           Retrieve the pie crust from the fridge.
~           Add the Veggies and Meat. - See below ...
~           Pour the Cheese and Milk mixture over the veggies and meat. - See below ...

~           Bake at 350F for 50 - 60 minutes or until it looks slightly glossy on the top. I turn mine half way through so it bakes evenly.
~           Cover your crust with a Baking Pie Crust Shield to prevent your crust from browning to much - I usually take mine off a when there is about 10 minutes left in my baking time. 
~           Let cool for at least 10 minutes on a rack before serving.

This can be kept, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 5 days!

** To roast veggies: Oil your baking sheet with Olive Oil and cut up your veggies and spread on to pan. Drizzle lightly with more Olive Oil and season to taste. Bake at 400F for 15 - 20 minutes depending on which veggies you are using. 

More fibrous veggies like Broccoli or Cauliflower will need more time, where Root veggies, like Carrots or Squash need less time. 
The trick is - when you can smell them - they are done. Take them off the pan to a paper towel covered plate to cool and absorb the extra oil.

Veggies and Meat ...

Cheese and Milk Mixture added ...

Enjoy ....

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Tonight's Dinner:

I found this recipe on Pinterest today and decided it would be dinner! The flavor in this is incredible and it's such an easy recipe to put together and family friendly!! Enjoy ...

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken - from Natasha's Kitchen

Serving: 8 when served as sandwiches

3 lbs (about 5-6 count) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1½ cups BBQ Sauce, store bought OR Homemade

½ medium onion, grated (with juice)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar

8 Hamburger buns or your favorite large round roll

~  Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 5-6 qt slow cooker.

~  Add chicken and turn to coat.

~  Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Chicken is done when cooked through and easy to shred.

~   Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred each breast using two forks. OR, if its like mine, just do it in the pot. 

~   Place shredded chicken back in the crockpot and stir to coat with the yummy sauce.

Serve on buns with a little extra BBQ Sauce and Enjoy!!!

Crock Pot Ginger Ham with Jam

Crock Pot Ginger Ham with Jam

Ham:

10-12 lb Ham, fully cooked
1 2-liter bottle Canada Dry Ginger Ale
1 Ginger Root, peeled and sliced into strips
1 tablespoon clove root

Jam:

1 cup frozen Peaches, quartered
½ cup Frozen Mango, quartered
½ cup pineapple, quartered
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Slice most of the fat off the ham and off the bone. Cut into smaller, more manageable chunks so it fits in the crock-pot.
2. Pour ginger ale over the ham, and put in the ginger root and cloves.
3. Turn on to low for 4-6 hours, then high for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make Jam: 

1. In a medium pot, put fruit and balsamic vinegar. 
2. Turn on to medium heat until fruit is soft about 1hour. 
3. Stir every so often so it doesn’t burn. 
4. Once soft, stir in nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla. 
5. Take off heat and let cool until steam is no longer visible. 
6. Transfer to a blender and blend until smoother or chunky – your preference.

Once Ham is done slice it into slices and transfer to a baking dish. Smother the ham with the cooled jam and cover with tin foil. Cool at least 4 hours or overnight – this infuses the flavors. 

Bake at 350 degrees to warm the ham and jam mixture, about 30 minutes – serve warm.

Just Really Good Soup

I was inspired by my friend Sarah, I had the most incredible soup at her place for Sunday lunch and I thought I would create my own.

Just Really Good Soup:

3 cups broth (low-sodium)

2 cans (14 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup soybean, frozen or fresh

3 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tbsp. coconut oil

1 small onion

2 cloves minced garlic

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups fresh or frozen green beans

1 zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1. In a large crockpot, add broth, tomato sauce, beans and herbs.
2. In a large frying pan, melt coconut oil and saute garlic, onions, greens beans, zucchini, squash, and carrots for about 5 minutes or until tender. Take off the heat.
3. Sprinkle cayenne pepper over them and cover pan, allowing the spice to permeate them for about one minute.
4. Combine the vegetables with the ingredients in the crockpot. Stir to combine.
5. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours. 

NOTE: This makes a large batch of soup. If you would like to freeze portions of it to use later, undercook the vegetables just a little. Pour the soup into freezer Ziplock bags and let as much air out as you can. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the soup is frozen flat, it is easy to layer in your freezer and won't take up much room. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge for 24 hours and then reheat.

Rylinn's Crock Pot Pasta Sauce

1 pound ground beef, at least 70% lean
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 8oz can Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes, NOT drained
1 8oz can tomato soup, condensed
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup water

1. In large pan, mix ground beef with Worcester sauce and brown, drain. Transfer to Crock Pot.
2. In the same pan, sauté diced onion, shallot, and garlic until softened. Transfer to Crock Pot.
3. In the Crock Pot, mix in the tomatoes, soup, and all spices. Mix well with onion mix and meat.
4. Stir in brown sugar and water.
5. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Makes as many servings as you like :) Depends on how much sauce you like!

Can be keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days OR frozen for up to 3 months.