Mom's favorite Quiche

I had to put this up. Every time I get this from my Mom and write it down, for some reason it disappears and ends up torn to shreds. Thanks Hyrum. Anyway, here it is:

Crust Option 1:

1 1/4	cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/4	cup butter or margarine, softened
2	tablespoons boiling water Grease bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate with shortening. Stir Bisquick and butter until blended. Add boiling water; stir vigorously until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom and up side of pie plate, forming edge on rim of plate.

Crust Option 2 (My prefered):

Alton Brown's Southern Biscuits

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoons shortening
• 1 cup buttermilk, chilled (or use 1 cup regular milk with 1Tablespoon of vinegar, any kind)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Mix in buttermilk, and stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky. Grease bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate with shortening, press dough into the bottom and side of the pie plate, and form an edge on the rim of the plate. If there is any extra, it makes great biscuits.

Filling:

1	lb of sliced Canadian bacon or ham, chopped
1	cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz)
4	medium green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
1 1/2	cups half-and-half
3	eggs
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onions over crust. In medium bowl, beat half-and-half, eggs, salt and red pepper with spoon until blended. Pour into crust.Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until edge is golden brown and center is set. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 375°F.

spaghetti sauce -Try #7

Well, I've been making trying to make a homemade spaghetti sauce since I was a kid. I think back then I just used tomato paste, added water and italian seasoning. Since then I've learned a few tricks. Use tomato sauce, if it is a little too sweet add more parsley, if it is a lot more sweet, toss it. Anyway, I was making Indian Curry tonight and I accidentally confused tablespoons for teaspoons for the curry powder, and added three times the amount than I should. So, crying, I had to toss it. So, having very little else, and no canned spaghetti sauce, Sara convinced me to make one from scratch. After 6 failures, I wasn't sure what to do, so I scanned a few recipes, took some hints, and just started tossing stuff. It was good enough that I had to make more noodles just to keep everyone happy. I thought it was good enough I could add it to the blog.

1 lb. ground beef
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 T of brown sugar
2 tsp. of dried basil
2 tsp. of dried parsley
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 t. marjoram
4 mushrooms - sliced
1/2 of a large red pepper - roasted
2 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar

Brown beef, add all items to sauce, cook for 10-15 minute on medium. ENJOY

BBB - Baked Black Beans or Best Bacon & Beans, either way

I love black beans, I hate baked beans (sorry Mom), so when I found this recipe when I was looking up appetizers, I started drooling (just from staring at the recipe. Yeah, I know, I'm a nerd). I decided to make it one day, and Sara (who is not a big fan of baked beans either) was apprehensive, until she smelled it. This is the best stuff on earth, Just remember, go easy on the cilantro, it gives it a fresh kick.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup beef broth (cup of water and a beef bullion cube works)
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar (rice vinegar or cider vinegar can work too)
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and well-rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon, carrots, onions, garlics, jalapenos and salt and cook for 7-8 minutes until the vegies are tender.
Reduce heat to low, and add the beef broth, sugar, molasses, mustard, ketchup, vinegar, and black pepper and Stir. Add black beans and stir until they are coated. transfer to a baking dish (8x8 inch pan or glass casserole dish) and bake uncovered from 45 minutes to 1 hour until the beans are hot and a dark crust begins to form near the edges. Sprinkle lightly with cilantro and serve. ENJOY!!!
*note, this is an awesome dish.

Sugar Free Sugar Cookies

Dough
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup Splenda Granular
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon vinegar (white or cider)
3 Cups Flower
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Garnish
1/3 cup no sugar raspberry jam
3 oz sugar-free chocolate, melted

Blend together butter, Splenda, and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl. Blend until butter is softened. Add eggs, water and vinegar. Mix briefly. Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix with electric mixer on low speed (or by hand) until dough is formed. Do not over-mix.

Remove dough from bowl and place on a floured work surfave. ivide dough in half. Pat each half into a circle. Cover with plastic wrap and refigerate at least 1 hour, allowing dough to chill.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking pan or cookie sheet. set aside.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on a floured work surface to approx. 1/8 inch thick. Cut with large heart shaped cookie cutters. Cut small heart shapes out of the center of half of the cookies (these will be the tops of the finished cookies). Place cookies on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.

Lightly drizzle melted chocolate over cookies with the heart cut-outs. Spread 2 tsp. raspberry jam on the remaining cookies. Place the cookies with the heart shaped cut-outs on top of the cookies spread with raspberry jam

Makes approx. 16 loarge cookies and 18 maller cookies or 4 doz. standard sized cookies

Secret Donut Recipe

We have tried several donut recipes in the past, but so far this has been the favorite. You can find the full recipe and pictures at http://www.secretdonutrecipe.com/recipe1.html. This is a copy of that site. This recipe should make a dozen. The theory is that you can make this recipe in less time and loads less cost then it would take to drive to the store to buy some. They taste better too!

Microwave 1 cup of milk so that it is warm (not hot) add the 5 teaspoons of yeast (2 packets) and a pinch of sugar and stir. Let stand for about 5 minutes.

In a bowl combine:

2 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 cup of warm mashed potatoes

The potato is the most important part of the recipe, take one medium sized potato and poke some holes in it with a fork. Put it in the microwave for a few minutes until it is done (soft when you squeeze it). Scoop out a half a cup of potatoes for the recipe

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup of sugar

Then in the bowl add:

The milk mixture and 2 Tablespoons of oil

Mix the dough well by hand or in a mixer with a dough hook for 3 minutes. Prepare your kneading surface by spreading a few tablespoons of flour on a smooth surface. Put the dough in the middle of the flour and sprinkle a little flour on top and on your hands. Knead the dough a few times. Once the dough has been kneaded, spread it out to be a half inch thick with your hands or with a rolling pin. Now it is time to cut out the donuts, you can use a donut cutter or just use something about the same size and then find something to make the hole with. Place the donuts on a floured pan to let rise as you get the oil ready. Let them rise for a total of ten minutes (it takes about five minutes for the oil to heat up).

Pour about a half inch of oil (vegetable oil) into a cast iron pan. An electric fry pan works great also. The oil needs to be about 360 degrees which on my stove is about Medium to Medium High. If the oil starts to smoke it is way too hot. Test the oil with some of the scraps of dough and when it is ready cook the donuts until golden brown on each side. Allow the donuts to cool on a rack or on some paper so that the oil soaks off. 

Vanilla Glaze

In a mug, microwave half of cup of milk with a teaspoon of butter (you'll use this later)

In a bowl mix:

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons of the milk mixture

1/4 teaspoon of lemon

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

If you a really thin glaze, just add a little more of the milk mixture.

Chocolate Glaze

Use the milk mixture from above.

In a bowl mix:

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons of Hershey Cocoa

3 Tablespoons of the milk mixture from above.

Put a slightly warm donut face down in the chocolate glaze, turn slightly and remove. Perfect! Now you are ready to enjoy your dozen donuts.

Chickpeas, Chickpeas, Rolly Polly Chickpeas.

Now, we've all seen these beans in the super market. They are small, look like brains, and say garbonzo on the bag. But like most peas and beans, what do we do with them. With these ugly little things, there's only one thing that we should do with them. HUMMUS!!! This simple, semi easy treat can be done within minutes (after the hours it takes to cook the dried chickpeas), and it's pretty tasty. All it is, is spiced, cooked garbonzo beans (chick peas) in a food processor or blender, ground as smooth as possible. That's all it is. Then to make it even more delicious, add spices, tahini (olive oil and sesame seeds), garlic, and some lemon juice and you have a vegi dip and a bread/cracker dip for all you dips out there.

Seriously, I've heard of hummus in the past, and I had no idea what it was. So I decided to try it (without tahini, I had no idea what tahini was back then), and it turned out okay. Then last night, we decided to try it again. So I figured out how to make tahini (a complex recipe, I'll post that one first), and add it to 3 different hummus recipes. They ALL turned out great. I'm surprised and impressed. I also made some pita bread, and cut it into wedges to dip. This middle eastern food is actually flavorful, tasty, and a good meal to have while chatting with guests. So, here it is:

Tahini (Be careful, this burns easily)
2 c. sesame seeds (can be purchased at many stores like Sunflower Market)
1/3 c. olive oil

Heat a heavy, wide-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat.Add the sesame seeds and toast lightly - about 2 minutes, shaking the pan so they toast evenly. Two tips here: a) I am a messy cook with limited arm strength. I have a great fear that if I toss a pan, food will end up everywhere, therefore, I tend to just vigorously stir rather than toss. b) Keep a careful eye on the sesame seeds as they go from toasted to burnt really quickly. As soon as they start to brown, they are done.Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.

Original Hummus
2 cups of cooked chickpeas (garbonzo beans)
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
Drain chickpeas. Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, and olive oil in blender or food processor. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.


Spicy, Sweet Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbonzo beans)
1 (4 ounce) jar roasted red peppers (or roast your own red bell peppers http://videos.howstuffworks.com/ming-east-west/4682-roasting-red-peppers-video.htm)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
In an electric blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas, red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Process, using long pulses, until the mixture is fairly smooth, and slightly fluffy. Make sure to scrape the mixture off the sides of the food processor or blender in between pulses. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The hummus can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before serving.)
Sprinkle the hummus with the chopped parsley before serving.


Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
INGREDIENTS
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons tahini paste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups of chickpeas (garbonzo beans)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon paprika (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Place garlic, salt, tahini, and lemon juice into a food processor; process until smooth. Pour in the garbanzo beans and 1/4 cup olive oil; process until smooth again, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once smooth, add the sun-dried tomatoes, and pulse until they have been chopped to very small pieces and are incorporated into the hummus. Finally, add the basil, and pulse a few times until mixed in.
Spread the hummus into a shallow serving dish, and make a few decorative grooves on top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Enjoy!

The (Dave) Woods Clan Ratatouille

Ha Ha (spoken with finality)! Finally, I've come to the point in which I could try my own ratatouille recipe. The original ratatouille recipe, like I said, was just summer vegitables (tomatoes, eggplant, and squashes) diced and saute'd until tender in a lot of olive oil. Now, after watching the movie of the same name, and examining what the rat did, I believed that the rat had a good idea about how to make ratatouille. Like every expiriment, I had to make an original recipe first, which is what the last post was about. But with that done, the diced tomatoes seemed lacking and too squishy for the recipe, but they did provide a great flavor, so I switched it to tomato sauce. Next I relized that the recipe needed some flavor. When a recipe needs flavor there are 3 things you can: sugar, fat, or spices. Guess which one is the healthiest. So I decided I need to come up with a good mixture of spices. After thinking about it, the only thing that seemed to fit, was rosemary, thyme, and basic. I eventually decided to add parsley to even out the spices. Next I had to figure out what vegies. So I went to the market and got whatever was on sale.

Next I had to think about how to arrange the seasonings and vegies. Do I mix it all together and call it good, or do I layer it. After watching the movie, I decided to try layering it. There's a problem. How do I layer it? So thinking about, I decided to let put the tomato sauce on the bottom. As the liquid starts to leak from the vegitables on top, it will cause the tomato sauce to become runny, this is actually to my advantage. It will cause the spices mixed into the tomato sauce to start traveling from the bottom of the pan to the top, and will bring up all the other spices along the way. This will cause all the flavors to mix together with out all the vegitables mixing together.

Needless to say, it turned out great. It took me and Sara all our effort to not finish off the large pan. I definately recommend it, or....um....I wouldn't have put it on this blog.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 teaspoon of basil
3/4 teaspoon of thyme
3/4 teaspoon of rosemerry
1 1/4 teaspoon of parsley
2 8-oz cans of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large eggplant, peeled, cut length-way into fourths, and thinly sliced
2 zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced
2 yellow squash, peeled and thinly sliced
2 green peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup of mushrooms (optional
3/4 teaspoon of salt, separated
parmesian cheese (for sprinkling)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the spices (basil, thyme, rosemerry, parsley). Mix 1 Tablespoon of the mixture to the tomato sauce. This should leave about 1/2 teaspoon left for later. lightly saute' the garlic until aromatic, set aside for later.

Grease a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick spray. Spread the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer the eggplant on top of the tomato sauce. Spinkle the rest of the spices on top of the eggplant and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Layer the zucchini next, then the squash, then the green peppers, and any other vegies that you want. Sprinkle the rest of the salt on top.

Cook for 45 minutes. Sprinkle parmesian cheese on top and cook another 15 minutes. Serve hot with rice, noodles, or cooked potatoes.

Enjoy.