Easy Recipes

I have this theory that the bulk of electric items that malfunction do so because they are, on some level, either:

1. unplugged
or
2. dirty

Sure, I understand that there are a wealth of complex problems that afflict larger machinery (as my recent $1,600 car repair bill can attest). But when a bike light/toaster/mixer stops working, I find that if I unscrew the back plate, and then either blow out a clot of dust or reconnect some wires that are clearly no longer connected, nine times out of ten the thing will blink back into life. Its enough to give a girl a false sense of prowess. I can fix things! Okay, maybe I dont fully understand how a circuit works, but still! I can fix things! Similarly, I have no culinary degree, and dont really understand the intricacies of pastry and what-have-you. But with a few small tweaks, I managed to come up with a breakfast creation that makes me feel like Ive got this whole cooking thing down backwards and forwards. I can fix breakfast!

To be clear, Im not usually a big fan of figs. Or so-inviting-yet-so-often-one-dimensional-and-disappointing sticky buns. Yet somehow, I bravely soldiered through these twin adversities and came up with a sweet figgy breakfast that is crazy good: the fig, pistachio and goat cheese danish.

Figs have a lot going for them. Namely, they grow all over Portland, plopping down on sidewalks (or, in this case, your neighbors yard), free for the taking. And theyre beautiful, especially the Adriatics, with their light green skins hiding comically bright fuscia centers. But flavor-wise? Meh. As someone who always likes a bit of punch to my desserts (well, to all my meals, really), figs are just a bit too one-note for my tastes. Theyre all syrupy sweetness, no citrus sourness or berry brightness or appley snap. But luckily, these problems can be solved. With pistachios and goat cheese.

Instead of the stales-within-minutes standard sticky bun dough, I started off with a rich danish dough instead (I used Nigella Lawsons brilliant cheater method, which is really just an easy combination of cutting butter into flour like pie crust, and then mixing in a yeasty, eggy slurry and giving the results a few turns). After folding and rising (you can stretch this out between a few days), you roll it out and spread on a rich-and-nutty-but-not-too-sweet pistachio paste, crumbles of tangy goat cheese, and those figs. The end result is perfect: the sweetness of the figs kept from becoming too cloying by the slight sourness of the goat cheese and the buttery, yeasty lightness of the dough. The pistachio paste keeps everything rich and creamy without overwhelming, and the figs are also just plain pretty. Yes, Ill acknowledge that creating this recipe didnt really take too much specialized knowledge — I just unscrewed the back plate off the standard sticky bun, and connected it with some of my favorite flavor (and, if were being honest, color) combinations. But the end result is so good, Id swear I actually knew what I was doing.


Fig, Pistachio and Goat Cheese Danish

yields 12 danish
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Last week I made mushroom quiche for our weekly lunch club. And as one of my office-mates took a big, rich bite (accompanied by a big, richness-cutting arugula/squash salad), he sighed in contentment. "Who came up the idea that quiche is somehow not something men eat?" he wondered. "Quiche is good." He went back for a second piece.

It turns out that the branding of quiche as sissyfood comes from some stupid "humor" book of the 80s. And I dont know if it has something to do with that, or the general move away from rich dairyfat and carbohydrates, but quiche doesnt seem to be that popular anymore. Which is a shame. As last week affirmed, a warm quiche, paired with a healthy salad, makes for a fine, fine lunch.

I love a good quiche. And by good, I mean that it has a real flaky butter crust (even with some whole wheat flour added in); a tender, trembling custard; and is filled with both grated cheese and hefty helpings of fresh vegetables. Its good morning or night, and thus routinely makes my short list of food delivery items for friends in the first weeks of parenthood (when the two begin to blend together). Plus its something that most people dont make for themselves, so it feels a bit special.

Im a big fan of quiches filled with spinach or chard, complementing the cheesiness with some dark leafy greens. But since I was also bringing a big salad for this meal, I decided to take the quiche in a slightly different direction. I cooked down a whole pound of mushrooms until they were dark and flavorful (and, equally important, had shed the moisture that could sog things up), along with a tangle of softened leeks. And to keep things from feeling too brown, I tossed in a few chunks of tangy soft goat cheese. The resulting quiche is rich, satisfying, and well deserving of a popular resurgence. 


Mushroom Leek Quiche with Goat Cheese

1 pie crust, par-baked if you have the patience for it (I made this latest one with a half whole-wheat rough puff pastry)
2 tablespoons butter, plus a few thinly-sliced pats for dotting the top
1 large leek, or 2 small, washed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon high-heat oil, such as grapeseed
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, grated (you can substitute gruyere or emmental)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled into big hunks
2 cups milk or half-and-half
2 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch white pepper
pinch grated nutmeg
handful chives, minced (optional)

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or cast-iron skillet over a medium flame. Saute the leeks until well softened, but not browned, ~10 minutes (adjust heat as needed). Transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.

Raise the heat in the pan to high, and add the oil. When hot, add the mushrooms — you dont want it to be more than a generous layer or so deep, so you made to do this in batches. Salt lightly, and cook without moving until the liquid comes out and then evaporates (a few minutes). Stir, and cook the other sides until done. Repeat with remaining mushrooms and additional oil, if needed. These steps can be done in advance.

When youre ready to assemble your quiche, preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Take your (possibly par-baked) crust, and scatter the grated cheese over it. Add the leeks and mushrooms, then top with the goat cheese. You can leave as is, or tumble it up a bit.

In a large bowl, mix together the milk or half and half, eggs and egg yolks, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and chives, if using. Whisk gently, so that the mixture is combined but not frothy. Pour this custard mixture into the quiche shell (depending on its depth, you may not need all of it). Scatter the butter over the top.

Carefully place the quiche in the oven, and bake until only the center inch or so wiggles when you nudge it (about an hour). Remove from the oven, and let set a bit before serving.

A friend of mine told me that after she had a baby, she kept forgetting to brush her teeth. It wasnt a question of a lack of time, or new-baby distraction (although these were both big themes in her life). Its just that toothbrushing is something thats tied in to a normal sleep cycle. You brush your teeth when you wake up in the morning, and you brush them again before you go to bed at night. In life with a newborn, there is no longer a discernible "morning" and "evening" -- just periods of wakefulness and sleep, scattered over random hours throughout the day and night. When does the day begin and end? Who knows.

For this reason, quiche has become a standard part of my food delivery package to all of my new parent friends. Its good for breakfast, and its good for dinner. Its great heated up, but its also fine at room temperature. Its got the protein and fat under-slept bodies crave, but its also a good landing pad for healthy vegetables.

This particular variation features Swiss Chard and creamy goat cheese, but the template can be used to showcase whatever vegetables are in your refrigerator (or garden). Ive made quiches with fresh spinach, thinly-sliced asparagus, smoked salmon and herbed cream cheese, and fresh tomatoes (and many combinations of the above). The basics of any version I make are the custard, which is more delicate than most (which tend to feature far too many eggs), and a bit of swiss or gruyere cheese to meld into it. I also use leeks in every quiche I make to add a savory depth. They subtly melt right in, so that you might not even notice them -- youll just notice that the quiche is delicious.


Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Quiche

Inspired by many sources, including Cooks Illustrated, but modified heavily

The exact amount of custard you need will vary, depending on the size of your pie dish and the size of your filling ingredients -- make sure you dont overfill. Keeping the crust well-chilled until baking helps it keep its shape without sagging, and keeps the custard inside. Can you tell Ive had custard spills? If your crust does spring a leak, dont worry -- just place a cookie sheet on the rack below it to catch the drips.

1 unbaked pie crust (I generally make a whole wheat version), chilled
2 Tbsp butter
1 large leek, or 2 small, washed and thinly sliced
1 bunch swiss chard, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
2 cups milk or half-and-half
2 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper
pinch nutmeg
1/4 lb swiss cheese, grated (you can substitute gruyere or emmental)
4 oz goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or cast-iron skillet over a medium flame. Saute the leeks until well softened, about 10 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Remove, and set aside. Add the chard to the pan, and cook, until tender, stirring occasionally (you may want to cover the pan, until the chard cooks down). Set the chard in a colander, and press with a wooden spoon or your hand (once its cool!) to remove excess liquid. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the milk, eggs and egg yolks, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk gently, until just barely combined. Set aside.

Take your pie plate out of the refrigerator, and scatter the grated cheese over the bottom (the oils in the cheese are supposed to create something of a seal, to keep your crust crisp). scatter the sauteed leeks and chard evenly over the cheese. Break the goat cheese into blobs, and scatter them over the top. Give the custard another stir to re-mix, and gently pour it in. You might not need it all.

Carefully place the quiche in the oven, and bake until only the center inch or so wiggles when you nudge it (about an hour). Remove from the oven, and let set a bit before serving. Can be served at room temperature, but I like it best warm.

A few years ago, I was cooking with a friend on a Sunday afternoon, making several dishes to leave us with leftovers for the week ahead. We were debating what to make for dessert, as a possible surprise for her husband. Somehow we hit upon the idea that it would be funny if dessert were, for no real reason, a fully iced layer cake. And so we baked and frosted one, and presented it with much fanfare and giggling.

I love the idea that any random weeknight dinner can easily turn into a celebration. While we dont always have time to construct an iced cake, there are several little turns that you can easily take, quickly turning any dinner into an occasion. Especially when you have some delicious berries to work with.

To be clear, I think berries are a celebration in and of themselves. But with just a few easy accompaniments, they can be so much more. Whether its honey-sweet Greek yogurt (like at last weeks delicious lunch club), a shortcake biscuit, or a blob of barely-sweetened whipped cream, the ordinary can become festive. Recently I rounded up a few quick berry-friendly desserts, from busy-day cake to a blitz-in-the-blender clafouti. But my favorite is this goat cheese cream, where a soft block of chevre is melted into a cheesecake-like custard sauce. Paired with a compote or fresh berries, its a celebration of the season (or of whatever else youre looking to celebrate). You can find all of these recipes over at The Oregonian.