recipes

[BTFLCHLD]

love this stuff
want to share recipes?
quick/easy are best!

[gretchen]

BACON AND LEEK QUICHE

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 1/2 stick(s) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup(s) ice water
3 tablespoon(s) ice water
1 pound(s) thickly sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 large leeks, white and tender green parts only thinly sliced
1 teaspoon(s) chopped thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
8 ounce(s) cave-aged Gruyère cheese, shredded
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cup(s) heavy cream or half-and-half

Directions

Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the 2 1/2 cups of flour with the salt. Add the butter and pulse until it is the size of small peas. Add the egg yolk and ice water and pulse until the pastry is moistened. Turn the pastry out onto a floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until smooth. Pat the pastry into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a floured surface, roll 1 disk of the pastry to a 12-inch round. Ease the pastry into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom without stretching. Trim the excess and use it to patch any holes. Refrigerate the tart shell for 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pastry.

Line the tart shells with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shells for 30 minutes, just until dry. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake the crusts for about 15 minutes longer, until they are dry and golden. Transfer the tart pans to 2 sturdy baking sheets.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain the bacon, leaving 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan. Add the leeks and thyme to the skillet, season with salt and white pepper, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the bacon and cheese.

Divide the bacon-and-leek filling between the tart shells. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the egg yolks and heavy cream. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Pour the custard into the tart shells and bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through for even baking, until puffed and lightly browned. Transfer the quiches to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the rings, cut the quiches into wedges, and serve.

[Zombie]

Ooooh, recipes! I pretty much always wing it, unless I am baking (baking is too science-y to wing). But with that in mind, here is a pasta sauce I make on a regular basis:

Annie's World Famous Supah Amazing Bacon Sauce (OMG BACON)

1 pound bacon - smoked is fine, peppered is fine, just don't do maple, unless you're disgusting.

Big onion - I like using red onions, but white and yellow ones will also work

Mushrumps - We like baby bellas, but regular old white mushrooms will work fine, or you can chop up some large portabella caps

Big can of plain tomato sauce - You can do diced or crushed canned tomatoes, and maybe add a smaller can of sauce, but I don't like chunks of tomatoes in things, so I do not do this.

Pesto - Any basil-based pesto will do, whether it's homemade or store bought.

Pastas - Look for a noodle shape with grabby stuff on it to grab the sauce. We like radiatore.

Garlic to taste - FRESH GARLIC mmmm. But you can use garlic powder if you don't have fresh. I suppose garlic salt would also work, but be careful, as bacon is salty enough on its own.

Parmesan cheese - Shakey cheese in a can is fine, but fresh is better.

Directions:

Get pan big enough to hold all your sauce stuffs. Chop bacon up into bite size pieces, toss into pan over medium heat. Chop up onion also into bite size pieces, and throw into pan with bacon when bacon is just starting to get crispy-ish. Let the onions soak in the bacon grease for a little bit, and then you can drain the pan a bit before continuing, if that's how you choose to live your life.

After that's done, if you're using fresh garlic, now is the time to mince that stuff up and throw it in there. Make sure it doesn't burn, because burnt garlic is awful. If you are using the powdered stuff, it can go in whenever you get around to it. Then slice up mushrooms same way, toss in when onions are bordering on translucent.

When your mushrooms are starting to get soft, dump your tomato stuff in there and mix it up really well. Then get your pesto and dump THAT in there, too. I usually do around 4-5 big spoonfuls, which is usually enough to get the sauce to turn a weird brown-green color. Weird brown-green color here is good, because it's the combo of the bacon and the pesto flavors that makes this awesome. Mix it all around! Mix! Mix! Mix! Yay!

Cook yer noodles according to directions on box while you're making the sauce. Get plate of noodles, dump large amount of sauce on it, top with cheese, love your life for the next however long it takes you pour it all straight down your throat!

Variations:

If you don't like bacon, you can go to hell - I mean, you can replace it with other things. Pancetta or prosciutto work really well, but those are much more expensive than plain old bacon. You can slap a pound of browned ground beef or veal or even turkey in there in place of the bacon for a tasty meat sauce. And I've had great success for vegetarian friends with replacing the meats with veggies - just do something with a bit of a bite to it, like zucchini or eggplant.

Next time, perhaps I shall post Annie's Supah Awesome Vodka Sauce of Hope and Wonder?

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Zombie

If you don't like bacon, you can go to hell

I like the way you think!

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by gretchen

BACON AND LEEK QUICHE
.

I don't recall having quiche. Ever.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by gretchen

BACON AND LEEK QUICHE

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 1/2 stick(s) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup(s) ice water
3 tablespoon(s) ice water
1 pound(s) thickly sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 large leeks, white and tender green parts only thinly sliced
1 teaspoon(s) chopped thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
8 ounce(s) cave-aged Gruyère cheese, shredded
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cup(s) heavy cream or half-and-half

Sounds amazing - I love quiche, and I think I might have this one over the weekend. Thanks!

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

I like the way you think!

I take my bacon very seriously. I firmly believe that there is not much in life that cannot be improved upon with the addition of bacon. And that includes more bacon. Bacon-wrapped scallops, bacon-wrapped chicken, bacon-wrapped shrimp, bacon-wrapped asparagus, bacon-wrapped bacon...

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Zombie

I take my bacon very seriously. I firmly believe that there is not much in life that cannot be improved upon with the addition of bacon. And that includes more bacon. Bacon-wrapped scallops, bacon-wrapped chicken, bacon-wrapped shrimp, bacon-wrapped asparagus, bacon-wrapped bacon...

Even though I've been on a mega diet for the past 10 months(lost 45 lbs), there's always been room for bacon! I eat a big spinach salad, about 5 days a week, but I always fry up a strip or two of bacon for it. The bacon's what makes it all tolerable!

I agree, bacon makes everything better! George Costanza could find a way to incorporate it into sex!

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Even though I've been on a mega diet for the past 10 months(lost 45 lbs), there's always been room for bacon! I eat a big spinach salad, about 5 days a week, but I always fry up a strip or two of bacon for it. The bacon's what makes it all tolerable!

I agree, bacon makes everything better! George Costanza could find a way to incorporate it into sex!

Congrats on the weight loss! I lost a bunch of weight a few years ago on what I called the Stir Fry Diet, haha.

Spinach salad should definitely have bacon - I usually make mine with a warm bacon dressing, then a couple slices of hard-boiled egg & some sliced red onion on top. Om nom nom.

Also, I can feel my arteries hardening just from looking at the photo, but have you seen the Bacon Explosion? I don't even know if I actually want to eat that, but the fact that it exists makes me happy anyway.

[ButterCookie]

Originally Posted by Zombie

Also, I can feel my arteries hardening just from looking at the photo, but have you seen the Bacon Explosion? I don't even know if I actually want to eat that, but the fact that it exists makes me happy anyway.

I wish I liked bacon so I could try that.

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by ButterCookie

I wish I liked bacon so I could try that.

You no like bacon? Why?

I suppose you could replace it with a similar cured meat. Prosciutto isn't as sturdy, but it might work.

Then again, it wouldn't be so damned trashy and amazing if you didn't use the bacon.

But! I just threw together some shrimp ceviche for toastadas for dinner, so here's another recipe. And it's healthy!

Annie's Half-Assed But Still Delicious Shrimp Ceviche

Half pound raw, peeled, deveined shrimpies, chopped up

Half cup lime juice (lemon or other citrus will also work, but I like limes)

Half of a red onion, diced

Minced fresh jalapeno to taste

Chopped fresh cilantro to taste (I like lots and lots)

Couple of diced celery ribs

Diced avocado

Couple of diced tomatoes (I do not use this part, because I do not like chunks of tomatoes)

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Get a non-reactive bowl - glass or plastic or stainless -and put your shrimpies in there, then pour the lime juice all over them. Cover the bowl and let it marinate until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. The lime juice "cooks" the shrimp for you - the amount of time this takes depends on how big your shrimp pieces are, but if they are fairly small, it may only take 15 minutes or so. NOTE: This works with other citrus juices and other types of fish and shellfish, as well, if you want to make a different kind of ceviche.

Get another non-reactive bowl, and huck your onion, jalapeno, cilantro, avocado, tomato and celery into it. Once the shrimp is done doing its thing, dump that in with the other goodies, lime juice and all. Mix! Mix some more! Make sure everything has some lime on it. Add your salt & pepper to taste, and then you're ready to nom.

This is a good filling for tacos or tostadas. Also good with tortilla chips as a dip or on crackers.

[KarmaContestant]

Sort of bacon...

Stuff pitted Medjool dates with herbed goat cheese. Wrap the date with a basil leaf, and then with a slice of prosciutto. Pin together with a toothpick to hold it all together.

Bake on a cookie sheet...about 375 with the cheese-side facing up, until the prosciutto is slightly cripsy. Enjoy!

Prosciutto is a mess to work with, but the end result is worth it.

[ButterCookie]

Originally Posted by Zombie

You no like bacon? Why?

Meatz makes me sick. I can do sausage, Chicken and Fish, other than that I get horribly nauseous.

I could try the bacon thing with cake though...

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Sort of bacon...

Stuff pitted Medjool dates with herbed goat cheese. Wrap the date with a basil leaf, and then with a slice of prosciutto. Pin together with a toothpick to hold it all together.

Bake on a cookie sheet...about 375 with the cheese-side facing up, until the prosciutto is slightly cripsy. Enjoy!

Prosciutto is a mess to work with, but the end result is worth it.

Prosciutto is BOMB, yo.

I do not usually like dates, but this sounds like something I would eat the hell out of, so I will have to try it.

Originally Posted by ButterCookie

Meatz makes me sick. I can do sausage, Chicken and Fish, other than that I get horribly nauseous.

I could try the bacon thing with cake though...

Oh, sad panda! What kind of sausage? Sausage over here is usually made from piggies, like bacon is.

[KarmaContestant]

There's a local cupcake shoppe here that sells chocolate cupcakes, topped with chocolate frosting and crumbled applewood bacon.

Someday I'll try one, but I haven't made it there yet.