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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.

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?

I like the way you think!:thumbsup:

I don't recall having quiche. Ever.

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

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! :woohoo:

I agree, bacon makes everything better! George Costanza could find a way to incorporate it into sex!:blob2:

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. :laugh:

I wish I liked bacon so I could try that.

You no like bacon? :distress: 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.

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.

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...

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. :thumbsup:

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

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.

I have heard of the chocolate covered bacon and such, but haven't tried it yet. I assume it'd be tasty in much the same way chocolate covered potato chips or pretzels are tasty - the whole sweet/salt thing.

If you try one of those cupcakes, you gotta tell me how it is. :D

LMFAO!!!:lol:

Annie, my daughter and I have both sat here and cracked up at your recipe. That was great! We'll NOT be going to hell, becuase we love bacon... to hell with the arteries.

Haha, glad you liked it! But seriously, try making the sauce. It's super tasty. It's one of my signature dishes, people are constantly after me to make it for them.

thanks for the recipes...keep 'em coming.

KC...I love dates :nod:

Z...yes please share your "Vodka Sauce of Hope and Wonder" :woohoo:

These are yummy...

Chiles Rellenos Puffs

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (3 oz)
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3 oz)
1 (9 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

Heat oven to 400°F
Spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
In 3-quart saucepan, heat water and butter over high heat to a full rolling boil.
Remove from heat.
Stir in flour, cornmeal and salt (cumin and cayenne if using) until mixture forms a dough and all lumps have disappeared.
Gradually stir in beaten eggs until well blended.
Stir in both cheeses and the chiles.
Spoon dough evenly into muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
Bake 25 to 29 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool 2 minutes; remove from muffin cups. Serve warm.

^^^^^

Mmmm, chiles rellenos. When my oven gets fixed, I am going to try those.

And now, sauce!

Annie's Supah Awesome Vodka Sauce of Hope and Wonder

WARNING: Vodka sauce is not exactly healthy. I only make this every once in a while because it is so good, I want to drink it straight without even bothering with noodles, and that is WAY too many calories. With that in mind, however, you can substitute some things to make it less calorie-heavy, but it will affect the taste a bit (in my opinion).

That said, penne alla vodka is quick and easy, and perfect when you have company for dinner, because it looks and tastes restaurant-quality. People will think you are fancy-dancy. Just don't tell them you got the recipe from Zombie, because they might think you said "a zombie," and be concerned for their health.

You will need -

2 tablespoons butter - Margarine will work, just not the tub kind, because that melts goofy. You can also use olive oil. Keep some extra nearby, in case you need more while you're cooking stuffs.

1/2 pound or so of pancetta, chopped - If you can't find pancetta at your regular grocery store, try somewhere like Whole Foods, Schnucks, or Trader Joe's. Or if you're extremely lucky and have an Italian deli nearby, go there. The pancetta is what makes the sauce, so it's worth it to try to track it down. If you can't find pancetta, look for a good thick capicola you can chop up. Prosciutto will work, but it is difficult to chop up. And if all else fails, you can sub in regular bacon.

1/2 cup vodka - Does NOT have to be fancy vodka. Cheap vodka works fine.

Big can of plain tomato sauce - I don't have any of this size in the pantry at the moment, but off the top of my head, I want to say they are usually about 28 oz. Crushed tomatoes will also work, but as I've mentioned before, chunks of tomato are not my thing. In fact, if any are on my plate, I take that as a sure sign the terrorists are winning. So you can use crushed tomatoes if you want, you damn liberal, but just be aware that you're letting the terrorists win. Okay? Okay.

Pint of heavy whipping cream - Some people use half-n-half to cut down on the calories, but I don't think it tastes as good when you do that, and you will need to add something like cornstarch to make it thicken up in the sauce like real cream will do. You will likely not use the entire pint, but get a pint to be safe. If you have leftover cream after making the vodka sauce, check out the end of this recipe - I'll put instructions for an alfredo from scratch you can use it for. I'm so helpful.

Fresh garlic to taste, minced

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste - This is optional if you don't like spicy stuff, but it does enhance the sauce as a whole, so try to put even a tiny bit in, if you can.

Small onion, diced - Red is nommy, but yellow & white works, too.

Pasta - Penne is usually used for alla vodka sauces like this one, but you can use anything that makes a good vehicle for delivering the noms, like tagliatelle or even regular old spaghetti noodles.

Fresh Pecorino Romano cheese, grated or shaved - If you've never had Pecorino, now's the perfect time to try it! This is a tasty sheep's milk cheese and it will be your new best friend. Parmesan/Parmigiano-Reggiano works, too, but make sure it's fresh and not the shakey cheese in a can kind, because no.

Salt to taste - Pecorino is a salty cheese and pancetta is a salty meat, so be careful you don't salt yourself stupid, like that one time you inhaled an entire pizza from Pizza Hut and ended up deciding that there shouldn't be such a stigma attached to drinking out of the toilet, because - look at all that water! In one spot! And it's probably cold, too! How convenient!

(Yeah, I just made a potty joke in the middle of a recipe for fancy-dancy alla vodka sauce.
http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/v...ingcrabgif.gif)

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish - optional


LET'S MAKE SOME MAGIC, KITCHEN NINJA:

While you're making your sauce, cook pasta according to package directions.

Get a pan big enough for your sauce stuffs. Melt your butter in it over medium heat, and don't let it burn. Browned butter is nice, but burnt butter is awful. Toss onions and garlic in with the butter, cook until onions are translucent. Don't let the garlic burn, either, okay?

Now huck your pancetta and your vodka in there. Let it simmer til the vodka and any other liquid is mostly cooked away. Add your tomato sauce and crushed red pepper, and then stir, stir, stir.

Let all of that simmer for a while - the longer it simmers, the better the flavors will be. Right before you're ready to eat, add the cream. You want to add enough to turn the sauce a nice rose/pink color. Mix well, and let it heat back up as necessary. Do NOT let it boil.

Serve over pasta, and top with the Pecorino and parsley. Salad goes well with this, but I would avoid a Caesar, because the sauce is so rich. You may also want some bread for strategic sopping-up-sauce purposes, like this one:

Fettunta (That's a Funny Word and It Means "Greased Slice" Which is Even Funnier, But This is the Best Garlic Bread Ever)

1 loaf of good fresh bread - Now is not the time for Wonder Bread. Sheesh! Grow up.

A couple of whole garlic cloves, halved

Extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt, like sea salt

Slice bread up into inch thick slices, and then grill those suckers on each side til toasty. While bread is still hot, rub one side of each slice all over, real well, with the cut half of a garlic clove, then lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Leftover Cream Alfredo

Alfredo sauce is super easy to make and much better than buying the jarred junk. If you have some leftover cream from your vodka sauce, use it to make an Alfredo sauce!

You'll need butter, fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano (or asiago, or romano, or all of the above, but MUST be fresh, no exceptions), your cream, garlic to taste, salt & pepper to taste, chopped fresh parsley (optional). The amounts you need will vary on the amount of cream you have, so use your best judgment here.

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, add garlic and saute for a few. Then slowly pour in your cream. Heat thoroughly, but do NOT let it boil. EVER. NEVER EVER. It will curdle and be nasty. Once heated back up, start slowly whisking your cheese into it a little at a time, stirring constantly. The more you stir, the smoother the sauce will be - parmigiano is a rather grainy cheese and doesn't like to melt nicely, so you have to force it to with the stirring. Unless you don't mind the sauce not being completely smooth, of course. Add pepper and salt to taste, and toss with hot pasta. Garnish with the parsley (sometimes I just add the parsley in when I add the cream, also).

Ta da!