Swiss Chard and Red Onion Mini-Quiche with Goat Cheese and Fresh Herbs

While my garden has been lacking in certain areas (see measly carrot crop), I have had an incredible overabundance of swiss chard. I have made seared and steamed and creamed chard and chard in soup and on pizza, and when I thought of putting chard in a quiche I was incredibly excited-- and then I was kicking myself for not thinking of something so obviously delicious and easy earlier.

• 1 bunch swiss chard (it cooks down-- a LOT)
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• S& P
• fresh herbs of your choice. I used oregano and basil because I have them in abundance.
• 3 large eggs
• 1 oz. goat cheese
• 1 oz. parmesan
• pie crust for a mini-pie dish or ramekin

First I sauteed the red onion in the olive oil until just softened and then added in the chard. To speed up the wilting process, I added in 1/4 cup of water and let it boil out. Seasonings and herbs went in next. In a separate bowl, I whisked the eggs. And I prepared the mini-pie dish with the crust. I put the goat cheese in the bottom of the pie dish, added in the onions and chard, and poured the egg over. Sprinkled with parm, and popped in a 400 degree oven for just about 15 minutes.

This was a fast, easy, and super tasty dinner, and I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next day! Other than the pie crust, it was super healthy as well.

*** so.... my memory card on my phone was deleted and I lost a ton of photos including this one. Whoops!

Cherry Peach Upside Down Cake

What do you get when you have two overripe peaches, a pint of cherries on the brink of moldiness,  and a box of yellow cake mix? A cherry peach upside down cake! Or maybe I'll call it something more pretentious like a "stone fruit inverted confection" to equalize the whole "cake mix" thing....

Anywho-- this baby was good. Despite using summer ingredients, the cake is spicy and almost fruit-cakey. It was super yummy and I am taking the rest of it to work to share (because I do not need to eat a whole cake! It's still swimsuit season for goodness sake!)

First, I melted 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bottom of a 9 inch round springform pan. Then, I sprinkled in a tsp of nutmeg (might be a little heavy, but I loooove nutmeg) and a dash of cinnamon and my fruit which was all sliced up. I tossed it around so it was all coated in a caramel-y goodness. Then, I poured the cake mix over the top and baked for 45 minutes.

Flipped it over and voila! The ooey-gooey caramel on top leaves the cake glistening and moist and the aroma of fruit and nutmeg filled the air. YUM. This would be heaven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Easy peasy, and so yummy you will forget it came out of a box.

Edamame Hummus

I was inspired to make a hummus like dip out of edamame after trying one at my brother and sister-in-laws house a few months ago. Theirs used white beans, not chickpeas, and thus was incredibly light and creamy and fresh in both flavor and texture. I only had chickpeas in the house so this was more like hummus with some green flecks in it (and some added nutrional value). Not the greatest creation of my life, but oh well.

- one can chickpeas, rinsed
- juice of one lemon (I think a lime would be even better in here!)
- two cloves garlic (more or less to taste)
- dash of cayenne
- 1/2 cup frozen edamame (just the beans)
- s & p
- olive oil (around 1/4 cup, but more or less depending on your desired consistency)

***photos to come later

Peaches and Cream Pie

So, my memory card deleted and I have no photos of this but man oh man did it taste good. I made it for my "True Blood Supper Club" with friends Lisa and Mandy and we ate 3/4 of it in one sitting!

I was inspired by this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I followed it pretty closely except:
- I cut peaches into sixths instead of quarters and I still thought they were a little bit too big.
- I made my own fake creme fraiche by whisking together whipping cream and sour cream (equal parts)... and I think I used more of it in the pie than was recommended and I served it on top of the pie later.
- I used a store bought crust *hangs head in shame* and I didn't parbake it ahead of time b/c I'm impatient

Store-bought crust or not, this was freaking delicious. It wasn't too sweet and the integrity of the perfect summer peach was really upheld. I probably could have eaten more, but 3/4 of the pie seemed like enough for one night. :)

4th of July Cook Out

My sister Alison and her husband TJ were visiting over the 4th of July (yes, I am aware that the 4th of July was over five weeks ago) from Atlanta. We had a great weekend hanging out in Iowa City at jazz fest, and heading around town for wine tastings, fossil searching, and window shopping in the Amana Colonies. On the 4th, I made a big dinner for Alison, TJ, Tim, and my Dad who came up from the Quad Cities. I failed to take photos of the food, but it was pretty tasty!

Pork Tenderloin 2 ways-

For both of these, I grilled them on medium for about 40 minutes, turning throughout. Then, I let them rest under a loose foil tent for ten minutes. This is the most important step when it comes to having juicy pork!

1. Cajun -- I just mixed cajun spices and dried parsley and put the dry rub on the meat right before grilling.
2. Orange and fennel -- I put 2 TBSP of olive oil, the zest and juice of an orange, 1 TBSP of honey, a tsp of whole fennel seeds, a tsp of ground fennel, and a roughly chopped sprig of tarragon into a big zip lock and threw the pork in with it. After a quick "massage", I let it rest in the fridge for several hours to let the marinade really soak in.

Warm Acini di Pepe and Corn Salad  -- see previous entry for recipe.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Spinach Salad: 
Spinach + strawberries + goat cheese + pecan + red onion + poppyseed dressing. YUM!

Easy Grilled Potatoes:
These are a summer staple. I simply slice red or yukon gold potatoes thinly (using a food processor is a snap) and combine with sliced onions or minced garlic, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Then, I take a large piece of aluminum foil, spray the bottom with Pam, and put the taters right on. I seal up the packet and throw it on the grill for 20-25 minutes. The potatoes on the bottom char, but the ones on the top just steam, and when you toss it all together it's perfection! The garlic and onions just melt into it. I make these at least once a week using different combinations of herbs and seasonings and I have never had a bad batch.


Seared Greens with Golden Raisins:
Oh man, I don't even remember what I did here... But it involved sauteing an onion in some olive oil, and then searing the greens and pouring vinegar and raisins in right at the last second. It was good. 

Broiled Zucchini

Wow, going on vacation (twice) and moving do not a consistent blogger make. I have barely cooked in the last six weeks, but everything I have cooked is very far behind in being blogged about. It's my mid-August resolution to get caught up before the semester begins, so here we go!

My friend Jamie grew an over achieving zucchini plant this year which produced jumbo-fruit at an alarming rate. Luckily, Jamie likes me and is generous and gave me two of these beauties. Oh, and I guess I traded her for a grocery bag full of swiss chard... I had big plans to bake chocolate zucchini bread or try something new and exciting (zucchini fries anyone?) but in all the craziness of the last month I just lacked the ambition. So, one night, between packing boxes to haul out to my car, I quickly whipped this up. It could not have been easier and would be a super yummy side dish for a summer meal.

• thinly sliced zucchini
• olive oil 
• S&P
• herbs of choice
• parmesan cheese

Turn on the broiler. Arrange zucchini slices on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings and cheese if you are using it. Put under broiler for 5-10 minutes (depending on heat of broiler and thickness of zucchini) until cheese and edges of slices are golden brown. 

Peach Baked Oatmeal

I have been on a peach kick lately, haven't I? I guess there isn't another fruit that so perfectly captures the feeling of a warm summer day. This morning, because it's a Saturday, and because I have some extra ripe peaches, I decided to make myself a decadent but hearty treat. Baked Oatmeal! I did a twist on my original recipe.

• 1/2 cup quick cooking Irish oats (b/c that's what i have)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP milk (I have 1% organic)
• 1 egg (organic, free range b/c that's how I roll)
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Almond extract
• 1 TBSP peach syrup (my sisters live in Georgia and gave me this as part of a gift last year, any sweetener would be good). 
• 1 peach, diced (peels on b/c I'm lazy and don't mind the texture)
• honey to drizzle on top

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a baking dish-- a large ramekin would work, I have mini-pie pans that I love. Mix ingredients in a bowl until combined and put in pan. Drizzle with honey and put in the oven for 30 minutes.

What results is a dish of oatmeal that is golden brown on the outside, and gooey and creamy on the inside. It is sweet, but not too sweet, it is warm and soothing, and is jam packed full of healthy things like fiber and protein. My perfect breakfast!

*photos to come