Salmon and Feta Quiche

Update: I know that you are all waiting with bated breath to hear how I made out at the dentist. It would seem that a crown I had put in back in June has gone to crap. The metal casing is still intact but the porcelain covering is what shattered in my mouth on Saturday. So I have an appointment for next week to pop off the old, busted crown. Then the tooth will be checked (in June there was some question if the tooth was still alive) for vitality. If it is still "alive" it will be recrowned. If the tooth has died, it's off for another root canal. Get your prayer books out, people, I need some divine intervention to save the tooth!

I made meatloaf for dinner tonight with some baked potatoes and a veggie, but I'm going to ask Mrs. BA to make quiche for us for this week. To that end, I've posted salmon recipes here before, including one with salmon and bacon. Now from one of my new friends across the sea comes a recipe to put those salmon into a quiche! Enjoy!

Here's my recipe for hot smoked salmon and feta quiche (I know it's not really quiche if it doesn't contain bacon and Gruyere for the purists out there, but it's delicious nonetheless). This fills a dish 28X18X5cm, but you can shrink or expand the quantities to fit your own dish without any harm, it's not an exact science:

• 2 fillets of hot smoked salmon
• 1 packet of feta cheese (I use organic)
• 6 large eggs
• 600ml of double cream (ish)
  

For the pastry

• 300g of Italian 00 flour (this doesn't need to be sifted like ordinary plain and is much lighter)
• 170g of unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon of yoghurt
• a few tablespoons of iced water with half a teaspoon of salt stirred into it
  

I make the pastry in my food processor a la Miss Lawson's recipe in How to Eat. Measure out the flour and butter, cut butter into small dice, put both in a bowl and stash in the freezer for ten minutes. Once they have had their chilling, put them in a food processor and whizz till they look like fine oatmeal (you can do the rubbing in by hand if you so wish). Add your teaspoon of yoghurt and pulse for a second, then with the machine running add the iced water very slowly through the funnel until the pastry is just about to come together but hasn't quite. Switch off and turn the dough onto a surface, squish it into a ball, wrap in plastic and put it in the fridge to rest for at least twenty minutes.

Once the pastry is rested bring it out, roll it to size and line your, buttered, dish. Put it back in the fridge, put the oven onto gas mark 6, and gather all the other ingredients. Flake the salmon, beat the eggs with the cream and crumble the feta. Bring the pastry lined dish out of the fridge once the oven is up to temperature and get on with building the quiche. Put the salmon in the dish, pour in the eggy cream, arrange the feta all over and put in the oven for about an hour. You may need to turn the temperature down after about forty five minutes, but ovens vary so much, so just have a look and see what you think: if it's getting rather brown but is still very wobbly turn it down a notch.

I really like this eaten hot with salad and a baked spud, but it's great ice cold the next day too. This size will easily feed eight people but I like to make a lot so there is plenty left over, it freezes very well and it's great to have the odd wodge stashed in the freezer for unexpected feedings.

It's Labor Day! Relax with a Rhubarb Smoothie

I am writing this post on the same day as I enjoyed a phenomenal strawberry-rhubarb pie from C in DC. I am assuming that as of this writing (although it is Labor Day and this was closer to the planned arrival date) she is otherwise engaged and will likely not be baking again soon. Around the same time as the pie made its appearance at work, she passed along a slew of rhubarb recipes, having scored a fair amount of fresh rhubarb from the store. Here is a smoothie recipe, the aforementioned pie recipe, a crumble recipe, and a tart recipe all featuring the lovely rhubarb.

Rhubarb Smoothie

• 1 lb. rhubarb, washed, trimmed (leaves and roots discarded); cut stems into 1" pieces
• 3 Tbsp. mild honey
  
• 1/4 C. water
  
• 1/2 pint strawberries (about 1/2 lb.), hulled and cut in half
  
• 3/4 C. freshly squeezed orange juice (use slightly less if using prepared o.j.)

Combine the rhubarb, honey, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the rhubarb is tender and has fallen apart. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Next, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, and orange juice in a blender or food processor with a steel blade. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher and chill for several hours (or serve immediately over ice).

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (from Betty Crocker)

• Pastry crust for 9-inch two-crust pie
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1 1/3 C sugar
• 1/3 C flour
• 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 2 cups sliced rhubarb
• 2 Tbsp butter, cut into fine pieces
  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare pie crust. Place lower crust into a pie plate. Dust with the corn starch. Place 1 C each of the strawberries and rhubarb in the pie plate.

In a bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and orange peel. Sprinkle half the sugar mixture into the pie plate. Add the remaining fruit and cover with the remaining sugar mixture. Dot with the butter. Cover with the remaining pie crust, cutting several long slits into it to allow the liquids to escape (otherwise you get a runny pie). Seal and flute the edges. Cover the edges with foil. Remove foil after 35 minutes of baking.

Bake until the crust is brown and the juices are bubbling and beginning to thicken, about 40-50 minutes.

Rhubarb Crumble (Health Magazine, May 2007)

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Toss 5 Cups chopped rhubarb with 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons honey, and 1 Tablespoon flour in a large bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Mix 2/3 Cup uncooked regular oats, 2/3 Cup brown sugar, and 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 Cup cubed unsalted butter and a pinch of kosher salt to the oat mixture and mix with hands or a large fork until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms.

Spoon rhubarb mixture into 6-ounce ramekins (I think you need 6 of them). Spread oat mixture evenly on top of filling. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown and rhubarb is tender when pierced with a knife.

Rhubarb Raspberry Tart (Redbook Magazine, June 2007)

• Pastry crust for 13-inch one-crust pie (i.e., about 1.5 9-inch crusts rolled together)
• 1 lb fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-in pieces
• 1/2 C plus 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp grated orange zest
• 6 oz raspberries
• 1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 Tbsp butter, cut into fine pieces
  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the rhubarb, 1/2 C of sugar, cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp of orange zest. Let stand 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small dish, combine the remaining 2 Tbsp of sugar and 1/4 tsp of orange zest.

Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the pie crust and transfer to the baking sheet.

After the 25 minutes have passed, gently stir the raspberries and ginger into the rhubarb mixture. Spoon the mixture onto the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border of dough all the way around. Fold edge of dough up over the mixture, pleating as you go and fixing any cracks. Dot filling with butter. Brush dough with water and sprinkle with sugar-zest mixture over dough and filling.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer, until crust is brown and filling is bubbly. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack for 15 minutes. With a spatula, very carefully slide the tart onto the wire rack to cool completely.

Broccoli Stew? Ew.

One of LBA's many books to read is Sandra Boynton's Hey Wake Up! wherein Broccoli Stew is offered to the baby bunny and the hippo's response is, "Ew." (Of course, when the hippo learns the stew is for the baby bunny, he utters, "Whew.") Cracks me up.

My friend Anna over on her blog (normally about stitching) has been trotting out some of her recipes that feature vegetables as she has been benefiting from a vegetable coop this summer. Here is her recipe for Broccoli Casserole. LBA does have a penchant for Mac and Cheese so perhaps this might be a way to get him to eat more vegetables.

Broccoli Casserole

• 3/4 pound of elbow macaroni
• a head of broccoli
• 1/4 c butter
• 1/4 c flour
• 2 c warm milk
• 1 lb white cheddar, diced (orange cheddar is unnatural, don't use it.)
• two slices of bread
• butter

Set the oven to 375. Boil the macaroni to just shy of cooked. It will soften when you bake it. Then boil or steam the broccoli. Using a blender, pulverize the broccoli. Some chunks of stem will remain, but you mostly want broccoli mush because you really don't like eating flowers, do you?

Melt the butter. Brown the flour in the butter, stirring frequently. Slowly whisk in the warm milk. When the sauce begins to thicken, stir in a handful of cheese at a time. Once all the cheese is melted, remove the sauce from the heat.

Butter a casserole dish. Add the broccoli and macaroni. Stir to combine. Slowly add the cheese sauce. You won't need it all. You want the mixture pretty wet, but not soaking. Save the extra cheese for baked potatoes. Mmmmm. Butter the bread. Cut into 1" squares. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese. You really want to do this because the bread will soak up oil from the cheese and it will be very very yummy. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Recipe: C in DC's Beef Stew

Hey, it's January. It's cold. It's good stew weather. Here's a recipe courtesy of C in DC.

• olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound leftover roast beef, diced into small pieces
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, cubed
• 2 small potatoes, cubed
• large handful of sliced mushrooms
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
• beef broth just to cover (save 2 tsp for later) - around 2 cups
• corn starch

In a dutch oven, heat a tbsp of olive oil. Saute onion and garlic until transparent. Add beef cubes to heat through. Add ingredients up to and including the broth. Do not add too much broth; you want it stewy, not soupy. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Mix 2 tsp of corn starch with reserved 2 tsp of broth until combined. Stir into pot. Cook until sauce thickens. Enjoy!

Another Recipe Bailout

While I have found the cookbooks (I have actually "isolated" all of the books in one room - now I just have to find the pegs for the shelves), I don't have a recipe for tonight. Special K was kind enough to forward one that she received from Mrs. OSG. I hope you enjoy it!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN WITH ROSEMARY BREADCRUMBS

• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 4 cups thinly sliced onions (about 1 pound)
• 3 ½ to 4 ½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
  ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup canned chicken broth
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from soft white bread
• 2 cups (packed) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• 2 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until onions are light golden, about 8 minutes. Add squash; sauté 4 minutes. Sprinkle sugar, salt and pepper over vegetables; sauté until onions and squash begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

Spread vegetable mixture in prepared dish. Pour chicken broth over. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. (Squash mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat in 350°F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.)

Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, rosemary and thyme in medium bowl. Sprinkle over squash mixture. Bake uncovered until top is golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes.

Makes 10 servings

Recipe from C in DC: Caldo Verde

It is possible that I might make C in DC a frequent commentator / contributor to Order from Chaos. When I reported that I had no recipe to post last Monday, she sent me one. She actually has done this before so she's got some cooking skills. So here it is. Let's hear those comments if you want some additional commentary other than my own. There's certainly enough fun to go around.

Caldo Verde
(from Sophie Grigson, Travels a La Carte, Network Books, 1994)

• 1 lb. potatoes
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• salt & pepper
• 8 oz. couve (curly kale, spring cabbage, or Savoy cabbage may be substituted)
• 4 oz. chourico (Portuguese sausage), sliced (Spanish chorizo, linguica, or andouille sausage may be substituted)
• 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Peel and slice the potatoes. Place in a *large* saucepan with the garlic, onion, salt and pepper, and enough water to cover generously. Simmer until tender. Pass through the fine blade of a mouli-legume or mash to a smooth puree. (I find that a hand-held drink blender works well.) Add a little more water if necessary to thin to a soupy consistency. Return to the pan and adjust the seasoning, adding plenty of pepper.

While the potatoes are cooking, cut the stalks from the kale, then roll up the leaves and shred very finely (the resulting threads of cabbage should be about 1/8 inch thick). Bring the soup back to a boil. Stir in the couve (hence the large pot) and sausage and simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle into 4 soup bowls, pour a tablespoon of olive oil over each one and serve.

Once Again into the Hockey Breach!

I know, I know. I promised no more hockey. As my faithful readers will note, I have given up on the hockey season, with the departure of the Rangers in the semi-finals. I can now pick up my golf clubs and join the Rangers on the course (still waiting for the first "thwack" of the season) and look after the Yankees and Nationals as they try not to suck. Well at least the Yankees have managed to pull their butts out of the cellar.

But anyway, C in DC asked for an opportunity to let you all know that, in her world, hockey continues. Here is her take on the Eastern Conference finals. As she notes, she doesn't really care about the West, if only to note she wants the team that Buffalo can more easily beat.

C, take it away . . .

Hello, hockey fans. Despite Brave Astronaut’s lack of interest in this subject, he has kindly allowed me to guest blog about the Eastern Conference finals. Readers of his blog will know that I am a Sabres fan, and so will not be surprised that I predict – going against the common wisdom – that the Sabres will win, in 7.

I think that this will be a hard fought series. Ottawa and Buffalo have a history. Buffalo knocked the then President’s Trophy winning Ottawa out of the running in last year’s playoffs. Ottawa is still bitter about it. They played each other 8 times this season, with Ottawa taking 5 of them. There’s also that small matter of the brawl in February, which is fueling both teams.

In my mind, this series will come down to three factors.

• Control. Who will play their own game better? These teams have similar styles, which promises for some interesting hockey. Whoever takes control of the game sooner will have the advantage.
• Endurance. In the playoffs so far, Buffalo has noticeably lost energy towards the end of the game. If they can keep their energy, they will pull this off.
• Hunger. Lindy Ruff has already begun trying to position Buffalo as the underdogs, despite being the number 1 team going into this series. Plus, any team from Buffalo is always the underdog. And they’re still smarting from last year’s loss to the ‘Canes. Ottawa has a history of being the underdog. Which one of these junkyard dogs has been starving longer?

As for the Western Conference finals, I just want the team to win that Buffalo will have better odds against in the finals. Brave Astronaut and ADR seem to think this would be the Red Wings. I have to agree, mostly because I can’t stand the idea of the Ducks winning.

It's the Conference Semifinals (Predictions)

Settling in to handicap the second round is a man who is still dealing with snow on the ground, though he is partial to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes (wait, they're not playing), I like him anyway. Archival Trash Man, take it away:

Thanks to BA for having me "guest blog" for the second round of the NHL playoffs. Even though I only have one series going the distance, I think we're in for four very entertaining series and a fun week or two while we get to point and laugh at my picks. So without further ado, here we go...

Let's start out West. Conventional Wisdom says the Red Wings are different enough this year to avoid recent years playoff disasters, that Hasek has another Cup in him, and that these guys (#1 record overall) are somehow underdogs. I don't like Conventional Wisdom, so I'll pick the Sharks. San Jose's up-tempo game and team speed should be the difference in this series, and Wings fans will face another year of "What Happened?" Take that, Mitch Albom! SJ 4, DET 2

On paper at least, the Vancouver-Anaheim matchup looks like a classic. I'll agree. And while the 'Nucks may have a slight advantage up front, I think the Ducks' superior blue line and stellar net play will tell in the end. (Yes, as good as Luongo is, I think Giguere/Bryzgalov can stand up to him for one series at least.) This should be fun to watch. ANA 4, VAN 3

In the East, let's start with Buffalo vs. NY Rangers. I didn't think the Rangers would get past the Thrashers, but they seriously proved me wrong. This time, however, I think their luck runs out. The Sabres are too deep, too fast, and will throw too much for too long at the Rags. So, unless Lundqvist stands on his head every single night, and Jagr scores on every shift, this one will be over in five. Sorry, BA. BUF 4, NYR 1

Man, would I love to see the Devils get swept. Not only was seeing the Hurricanes win the Cup last year fantastic, but they took out the Devils along the way. So you know where my heart lies in this series. My head also says take the Sens, despite their continued woes in the post-season. But they made it past round one this year, and I think they'll take it to the Devils. The Sens are a much deeper team than the Lightning, and if Brodeur slips just a little bit, as he did in the TB series, this one could be over quickly. OTT 4, NJ 2

It's the Conference Semifinals (Recap of Round 1)

Now that the first round of playoffs are over (and the Rangers are well rested after their sweep of the Thrashers - the first sweep by the Rangers since, that's right, 1994!) with the final game played last night and the Canucks emerging victorious over the Dallas Stars (you might recall the Canucks are the team the Rangers defeated for the Cup in 1994!)

How did our guest blogger do? Let's take a look.

• Nashville v. San Jose - "Nashville in 7 hard fought games" - Oh, sorry, wrong answer. I will however say I picked this one right, Sharks in 5.
• Vancouver v. Dallas - "Vancouver in 5" - We'll give him this one, Vancouver should have had it in 5, but needed the 7th game to ice the Stars.
• Anaheim v. Minnesota - "I think the Wild is the one team that could really create an upset . . . Anaheim in 5, though Minnesota in 6 would not be a big surprise" - DING, on the money, though I thought the Wild would pull it out in the six games as Anaheim shouldn't have a hockey team.
• Detroit v. Calgary - "Detroit in 5" - They needed six games, but that's 2 more than I thought. I saw sweep.
• Ottawa v. Pittsburgh - "Ottawa in 6" - I said seven, ADR said 6, the Senators only needed 5 to dispatch the Penguins. All the better, because I missed most of the Ranger games because of this stupid series.
• Atlanta v. NY Rangers - "Honestly, I don't think Atlanta is ready to win in the playoffs, so I will surprise you - NYR in 6" - Get out the brooms, baby, Rangers did it in 4, first advance to the second round since 1997 and as previously mentioned, first sweep since they hoisted the Cup.
• New Jersey v. Tampa - "I will use this for my sweep pick. New Jersey in 4" - I hate the Devils though I had them in six games, which is how many they needed to off the Lightning.
• Buffalo v. NY Isles - "It is hard to pick against talent. Buffalo in 5" - Again, DING, on the money. I guess he knows of what he speaks.

So ADR goes 7-1 on his picks! Great job.

The Quest for the Cup begins

Tomorrow night begins the NHL Playoffs and the road to the Stanley Cup. One thing is certain. With the absence of both the Edmonton Oilers and the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes (sorry, Archival Trash), there will be a new team skating with Lord Stanley's hardware.

To prevent me the embarrassment that accompanied my baseball picks last fall, frequent Order from Chaos reader and commenter, ADR offers his predictions for the first round of playoff hockey. I will state up front (I know, it's the kiss of death) that I agree with his choices. Let's see how he does.

So, for all of our mutual friends - and to see if I really know anything, here is a NHL playoff preview. We'll start out West, if only to force C in DC to read until the end to see what I really think about Buffalo.

Nashville v. San Jose - This series will be the one that I will probably watch the most. I like the way both teams play and think all the games will be close. Nashville has made plenty of progress over the last couple of years - and their gamble that Peter Forsberg will make the difference for them was a bold stroke. San Jose has great chemistry and always seem to make the big play when they need. Nashville in 7 hard fought games.

Vancouver v. Dallas - Roberto Luongo has made all the difference for Vancouver. I have been very impressed watching him (when I can stay up that is) and really have to wonder why Florida let him go. Though Dallas has a style that lends itself to playoff hockey, I do think that Luongo will outplay Marty Turco. Vancouver in 5.

Anaheim v. Minnesota - I think the Wild is the one team that could really create an upset. Head Coach Jacques Lemaire knows how to win in the post-season. The thing is, Anaheim has been the consensus pick to win the West since the middle of the season. I don't think they have been playing as well as they could - but it's difficult to pick against a team with offense (Selanne's 48 goals) and two outstanding defensemen - Pronger and Niedermayer. Anaheim in 5, though Minnesota in 6 would not be a big surprise.

Detroit v. Calgary - Full disclosure: I find Dominik Hasek annoying and a bit of a bore. However, his talent is undeniable. I think Calgary is lucky to be in the post-season and won't stay for long. Detroit in 5.

Trivia factoid for the East - This is only the third time ever (1990, 1994) when all 3 New York metropolitan-area teams have made the postseason.

Ottawa v. Pittsburgh - This is the one series that the Canadian media will focus on with the relentless hype between Sid the Kid and Ottawa's history of being star-crossed in the playoffs. I actually like the way Ottawa will be looked at as the underdog in this series. I'm also not convinced that Marc-Andre Fluery is as good as his press. The less I say about Crosby, Malkin, and the rest of the Pens – the better for everyone. Ottawa in 6.

Atlanta v. NY Rangers - Probably of most interest to the Brave Astronaut himself, the Rangers have managed to cobble together over-the-hill veterans and a moody Czech superstar around a very talented young goaltender. The matchup of Bobby Holik against Jagr will be fascinating to watch - especially given Holik's previous history in NY. Honestly, I don't think Atlanta is ready to win in the playoffs, so I will surprise you - NYR in 6.

New Jersey v. Tampa - The only thing I will say about this series is that I will not watch a second of it. Since two weeks ago, I thought Tampa would not make the playoffs at all - I will use this for my sweep pick. New Jersey in 4.

And finally, Buffalo v. NY Isles. The thing is, Buffalo is the team that my team should most strive to emulate. They have built a great team, full of young talent that can skate like there is no tomorrow. Now, they do have serious shortcoming - mostly because they have some of the most whiny/dirty players (Briere) and coaches (Ruff) and fans in the league. But, it is hard to pick against talent. Buffalo in 5.