Brunch

Recipe: Zucchini Quiche in Olive Oil Pie Crust

From: Nancy Bassindale

Ingredients:

• 4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
• 1 cup chopped onions (optional)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp. oregano leaves
• 2 eggs, well beaten (I have added 1 or 2 more)
• 8 oz. Dijon mustard (I use Poupon)
• 1 pie crust or 1 8oz. can crescent rolls

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, cook zucchini and onions in margarine or butter or olive oil until tender. Stir in the spices.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs and cheese; mix well. Stir in cooked vegetable mixture.
4. Prepare crust or separate crescent roll dough and place in ungreased 10 inch pie pan, 12x8 (2 quart) baking dish, or 11" quiche pan.
5. Press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal. 
6. Spread mustard on the crust. 
7. Pour the egg/vegetable mixture evenly in the pie pan.
8. Bake at 375°F for 18-22 minutes or until knife in center comes out clean. 
9. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Variation: Substitute mushrooms for zucchini. Substitute Baby Swiss cheese for Muenster or Mozzarella. Omit the poupon mustard layer.

Recipe: Soufflé Brunch Loaf

From: Debbie Dean

Yields: 12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 24-26 slices of bread
• Meat of choice (ham or sausage)
• 2 cups grated cheese
• Onion chopped
• Mushrooms
• Olives Chopped
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 cup melted margarine
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Layer 12-14 slices of bread (decrusted) into greased 9x13 baking pan
3. Layer meat
4. Layer 2 cups grated cheese
5. Layer onion, mushrooms, and olives
6. Top with another layer of bread slices
7. In bowl, beat 6 eggs, 3 cups milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper and garlic. 1 tsp. dry mustard. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.
8. Before baking uncovered, sprinkle the following over the top: 1/2 cup melted margarine, 2 cups crushed cornflakes.
9. Bake for 40 minutes to one hour or until firm or knife inserted in center of casserole comes out clean.

Recipe: Quiche Lorraine

From: Mary Ellen Mueller

Ingredients Quiche Lorraine:

• 1/2 lb. bacon fried and crumbled
• 1/4 lb. natural Swiss cheese, grated (1 cup)
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups light cream, scalded
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• pie shell or Oil Pastry

Ingredients Oil Pastry:

• 8-9" pie shell
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 to 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup salad oil
• 3 tbsp. cold milk

Directions Quiche Lorraine:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Place bacon, cheese and onion in a pie shell.
3. Combine eggs, cream, seasonings and pour into pie shell.
4. Bake in oven until knife in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Directions Oil Pastry:

1. Mix flour and salt. Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a fork. 
2. Press into a ball.
3. Roll dough between sheets of waxed paper.
4. Lift off top paper, then put pastry into pan paper side up. 
5. Remove paper. Pinch edges to firm border. 

Recipe: Mom's Anyway-You-Want-It Strata

From: Ceci Bassindale

This is a perfect recipe when you have company staying over. Make it the evening before and you can make it savory or sweet. Perfect way to empty your refrigerator and have an easy dish to just throw in the oven in the morning. 

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of white bread (or whatever you have laying around) without crusts. Staler the better.
• Butter
• 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar (or whatever cheese you like)
• 3 eggs beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. dry mustard or 1/2 tsp. oregano & 1/8 tsp. garlic salt if I'm adding Italian ingredients
• 1/4 tsp. pepper 
• You can add 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper if you prefer it spicy
• Any vegetables you want to get rid of in the refrigerator - peppers, tomatoes, etc.
• Any bacon, sausage (hot, mild, or sweet), ham or meat you have 
• Any bread crumbs or flavored croutons you want to add is good too

Directions:

1. Spread the bread with butter. Tear into pieces. Place half of the bread in greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
2. Top with half of cheese and any meat or vegetables you are adding; repeat layers.
3. Combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over layers and press down so bread soaks up liquid; cover.
4. Chill overnight. 
5. Place in a pan of hot water; bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 hours. Remove cover for the last 5 minutes of baking until egg is puffed up and bread is golden brown.

Recipe: Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

From: Stephanie Schaefer

Yields: 8-10 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. cornmeal
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, and cinnamon. Make a well in center of dry mixture; set aside.
2. In another medium mixing bowl stir together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).
3. Gently fold in blueberries.
4. For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or till pancakes are golden brown, turning to the second side when pancakes have bubble surfaces and edges are slightly dry.
5. Serve warm. If desired, pass syrup or powdered sugar.

Recipe: A Tasty Frittata

From: Merritt Singleton

Yields: 2-4 Servings | 101cookbooks.com

Ingredients Cilantro Chile Sauce:

• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• 1 green (serrano) chile; seeds removed
• 2 pinches ground cumin
• Salt - a few big pinches

Ingredients Frittata:

• 6 large organic eggs
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 small potatoes, very very thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup yellow zucchini or cauliflower, 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
• Salt - a few pinches

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Make the cilantro chile sauce by pureeing the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, chile, cumin, and salt until very smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt. Set aside. 
4. In a small 8 1/2-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add the olive, oil, onion, and another pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring constantly, until the onion starts to brown; 5-7 minutes. 
5. Add the potatoes and zucchini (or cauliflower), cover, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. 
6. Slide everything out of the skillet onto a plate and set aside.
7. Turn down the heat a bit. Using the same skillet, add the eggs and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are just set and there isn't a lot of liquid running around the pan. To facilitate this, run a spatula underneath the sides of the frittata and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs run to the underside and cook. Drizzle the eggs with a few tbsp. of the cilantro chile sauce. Now sprinkle the potato and onion mixture over the top.
8. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 9 minutes, or until well set and puffy. 
9. Add a crumble of goat cheese and the pumpkin seeds across the top of the frittata in the final 2 minutes of baking. 
10. Remove from oven and cut into wedges and serve.