Quichetastic Monday--Chicken and Asparagus Quiche

Of course there is a story behind my Chicken and Asparagus Quiche. I made a verison of this quiche for Lily's first birthday party in 2007. The theme: Pink Poodles in Paris (she has always been fancy!) and the menu was French inspired with quiche, Nicoise Salad and other goodies. As usual I made way too much and had to freeze one of the quiches.

The quiche did not reappear until 2 months later. Lily was at CHOP and we were living in the pediatric ICU while she recovered from a brain tumor resection. Olga, Mike's mom, was here running our lives while we fought for Lily's and making sure we ate healthy food. Being the resourceful mama that Olga is, she dug through our freezer and found the quiche.

When we ate it for dinner, reheated in the PICU communal microwave and dished up paper plates--I traveled elsewhere. In my mind we were back at Lily's very first party--back singing and celebrating and enjoying tastes of simple, delicious food.

The second time I made this quiche was for Karen--my childhood bestie. This August, I had the joy of visiting and celebrating the birth of her son, Andrew. Of course, I cooked--soup, stuffed peppers and this quiche.

The original recipe for this quiche came from a french cookbook I borrowed from my dear friend Tracy. My verison may differ slightly (I misplaced my copy of the original.). It pulls together super quick and can easily make two (you will have left over chicken and asparagus). Make two and share one with a friend!

The Stuff

1 pre-made pie crust

Asparagus--8 full spears plus 1 cup diced asparagus

1 cup of diced rostierrie chicken ( breast and thigh meat, save the extra meat for another quiche or salad; save the bones/carcus for making chicken broth)

4 eggs, beaten until frothy and fluffy

3/4 cup milk

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 T dried mustard

1cup grated swiss cheese

Salt/Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Carefully roll out pie crust into pie pan and score the bottom

3. Sprinkle diced asparagus onto bottom of pie crust. Then sprinkle diced cooked chicken.

4. Fold 1 cup milk, garlic, mustard, swiss cheese and salt/pepper into the egg mixture.

5. Pour egg/milk mixture on top of asparagus chicken. Arrange remaining asparagus spears on top of uncooked quiche

6. Bake 45 minutes or until firm and slightly browned.

Staple recipe: Roasted winter squash puree

As I mentioned in my Coconut Lemongrass soup recipe, Mike and Lily grew a successful crop of Galeux d'Eysines--a beautiful, bumpy heirloom winter squash that looks like a warty pumpkin and tastes like a slice of squash heaven.

We love squash in our house--mashed,roasted,pureed or in a pumpkin pie--we will eat it! Part of our addiction is purely superficial--squash is gorgeous. It comes in greens, oranges, creamy white, yellow and in smooth,bumpy and ridged textures. I love the shape of butternut squash--it reminds me of a bell and of course, I adore the stringy insides of spaghetti squash--nature's low-carb answer to pasta. Sweet sugar pumpkins are adorable in their perfectly rounded symmetry.

When I was doing a little research for this blog post, it occurred to me that I had no idea if squash was a fruit or a vegetable or something entirely different like a legume. Botanically speaking, squash is a fruit. In cooking, squash is used as a vegetable and it is a fantastic substitute for meat.

Lily helped with every part of this recipe--she helped plant, water, nuture and then reveled in the end result--a warty, orange beauty that would be transformed into delicious recipes for our family. I had Lily help me make the puree and taught her a little French along the way. Galeux d'Eysines translates to mean "Warts from Eysines (a town in France)," a detail Lily found endlessly fascinating. Lily now has a little French in her tool kit (as every fancy girl should) and I have the sweetest memory of my little girl Bonjouring, Oh La Laing and cooking with me. When we eat something prepared with this puree, we eat a little of Lily's first French lesson--I can't think of anything more delicious.

Try this staple recipe with any winter squash you like and then use the puree to make fabulous things like squash soup, pies, squash ravioli or squash souffles--stay tuned to Nana's Fabulous Life for oodles of great recipes.

Buy locally--it is a way to be sustainable and help your local farmer continue to bring you beautiful, nutritious produce for years to come.

To make and freeze the puree you will need:

2 or more pounds of your favorite winter squash; olive oil; some brown sugar; parchment paper; baking sheets; a food processor or blender; quart sized-freezer bags

The work:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Select your squash, cut in half and remove the seeds and cut squash into chunks about a couple inches in size.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place squash, flesh side up on the paper. Drizzle with olive oil and then rub a small amount of brown sugar into the flesh of the squash.

3. Turn the squash face down and place in oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until skin is easily pierced with a fork.

4. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a soup to scrape it into your food processor. Puree in batches until smooth.

5. Pour in 1 cup increments (I eyeball it out) into freezer bags. Label, date and freeze flat. Use in your favorite recipes (and soon to be faves!).

Soupy nights: Autumn mushroom and wild rice soup

While dark chilly rainy days can wear on the soul, I love the potential it brings--potential for soup, tea, red wine, an afghan and a book (or a movie or some knitting or all three all at once for people like me who cannot sit still, even when sitting). It is a delicious, cuddly time of year.

This soup is super earthy and grounding. The rich broth and meaty mushrooms pull you right back down to your plate. With each hearty bite, you can taste Fall and the harvest. And it is an easy way to go meatless--the mushrooms and wild rice are super filling.

Allow about an hour to prep and cook the soup. You can use any combination of mushrooms you like--I used shitake, baby bellas, white buttons and baby petites (which I left whole). My girls helped by washing the mushrooms with a damp paper towel.

If you don't have vegetable broth, but do have chicken broth, feel free to substitute. You will find dried porcini mushrooms in or near the produce department. If you can't find porcinis, try any other dried mushroom.

Soupy stuff:

1/2 ounce dried porcinis

kosher salt/pepper

1/2 cup wild rice

EVOO, a few tablespoons

10 cups assorted mushrooms (My combo: 5 oz shitake, sliced; 8 oz, baby bellas, sliced, 6 oz baby petites, left whole; 8 white button, sliced)

3 leeks, white and pale-green parts (save the tops for broth!), quartered length wise and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup chianti

3 tablespoons soy sauce

7 cups homemade vegetable broth

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. In a sealed ziploc bag, crush up the dried procini mushrooms, until they are a coarse powder.

2. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to boil, then add a pinch of kosher salt and wild rice. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook under tender, 45-50 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large pot, heat about 1 tablespoon of EVOO over medium-high heat. Begin cooking the mushrooms in batches (1/3 at a time) with salt and pepper until browned and tender, about 7 minutes, per batches. Add more EVOO before adding a new batch of mushrooms. Set cooked mushrooms aside.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Melt butter, added sliced leeks. Cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in porcini mushroom powder, cook 1 minute. Add chianti and soy sauce, cook 1 minute more.

5. Add vegetable broth to pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, reduce heat to medium and cook 20 minutes. Stir in wild rice, heavy cream and parsley. Serve with crusty bread

Squash Soup 1: Coconut and Lemon grass

We have a bumper crop of this gorgeous heirloom squash called Galeux d'Eysines. The name means "embroidered with warts from Eysines (a small town in France). " These warts are actually produced from the sugar in the squash.

Mike grew squash because we eat it often-roasted, on salad greens and in soups. I made this fabulous Coconut and Lemon grass soup last week--the perfect transition from Summer to Fall. The coconut and lemon grass are reminiscent of a tropical, beach-y meal. There is nothing more "Fall" than creamy smooth squash.

While I used our Galeux d'Eysines, you can use any variety of winter squash or pumpkin for this soup. To make your life easy, pick up a package of pre-cut and peeled butternut squash in the produce department.

Lemon grass add a light citrus flavor to the soup, balancing the richness of the coconut milk and squash. You can find fresh lemon grass in the produce department. Find a great guide on the use of lemon grass here. I could not find fresh lemon grass, but found prepared lemon grass, in a tube, in the produce department at Wegmans. Use either option--although the tube option is quick and easy to use!

This soup cooks quick and freezes great. The recipe below serves 4. Serve with some garlic Naan or a baguette.

The ingredients:

3 cups squash--peeled, cut into 2-3" chunks (any variety, butternut, acorn, pumpkin)

1 tablespoon EVOO

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 shallot, diced

1 whole jalapeno

1 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled and diced

1-2 stalks of fresh lemon grass, yellow/fleshy section, chopped OR 2 tablespoons of prepared lemon grass (in a tube, source: Wegman's produce department)

15 oz can of coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

Fresh cilantro

Get soup-y

Preheat oven to 400F. Place squash chunks in a large baking dish, toss with olive oil and salt/pepper.

Bake for 30 minutes or until it is soft, with some brown caramelized edges.

After squash is cooked, remove form oven and put aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Add to butter shallots and ginger, cooking over medium heat and stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until shallots are translucent and ginger is fragrant.

Add WHOLE jalapeno and lemon grass, stir. Cook 2-3 more minutes.

Add cooked squash, stir.

De-glaze the pan with can of coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove jalapeno.

Using an immersion blender, puree in pot until smooth. Or, puree in a blender in batches.

Top with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

Broth Making: Homemade vegetable broth

The other night, I was all set to experiment with a squash soup recipe I had bouncing around in my head, but I realized I was totally out of vegetable broth.

What's a Nana-in-Training to do? Well, make homemade broth, of course! Homemade vegetable is easy, delicious and economical freezer staple. To make broth you will need a selection of vegetables, herbs, spices and water. You can really use any mixture of vegetables. Use up those vegetable ghosts of recipes past and make this fantastic freezer staple.

Vegetable broth is great in soups and other recipes. Swap out chicken broth and make your vegetable soup, truly vegetarian. Use it instead of water for rice or couscous.

This batch yielded 22 cups of broth!!

The goods

1 bunch of celery--washed, stalks separated, leaves on (I used celery left over from bloody mary's)

5 red potatoes-washed, skin-on, quartered

1/2 cup mushrooms--any variety (I used plain jane white mushrooms)

1 bulb garlic, roughly chopped

1 large onion--washed, skin on, quartered

1 cup carrot (I had left over shreds. You can just toss in a couple whole carrots cut into chunks)

Stems from one bunch of broccoli (who eats the stems anyway? save the tops for dinner!)

3 Bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Fresh herbs--I used the stems from one bunch of cilantro, 2 stems of basil. (The stems have flavor too, perfect for broth!)

2 inches of ginger, un-peeled, roughly chopped

Gear

Large stock pot, preferably a large pasta pot with strainer insert

Plenty of freezer bags

Liquid measuring cup

Permanent marker

Stock-making

Put all ingredients in your pasta pot with the strainer insert in place (or in a large stock pot). Cover completely with water. Put lid on and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 1-2 hours, until stock is fragrant and rich in color (should be like a caramel color).

Remove from heat. Let stand and cool at room temperate for another hour.

After broth is cooled remove strainer insert from pot. Or if you used a stock pot, strain broth into a large bowl or pot.

Use liquid measuring cup to measure broth in 1 or 2 cup portions. Pour into freezer bags, label, date and freeze flat. Yield: 15-20 cups

Solutions: Address stampers and calling cards!

I remember the first time I had to fill out a form for Lily--it was her first pediatrician appointment. At the time, it seemed so exciting to be able to do things for my baby--it made Lily a real little person with a real identity.

Then came day care, later more doctors, school, horse back riding, art classes, choir, ballet and then a baby sister--who had activities, school and doctors and needed all the forms filled out. In these first two weeks of September, I've filled out about 35 forms. Sometimes, I need to fill out a nearly identical form-twice-for the same activity. It actually makes me want someone to install a microchip in my hand, so I can just scan in and be done.

This great solution comes from my husband's Aunt Lydia. Lydia--who cans and cooks and crafts and works full time--has creative solutions! Lydia suggests buying a rubber stamper with your address on it and use this on your children's forms. Keep the address stamper in your purse and voila, you have at least part of the tedious form complete in minutes!

And as luck would have it, Vistaprint has a free address stamp offer going now! Each stamper allows for 3 lines worth of text--which I fit in our last name (figuring that I will use the stamper for all of us and just write in the first name), our address (all on one line) and home telephone number.

And while you are shopping, grab 250 free business cards! Whether you have business card for professional purposes or not, personal "calling" cards are great. Use them when you meet a new mom or a potential babysitter or anyone you want to keep in touch with. Tuck one in your kids backpacks and use as luggage tags. Vistaprint has oodles of cute designs.

All you pay is shipping--which amounts to about $6.

A fabulous deal and effective solution that gets the Nana seal of approval!

Cooking together: Peachy Keen Salsa by Trish & Miranda

I love my girlfriends--especially as I plunge headfirst into motherhood and my 30s. This week, I had the joy of cooking with one of my favorite Nana's-in-Training Miranda (author of the fab blog At the Cookery). We cooked and canned up a batch of Peach Salsa--it is sweet and spicy and oh so peachy.

While we chopped (and I made her chop the jalapeno, sort of a hazing into the Nana program), cooked and canned; we chatted. It made me think of women everywhere--those of today and those of centuries ago. Whether it is women working together in an office to build a corporation or two fabulous Mommas preserving summer in jar--it is the sharing of stories, tips and laughs that makes the end product special.

In each jar of our Peachy Keen Salsa, there is laughter and love and friendship. There is the background noise of our children--Max, Emma, Lily and Chloe--laughing and throwing toys around the room. When I eat this salsa, I'll always savor the taste of my girlfriend and our day together.

Let me tell you a little about my girlfriend Miranda. Miranda is absolutely a Nana-in-Training. She loves finding authentic solutions for her family--whether it is monthly meal planning, cooking for the season or planning a meal that even a picky 3-year-old will eat--Miranda is a solution oriented momma. She is way more analytical than I could ever be-

-which is a wonderful complement to my wayward and wandering ways.

Our Peachy Keen Salsa is tomato-less. Even though I love tomatoes, I really wanted to make something that showcased peaches. We produced 20 half-pints. You could halve (or quarter) the recipe and just make a batch for your refrigerator too. If you don't can it, still simmer it together--the heat softens the peaches and melts their natural sugar into the spice of the jalapenos and cayenne. Also feel free to adjust the heat of the salsa--adding less or more peppers.

We snuck some from the pot and tried it with tortilla chips. Miranda can't wait to try it on shrimp. I think it would also compliment a firm white fish--Mahi Mahi (which will be our dinner tonight!) or even pork.

Here's the recipe we followed (based on something I found online called Katie's Peach Salsa).

Peachy Keen Salsa

18 peaches-diced, skins left on

3 small-medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

8 jalapeno peppers chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup lime juice (if you can, use bottled lime juice. if you are not canning, you can use either fresh or bottled)

4 tablespoons local honey

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne

Toss everything in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. If processing, pack into hot jars and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.