Leek and Mushroom Quiche

3 to 4 leeks, white part only, sliced
1/2 cup water
Salt
3 tablespoons butter
5 to 6 large white mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon port or cooking sherry
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream or whole milk
An 8-inch partially-cooked pastry shell on a baking sheet (1 recipe pate brisee)
1/4 cup grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
 
Heat oven to 375°F.
 
Boil the leeks over moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed, covered saucepan with 1/2 cup water, two tablespoons butter and a teaspoon of salt until it the liquid has almost evaporated. Lower heat and stew gently for 20 to 30 minutes until leeks are very tender. Put them aside in a bowl.
 
Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the sliced mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and port. Cover pan and cook over moderately low heat for 8 minutes. Uncover. Raise heat and boil for several minutes until liquid is completely evaporated and mushrooms are beginning to saute in their butter. Stir cooked mushrooms into leek mixture.
 
Beat the eggs, cream or milk and seasoning in a large mixing bowl to blend. Gradually stir in the leek and mushroom mixture. Check seasoning. Pour into pastry shell. Spread on the cheese. Bake in upper third of pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until puffed and browned.
 
Makes one quiche.
 
From Smitten Kitchen blog, adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

Pate Brisee

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
 
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
 
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
 
Form dough into a single ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.
 
To par-bake the shell: Roll out the chilled dough as quickly as possible on a lightly-floured surface until is about 2 inches large all around than your pie pan. Either reverse the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the mold or fold it into quarters and lay it over the mold, unfolding it. Press the dough lightly into the bottom of the pan, lifting the edges and working it gently down into the mold. Trim off excess dough by rolling the pin over the top of the mold.
 
With your thumbs, push the dough 1/8-inch above the edge of the mold, to make an even, rounded rim of dough around the inside circumference of the mold. You can then press a decorative edge around the rim of the pastry with the dull edge of a knife. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals.
 
Line the pastry with foil and fill it with pie weights, uncooked rice or beans and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove the foil and bake the shell for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove it from the oven when the shell is just starting to color and just beginning to shrink from the sides of the mold.
 
If it seems to you that the sides of the shell are too fragile, or liable to crack or leak with the weight of the pie filling to come, do not unmold until your tart or quiche is filled and fully baked. To unmold it, slip it onto a rack so air will circulate and cool it, preventing it from getting soggy.
 
Makes one tart dough.
 
From Smitten Kitchen blog, adapted from Martha Stewart and Julia Child

Herb and Garlic Bubble Loaf

Dough:
3 1/2 cups (418g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons (21g) potato flour or 1/4 cup (21g) instant potato flakes
3 tablespoons (21g) nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon (14 g) sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt
4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (152g) lukewarm water
1/2 cup (113g) lukewarm milk
Olive oil for coating pan
 
Coating:
4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
 
To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, except the olive oil, and mix and knead — by hand, stand mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.  Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until just about doubled in bulk.
 
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer to a lightly greased work surface.  Divide into 32 pieces by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Don't worry about making exactly even or shaping into balls.
 
Pour a generous layer of olive oil into the bottom of a 10" monkey bread pan or tube pan.
 
To make the coating: Combine the butter, seasoning, and garlic.
 
To assemble the loaf: Dip each ball of dough into the coating mixture, then place in the pan in a single layer; you'll need to squeeze them in.
 
Cover the pan, and allow the dough to rise until quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, heat the oven to 350°F.
 
Uncover the pan. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until its surface is golden brown, and a digital thermometer inserted into the middle of the loaf registers 190°F.
 
Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm.
 
Serves 12.
 
From King Arthur Flour
 
Note:  If you don't have a monkey bread or tube pan, a 9" round casserole dish or a 9" x 2" cake pan will work well, also.

Chunky Vegetable Salad

2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices on the diagonal

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups cauliflower florets

1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into large dice

1 sweet onion, diced

Dressing:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower to boiling water and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Put in a large salad bowl with the bell pepper.

Mix together onion, vinegars, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, sugar, and mustard in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Shake the jar for about a minute to quick-pickle the onions slightly.  Add the olive oil and salt and pepper and shake again to combine.  

Mix onions and dressing with the vegetables in the salad bowl.  Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.  Toss again just before serving.

Serves 8.

From MyRecipes.com, with some changes

Avocado Dressing

This creamy avocado dressing is delicious on salads, grilled or roasted veggies, and grain bowls.
 
1 ripe avocado, pitted

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1/2 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the avocado, water, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, garlic, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper in a blender. Blend until creamy, then transfer to a jar.

If the dressing is too thick, stir in a little more water to reach a drizzle-able consistency, if desired.
 
Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
 
Serves 4 to 6.
 
From Love and Lemons blog

Asparagus Salad

2 bunches asparagus, tender parts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Avocado Dressing
⅓ cup crumbled feta
3 radishes, thinly sliced
¼ cup pine nuts. toasted
Mint or basil leaves, for garnish
 
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the asparagus into the boiling water and blanch for about 1 minute, until tender but still bright green. Transfer to the ice water for 1 minute, then drain. Transfer the asparagus to a kitchen towel to dry and wipe out the bowl.

At the bottom of the bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the asparagus and peas and toss until coated. Transfer to a platter, drizzle with some of the avocado dressing, top with feta, radishes, pine nuts, and mint or basil.
 
Serves 2 to 4.
 
From Love and Lemons blog

Spinach and Coconut Dal

For the lentils:
250 grams (9 ounces) toor dal
4 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

For the spinach:
1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon urad dal
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 dried red chilies
50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) fresh coconut, roughly chopped
200 grams (7 ounces) fresh spinach
1/3 cup boiling water 

For the tadka:

1 teaspoon ghee

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 dried red chilies

Pinch of asafoetida

Combine the lentils, water, salt, and turmeric in a pan and bring them to the boil.  Reduce the heat, then cover and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the lentils are soft.  (Alternatively, cook in pressure cooker for 25 minutes.)

To cook the spinach, heat the ghee in another pan and add the urad dal.  Cook for 2 minutes on a low heat until slightly golden, then add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper, dried red chilies, and chopped coconut.  Let it all sizzle for a minute.

Add the spinach and boiling water.  Cover and cook on a low heat for 2 minutes, until the spinach has wilted.  Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree.

Tip the puree into the pan of cooked lentils and return to the boil.

For the tadka, heat the ghee in a small pan.  Add the mustard seeds, dried red chilies, and asafoetida and let them sizzle for a minute.  Stir this mixture into the lentils and serve.  

Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2-3 days.  Reheat well before serving.

Serves 4.

From Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian by Chetna Makan