So simple and oh so GOOD!

My sister found these at Trader Joe’s. They are a great find and fun to make. Just follow the easy directions on the box.

“Place the frozen pastries seam side down 4-5 inches apart on a very lightly buttered or paper lined baking sheet.”

“Allow uncovered croissants to sit at room temperature for 9 hours (overnight.) You’ll be astounded by how much they grow!”

“Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 20–25 minutes or until crisp and quite brown.
Cool about 10 minutes before serving.”

Et voilà! Un pain aux chocolat
Close your eyes and imagine you’re in France—Bonne Appetite

[print_link] 

There are times when life takes a turn and grabs your complete attention, when you have no choice, but to take note. At this moment the following piece describes what has me thinking. I’ve had to write about it in order to understand its importance. From time to time, as they occur I will share these sorts of thoughts with you. It is not directly about food, but it is and will always be about our lives.

I was struck watching Ted Kennedy wave to the press as he left the hospital. After being given a life-changing diagnosis he knew, with total conviction, what he needed to do—go sailing. He needed to clear his head and gather his strength.

He had a clarity and self assuredness that made me wonder, what would I do? I found the fact that I didn’t know worrisome. Was it going for a walk on the beach, sitting at a café in France or sitting under the tree I’d discovered as an adolescent?

That tree was located in the middle of a field overlooking rolling hills—it felt magical. Sitting under it, looking out over the landscape, made me feel clearheaded and sure of myself. Unfortunately, at this moment I don’t have such a place.

I know I would take a long walk, but I can’t think of where I would go. I’d put my headphones on and listen to great music. I’m just not sure what music truly empowers me. How could I not know that? That realization made me profoundly sad.

Knowing that there are things out there that give me strength, but not knowing what they are feels similar to having a goal I want to achieve, but not knowing how to accomplish it. Instead, I just sit back and hope it will happen. It might, but do I really want to leave it to chance?

Ted Kennedy’s certainty showed me without question that the time to define what I need to maintain my strength is now, before I need it.

I want to gather as much information about myself as I can both for me and as a guide for my family who may need it someday. I’ve decided to write down what I learn and create my own ‘operating manual’ titled: Instructions for optimum effectiveness or keeping Adeline happy. Who better to do it than me?

[print_link]

Last night I made tacos. Not only are they delicious; they are so easy. Now that I’ve figured out the perfect Taco seasoning mix it’s healthy too. Here is a simple way to get great results using all natural ingredients that you can adjust to your taste buds. I serve it with both hard taco shells and the soft tortillas to satisfy everyone’s tastes. Personally I like it as a salad and always make twice as much to make certain I have leftovers for lunch.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Taco
1 pound of ground Turkey meat – do not use the very lean white mean, it is too dry
Iceberg lettuce - chopped
Tomato - diced
Avocado - chopped
Sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
Hard taco shells - warmed
Soft tortillas - warmed
Rice
Taco Sauce (I like the Imus Ranch medium sauce)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cilantro - chopped (optional)

Seasonings
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
Cayenne pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon = spicy 1/4 teaspoon = medium a dash for flavor
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chicken broth

• Mix all the seasonings together in a small bowl
• Pour olive oil into a frying pan and brown the turkey meat, continue stirring to make certain it is separated
• When it has cooked through add the dry seasonings and mix well
• Add 1/2 cup water and let it simmer for 15 minutes adding more water if needed
• The meat should have a sauce, but not be soupy
• Cover to keep the meat warm
To serve, place all the separate ingredients in separate bowls and let everyone make there own.

[print_link]

I really like a good crust, but that’s the problem. Most of the time what surrounds the quiche is not good. I love the cheesy custard and I find myself eating the delicious inside and leaving the crust sitting naked in the middle of my plate.

I consider quiche to be the perfect lunch food. That’s why I wanted to find a way to make it so that it would stay intact when it came out of the pan, so I could slice it into squares that were ready to eat when I was. That is important because I often eat and run and sometimes I even have to eat on the run, so I need to be able to grab a good lunch without any fuss.

I found the solution was to line the pan with parchment paper large enough to overhang on all sides, giving me handles to pull the quiche out of the pan when it’s ready. It worked perfectly, and I had these great quiche squares ready to eat when I was.

I used a rectangular cake pan lined with 2 pieces of parchment paper. One piece was cut to go the length of the pan including the ends (not the sides) plus I added 2 inches for the overhang on each side. The other piece was cut exactly the same way, but it was cut to go the width of the pan.

Make sure to butter your pan well before placing the wide piece of parchment into the pan. Press it down to make certain it has adhered to the pan. You now need to butter the paper that covers the bottom of the pan and add the long piece of parchment to finish coating the pan, making sure it is also secure.

Follow the recipe below to make the filling and pour it directly into the lined pan, then bake until it has set. Let it cool 10 - 15 minutes before lifting it out of the pan by the paper overhangs on the wide side of the pan. Place it on a prepared cookie sheet and slice it into squares. It’s great served with a green salad or you can store it in a container for when you need delicious fast food.

Note – When Mark came home and asked his usual “what’s for dinner?”, I said “grilled red snapper” but added, as I noticed he was looking around the kitchen with a puzzled expression, “unless you want quiche?” His response was “quiche of course, it’s everywhere!” I’d made two pans to check my proportions. Quiche and salad are also great for dinner!

Quiche au Jambon basic recipe for a 9” pan lined with parchment as described above
Pre-heat oven 375º
Makes 6 slices

1/2 pound diced ham
1/4 pound or one cup Swiss cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup whole milk* (use half and half if you do not have whole milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh pepper
A dash of nutmeg

• Mix the cream, eggs, salt and pepper together until well blended.
• Mix the ham and cheese together and place in the bottom of the pan.
• Add the cream and egg mixture to the pan and make certain all the cheese and ham are evenly distributed in the pan
• Place the pan into the middle of the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the quiche is golden brown and has set in the middle when a wood skewer comes out clean.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Quiche au Jambon for a 9” x 13” cake pan lined with parchment as described above
Makes 12 squares
Pre-heat oven 400º

2 cups of diced ham
2 cups of Swiss cheese
8 eggs
3 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2s cup whole milk* (use half and half if you do not have whole milk)
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh pepper
A dash of nutmeg

• Combine all ingredients as above and cook for 1 hour or until the center is firm.

Quiche can be served warm or at room temperature. Store it in a container in the refrigerator for a week or freeze it for two months.

To re-heat frozen quiche, do not thaw. Instead place unwrapped in a preheated 400º oven until it is heated through.

* Only use whole milk, as skim and low fat milk have too high a water content. Your quiche will have excess water separate as it is cooling. It is still edible, but does not look very appetizing.

[print_link]

I know that you can buy roasted peppers just about anywhere nowadays, but they just don’t taste as good as the ones I make myself. I’m not sure why that is, except possibly their freshness—I just know that the flavor is totally different and that with a grill pan it is so easy to do there’s no reason not to.

You can keep them for a week in the refrigerator. I don’t add any olive oil because I find it alters the natural, subtlety of the peppers and that’s what I like best.

They are perfect for adding a burst of flavor to sandwiches such as smoked Gouda with grilled peppers. Also try it with or without black forest ham or added to salads. I love putting a piece on top of cheese as a snack or appetizer, or on vegetables to add color and as well as great taste.

I use green and red peppers, because I find they peel better then the multi-colored ones.

Roasted Peppers

3 peppers

• Place the grill pan in the oven, about 2/3 of the way up
• Pre-heat the pan under the broiler for about 10 minutes or until it is very hot
• Place the peppers on the pan under the broiler
• When the skins start to burn, turn the peppers making certain the skins are well charred
• Once the outside of the peppers are completely burned place them in a brown paper bag or in a covered plastic container
• Close the bag or container tightly to let the peppers steam and cool off
• Once they are cool you should be able to easily peel the all the skins off
• Use immediately, or store them in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to a week

[print_link]