Sunday in the Happy Hippy Kitchen.

[hippywife]

This week's line-up:

Easy breakfast: frash aigs over easy on toast and a plum.

The weekly batch of yogurt.

Canned 3 more pints of tomatoes. Slipped a little red hot chili pepper (also from the garden) in each jar. I sat there wishing all the tomatoes would all ripen at the same time but then realized I'd really be in trouble if they did. LOL

Lunch: Grilled cheese with gouda, champagne grapes.

Chik'n Salad for lunch this week made with Quorn Naked Cutlets.

Blueberry Pecan Upside Down Coffee Cake.

Oatmeal Raisin Pecan Cookies with those insanely delicious cinnamon chips I hate to love. LOL

Dinner: Flat Iron steaks with mushrooms, baked potatoes, roasted green beans and asparagus, used the last of the Ain5 dough in the fridge to make four dinner rolls.

Strawberry Granita.

The dishes are done and it's not even dark yet. But I really hurt all over now this week.

[elleng]

1. Dahlink,

PLEASE come East, and cook for me!!!! I'm at McD's! (for internet!)


Apt. available in my building!

http://westmd.craigslist.org/apa/1336941012.html

[beac]

2. I love Quorn. You've inspired me to make Chik'n Salad now (HOW did I not think of this before??)

Also, please share about the "insanely delicious cinnamon chips"-- they sound dangerous... and necessary.


Before reading your post, I was feeling all puffed up for making a homemade oregano whole wheat crust for my Swiss Chard tart tonight. I've still got a LONG way to go to match your productivity.


(Note to self: drink more coffee and/or get cloned.)

[hippywife]

4. That homemade crust and tart sound wonderful!

I love Quorn Naked Cutlets! I usually just spray them with canola oil, sprinkle them with Lawry's Season Salt and pepper, and bake them in the toaster oven for sandwiches. But it is good for chicken salad and even pot pie!

I'm limping this morning and hurting all over. My MIL came for dinner Saturday night so I was on my feet all day Saturday getting the house extra cleaned up and dinner ready. Sunday was my usual kitchen routine, but on top of Saturday's extra activity, I am so dead today I wish I could have stayed home from work. So, don't feel like you have to go to all that trouble.

[beac]

6. I've used the naked cutlets in all kinds of hot dishes, but never thought to try making

chicken salad w/ them. Tarragon Quorn Salad, here I come!


And here's the tart recipe. I'd recommend using more oregano in the crust and only cooking the chard leaves for just 1.5 minutes. Since I didn't have kalamata olives, I used sliced black olives and added about a tablespoon of capers and some extra salt. Also, my tart took longer to cook and I had to cover the crust edge to keep from burning, but that might just be my wacky stove. I'm thinking of adding a little cream cheese to the crust recipe for a little extra moisture next time, but all and all it was a hit. A very bright and lemony dish!

Swiss Chard and Feta Tart

8 appetizer servings or 4 entree

Crust
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons cold water (approx, I used about 6)

Filling
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups chopped chard (about 1 bunch), leaves and stems separated
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. To prepare crust: Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, thyme (or oregano), salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1/3 cup oil and 5 tablespoons water. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry to form a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly coat a 9-inch tart pan, with removable bottom, with olive oil. (I used a glass pie pan and it worked just fine.)

3. Roll the dough into a 12” circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to the prepared pan and press into bottom and up sides. Trim any overhanging dough and use it to patch any spots that don’t come all the way up the sides. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork in a few places. Bake the crust until firm and lightly brown, 20-22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

4. To prepare filling: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chard stems and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add chard leaves and 2 tablespoons water and cook, stirring, until the leaves are just tender, 2 to 5 minutes.

5. Transfer the greens to a sieve over a bowl and let drain and cool for 5 minutes. Whisk eggs, ricotta, lemon zest and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Fold in the greens, olives and feta. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake the tart until the top is lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.


Recipe Nutrition
Per serving: 287 calories; 18 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 11 g mono unsaturated fat); 68 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 2 g fiber; 547 mg sodium; 185 mg potassium
Nutrtion Bonus: Vitamin A (40% daily value), Calcium & Vitamin C (15% dv).

[hippywife]

5. Oop! I forgot about the chips!

They are Hershey's Cinnamon Chips, in the baking section with the chocolate chips for cookies. I try to limit this to only a couple of times a year, but it's very difficult.

[tigereye]

8. we bought some of those to try to duplicate Panera's cinnamon scones

but the resemblance, was, well, not much of one.


Feel like sharing the cookie recipe? I love pecans, and with cinnamon chips... yum.

[ginnyinWI]

3. did you ever put slices of garden tomato in your grilled cheese?

Talk about yum!

What I have in abundance here is cucumbers--the "gourmet" seedless burpless kind, you know? They are long and skinny and fabulous. I make sour cream cucumbers and they make a great side to any meal. I can't believe I'm getting so many of them from just two plants--they are really taking off now, climbing all over the fence on that end of the garden.

[yellerpup]

7. You've made my tongue hang out.

If you weren't so much younger, I'd make you my mom and never move out!