Warm Winter Quiche

The final product:
winter quiche and greens

How perfect is Quiche?

It’s full of protein, super versatile and it reheats well – I would consider it a fridge staple.

I feel that most people see Quiche as a Spring or Summer dish, but it’s amazing served with a side of greens on a chilly Winter evening. In most cases, all you need are a few pantry staples. Flour, oil, eggs, milk and salt are the perfect backdrop for any flavour combination. Any blend of vegetables, herbs, meat or cheese will do. Whether you want to get creative or just use up what's left in the fridge, Quiche is the answer.

Prepping some of my ingredients:
baby kale, shredded oak, eggs, garlic.

I haven’t seen this much snow on the ground in years. Of course it's snowed, but it hasn't stayed the way it has this year. This Winter feels like the real deal. I’ve been in total hibernation mode and that is being echoed in my kitchen, so I created a Warm Winter Quiche with wilted greens to amp up my energy level. Kale, Swiss Chard and Spinach are the stars of this dish, but the pan-roasted garlic and melted Oka had my kitchen smelling warm and inviting.
Toss some mixed greens with a little olive oil, salt and pepper while your Quiche is cooling. Pour yourself (and your guests) a glass of wine. Now, your Quiche is ready to slice and serve. Enjoy!

Get the recipe here.

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Je T'aime

A short stack of macarons.

You know it's almost Valentine's Day is when the cold, dark Winter gets painted shades of pink and red, and the resolutions of the New Year get tossed out the window in favour of cinnamon hearts. This post is a departure from my "real food" theme, but it is in the spirit of treats. This year, I'm treating my valentine to something he affectionately refers to as those things.

Ah - the french macaron. The delicate dessert that has fans swooning all over Paris. If you can't make it to Ladurée, you can whip up a batch yourself, but you'll need practice, patience, and a scale.

I think part of the appeal of the french macaron is its look - two meringue clouds sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam - how adorable!  

You can go the traditional route with the standard size and fun pastels or you can switch it up with flavours or minis. I've seen some beautiful heart-shaped cookies, but I lack the skill-set to execute anything but the classic recipe. These little treats are so finicky, but they're worth the effort. 

Macarons waiting patiently for the oven.

There are so many macaron recipes available online; I usually like to browse through foodgawker for inspiration, it's a photo gallery that links blogs throughout the world (and it really gets the stomach going.) After hours of hard work, both me and my Valentine were so delighted to snack on a stack of macarons that we ignored the stomach aches after eating so many, and I may or may not have had one for breakfast.

Get the recipe here.

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Warm Cinnamon Rolls

Drizzling cream cheese icing
over warm cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls; does anything compare? Warm, buttery dough with a spiral of sweet spice through the centre. Top them with cream cheese frosting and you have the Saturday morning breakfast of goddesses (/gods.)

I'd been fantasizing about cinnamon rolls for a long time, but I didn't want to ruin my craving with your run-of-the-mill, mass manufactured cinnamon roll. I wanted an at-home roll, the kind that fills your kitchen with that sweet aroma to the point that you feel you are living inside of the cinnamon roll.

A ball of dough ready to rise.

The only thing between me and the cinnamon rolls of my dreams was the yeast. I tried to use yeast in a recipe about 3 years ago and after wasting all three packs on an unsuccessful attempt, I came to terms with the fact that it wasn't going to happen for me. I picked myself back up and recently bought another 3-pack of yeast with my cinnamon roll craving in mind. A lazy Saturday morning was upon me, so I scoured Google and Foodgawker for "easy cinnamon roll" recipes, and I came across a gem. Minimalist Baker enticed me with "The World's Easiest Cinnamon Rolls" and I haven't looked back since.

This recipe turned out perfectly. I made some minor adjustments, substituting real butter, whole wheat flour and organic cane sugar for the originals. The buns were rich and dense, which is the perfect way to balance out a cup of black coffee.

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Get the recipe here.

Baked Shrimp Mac and Cheese

Shrimp mac and cheese.

Baked mac and cheese is one of my favourite winter (/spring/summer/fall) treats. This isn't just because of the luxurious cheese-sauce, but because this basic dish is an amazing canvas for flavours. The classic noodle and cheese-sauce combination doesn't really maximize the nutritional potential of this dish, so I'm always mixing up different cheeses, vegetables, meats and grains.

The best thing about making mac and cheese is that you don't need a recipe at all (and you certainly don't need a box of chemical powder cheese.) If you are using a recipe as inspiration, you don't need to follow it to the letter, you can add more or less of anything to suit what you have in your kitchen at the time.

Bits of poached shrimp waiting
for their cheese bath.

I don't limit my definition of 'mac and cheese' to just macaroni either, I am an equal opportunity noodle-user and I think it's important to experiment. For this dish, I used a spiral Spelt-flour pasta. Spelt is an ancient grain so it's got less gluten than white or whole wheat, and it packs protein, B and E vitamins and other minerals. The crevices and curls of this noodle are like little holding tanks for sauce, which is ideal when you've got a melted blend of homemade chicken stock, parmesan rind, shrimp and aged cheddar.

Just before baking, I sprinkled ground almonds and grated parmesan (breadcrumb impersonators) over top of the pasta. When the top is browned, serve immediately with a small green salad and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

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Get the recipe here.