QUICK QUICHE

This recipe is one that I like to make when I have friends coming over for brunch.  I have made with store bought crust (Pillsbury makes great crust), or make your own my crust recipe is below, or omit crust of you are watching calories.  I found this whole wheat crust recipe that I can make fast.  I like it because it uses oil instead of butter; cheaper, lighter on calories, plus I always have oil in the house.  I try to add whole wheat flour instead of white as much as possible.  I add salt to my crust when making quiche, but if you want to use it for a sweet pie, you can use sugar instead or with salt.

Whole Wheat pie crust
2 cups flour - regular, whole wheat or half of each
1/2 cup oil -Olive or another kind
1/3 cup of milk
1tsp salt
Mix flour & salt (sift if you have time or if clumpy), then add oil & milk.  If too moist add more flour, if too dry add a little more milk.  If I use whole wheat flour its a little more dry.  I roll thin between wax paper and form in my pie dish.  Recipe usually yields two pie crusts.

Quiche Filling
6 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
3/4 cup of cheese of your choice or a mixture (cheddar, feta, parmesan, aseago, or mozzarella
1 cup of sausage, veggies or filling of your choice

Mix in blender eggs, 1/2 of cheese, milk, & a dash of salt/pepper or season salt.  Reserve a little of the cheese for the top (about 1/4 cup).  Sprinkle the sausage or pie filling evenly in base of pie crust.  Then pour egg mixture to top of pie dish, add the remainder of cheese on top.   Cook on 375 for about 30-45m, until browned and cooked through center.

I usually make a quiche with sausage & cheese for the meat lovers and one with all veggies.  Some ideas of some veggies to add are chopped artichoke heart, tomato, onion & mozzarella.  Sausage, ham or bacon with cheddar.  Sauted broccoli with feta or sautéed onion, garlic, spinach and tomato.

The pictures are just of the sausage.  The veggie quiche went too fast for me to get a picture.  If you are running short of time, you can buy frozen veggies, heat in the microwave with a little butter and garlic salt.  I like to use frozen peas with ham, or frozen spinach with tomato, frozen broccoli and cheese.  Anything will work, it's so simple to prepare and great to have around for a quick healthy breakfast on a rushed day or for company.  It can also be froze and reheated for a later day.

COTTAGE CHEESE OATMEAL PANCAKES

When I was a kid I used to love it when my mom made cottage cheese pancakes.  She used flour instead of Oatmeal, my own variation of her recipe, to make it extra heart healthy.  I was never a big fan of the pancake mix that comes in a box.  The box kinds are so dry and you have to add a bunch of butter and/or syrup on them to make them taste good.  I like this recipe for my toddler, because he likes it and he is getting in a lot of food groups in one sitting.  Its another recipe that can be made in my blender!

1 cup of oats (preferably the regular kind- but you can use instant or flavored packet kind is available)
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 very ripe med size banana or a half of large banana
1-2 Tablespoon of honey (optional)
1 Teaspoon of of vanilla (optional)
butter for the cooking in the pan

Put everything in the blender mix on high for a few minutes or until everything is well blended and smooth.  I don't use baking powder or soda, if you want them more fluffy go for it!

Put a little butter in a small nonstick pan on med heat.  When melted pour 1/2 cup of batter in pan.  This is a nice size for flipping and small enough for toddler to eat a whole one or two.

So simple, quick and healthy.  Great topped with fruit, butter, jam, syrup or what ever! I have also varied the recipe by adding nuts or whole wheat flour.  Feel free to change it up how you like...

BREAKFAST CREPES

As most of you Crepe lovers know Crepes can be made with all kinds of things and eaten not just for breakfast.  Pancakes and waffles are so last year, crepes are lighter, tastier and all the rage at Casa Stamper! The kind I make often are the breakfast kind and they are surprisingly simple! I always use my blender to mix the batter, have a good non stick pan and non metal spatula handy for flipping.  I also make a non-flip bake Crepe (Crepe pie) that is even simpler.  The bake Crepe is great to make if you have brunch group to feed and don't want to stand over the stove flipping Crepes.  The ingredients for both recipes are the same; one is flipped & the other is baked.

Crepe recipe - makes about 5-6 if using a 9" pan (I usually double the recipe)

2 eggs

1/2 cup of milk 

1/2 cup of flour

1 tablespoon of sugar (optional)

1 tsp of flavoring like almond or vanilla extract (optional)

Put all ingredients in blender & mix

Traditional thin Crepes

Pour about 1/2 cup of batter in a buttered or oiled pan on med heat.  Its important to spread batter around in the pan to coat pan as thinly as possible.  I do this by lifting the pan & tilting pan so batter has evenly spread.  

Then cook until it starts to kind of bubble, is crisp at edges and cooked enough to flip.  Cook both sides so they are lightly fluffy and browned. 

Easy non-flip or bake Crepe pie

Pre-heat oven at 400, then put 3-4 tablespoons of butter in a non stick 9" pie dish.  Put pie dish with butter in oven for a minute or two, just till the butter is melted. 

Then pour entire crepe mixture in pie dish (2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk & 1/2 cup of flour).  I often will make 2 or more of the crepe 'pies' at a time.  I double or triple ingredients in blender then just put enough in each pie dish till they look even.  Cook for 5-10 minutes, until puffed up, crispy & brown on top.  

Its best served just out of the oven.  I put on a plate, cut into 8 pieces and sprinkle with lemon & sugar or just let guests put Nutella on.  

I prefer mine with lemon & sugar,  (I use regular or cane sugar, any will do).  My kids love Nutella on their Crepes.  My toddler loves Nutella too, so I try to only put a very little and mix it with peanut butter.  He hasn't yet figured out my trick.  They can be served with fresh fruit, whipped cream or even with ice cream for a desert.  Crepes are the national dish of France and served on most street corners from a cart or in a Creperie restaurant (which serve a variety of salty & sweet crepes with beer).  

Yummy!!