Ham, Asparagus & Gruyere Quiche

This is my all-time favorite quiche recipe. I've been using it ever since we moved to Peoria. I discovered it one Easter while looking for recipes for left-over ham.

It reminded me of the quiche Lorraine my mom made a few times when I was in elementary school and studying different cultures. I was reporting on France and had to bring a dish from that country.

In many ways, this meal also reminds me of an Italian "pizza rustica" that my family makes for Easter. It is filled with sausage, prosciutto, eggs and mozzarella cheese.

This quiche has a rich flavor from Gruyere cheese but a light, airy texture. I was craving it recently so I bought a small spiral sliced ham and some asparagus. You can use store-bought refrigerated pie crusts or make your own from scratch. Both work equally well, but be sure to pre-bake the crust so that it doesn't get soggy.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Ham, Asparagus & Gruyere Quiche
Inspired by this recipe from Simply Recipes.

1 pie crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
10 ounces asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups (about 8 ounces) Gruyere cheese, grated and divided
1/2 pound ham, diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
Fresh ground pepper

Roll out pie dough and fit into a 10-inch pie plate. Press down into bottom. Chill in freezer while oven preheats to 350 degrees.

Line pie crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes and then remove weights and parchment. Poke bottom of crust all over with a fork and return to oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Transfer pie plate to a wire rack to cool while you make the quiche filling. Raise oven temperature for 375 degrees.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent but not brown. Add asparagus and cook and stir for another 10 minutes, or until asparagus begin to brown.

Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese into bottom of pie pan. Spread asparagus and shallot mixture on top of the cheese. Sprinkle ham evenly over the vegetables. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream and eggs. Season with ground pepper. Slowly pour egg mixture into pie plate, evenly covering the cheese.

Place quiche into oven. Position a baking sheet on the rack below the quiche to catch any drippings. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until quiche is set in center and lightly browned on top. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and refrigerate. This tastes delicious served warm or cold.

Eggs in a Nest

Do any of you dear readers have children whose dietary preferences change from week to week? My youngest used to want eggs every day. Then he swore them off completely.

Now, he's eating them again.

To embrace the egg love while I can, I baked this hearty skillet. It combines many of the breakfast foods my youngest currently enjoys: hash browns, eggs, ham and cheese.

Plus, it's a one-pot meal, and I'm all over the easier clean up that follows that!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Eggs in a Nest
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1/3 package shredded hash browns (I like Alexia hash browns with onion, garlic and white pepper)
1 heaping cup diced cooked ham (or use crumbled sausage)
1 cup shredded cheese (use your favorite, such as cheddar or pepper jack)
6 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Diced green onions for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a large (10-inch or 12-inch) oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat.

Pour in hash browns. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until hash browns start to brown. Flip over in sections and cook for another 2-3 minutes until desired crispiness.

Add ham to skillet, stirring gently. Cook another 5 minutes or until ham starts to brown lightly. Spread out ham and hash brown mixture evenly across entire pan.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese, let melt.

Remove pan from heat. Form six wells in the hash brown mixture. Crack an egg into each well.

Place skillet in oven and bake about 7 minutes or until egg whites are cooked and yolks are set. (Cook a little less time if you prefer your yolks more on the sunny side.)

Remove from oven.

Top with salt, pepper and green onions. Slice into wedges and serve with hot sauce on hand for those who like it.

Easter Round-Up

Happy Easter, dear readers! Today I'm sharing a round-up of recipes that would be perfect for your holiday table. Whether you're celebrating with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we've got you covered.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Let's get our day started with Herbed Egg Bake. The fresh herbs hint at the Spring garden goodness that's heading our way.

Make these Carrot Coconut Muffins the night before and serve them with a schmear of butter. The Easter bunny will appreciate a few carrots, don't you think?

Use up any leftovers from your Easter egg hunt to make this Deviled Egg Sampler. Are you a traditionalist or will you add a pinch of curry to your deviled eggs?

Easter begs for ham, and this Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham is my very favorite. Bonus: It's as simple to prepare as it is delicious to eat.

Asparagus is so fresh and tender this time of year. And since it's seasonal, it'll probably be on sale this weekend. Roasted Asparagus with Lemon is my favorite way to serve this springtime veggie.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake is a refreshing and delicious dessert. I recommend piling it high with berries and freshly whipped cream.

Crustless Quiche with Ham and Smokey Cheddar

Lately I've been trying to limit my trips to the grocery store to once a week. While I love my precious angels, I don't love schlepping them both to the store. So I shop when the husband can watch the kids on Sunday afternoon. I try to use fresh meat and produce at the beginning of the week, and by Friday I'm looking to clean out the fridge, freezer and pantry.

I always have eggs on hand and I had popped some leftover ham in the freezer a few weeks back. Crustless quiche seemed like the perfect end-of-the-week plan. I whisked everything together and popped it into the oven to bake. It was ridiculously easy, so I was dubious that it would be good. But it was. Tasty + easy? You guys know that's how I roll.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Crustless Quiche with Ham and Smokey Cheddar
Serves: 4-6

8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper
1 cup diced ham
1 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" pie plate and set aside.

Whisk together eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ham and cheese. Pour mixture into prepared pie plate, making sure ham and cheese are evenly distributed. Bake for about 30 minutes, until filling is set and doesn't jiggle. Rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Andrea's Christmas Antipasto

We're spending Christmas in Cincinnati with my husband's family, whose holiday meal tradition is that dinner is different each time! This year, our big meal will be a turkey dinner on Christmas Eve, as some of our group will depart Christmas Day to visit other family members.

On the Tortora side, Christmas Day means raviolis with homemade tomato sauce and meatballs, and hot and mild Italian sausage. The meal always begins with an antipasto. This is a huge platter of salami, ham, prosciutto and other cured meats like capicola, plus provolone and mozzarella cheeses, assorted olives, pickled mushrooms and eggplant and stuffed hot peppers. Roasted garlic cloves, Italian bread and focacia round out the spread.

The appetizer is much like a charcuterie board. It's a great dish to serve at parties, especially during the holiday season. And you might be surprised at how much the kids enjoy it, too.

Last Christmas during our antipasto course, we discovered how much Sam enjoyed proscuitto, which he calls "thin meat." For weeks afterward he requested prosciutto sandwiches in his lunch box. Sam's love of this cured ham was re-ignited when he met this gorgeous platter at a gathering hosted by his Aunt Karen (who also took this photo.)

Karen's neighbor Kim crafted this masterpiece, and I'm planning to re-create it this week. Kim was thrilled that Sam and Karen's nephew Harrison were willing to try out the different combinations of meat and cheese. Here's Kim, sharing her foodie knowledge with newbies Sam (in orange) and Harrison:

The big surprise came when Sam consumed all of the proscuitto, all by himself. Luckily, Kim was a good sport, noting that at least the meats were domestic and not imported!

If you want to go all out, do get some Proscuitto di Parma for your table. It's definitely worth spending a little extra to try the real thing. Need tips on crafting the perfect charcuterie board? Click here. And if you enjoy beautiful charcuterie photos, check out In Parma by Food Roots on the web or follow the London restaurant: @inparma.

Merry Christmas and Mangia! Mangia!
--Andrea

P.S. Here's a shot of my family from last night as we enjoyed some Christmas decorations.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears

You know what goes nicely with Andrea's Buttermilk Spoonbread? You know what would make a tasty appetizer?

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears.

Cooking really can be that simple, my friends.

I made this combo for dinner the other night and it reminded me of a grown-up version of breakfast for dinner. Truthfully, my husband hates breakfast for dinner (a.k.a. brinner), so this was a genius move on my part.

XOXO,
Amy

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears

Equal number of asparagus spears and prosciutto slices
Melted butter or olive oil, couple tablespoons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim asparagus. My mom has a friend who taught her how to trim the right amount and I think of Mom's friend every time I make asparagus. So with your sharp knife start at the very bottom of the asparagus and tap your way toward the top until you feel a slight give. When you feel the give, that's where you cut.

Wrap one piece of prosciutto around each stalk.

Brush each stalk with melted butter or olive oil.

Place in oven until asparagus is roasted and prosciutto is crispy, about five minutes.

Ham and Cheese Oven Omelette

My mom cracks me up. She doesn't mean to, but she does. For example, ham nibbies. What is a ham nibbie, you ask? Well, let me tell you.

My mom found a particularly good price on ham and purchased an extravagant amount. You can't have too much ham, right? Wrong. After eating ham for several days in a row, there was still quite a bit of meat in the pan. So, my clever mom diced up the remaining leftovers and popped it in the freezer.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I ask Mom what's for dinner. "Ham nibbies."

"Uh, mom, what are ham nibbies?"

She pulls the diced leftover ham out of the freezer and holds it aloft. "Ham nibbies!" she exclaims proudly.

While I wouldn't recommend serving your family a plate piled high with plain old ham nibbies for dinner, they are perfect for making a Ham and Cheese Oven Omelette.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Ham and Cheese Oven Omelette
Adapted from Williams Sonoma and inspired by leftover Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham
Serves: 6

8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups diced (or thinly sliced) ham
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda or cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups French bread or baguette cubes (1/2" cubes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs until thoroughly blended. Whisk in milk, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in ham and cheese. Pour egg mixture into the prepared baking dish. (If you're preparing the omelette ahead of time, at this point you can cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the oven until you're ready to bake it.)

In a separate bowl, toss bread cubes with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle bread over the egg mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the eggs are set and golden brown around the edges. Serve hot.


P.S. Looking for a side dish? This rich Ham and Cheese Oven Omelette pairs perfectly with a refreshing salad like this one with oranges and fennel.

Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham

I don't know about you, but I'm still recovering from Thanksgiving. I ate so much stuffing. And so much cranberry sauce. And SO MUCH pecan pie. Good gracious, the pie.

But since I'm in the holiday mode, I'll keep on with the holiday food. Sound good?

Today we're making ham. Every time I smell ham roasting in the oven, I'm immediately transported to Christmas Eve at my parents' house in Buffalo. Ham, cheesy potatoes, five or six feet of snow. Those were good times. 

I've made ham on several occasions, and Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham is both the simplest and tastiest in my humble opinion. Sweet, salty, and just a tiny bit tangy thanks to a dollop of grainy mustard, it's the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table. 

Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

5 pound semi-boneless ham

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, mustard, preserves, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside. Line a baking dish large enough to fit the ham with foil. Place ham cut-side down in the prepared baking dish. Pour glaze over the ham. Bake until ham is heated through, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting with pan juices several times. Thinly slice and serve. 

Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham

I've waxed eloquent about my love of pork, but one cut I don't cook frequently is ham. Since the husband and I are just a little family of two, a big ham is a bit daunting. But it is so delicious. And when it was dirt cheap around Easter time, I just couldn't pass it up.

I bought the smallest ham I could find, which was boneless and spiral-sliced. I've heard, though, that bone-in ham is more flavorful. If you're family is a bit larger, or if you can handle leftover ham for a few years, you might want to give the bone-in ham a shot. Just brush the glaze on the ham for the last hour of cooking.

Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves: 8? 10? A million?

3/4 cup apricot preserves
1-2 tablespoons ground mustard
3 pounds boneless, spiral-cut smoked honey ham

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together apricot preserves and 1 tablespoon ground mustard. Give it a taste. If it's mustard-y enough for you, leave it alone. If not, add more ground mustard until it tastes perfect. (I used about 1.5 tablespoons of ground mustard.) Set the glaze aside.

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Place ham in the dish cut-side down. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until ham reaches an internal temperature of about 115 degrees. According to all the websites and cookbooks I read, this should take about 15 minutes per pound. Mine took longer, but I'm assuming that's a fluke.

At this point, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush the apricot-mustard glaze all over the ham. Turn the ham on its side and brush glaze in between the slices to make sure every piece is coated.

Continue baking the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees, basting with the glaze every 10-15 minutes. This will take about 30 minutes of cooking. Once the ham reaches 140 degrees, brush it with any remaining glaze, tent with foil, and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Ham & Cheese Toasties

My parents are visiting from my hometown of Buffalo, NY. I love it when my parents come to visit. Even though I'm a grown-up now (or so they say), my parents always take extra good care of me when they're in town. It's like I'm their little girl again.

Also, my parents have known me for my entire life. (Obviously.) They know the good, the bad, and the really crazy about Erin. So if our guest room (a.k.a. my closet) is a little, ahem, disorganized, they aren't terribly surprised. And if there's a little dust bunny hiding in the corner, that's ok with them. They love me anyway.

When they rolled into town on Wednesday night, I was running a bit behind at work. The husband played host for a few hours until I got home, and since the gang was entertained by baseball playoffs, I popped by the grocery store to grab something for dinner. I have to admit, I was tired and didn't feel like whipping up a four course meal. I wanted something really simple. So I made my version of a family classic: Ham and Cheese Toasties.

And by the way, my parents still love me, even when I don't make a four course dinner.

Ham and Cheese Toasties
Serves: 4

4 pretzel rolls, sliced in half
3 tablespoons room temperature butter
2 tablespoons honey mustard
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 slices maple-glazed ham (about 1/2 pound)
4 slices Havarti cheese (If you don't have Havarti, double the cheddar or use your favorite cheese.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate the pretzel rolls and spread butter on both halves of each roll.

Spread mustard on top of the butter on both halves of each roll. Evenly divide the cheddar cheese onto the bottom halves of each roll.

Pile three slices of ham on each sandwich, then top with the Havarti. Close up the sandwich with the top buns and wrap each sandwich with aluminum foil. Bake sandwiches for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Dad's sandwich had a toothpick in it because he wanted his Toastie sans mustard.

P.S. These are great to serve a crowd during a football game because you can make them ahead of time and bake them when you're ready to eat. Also, the aluminum foil wrapper helps contain the mess.