Simplicity

Sometimes it's the most simple dishes that are the most heartwarming. Lately I've found myself craving earthy dishes, vegetables, and the peppery flavours of home. Sushi is great, truly, but there's something about a fresh mushroom, soil still clinging to its spongy skin, that inspires a homecooked meal.

The other day whilst shopping, I saw the bin of mushrooms in the produce section, quietly ignored while shoppers bustled about selecting onions and potatoes and cabbages and lettuce and avocados and the like. So inconspicuous and silent, they seemed to doze as I walked over, suddenly wanting to pop one in my mouth right then, raw. I felt a hunger for the last bit of sleepy summer earth as I filled my bag with criminies.



Slowly piecing together a recipe in my mind I went on a mini scavenger hunt, gathering things I thought would work well together. I selected a bag of grated Monterey, but immediately placed it back and grabbed a container of crumbled feta cheese instead. I had breadcrumbs at home, fresh Italian parsley at home. My idea was beginning to solidify.

Once home, I whisked an egg and a little extra cream I had together, then added the chopped parsley that grows rampant in my garden. A little salt, pepper, cayenne, and then the breadcrumbs. Once I had a thick paste, I added the feta crumbles.

These I piled into the mushroom caps, topping with a little extra cheese, then stuck them in the oven until the tops turned golden. I gave the same treatment to a couple extra tomatoes I had as well, but the mushrooms were the spotlight on this evening. Despite a leetle overcooking by yours truly, I enjoyed the subtle contrast of the feta and fresh bright parsley with the earth-kissed mushrooms. I've found that I love weaving together meals as I walk through the market, relying on my personal whim and craving. In this case at any rate, it did not steer me wrong!

In a Jam- Cranberry that is!

I know there's been quite of bit of cranberry on this humble little blog, but with a bunch of fresh cranberry left over after making the Cranberry and Gruyère breakfast quiche, I decided to jump full into oncoming winter and make the first batch of cranberry jam. I might have played Christmas music, and it might have still been October. But you weren't here, so that's a secret you may never find out!

Cranberry jam is one of the simplest and quickest ways to cook something to put you in the holiday spirit. Vibrantly red, sinfully tart and alive, this recipe is sure to make you smile- it also happens to be a fantastic gift.



This version is one I've created, taking a little of this, a little of that, and finding what works for me. I use a few unconventional items, such as grapefruit juice instead of lemon or orange, and brown sugar instead of granulated. What I've ended up with, however, never fails to delight. You can serve a spoonful of this with poultry, or lamb. Spread on toast, biscuits, or scones it fulfills every facet of what a jam should be. It is, indeed, a jammiest of jams.

Cranberry Jam

3 cups or 1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine water, juice, and sugar in saucepot. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the cranberries. Top with a lid- very important! (This is my favourite part! The cranberries pop as their skins burst, making this delightfully fun sound effect.)Reduce heat to medium low, adding the cinnamon. Stir often. When the sauce thickly coats the back of a spoon, transfer to a warmed jar, cool, then refrigerate if using immediately.

WBB #6 Cranberry and Gruyère Quiche

The thing I love about events like Weekend Breakfast Blogging, is that it inspires me to look outside the box and try to create something new. I truly get a kick out of pondering what to put together for an event, mixing tastes and textures in my head. When the rules for this event (A twist on an ordinary breakfast) were announced, it didn't take me long to decide what I wanted to make.

I love quiche. I don't think I bolded that enough; I love quiche. Eggy, cheesy, often packed with savoury meats and veggies, all wrapped up in a flaky pie crust. What's not to love? They're inexpensive to make, and look great when entertaining, or even as warmed over leftovers while sitting on the couch and watching Veronica Mars. (Admit it, you love that show too.)


Second to pancakes (Mmmm), quiche is likely my number one breakfast food. It's definitely in the top three. That being said, I've never had a "sweet" quiche before, they've always been savoury. When pondering the event, I wondered to myself how a sweeter quiche would taste, and then grinned. I would make a fruit quiche! Originally I was going to go with strawberries, and a lighter cheese. Once at the store however, I decided to go instead with something a little more in season. Cranberries beckoned delightfully from the shelves, and I picked up a bag of dried, and fresh. For my cheese I wanted a strong, nutty flavour. You can use any swiss in the recipe, but Gruyère is what I recommend.


The recipe itself is fairly simple, and quick to make. I have to say, now that I've tried this, I definitely want to make some other sweet quiches, such as the strawberry one, perhaps a mango or peach quiche, or even a dark chocolate and nut quiche! In addition to the ready amount of fruits available there are also endless matching cheeses one could pair.

The original recipe is one of a myriad of quiche recipes. I learned to make quiche years and years ago, and they're all pretty much the same- eggs, cream, good fillings. This one in particular appeared in a French cookbook, and used bacon, onions, leeks, and cheddar- tell me that doesn't sound delicious!


Cranberry and Gruyère Quiche

1 pie crust (for the sake of time, I used ready made, but there are many good pie crust recipes about, such as here and here.)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup light cream
7 ounces Gruyère or swiss cheese, cubed
3 handfuls dried cranberries (about 1 1/2 cups worth)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat together the eggs and cream, then season with salt and pepper. The cranberries bring alot of sweetness to the quiche, so don't worry about salt in a sweet quiche. (Granted, don't go nuts, either. ;)) Sprinkle half the cheese over the pastry, then top with the cranberries, then the rest of the cheese.

-Side note: I didn't include it, but a breakfast type meat would go wonderfully with this, and perhaps make it more appealing to the carnivores in your family. Canadian bacon or crumbled breakfast sausage would be wonderful. If you intend to add meat, brown it first before adding it with the cranberries.

Pour on the egg mixture and bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown and set. For a topping, I sauteed some walnuts in some brown sugar and butter, then poured the bubbling mixture over the quiche.

I loved the way the cranberries plumped right up and flavoured the quiche, the cheese providing delightfully sharp contrast. Served as part of a holiday morning spread, you can't get very more festive than cranberry. :)