Crab, Asparagus, and Sweet Corn Quiche

*Mimi's Cafe used to offer a quiche with these ingredients on their menu, but sadly did away with it a couple of years ago. I've been wanting to see if I could mimic it...here's what I came up with.

Serves: 6
Prep: 30 minutes + 40 minutes baking

INGREDIENTS
10-12 stalks of asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 3/4" pieces
1 ear of sweet corn, kernels removed
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp butter
1 (9 in.) unbaked pastry shell
1 cup crabmeat, drained and flaked
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Sauté asparagus in butter in a saucepan on medium-high for 3 minutes. Add corn and onion; sauté an additional 3 minutes or until onion begins to turn translucent and asparagus is crisp tender. Drain vegetables on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
2. Prepare pie pan with pie crust. Arrange vegetables over the pastry crust. Top with crab meat. Sprinkle feta cheese over crab.
3. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese, dry mustard, paprika, and salt. Brush a bit of the egg mixture around the edges of the pastry crust, then pour mixture into the pastry.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until firm. Allow to rest 10-15 minutes before cutting.

*Notes for myself:

• I used canned white meat crab. 
• Consider using seafood seasoning like Old Bay in place of paprika. 
• Consider adding one Tbsp of flour to help absorb moisture--sprinkle over pastry before adding vegetables.
• The quiche did not rise, so pour egg mixture into pastry shell right up until just below the brim of the shell.

Honey Balsamic Glazed Salmon

*Adapted from here.

Serves: 4
Prep: 20 minutes + time to marinate

INGREDIENTS
4 salmon filets with skin (1 lb.)
1/4 cup light balsamic salad dressing
2 Tbsp honey
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine salad dressing, honey, salt & pepper in a zip-top bag and mix thoroughly. Add salmon filets and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.
2. Heat oil on skillet on medium heat. Add filets (reserving the marinade), flesh-side down, and cook for 6 minutes. Turn and cook 2 more minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Remove and keep warm.
3. Add the rest of the marinade to the skillet and turn heat to high. Allow sauce to simmer until reduced and thickened, stirring frequently. Drizzle glaze over filets to serve.

Serving suggestions: Serve with rice pilaf and/or sautéed vegetables.

Turkey Bacon Bravo(ish) Wrap

This recipe is inspired by the Turkey Bacon Bravo sandwich at Panera Bread and a Turkey & Applewood Smoked Bacon Ciabatta sandwich at one of our favorite local restaurants.

Serves: 1
Prep: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 slices applewood smoked bacon
1 sun-dried tomato sandwich wrap or 2 slices Ciabatta bread
mayonnaise or special sauce*
4 oz. roasted turkey breast deli meat
1 slice smoked gouda cheese
tomato slices
spring mix lettuce or romaine lettuce

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook bacon until crispy. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, spread mayonnaise or special sauce on bread of choice.
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients to make the sandwich, including bacon.
4. Enjoy!


Panera's special sauce recipe:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tabasco (or Cholula)
Combine, mix well, and refrigerate. This will make 3/4 - 1 cup sauce.

Raw Tomato & Green Bean Pasta

*Adapted from here.

Serves: 6 (as entree servings; serves at least 8 as a side dish)
Prep: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS
salt & pepper
3/4 lb. orecchiette (or other small pasta)
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. beefsteak tomatoes, diced medium (I used 1 1/2 very large tomatoes.)
1 small garlic clove, mashed to paste (I chose to mince the garlic because it didn't break up well enough.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 oz.)
1/2 cup fresh dill or mint (I recommend the mint.)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions, then add beans and cook until bright green and just tender. Drain and return to pot, removing from heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add pasta, beans, and half the feta and herbs; toss to combine and season. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with remaining feta and herbs.

*Notes for myself: Use half the amount of garlic and no mint if serving to the kids. Additionally, this recipe could easily be halved.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

*Adapted from here and here.

Serves: 3-4
Prep: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced; or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken*
1 cup shredded Mexican-flavored cheese
small flour tortillas (10-12)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. Once combined, stir in cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.
3. Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (20-30 seconds). Spoon 2-3 Tbsp of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can. Place the rolled tortilla seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with guacamole, salsa, or sour cream.

*Recipe for taco-flavored chicken adapted from here:
1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs
lime juice from 2 limes
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a sealable plastic bag. Marinate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally to coat. Grill or broil.

**To freeze: Before baking, freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Russ & Sharon's Barbecue Chicken

*Adapted from here. I found the original recipe far too spicy after my first attempt so I reduced the chile powder and cayenne by half on this version.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or whatever kind of chicken you prefer)

for "Magic Dust" rub (makes approx. 1 cup):
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp mustard powder
3 tsp chile powder (or less)
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp cayenne

for BBQ sauce:
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 Tbsp magic dust (recipe above)
1/2 tsp black pepper
hot sauce (such as Tabasco) to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients for Magic Dust. Rub all but 1 Tbsp of the Magic Dust over the chicken pieces to coat thoroughly. Cover loosely in the refrigerator for 2-8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place chicken pieces on a broiler pan. Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until internal temperature is 150 degrees. Turn chicken after 15 minutes.
3. While chicken is cooking, prepare barbecue sauce. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer mildly, whisking occasionally, until sauce is dark and thickened, about 10-15 minutes. (This can easily be prepared in advance.)
4. When chicken is heated to 150 degrees, turn on broiler to 400 degrees. Brush sauce thickly onto chicken. Turn chicken every few minutes and re-coat with sauce, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and sauce is caramelized. Remove chicken to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes.

Lena's Spicy Apple Barbecue Sauce

Makes: 2 1/2 cups, prepared
Prep: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup ketchup
2 cups apple juice
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients to a large saucepan and gradually bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking to mix. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until sauce is thickened, about 40 minutes.

Recommendation: Serve with Lena's Dr. Pepper Pork Loin.