Ham and Broccoli Quiche with a Potato Crust

Makes enough for 8

  CRUST:
  4 cups coarsely shredded uncooked potatoes (about 4 large)
  1/2 cup chopped onion
  1 Egg, slightly beaten
  1 cup all-purpose flour
  1/2 teaspoon salt

  FILLING:
  1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Colby cheese, divided
  1/2 cup chopped onion
  1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
  1-1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
  3 Eggs, lightly beaten
  1 cup half-and-half cream
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  Dash ground nutmeg
  Paprika

Preheat oven to 400°F

In a large bowl, combine crust ingredients; press into a well-greased 10-in. deep dish pie plate. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven; reduce heat to 350°F.  Add 1 cup cheese, onion, ham and broccoli to potato shell. Whisk the eggs, cream, salt and nutmeg; pour over broccoli. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu Feb. 22nd - Feb 28th

Saturday-
Beef, Asparagus, and Shittake Stir-fry with Brown Rice

Sunday-
Pan Seared Shrimp with Spiced White Beans and Wilted Greens

Monday-
Meatloaf with Onion Gravy
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday-
Grilled Salmon with Ginger and Garlic, Zucchini Noodle Stir-Fry
Sautéed Spinach

Wednesday-
Mexican Posole Soup with Shredded Chicken
Warm Tortilla Chips with Fresh Salsa

Thursday-
Indian Spice Lentils with Vegetables and Basmati Rice

Friday-
Beef surprise with Brown Rice Pasta (it's what happens when you don't properly label what's in the freezer.  Could be very interesting)
Garden Salad with a Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette

Stir-Fried Pork, Asparagus, and Shiitakes

Makes 4 servings

1# pork loin, cut into strips
2 tablespoons peanut oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1# asparagus, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch segments
3½ ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
2 cups cooked short-grain brown or white rice for serving


Put 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the pork, season with salt and pepper, and cook, turning every 3 to 5 minutes, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a plate and reserve.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil to the pan. When it’s hot, add the ginger, jalapeño, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the asparagus and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Return the pork to the pan, and add the soy sauce and mirin. Cook, stirring gently, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Serve hot, over rice and Enjoy!

How to- The Perfect Stir Fry

In theory, it's the perfect weeknight dinner; fast, it combines vegetables and protein in a single dish, it’s relatively healthy, and it requires no accompaniment other than rice. But that being said, I've seen many a cook fail miserably by being far too ambitious in their stir-frying.
Even though this dish can accommodate many different kinds of meat and produce, you shouldn't try dumping the entire contents of your refrigerator in your skillet or wok.  In fact, the best stir-fries are best when simple, combining two principal ingredients; one protein, one vegetable, and just a trio of essential aromatic seasonings and a simple, delicious sauce.

To pull off virtually any stir-fry, remember these three fundamental rules:


1.  Cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. Protein—whether chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, or tofu—should be stirred minimally so that it maintains undisturbed contact with the hot pan and acquires a nice, seared exterior.  Meanwhile, vegetables must be stirred fairly often so that they cook through quickly without any part getting mushy. Attempts at stir-frying protein and vegetables simultaneously will result in an erratic mélange of overcooked and undercooked ingredients, many of which will end up slimy and tattered.

2. Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Not all vegetables cook at the same rate, and getting two vegetables to hit that cusp between tender and crisp at the exact same time is pretty much impossible. (You can, of course, cook multiple vegetables in batches, but once you head down that road, stir-frying no longer qualifies as quick and easy.) Furthermore, crowding your pan with vegetables will result in their releasing more liquid, which threatens to make them soggy instead of crisp. Though you should not combine more than one vegetable in a stir-fry, you may combine your vegetable with a fungus: Mushrooms cook through quickly but never really become overcooked, which makes them a great companion to any vegetable. You must combine your vegetable with three important aromatics—ginger, garlic, and chile—without which your stir-fry will taste flat.

3.  Always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking. A proper sauce for stir-fries combines something salty—soy sauce, usually, though fish sauce also works—with something a little bit sweet. Mirin, sweet Japanese rice wine, contributes a wonderful fermented flavor, but if you don’t have any, substitute a teaspoon of honey or sugar combined with two teaspoons of water. Soy sauce and mirin both burn if cooked for much longer than a minute, so plan to leave them on the heat just long enough to coat the other ingredients and thicken into a glaze.

Roast Chicken

This simple roast chicken recipe by legendary chef Thomas Keller is one of the best I've seen. It's an essential, delicious chicken preparation and something every cook should and can master.  Enjoy!

Makes 2 to 4 servings

One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter
Dijon mustard


Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
Now, salt the chicken—Rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan breast side up and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. Leave it alone—don't baste it, don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine.  Remove the thighs and drum sticks.  Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be super elegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.  Enjoy!

Pork Chops with Hoisin Glaze

Servings 4

5 Green Onions
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 pork chops, 1 inch thick

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Cut scallions diagonally into 2-inch pieces.  Whisk remaining ingredients except pork in a large bowl.  Add scallions and pork, turning pork to coat.  Arrange pork in 1 layer in shallow baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce with scallions over pork and roast about 25-30 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from oven and let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes.  Serve pork on warm plates topped with pan juices and Enjoy!

Asian Slaw

Serves 12

1 bunch (6 large) scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 (16-ounce) bags coleslaw mix
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from about a 1-inch piece)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, optional
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

In a large mixing bowl toss the coleslaw mix, the red onion and scallions together until everything is thoroughly mixed. You can make the slaw up to this point up to a day in advance as long as you keep it refrigerated. Before serving, simply bring the slaw back to room temperature, make the dressing and toss.

Stir the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl until blended, then pour over the vegetables. Serve within 1 hour of dressing or the cabbage will lose its crunch.