The Fast and the Fabulous

Crustless Spinach and Turkey Quiche

I've been on the lookout lately for meals that can be prepared quickly with relatively little fuss (I haven't made a dish that requires more than 45 minutes in the kitchen from start to finish in months), and that reheat well, so we have quick, grab-and-go meals to turn to throughout the week. Quiches of all sorts are great for this: they come together fast, lend themselves to endless variations, and make excellent leftovers. If it's a crustless quiche, all the better - who has time to fuss with a crust? Versions of this spinach and turkey quiche grace our dinner table regularly - and also show up often in my lunch bag at work. Sometimes I follow the recipe exactly (it's excellent as is), sometimes I omit the turkey to make it vegetarian-friendly, sometimes I toss more vegetables in or vary the types of cheese...as long as I stick to the egg-liquid-flour ratio, it turns out fabulous every time. Fabulous and fast - these days, that's my kitchen mantra.

On to other business: how about a giveaway? This one is relevant for my Twin Cities readers only: I sell Blue Sky Guides as a fundraiser for my early childhood center every fall, and I hung on to an extra one this year for Cooking in Cathedral Hill. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it's a coupon book full of discounts on local, sustainable businesses. I use it mostly for the grocery coupons - many of my favorite stores are featured (Whole Foods and Mississippi Market, for example), as well as some of my favorite brands (Organic Valley, Peace Coffee, etc.). There are also great coupons for local restaurants, activities, and other Twin Cities businesses. If you don't have one yet and you live in the area, I promise you'll love it. If you already have one (and if you know me personally, you may have purchased one from me - thank you!), maybe you know someone who would like one as a holiday gift. Either way, if you're interested in a free thank-you gift for reading my blog, let me know by leaving a comment on this post (or send me an email, if you're more comfortable with that). Nothing fancy - just say hello and let me know you're out there! I'll select a winner at random next Sunday, November 8, and contact him or her so I can ship out the Blue Sky Guide. To my beloved, non-local readers - have no fear! I've been collecting cookbooks for giveaways and I'll be sure to include everyone next time around.

Happy November, everyone!

Looking for other ways to use up a dozen eggs? Rice Omelette and Custardy Popovers.

Bringing Root Beer Aficionados to Their Knees

Recipe

Root Beer Chocolate Bundt Cake

Root beer has such a strong, distinct flavor that I think it's usually one of those things you either love or you hate...I fall squarely into the former category. I don't drink any other soda, but if I'm offered a frosty mug of root beer, I definitely won't turn it down. Root beer floats? Best thing ever! Root beer barrels? Fabulous! Root beer chocolate bundt cake?! Swoon.

Root beer and deep, dark chocolate is not a flavor combination I had considered prior to making this cake, but let me tell you, it's pretty darn amazing. You have a few options when making this: you can make the cake with straight root beer, and it will come out with a subtle root beer taste in the background. Alternatively, you can substitute 1/2 cup of Root Beer Schnapps for some of the root beer in the recipe, and the root beer flavor in the cake will be much more pronounced. If children will be eating your cake, you'll probably want to stick with the plain root beer. However, if you're making this for a group of adults and you're thinking you don't want to go to the trouble of buying Root Beer Schnapps just for this recipe (as I thought myself), it's worth the trip to the liquor store. Even if you have no other use for the Schnapps, it keeps forever and I'm pretty confident you'll want to use it when you make this cake again...and again. Your second option is to sprinkle a little sea salt over the top after frosting the cake...or not. I love salt, and thought it accented the chocolate and root beer flavors wonderfully, but if this doesn't appeal to you, it's certainly not necessary. Lastly, your third decision is whether or not to serve this cake with vanilla ice cream, for a pseudo-root beer float experience. But let's be serious here: this is not much of a decision, is it? Break out the ice cream, my friends - you'll have deep, long-lasting regrets if you don't.

Interested in other unique flavor combinations? Bacon-Wrapped Dates and Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies (with wine!).

I'm Back!

Recipe

Zucchini Pie

It's been a long summer away from my lovely friends in the blogging world...and a busy one! We're all settled in to our new home, and have started the many renovations we have planned (I see many long years of remodeling in my future!). In addition to all the hustle and bustle that comes with moving, I applied for grad school over the summer, and started my classes last week. There's definitely been a lot going on in my little part of Cathedral Hill, but I'm anxious to get back to cooking and writing about food, so here we go!

It's still quite warm here in Minnesota, and I'm seeing lots of zucchini at the farmer's market and my friends' gardens. If you've got zucchini you're looking to use up, this recipe for zucchini pie might fit the bill. I've been making it a couple times every summer for the last few years - I love it because it highlights two of my favorite late summer ingredients: zucchini and basil. Somewhat quiche-like in texture (but a little less eggy and minus the crust), this pie makes a great main course served with a salad for a light meal, but it's equally delicious as a side dish or as part of a breakfast or brunch. Really simple to throw together (just toss everything in a bowl and stir), this was one of the first things I made when we got our kitchen up and running in our new house. Try it soon before the zucchini crop peters out for the year...I promise you'll be glad you did!

Looking for more zucchini? Zucchini Spice Cake and Balsamic Zucchini.

A Summer Hiatus

I owe my sincerest apologies to all of you, lovely readers, for the extended gap in my posting the last couple months. Dariush and I have been going through the process of purchasing a home, and the process turned out to be much longer and more involved than we had anticipated...and my precious blog has taken a backseat while we sorted everything out. Happily, the house is now ours (and in the same neighborhood, so I can still "cook in Cathedral Hill!). Unhappily (for my personal comfort and for the sake of this blog), this house needs a quite a bit of love and will require a great deal of attention from both Dariush and me this summer. Suffice it to say, there will not be much cooking happening in our new Cathedral Hill kitchen for the next couple of months.

One of the biggest reasons we fell in love with this house, however, was the beautiful, expansive kitchen (complete with a fireplace...in the kitchen! I can hardly believe it!), and I am anxious to get back to my regular cooking (and blogging) schedule this fall. So, Cooking in Cathedral Hill will return to its regularly scheduled programming at the beginning of September.

I appreciate the emails and comments I've received from friends, family, and strangers who are still interested in my blog, and those of you who keep checking back from time to time. Please know how much I miss this space and how anxious I am for my home life to settle down a bit so I can get back to writing here. To show you just how much I appreciate all of you, dear readers, I thought this would be a good time to offer the first ever Cooking in Cathedral Hill giveaway! I have a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks, Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann (slow cooker meals really come in handy, especially when you have a barely-functioning kitchen) to pop in the mail to one of my loyal readers. Leave me a comment below, or send me a private email if you prefer - just something to let me know you're still here after my absence. (make sure to leave me an email address to contact you if you win, of course). I'll select the winner at random next Thursday, July 16, and contact that person to get their mailing address.

I hope everyone is having an absolutely wonderful summer, and I'll see you all in September!

- Elisabeth

Embracing Spring

Recipe

Citrus Herb Salmon

Spring signals a return to light, bright flavors with lots of color after the heavy, heartier dishes of winter. This salmon is the perfect meal with which to embrace spring: infused with the warm weather aromas of citrus and fresh green herbs, it's a light, healthy meal that won't send you into a food-induced coma - instead it may inspire you to get outside and enjoy the spring air! The dish is ridiculously simple to put together: salmon fillets are sprinkled with lemon and orange zest, then decked with sprigs of fresh oregano, thyme, tarragon, and chives, and finally, layered with thin slices of lemon and wrapped in foil. The result is a stunning presentation for minimal effort (no tedious chopping of the herbs, just a few quick passes across the grater for zest) with a delicate, tangy bite. Thank goodness for spring!

Last year at this time...Jerk Turkey Slow Cooker Soup and Two Layer Key Lime Pie.

Anxious to Go Camping?

Indian Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Camping and hiking season are almost upon us, and DR and I are always on the lookout for new foods to take along with us on our treks that are lightweight, high in protein, and can be eaten at room temperature. These chickpeas meet all of those requirements, and they're also quite delicious - delicious enough that we've been eating them at home for snacks, even though we haven't started hiking yet this year. It's a simple concept: chickpeas tossed with a little oil and lemon juice, coated with various Indian-inspired spices (cinnamon, cumin, and coriander, to name a few) then roasted in the oven for about half an hour. The end result is a flavorful, portable snack that's crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, and - due to the high protein content - very satisfying. These make a great appetizer for a Southern Asian-inspired meal, too - in fact, I made some for a recent book club meeting, and they were the perfect accompaniment to my friend Kim's vegetable curry. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for nicer weather - I know many of us are anxious to break out our tents and head out on the trail!

Last year at this time...Stovetop Baked Beans and Apple Crumble with Golden Raisins.

Comfort Food for Blustery Weather

Recipe

Baked Potato Soup

Just when I start to think that soup season is almost over, Minnesota plays a dirty trick on me and I wake up to snow on Sunday morning...on April 5th - you have got to be kidding me! The one good thing about the stubborn wintry weather here is that a big bowl of soup still sounds like the perfect end to a chilly day, so I've taken the opportunity to test out a few new soup recipes the last couple weeks before the weather gets warm enough that soup no longer sounds appealing. I'm pretty picky about my soup, so most of the recipes I've tried didn't make the blog cut - except this one. This soup is exactly what it sounds like: a baked potato in soup form, complete with all the trimmings...and it is oh-so-comforting on a blustery day. Creamy and thick, it's easy to tailor to individual preferences, because everyone can add their own toppings as they see fit. Served with a hunk of crusty bread, it's comfort food at its finest. As long as it stays on the cooler side in Cathedral Hill, I'll be looking for excuses to make this soup as often as I can until warm weather (finally) arrives.

Last year at this time...Creamy Vegetable Chowder and Oreo Crunch Brownies.