Broccoli & Bacon Quiche

My thoughts and prayers to any of you or your family that was affected by Typhoon Haiyan. My heart melts in sadness for those affected by this tragic event that has resulted in so much loss of life. Please know that I will be keeping you all in my thoughts.

I also wanted to say Happy (delayed) Veterans Day. I am so thankful for the past and current service members who dedicate and put their lives at risk for the rest of us to spend our lives pursuing our dreams. To wake up and go to sleep in peace, to spend our weekends with our families and to be happy. There is no Thank-you Card for that. And a day of honor is not nearly enough to be sufficient. But I thank you all from the depth of my heart to allow someone, from an immigrant family to live in this country, marry the man of my dreams from a different background, pursue higher education and be happy.

I have been feeling much better :) The hubby and I are dog sitting, so Ninja has a playmate this week. He is  large Ridgeback that is as sweet as can be with a great temperament like Ninja. But because he is so tall and loves food (who doesn't, right?), cooking and baking has been harder, since he can easily swipe things off the counter and table (unlike the much shorter Ninja) -- so I have been MacGyver and made these home-fashioned food barriers..hahahaha.

Also, in preparation for my sister and cousin visiting for Thanksgiving, the hubby and I have done some re-decorating. I inherited most of our furniture from my dad. Well, I finally got to pick out a new (large) dining table (which is awesome because I need the space to bake/cook on since my kitchen is tiny -- if you saw a picture of it, you would be in shock), a new coffee table and TV stand :) Both the coffee table and TV stand have lots of shelves, because we could definitely use the storage. I LOVE our new furniture! I'll post pictures when everything is built :)

I have made quiche before (Spinach, Mushroom & Ham Quiche). It made me feel quite fancy :) It is funny, because up until that recipe, I had never made or tried quiche. It just sounded really cool and I wanted to try something new. Since then, I have been hooked. I have a little confession. Kroger, a grocery chain, that is located right by me sells quiche. I am addicted to their ham and onion quiche. In one sitting I can eat an entire quiche. Well, after two quiches down, I decided to give the hubby a break from my midnight quiche run requests;) and make one myself! This time, I took the easy route. Instead of making my own crust, I bought those rolled pie crusts you can purchase in the refrigerated section. I know right?! But sometimes it is just so much easier and comes out just as yummy! Gotta take you breaks when you can. Plus in all fairness, I made a crust from scratch last time (let's keep this as my dirty little secret ;) And do you know what I realized. Quiches are absurdly easy to make! I love it (hahaha...I love all easy meals). It was so good that I made this two nights in a row! And the hubby and I gobbled it down.

BROCCOLI & BACON QUICHE

Adapted from PBS Foods

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

1 (9' inch) boxed, refrigerated pie crust (or homemade pie crust)
4 strips of bacon
1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli
1 c. shredded yellow cheese
6 eggs
1 1/4 c. heavy cream (or milk)
1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. diced green onions 
Pinch of salt and pepper

*Optional: 1 tsp. crushed red pepper and a pinch of paprika

DIRECTIONS

In a greased pie pan, roll out pie crust. Using a fork, pierce the pie crust. Cover center with aluminum foil and add pie weights. Bake for 15-20 minute until crust is golden brown and slightly under baked. Remove from oven and set aside.

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until strips are crisp. Chop bacon into pieces and set aside. Without draining the fat in the skillet, place chopped broccoli into the skillet. Satue until broccoli is tender and fragrant. Evenly spread broccoli and bacon in the semi-baked pie crust. Top with shredded cheese.

In a medium bowl, prepare custard by whisking together eggs, milk, garlic powder, diced onions, salt and pepper. Pour custard into the pie shell and bake for 45-60 minutes. The quiche is cooked when no liquid custard remains and only jiggles slightly in the middle when moved. Allow to completely cool.

Enjoy,
Chika

Roasted Vegetable Mac n' Cheese

I have decided to start a "My Pantry Must Haves" page. Which includes my pantry musts. Things I always have on hand-- so that anytime I want to make something-- even random things I may stumble on-- chances are I already have the ingredients and don't need to run to the grocery store. And when I run out, I always make sure to replace it right away! Check it out. Let me know what you think and if maybe I left out something important. I definitely plan on adding to it, because chances are I forgot something.

I have really enjoyed my second half of summer. Since I started undergrad, I have not had a summer off since September 2004! So I really needed the time off and even though I had a few meetings and appointments-- it was so nice. I got to spend time with Ninja, cleaning, cooking, baking and being a stay-at-home wifey. I would love to be  a stay-at-home mom one day and so this little "trial" time was great!  Definitely just made me want to be a stay-at-home mom, baker, clinical psychologist ;) Those exist right?!? Though, I think the hubby loved it more than me. Although he is such a sweetheart and is so helpful when I get busy with school; I think he loves having the time off--coming home to a clean house, warm meal and dessert!

This recipe for roasted mac n' cheese was one of the dishes I made for the potluck-game night that I had on Tuesday night that was Luke edible. I love me some meat, and so there are few vegetarian dishes that I really enjoy, but I very much enjoyed this recipe. Let's be honest, who does not love mac n' cheese? Combine that with some roasted, fresh summer veggies-- you get an awesome dish-- a creative twist to mac n' cheese. Plus, the panko crumbs adds a great crunch. Luke gave it the vegetarian, thumbs up! :) And took some for leftovers-- this recipe is a  little more complicated than other recipes that I post, but let's be honest it looks beautiful and is amazingly delish. So well worth your time.

ROASTED VEGETABLE MAC N' CHEESE

Adapted slightly from Comfort of Cooking 

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven to 400F Degrees

1- (8-10 oz) frozen, microwavable bag of broccoli florets
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow squash, sliced into medallions
10 baby carrots, sliced
2 c. of elbow macaroni
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. flour
1 1/2 c. heavy cream (milk)
2 c. shredded yellow cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-3/4 c. panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot of salted boiling water-- cook pasta according to package directions. Drain excess water and run cold water through pasta to prevent sticking. Keep pasta in colander. Do not return to pot. 

While pasta is cooking, microwave broccoli according to package directions minus 1 minute. Allow to cool. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a baking mat. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and brush red pepper, squash and carrots with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes Then add broccoli (drained if there is moisture) to the baking sheet. Continue baking for 5-10 minutes, or until vegetables have softened slightly. Remove from oven and set aside.

After pasta is cooked, use the large pot to heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, saute garlic and red pepper flakes until garlic is browned and fragrant. Do not over cook, as this will burn the garlic. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in heavy cream, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. This can take some time, approximately 10-15 minutes-- but it will thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in macaroni and vegetables.

Turn oven to broiler setting. Grease a large (9x11 or 9x13 inch) casserole dish. Spread mac n' cheese in casserole dish and sprinkle panko breadcrumbs on top to completely cover. Place under the broiler in oven for 1-2 minutes, until the top is slightly browned.

Enjoy,
Chika

Laughing Cow Mac n' Cheese

Today I have to begin yet again with an "I'm sorry." I have a major case of lazy-itis. After a long day of work- instead of keeping the momentum and continuing my work- I lounge around, cuddling with Ninja, and watching television. I think it has something to do with a lack of schedule during the summer- since I am definitely a creature that benefits from structure! 

Well- I left off with my flight to Singapore. Once the hubby and I landed in Singapore, we took a 4 hour bus ride-- watching the beautiful scenery and enjoying some zzzz's as we headed to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. We stayed for two days only. On the first day,  we headed out to experience the famous Chinatown. Most tourists go there for their famous, name brand knock-offs. But I am just not a fan of knock-offs. But I did get some scarves, leather purses, a wallet and a make up bag. We enjoyed touring the local temples and seeing the architecture. We ended the night trying traditional Malaysian food- which I realized I was NOT a fan of at all :( The hubby though discovered his love of Pandan. 

On the second day, we took the train to the Batu Caves which was about an hour outside of Kuala Lampur. The city has an amazing rail system- so we took the train. The Batu Caves is a famous Hindu Temple that is built in a large cave. Their are wild monkeys EVERYWHERE! At first it's a bit scary but then you realize it's like squirrels there--though they are a bit more forward if they want your food and water-- so you do have to be careful not to have that out. To get to the caves you have to climb this really, really, really long and giant staircase. I got really winded and did not think I was going to make it. But it was amazing and breathtaking. 

After our long day, climbing and touring in the HEAT we went and enjoyed Japanese food (since we did not want a repeat of the Malaysian food). I ordered this Sushi sandwich! It was so yummy and so cute looking! I really wondered why we do not have anything like that here. We then finished the evening with dessert. I realized Malaysia is really into gourmet desserts, they have them everywhere- one of them being donuts. They have the most interesting flavors and choices. And best of all- they are decorated beautifully! The hubby enjoyed this beautiful yam doughnut. A good and bad of Kuala Lampur was that there were cupcakes there BUT they were very, very simple. I got this chocolate on vanilla cupcake and a Milo doughnut. If you do not know what Milo is- you are missing out!

The next morning we were off to Siem Reap, Cambodia! Until the next post-- enjoy this recipe for Laughing Cow Mac n' Cheese. I love Laughing Cow Cheese because you can get the low fat version, to be health conscious, and it taste just the same (for those that like "skinny" recipes). They also have different flavors- in case you want mac n' cheese with a twist. This dish is super easy to make and comes out creamy- just like you would order in a restaurant. Absolutely delicious! So if you have a little one who loves mac n' cheese- and want something simple, healthy and not from a box- try this!

LAUGHING COW MAC N' CHEESE

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats 

INGREDIENTS

8-10oz pasta shells (or other desired shape)

6 oz of Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges (I chose Creamy Swiss)

1/4 c. heavy cream or milk (optional- for creamy texture)

--- stop here if you just want plain mac n' cheese--

1 tbsp. olive oil

10.5 oz (1 1/2 chicken breasts) chicken strips, cooked (I used Tyson's grilled chicken strips)

10 oz broccoli florets

1/2 can of diced tomatoes drained (very well or use sun-dried tomatoes)

Salt and pepper to taste 

squeeze of lemon juice (for tangy taste- omit if preferred)

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot of salted boiling water-- cook pasta according to package directions. Drain excess water and run cold water through pasta to prevent sticking.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, saute chicken breasts until warm and fragrant (about 5-8 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Once pasta is cooked and drained, dump pasta back into large pot over low heat. Then stir in cheese wedges. Using a spatula, continuing stirring pasta and cheese, until cheese melts and evenly coats pasta. Then add in chicken, broccoli and tomatoes-- tossing until cheese evenly coats all ingredients. Add in salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. 

Serve while hot- so mac n' cheese is nice and creamy!

Enjoy,

Chika

Stuffed Tilapia

Happy Martin Luther King Day! Although this day stands for many wonderful things-- I have to say that since I can remember my birthday usually falls on the three day weekend-- which I cannot complain about. Since yesterday was not the typical Sunday-- I met with Justin and Luke to do a late night ice cream run! Don't you love those?! I do. I have started to run again- to at least attempt to keep my wedding weight. Though I am not sure how successful I am--seeing that I reward myself with late night ice cream runs ;)

We went to Cold Stone's. I have not been to a Cold Stone's in YEARS. In Houston, the hubby and I lived near a Marble Slab Creamery which I am not a fan of. Anywhoo- last night we went-- and I was all set for getting my usual (for when I did go)-- Cake Batter Ice Cream mixed with brownie pieces and cookie dough chunks-- quite delicious may I add. But when we walked in they had some interesting specials: Funnel cake topped with ice cream and strawberries AND they had a warm cookie topped with ice cream (both were topped whipped cream).

I was tempted to get the funnel cake because I LOVE funnel cake but I was not in the mood for strawberry. I decided on the cookie, not only because I felt like eating chocolate but also because each year for my birthday with my family (which this year-- I only got to video chat with them)-- I get a Pizzookie from BJs. I cannot lie-- I was missing my Pizzookie and since this cookie treat reminded me of that- I decided to get it! It was small but really yummy! Not BJs Pizzookie yummy but close.

This recipe: I made last week when I hosted Justin and Luke for dinner at our place. I made such a nice meal but it was at night and no matter how hard I tried to photograph the food-- it came out really ugly because of the lack of natural light :( So,  yesterday, I remade the main course for the hubby's dinner. I like seafood-- and I think this recipe was not too hard to make and it was delicious!

STUFFED TILAPIA

Adapted from Better Homes

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FISH
4- tilapia fillets (thawed and patted dry)
8 oz. of frozen, cut broccoli (thawed)
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz. of cream cheese (I used low-fat)
1 c. of stuffing mix (I used vegetable, herb stuffing)
2 tbsp. of lemon juice

OPTIONAL SAUCE
4 oz. cream cheese (remainder of the 8 oz. block)
1 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. cooking wine

* I chose not to do the sauce because I felt the stuffed fish tasted yummy and I did not want to make it more unhealthy by adding a cream cheese sauce.

DIRECTIONS

If fish is frozen thaw fish in a large pot filled with hot water (my fish were individually wrapped). Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

For stuffing, drain broccoli, squeezing out any excess liquid. In a food processor, combine egg, half of the cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Then stir in broccoli and stuffing mix- the mixture will become moldable.

Divide mixture among the 4 fillets (forming a 1 1/2-2 inch round ball). To stuff the fillet- roll the broccoli mixture  into long strips (with the width matching the widest part of the fillet). Place the strip on the fillet (at the end closet to you). Roll the fillet-- securing with wooden toothpicks (not colored toothpicks as the color will bleed).

Place fish in a baking dish with the two tbsp. of lemon juice (you may also grease the baking dish if desired). Once the fish is placed in the baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minute until fish is flaky and stuffing is hot.

Enjoy,
Chika

Cheesy Ranch Pasta with a Kick

Do you know what I realized making the Oreo cupcakes and this recipe I am about to share? I am not a spur of the moment, whip something up through guess-timating kinda baker/cook. I cannot look in my cupboards and think- hmmm...what could I make. I definitely cannot do a pinch of this and a pinch of that. Don't get me wrong-- sometimes I have those few and far between moments when a recipe will randomly pop in my mind and I actually do whip up something that was not planned--with a little bit of this and that. But those are rare...very...very rare :)

And maybe its a time thing- that through baking and cooking for years, you just learn to create recipes from random ingredients and add "pinches" of things. But for now- I shall stay aware from that--far, far away. I am more of a spend time scrolling through recipes, meal planning, grocery list creating kinda gal-- a gal that measures everything besides an occasional pinch of salt :)

I realized that my more popular posts are those recipes that are simple and easy to make. Those that require little ingredients. Which are a bulk of my cooking recipes because-- I neither have the time nor money to buy a lot of ingredients and whip up some extra-ordinary meal. I think my recipes click with busy moms and wives-- those that are busy running after children, keeping up their household, working, going to school and for some all of the above (to you-- I am so in awe) :) And that makes me happy. And you know what?! You can make wonderfully fancy and delicious meals for recipes that take a few ingredients and take just a few minutes to make!

So for 2013 my goal for cooking recipes are to make only simple, quick and easy meals! As for baking- its a bit more tricky-- as baking from scratch just takes a lot of core ingredients (but the same-- so I always keep them in my pantry).

CHEESY RANCH PASTA WITH A KICK

Inspired by Plain Chicken

*I first tried Plain Chicken's recipe. It did not come out at all. The sauce was too watery and grainy (the dry ranch did not dissolve well), but they inspired me for a quick and simple recipe.

INGREDIENTS

12 oz. of pasta
2 chicken breast, chopped and cooked*
1 1/2- 1 3/4 c. ranch dressing (I use light)
2/3 c. of shredded cheese (of your choice)
1/8 c. sriracha sauce**
16 oz. broccoli (florets), cooked (I use the steamable bags)***
Red pepper flakes for garnish

**I like spicy. You can add more or less depending on your taste preference. If you have little ones- you can also exclude sriracha entirely and red pepper flakes entirely- and maybe garnish with a bit of salt and pepper.

***This can be substituted with a family vegetable favorite.

DIRECTIONS

*I cooked my chicken like this: heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. of garlic and 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes until garlic is golden brown. Then add chicken and cook till tender and no longer pink in the center. However, you can cook your chicken any way.

In a large pot, over medium heat cook pasta according to package directions- approximately 7-8 minutes until al dente. Then drain excess water and run cold water through pasta to prevent sticking. Set aside and allow to cool. Once pasta is cool- combine with ranch dressing. Next add shredded cheese-- fold well to fully incorporate. Then, mix in sriracha sauce- the pasta should become very slightly pink in color. Lastly toss in broccoli- be gentle as broccoli florets easily fall apart. Top with red pepper flakes.

Enjoy,
Chika

Easy Peasy Cheesy Broccoli Orzo

I made a big opps! The hubby is sweet enough to subscribe to my blog and actually read my posts. I was under the impression he "subscribed" but did not actually READ it. WRONG! Because, this morning, he gave me a cheesy smile and let me know that he knew what I got him for Christmas. I cannot believe I walked right into that one :( I am huge on Birthdays and Holidays, where the hubby is "eh" about them. So I have been on a mission since we met-- and clearly I am failing....miserably....at the wonderful element of surprise. And Ninja still has not given up stalking the closet to gain access to his present! Who knew dogs had such personalities, with Ninja's main component being sweetness and stubbornness-- now I did say he was just like his mommy ;)

I am not sure what it is about holidays-- but I have still been indulging in the laziness that is holidays. It is soo nice sleeping in, watching t.v., cuddling with Ninja and tweaking the blog-- things I never have time to do during school time. I feel like a little kid saying "school time," but i really have no other way to describe it. Well today, since I am still on hiatus from baking but not cooking-- I spent the morning sleeping and cuddling with Ninja, scrolling through Pinterest, watching HGTV, and eating mango popsicles. Yes, only me, would wait till winter to start eating popsicles. In line with my lazy day, I wanted something that seemed easy to whip up for an early dinner. But this recipe was SOOO easy- that it took half the time I thought it would be. I guess the hubby can nibble on some now and later?

EASY PEASY CHEESY BROCCOLI ORZO

Adapted From Iowa Girl Eats 

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts, diced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1-2tsp. garlic salt

1 c. orzo

3 c. water (salted)

16 oz. broccoli florets 

1/2 c. shredded cheese (of your choice)

1/3 c. milk

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese 

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet, over medium heat-- add olive oil and chicken. Satuee chicken until cooked and tender, sprinkle garlic salt over chicken and toss to combine well. Set aside chicken. 

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Cook orzo for 4-5 minutes. Then add broccoli florets and boil for an additional 2-3 minutes or until orzo is tender. Drain excess water-- make sure to do this well, because no one likes watery cheese (gross). Add orzo and broccoli back to pot. Add shredded cheese, milk, butter and parmesan cheese and stir well until butter and cheese melts. 

Then, add chicken and mix well- to spread throughout. This meal, literally takes like 12-30 minutes to prepare. :) LOVE IT!

Enjoy,

Chika