Kale Chorizo Potato Quiche

Last Year's Post:  Yakisoba
Two Years Ago:   Chicken with Lemon Pomegranate Sauce and Pistachio Rice

The is a great quiche for fall or winter, because it's spicy and filling with big flavors from the Mexican chorizo and kale.  It makes a great dinner with a side salad, and an excellent weekend brunch with some fruit.

My recommendation is to use a mandoline to slice the potatoes into uniformly thin slices.  If you don't have a mandoline, use a very sharp knife or cut them into small cubes instead.

I've said it a million times but it bears repeating, Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo are not the same.  Mexican chorizo is a fresh chorizo that will typically be found in trays in the pork section of your store.  Spanish chorizo is a dried sausage that looks much like pepperoni.  You want Mexican chorizo here.  One of the big benefits of using chorizo is that it contains all the spices you need for the whole dish except for salt and pepper, which makes things easy.

First you pre-bake the crust.  While it bakes, prep the veggies and shred the cheese.  Then you just saute the chorizo and onion, and repeat with the potatoes and kale.  Stir together the eggs and milk, and assemble.   Make a big salad while it bakes.  Delicious.

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Kale Chorizo Potato Quiche

Serves 8

1 pie crust

1/3 lb Mexican chorizo

1/2 small white onion, diced

1 russet potato, sliced thinly or diced into small cubes

1/4 cup water

4 cups torn fresh kale leaves

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Roll pie dough out to 1/4″ thick and fit it to a pie pan. Line with foil and pie weights. Cook for 8-9 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, brown the chorizo. Cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until it is all browned. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, then remove the chorizo and onions. Add the 1/4 cup of water and deglaze before adding the potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.   Cover and cook until the potatoes are softened but not breaking apart, approximately 3 minutes, gently stirring once.    Add the kale to the pan and cook until just wilted (1-2 minutes). Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and about 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Layer 1/3 of the cheddar cheese in the crust, followed by half of the potato mixture, then all of the chorizo mixture and the other half of the potato mixture. Pour the custard over all.  Top with the remaining cheese. 

Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is puffed and golden and the middle is set.

Baked Potatoes with Broccoli Cheese Sauce

Last Year's Post:  Chicken and Caramelized Broccoli Ramen
Two Years Ago:   Italian Tuna Sandwich (No Mayo)

Baked potatoes and broccoli are healthy, right?  Cheese sauce maybe not so much, but if you have this as a meal it's actually not too bad - just don't have it as a side dish to a big steak or something. It's a filling and very satisfying vegetarian meal on its own, or you could serve it with a salad on the side.   To me it's real comfort food.  Be sure to scrub the potatoes well so you can eat the skin as well as the flesh because there are a lot of nutrients right under the skin.

There are a couple of keys to making this recipe successfully although it's not at all hard.  First, don't under-bake your potatoes or they won't get that nice soft, fluffy texture. Second, grate your own cheese for the sauce because the pre-shredded packaged stuff at the store has an additive that keeps it from sticking together that also can cause clumping.  And third, use room-temperature milk because it helps eliminate lumps in the sauce.

I like to use fresh broccoli rather than frozen whenever possible.  If you cut the crown off the stem and then peel the stem before slicing, it's very edible - just cook the stem pieces a little longer than the florets.

The potatoes will take around an hour to bake, and you can cook the broccoli and make the sauce during that time which could qualify this as a weeknight meal if you have 60 minutes.  Otherwise you could bake the potatoes in advance and reheat them in the microwave while you make the sauce which would cut the time down a lot.  And if you have different family members coming home at different times, they can each reheat their potato and sauce whenever they show up so it works for a busy night too.

And if you have any broccoli cheese sauce left over (doubtful), just thin it out with more milk or chicken broth the next day, zap it in the microwave, and you've got broccoli cheese soup.  Maybe make a double batch of sauce...

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Baked Potatoes with Broccoli Cheese Sauce

Serves 4

Notes:    Cheese sauce is easy to make but also easy to mess up if you don't follow the directions exactly. Cheese should be freshly grated (the packaged, pre-grated cheese has an additive that keeps it from sticking together but can also make for clumping). Room temperature milk works best (zap it in the microwave to take off the chill). Be sure to take the pot off the heat and add the cheese very gradually, stirring well and allowing it to melt completely between additions.

Broccoli should be soft, not crisp-tender, if you plan to puree some or all into the sauce.

4 large russet (baking) potatoes 

3 cups fresh broccoli florets and peeled sliced stem pieces, divided (about one large crown)

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups milk, at room temperature

8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 425°F.

Prepare potatoes by washing, drying, and pricking with a fork. Lightly coat each potato with olive oil. Place potatoes directly on oven rack, allowing some space between each one. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until potatoes are tender all the way to the center when pierced with a knife or small skewer.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place broccoli stem pieces in first for 30 seconds, then add broccoli florets and boil for an additional 3 minutes or until soft. Drain broccoli and set aside.

In the same pot that was used to cook the broccoli, prepare cheese sauce. Place over medium heat and melt butter. Use a whisk to stir in flour, whisking continuously until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Continue to whisk while slowly and gradually adding milk. Whisk until sauce is smooth and thickened, approximately 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Add grated cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until completely melted and smooth before adding more.  (Reserve a small handful of cheese for garnish if desired.)  Once all cheese has been incorporated and cheese sauce is smooth, stir in garlic salt, chili powder, and pepper to taste.

Stir half of the cooked broccoli into the cheese sauce. Use an immersion blender (or potato masher) to purée/mash the broccoli until the sauce is smooth. Stir in the remaining broccoli, reserving a few florets for garnish if desired. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Slice the top of each potato with a small knife, then gently squeeze to open it up.  Serve with broccoli cheese sauce and reserved broccoli florets and shredded cheese on top.

Italian Tuna Sandwich (No Mayo)

Last Year's Post:  Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf with Tomato Herb Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Pork Tenderloin with Port and Dried Cherry Sauce

I love a tuna sandwich with mayonnaise, but making it with heart-healthy olive oil is a better option and more authentically Mediterranean.  The Italian flavors continue in this sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes, chopped Kalamata olives, capers, lemon and fresh thyme. The lemon and thyme really shine through every bite, with the other ingredients adding pops of flavor.

It's very flavorful even without cheese, but I added some cheddar anyway because I love the taste of cheddar in a tuna sandwich.  You can choose to keep it in or leave it out according to your taste.

An advantage of substituting olive oil for mayonnaise is that you can make the sandwich in advance and don't need to worry if it sits out for a little while at work or on a picnic, plus it's lower in calories. You could also serve the tuna salad in a hollowed-out tomato or over greens if you want to cut even more calories.

You've probably noticed that nearly all the canned tuna in the stores these days is packed in water.  The advantage is that it's cheaper and lower in calories and fat than oil-packed tuna; the disadvantage is that it has less flavor.  So, you decide what's most important for your particular meal - calories or flavor.  I wanted this sandwich to be special so I used an oil-packed tuna, but I often use water-packed tuna for other recipes.

As a direct result of making this particular meal I have one word of advice.  When you open your tuna cans (or any other cans, for that matter), carefully stick the lids back into the cans with no jagged edges protruding before you put the cans in the trash, preferably upside-down.  Not that I would ever fail to follow such a simple safety precaution.

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Italian Tuna Sandwich

Serves 4

4 sun-dried tomatoes

¼ cup onion, minced

1 rib celery, chopped

¼ cup pitted Nicoise or Kalamata olives, chopped

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Juice of ½ lemon

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

12 ounces solid white albacore tuna in water, drained

Salt and pepper

Leaf lettuce

4 slices Cheddar cheese (optional)

4 Kaiser or other sandwich rolls

Cover the sun-dried tomatoes with hot water in a bowl.  Set aside until soft, about 20 minutes, then drain, chop and place in a medium bowl.  To mellow the minced onion, soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well, pat dry, and add to the tomatoes.

Add the celery, olives, capers, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and thyme leaves to the bowl and mix well.  Add the tuna, breaking it into chunks with a fork, then toss everything together gently so you don’t break up the tuna chunks.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  To serve, place a leaf of lettuce on each sandwich roll bottom and top with tuna salad, optional cheddar cheese, and the sandwich top.  Squeeze the sandwich together gently.  If not eating immediately, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese - All Grown Up

Last Year's Post: Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Roasted Squash

Two Years Ago:  Lemon-Roasted Halibut with Lentils and Tomatoes

We had tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches umpteen times as kids - canned soup and water, plus white bread and pasteurized cheese slices.  Easy, quick, cheap, and something every kid will eat.  So when I came across these recipes I had to laugh - it was like childhood all over again except at warp speed.  I was first attracted to the homemade fresh cucumber pickles on the toasted cheese sandwiches - both the fact that they're freshly made, and that they're on a cheese sandwich in the first place.  The recipe suggested that the sandwiches go great with tomato soup, so I dug out my favorite roasted tomato soup recipe and voila!  Third grade lunch, all grown up.

One of the interesting things about the tomato soup recipe is that you can make it year-round with whatever plum tomatoes you find in the produce section because they're roasted to bring out their flavors, not to mention combined with chicken broth, tomato paste, red wine and a touch of cream.  How can you go wrong? It's a full-bodied, slightly chunky tomato soup that clearly has never seen the inside of a can.  I always use low-sodium products whenever possible, and they make a big difference in the sodium level of this recipe because chicken broth and tomato paste are both high in sodium if you use the regular products.  If you use low sodium products you'll need to add a little salt at the end but that's OK.  Definitely don't add salt until you taste the soup either way.

The cheese sandwich is equally interesting - dark rye (or pumpernickel) bread, sharp white cheddar cheese, mustard, and those homemade pickles.  The fresh cucumber pickles could also be served on any roast beef or pastrami sandwich (even burgers or brats) and are worth printing the recipe in and of themselves - fresh cucumbers briefly marinated in white wine vinegar, sugar, horseradish, Dijon, and fresh dill. 

Together with the dark rye and white cheese they have a Scandinavian feel.

We recently had this combination on a chilly, rainy day and really enjoyed the flavors.  If you made the soup in advance it would be a great and fast weeknight meal.

* * click here for a printable Roasted Tomato Soup recipe * *

Roasted Tomato Soup

Serves 4

Note: because the tomatoes are roasted to bring out the flavors, this recipe can be made at any time of the year.

1.5 lbs fresh plum tomatoes
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
¼ teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
¼ cup dry red wine
¼ cup heavy cream
1/4 cup low sodium tomato paste
Sugar to taste (approx 2 teaspoons, depending on the acidity of the tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste (approx 1 teaspoon salt if using low sodium tomato paste and low sodium chicken broth)


Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Core tomatoes and halve lengthwise. Place cut side down on a shallow baking sheet with sides and brush generously with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until the edges are charred, about 20 minutes. Scrape tomatoes, oil and herbs from pan into a food processor and process until not quite smooth.

In a saucepan, cook onion in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in roasted tomato puree, broth, and wine, then whisk in tomato paste. Add the cream while whisking. Taste and add sugar if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste and bring soup to a simmer. Thin with additional chicken broth if desired.

* * click here for a printable Cheese Sandwich and Pickles recipe * *

Open-Faced Cheese Sandwiches with Fresh Cucumber Pickles

Makes 4 sandwiches

Note: these cucumber pickles would also be great on ham or roast beef sandwiches, or burgers and brats.

½ English cucumber, very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
4 slices dark rye or pumpernickel bread
4 slices sharp white cheddar cheese
Butter and Dijon mustard


Place cucumber slices in a strainer; sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat well. Let stand for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine vinegar, sugar, dill, 1 teaspoon mustard, and horseradish in mixing bowl. Add cucumber slices and toss to coat. Let cucumbers stand a minimum of five minutes, or cover and chill up to one day. Cucumbers will softer slightly as they marinate.

Spread one side of each slice of bread with Dijon. Heat 2 teaspoons of butter in a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat. Add bread, mustard side up, and top each slice with a slice of cheese. Toast until cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown and crisp on the bottom.

Divide sandwiches among four serving plates, top with cucumbers, and serve.

Forbidden Rice with Turkey, Roasted Squash and Walnuts

Last Year's Post: Smoked Salmon with Farfalle and Edamame
Two Years Ago:  Smoked Turkey Apple Panini

Inspiration can come from something as simple as peering in your cabinets to see what's lurking in there.  I discovered some forbidden rice in my pantry the other day and decided to create a fall-themed entree with it.  What, you are probably thinking, is forbidden rice and why do I have it if it's forbidden?  Basically it's black rice.  Supposedly it was considered the finest rice in ancient China and served only to the Emperor, so it became known as forbidden rice because it was forbidden to the general public.  I don't know if that's actually true or not but I like the story.  Anyway, I found this black rice at Whole Foods and thought it would be a great contrast to light-colored foods (think grilled halibut or salmon) or colorful foods such as the ingredients in this salad.  I always like to discover and try new ingredients that might be a little different than the norm to keep things interesting.

Forbidden rice tastes like brown or wild rice with a nice chewy texture as opposed to the softness of white rice.  If you can't find it at Whole Foods or other natural food stores, wild or brown rice would be a good substitute albeit not as pretty.  I'm all about pretty food whenever possible, and this deeply black rice is definitely pretty as well as dramatic.  In addition to its good looks, black rice is very high in antioxidants and iron so it's good for you as well.

So, to make it fall-ish I added roasted butternut squash, red pepper, sugar snaps, and toasted walnuts with a light vinaigrette.

In case you haven't cooked with butternut squash before, it's the pale-colored squash with the bulb at the end.  You probably won't need the entire squash (the smallest I found at the store was a 2 pounder, and you only need a pound) so plan to use the rest in another dish, or check the produce aisle for plastic cartons of already-peeled and cubed squash.  If you can't find it already prepared, peel the outside with a vegetable peeler, then cut in half.  Scoop out the seeds, then cut the remaining amount that you need into bite-sized (approximately 1" cubes).  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast.

While the squash roasts you can cook the rice and make the vinaigrette.  The good news is that everything can be done in advance, or even the night before.  To make it a main dish I added cubed smoked turkey from the deli - one of my favorite meats for salads - but you could substitute literally any meat you want, such as chicken, duck, pork, beef, or bacon.  It seemed to want some creaminess so that's where the cheese comes in.  I used Manchego because I just so happened to have some in the refrigerator. You could, of course, substitute any cheese you like or just leave it out.

I'm calling it a salad because I don't know what else to call it, but you could serve it warm in which case it would seem to be more like a.........what?  Casserole?  Dinner entree? Who knows.  Anyway, whatever it is, it can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.  It holds well for several days so it would make a great dish for family gatherings or pot lucks.  And of course, you could eliminate the turkey and serve a nice piece of grilled chicken, fish, or pork on top of the rice mixture.  Same song, different verse.  I was trying to think of what I would call it in that event, but I finally gave up and just decided to call it dinner.

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Forbidden Rice with Smoked Turkey, Roasted Squash, and Walnuts

Serves 4-5

Note:  The smallest butternut squashes typically available are about 2 lbs.  For that reason, look for peeled and already-cubed squash in your produce aisle, or plan to use the remaining squash in another use.

For the vinaigrette:

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

For the salad:

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1” chunks (see note)

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup black rice (preferably Forbidden Rice)

½ red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

15 sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into thirds

3 scallions, white and green parts, sliced

½ cup diced hard cheese (Manchego, Cheddar, etc.)

8 ounces (sliced 1/2” thick) deli smoked turkey, chopped into cubes

½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400d.  Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the squash cubes on foil.  Drizzle with oil, generously sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss together with your hands. Spread the squash out in one layer and roast for 25 – 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula, until golden and tender.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place rice in a medium saucepan with 1 ¾ cups water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Let rest off the heat for a few minutes, then drain in a colander and let cool. 

While the squash and rice are cooling, make the vinaigrette by combining all ingredients in a food processor or shake in a jar.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

When cooled, add the rice to a large bowl and add the red pepper, sugar snaps, scallions, cheese and turkey.  Toss to combine.  Add the vinaigrette and toss again.  Add the squash cubes and gently toss to avoid breaking up the squash. 

Serve in individual bowls garnished with walnuts.

May be made in advance and refrigerated.  Add the walnuts just before serving.

Sloppy Joes for Grownups

Last year's post:Lasagna Techniques

Until I found this recipe a few years ago, I hadn't had Sloppy Joes probably since grade school although I understand they're one of the most popular sandwiches around.  I've never been a fan of ground beef with a "can of something" stirred in, but this recipe is entirely different and so good. It has southwestern influences from green chiles, ancho and chipotle powders plus (a trick borrowed from pulled pork BBQ sandwiches) coleslaw right in the sandwich.  Having grown up in the Midwest, when I heard about BBQ sandwiches with coleslaw served on top rather than on the side I thought that was the strangest thing I had ever heard.  A couple of BBQ-loving southern co-workers persuaded me to try it at lunch one day on a road trip, and I've been hooked ever since.  Like many great dishes, it's the contrast of textures, temperatures and flavors that makes it work.  In this case, the cool and crunchy coleslaw contrasts with the rich, warm meat mixture, oozy cheese and toasty bun perfectly. And if that's not enough, it fits in a healthy diet because it's made with lean turkey.

I thought it was particularly interesting that the coleslaw doesn't have any mayonnaise in the dressing - just honey, cilantro, seasoning and lime juice.  It gives the coleslaw a clean taste that's very appealing.  (If you're a cilantro-hater, just substitute parsley instead.) 

If you're not familiar with ancho and chipotle, they're types of chile powders. (Whole chipotle peppers - actually smoke-dried jalapenos - can also be found canned in adobo sauce in the grocery aisle, or dried in the produce section.) Ancho has a rich warm flavor without being hot, and chipotle is very smoky and slightly hot.  If you can't find them in your grocery store you could order them at www.penzeys.com (my favorite spice resource) or you could substitute regular chile powder, but it won't be quite the same.  As written, the recipe is what I would consider to be slightly spicy but it's tamed by the coleslaw.  You can adjust the chile amounts (particularly the chipotle) up or down to your taste.

You want to use sturdy, over-sized buns for this sandwich such as kaiser rolls or ciabatta buns (not soft squishy hamburger buns) for two reasons.  First, a soft hamburger bun can quickly become soggy.  And second, using an over-sized bun allows you to hollow out the top and bottom to securely enclose the filling without it spilling all over.  The Neat Freak in me likes that part. 

While I was reading the recipe and came to ketchup as an ingredient I had to smile because it brings back a great childhood memory of my brother.  When he was around 2 years old he put ketchup on just about everything he ate.  I was watching him eat one time and he stuck a pickle spear in his ketchup and took a bite.  I was appalled on several levels and told him with all the superiority a 7 year old can muster that "we (meaning any sane child) do not eat pickles, much less pickles with ketchup".  Without any change in expression, he calmly stuck his pickle in the ketchup again and took another bite, never taking his eyes off me.  He was a difficult child.  At that point his only redeeming feature in my eyes was that he was the same approximate size as one of my dolls.  My sister and I would dress him up in doll clothes when our mom wasn't looking and then fall on the floor laughing. Good thing he doesn't read my blog or I'd be in big trouble for telling that story.  I know for a fact that he doesn't read my blog because I don't think he's ever cooked anything that didn't come out of a microwave in his entire life.  If he had been born 100 years earlier he probably would have starved to death.

Anyway, try the Sloppy Joes........if for no other reason than that they're a great excuse to eat potato chips.  :-)

click here for a printable recipe

Sloppy Joes for Grown Ups

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup ketchup

1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chiles

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tsp Dijon or yellow mustard

1 tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp ancho chile powder

¼ tsp chipotle chile powder

salt to taste

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 kaiser rolls or ciabatta buns

For the honey lime coleslaw:

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

4 cups coleslaw mix

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

To make the coleslaw, combine all ingredients and set aside.

Preheat broiler to high; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the turkey and onion and sauté for about five minutes, until the turkey is cooked through.  Drain.  Stir in ketchup, green chiles, brown sugar, mustard and spices; simmer five minutes.

Meanwhile, split the rolls and hollow out the tops and bottoms by removing some of the bread crumbs.  

Place the tops and bottoms on the baking sheet and divide the turkey mixture between the bottoms.  Top the turkey mixture with the cheese slices and place the baking sheet under the broiler.  Broil, watching carefully, until the cheese is melted and the bun tops are toasted.  To serve, spoon coleslaw onto each sandwich, replace the bun tops and press gently to close.