...and we're dancing Quiche to Quiche

Oh the joy of Quiche, having had its ups and downs over the years from the "in" dish of the "nouveau jet set" of 30 years ago to the "real men don't really eat it" crowd soon after. Once all the dust settles however, Quiche is the one left standing tall and oh so "Francais". It just goes to show that classics never die. They just take their places in the halls of tradition, Quiche being no exception. And in the end, real men can't resist nibbling at it from time to time.

One thing to be said, Quiche is clothed in many styles, from the traditional Lorraine adorned with bacon or jambon and onions, to the more elaborate outfits of tomatoes, capers, peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and shrimp; however, one thing that they all have in common is their cloak of cheese, lots of cheese! The favorite among these is Gruyere with its rich aroma and depth of flavors, a cheese that knows how to melt perfectly.

It's amazing how easy it is now days to make Quiche at home. There's really nothing to it. The pastry dough, usually the most time consuming part of the preparation can be purchased ready made in any supermarket. These packages come with a bottom and top crust. Both are the same size and since you'll only use one crust, each box contains enough dough to make 2 Quiches. The rest of the ingredients are easy to assemble with minor prep and cooking time.

Lorraine is what made Quiche famous in the West and so today you will learn how to make this classic. It should take no more than 90 minutes from start to slicing, so without further ado, let's begin with gathering the ingredients. This will make a 9 inch pie.

1/2 package of ready made pie dough, thawed
5 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 lb. of bacon, cut into 1 inch strips
5 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of grated Gruyere
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped
2 pinches of nutmeg
1/4 cup of chicken stock (for deglazing)
1 9" spring form pan
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter

You will notice the picture of the Quiche shown above was baked using a spring form pan as opposed to a pie dish. If you have a spring form pan that is about 9" in diameter, use that one. It will give your Quiche a whole new elegant "cheesecake" look.

Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Grease the bottom and sides of your spring form pan. Roll out the sheet of pre-made pie dough and set it in the pan carefully, allowing the dough to come up the sides of the pan. Pat it down gently and poke holes at the bottom with a fork. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Turn oven down to 350F (170C).

While crust is cooling, prepare your other ingredients. In a large fry pan, saute the bacon over medium high heat. Add a bit of the olive oil if needed. Saute for about 5 minutes and remove bacon to a holding dish. Do not discard the pan drippings.

In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, and olive oil and saute over medium high heat. Continue to saute until onions begin to caramelize and turn a nice light brown. Now add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Add the butter and continue to saute until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn heat off and set pan aside.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and lightly beat them. Add the cream and other ingredients except the onions, bacon, and cheese. Stir ingredients until well mixed.

Now add the onions to the mixture and stir well. Next, add 3/4 of the cheese and stir well. Now add the remaining cheese to the bottom of the pie crust, making sure bottom is well covered and then sprinkle the bacon over the layer of cheese so that bacon is well distributed throughout the bottom. The cheese and bacon layer will help withhold moisture from reaching the dough, thus making for a crispier crust. Finally, pour mixture over the bacon and cheese. Wrap the outside of the spring form pan with foil so no leakage will occur during baking. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until you can stick a tooth pick in and remains dry when removed. Should your Quiche surface begin to brown to quickly, you can place a sheet of foil over it about halfway, removing it during the final 15 minutes.

When done, remove from the oven and allow to set for about 30 minutes before removing the spring form ring. Touch and feel the surface to make sure it is solidifying during cooling. The crust sides will help keep the Quiche well shaped.

This Quiche can be served will a side salad of frizzy lettuce and butter lettuce leaves. A nice chilled white wine will work well as will a nice Riesling. Enjoy!

Sunday Morning Omelet has less fat and cholesterol

And so it's Sunday, you sleep in 'til 9, and you've committed yourself to a lazy morning and lounge. You can't forget that it's breakfast time, however. You want no complication, no fussy messy stuff, and no prolonged time in the kitchen. It's time for the Sunday Morning Omelet, a nice rich cup of coffee, and a crispy croissant, and out in the morning sun you go.

This omelet is quite simple to make and oh so flavorful, just the kind of flavors you'd expect in the morning. A good thing about it is that the amount of fat and cholesterol is reduced by eliminating one yolk and leaving the butter in the fridge. You won't be sacrificing flavor and that's a promise. The ingredients called here are for one nice serving. If you are having Sunday breakfast with your loved one, just double the quantity.

1 large whole egg
1 large egg white
1 2 oz. slice of Swiss cheese (skim is ok)
2 cloves of garlic
1 medium russet potato, skin on, diced
2 tablespoons of pimentos
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, chopped, for garnish

Begin by dicing your potato. The cubes should be no larger than 1/4 inch square so that they will crisp quickly. Next, dice your garlic

Add your egg and white to a bowl, some salt and pepper, and beat until fluffy. Set aside. Heat a dry 9 inch fry pan over high heat for a few minutes until pan is very hot. A drop of water should bead up quickly.

When pan is hot, add the olive oil. It should begin to smoke almost immediately. Add the diced potato, garlic, and pimento and saute quickly, turning the potato frequently with a spatula. Add a couple dashes of salt and pepper. Continue to saute for a few minutes or until they begin to turn golden. If you need to add a bit more olive oil, go ahead and add another tablespoon.

Now reduce your heat to medium and add the eggs, making sure the entire surface of the pan is coated. Add the slice of cheese in the center, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook covered on low for about a minute or so and then shut the heat off, leaving the pan on the burner for another minute or two, making sure the pan remains covered. Remove the cover and with your spatula, fold the omelet in half, remove from heat, and cover until ready to plate.

Serve, along with a nice strong cup of cafe au lait and crispy croissant. Enjoy this wonderful omelet, knowing that has lowered fat because you used olive oil, and lowered cholesterol because you used one less yolk and only 2 oz. of cheese, even lower if you use cheese made with skim milk. You can now enjoy the nice sunny Sunday morning with your morning paper and watch the morning slumber by. Happy Sunday!

The Sunday Surprise... new French Toast McNonChef Sandwich satisfies brunch cravings

It's miserable out there today, rain, cold, you just want to stay home. But you have a Sunday brunch craving and what will you do. Well fear not, NonChefNick has come to the rescue again. Chill the Champagne and get ready for a wonderful new sandwich to hit the breakfast scene. Move out of the way McDonalds and Burger King. Wimpy's, you ain't got nothing on NonChefNick's French Toast Sandwich, your Sunday Surpise!

I had all those cravings this morning; however, I was tired of the same old thing whenever I have a craving for breakfast. I guarantee that if you try this sandwich at home, you will have it time and time again from here on out. It is so easy to make and introduces a whole new twist to two popular breakfast dishes, French Toast and bacon and eggs. It marries the two to provide a wonderful savory breakfast or brunch entree that feels perfectly comfortable with a chilled glass of Champagne. Let's begin by getting together all the ingredients for this dish. First, a word about nutrition. The ingredients mentioned here contain very little cholesterol and fat because we are using an egg substitute, you know, the kind that you find in the milk style carton next to the regular eggs. The product can be found throughout the US and Canada, and I'm sure it's available throughout other parts of the world. Another thing to mention, this recipe is for one sandwich, so measure according to your needs. I want to warn you however, one of these sandwiches can easily satisfy two people. As a side dish, you may have a selection of cut fruit such as oranges, bananas, and pears.

2 cups of egg substitute (this saves you 350 mg. of cholesterol)
2 slices of nice thick white bread (I think it's called Texas style?)
2 strips of thick, lean bacon (you may use turkey bacon)
1/4 cup of shredded Swiss, Parm, or Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons of butter (or butter substitute)
1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

If you use some of the substitutes, you will save a lot on fat and cholesterol. If you choose to use regular eggs, you will want to use 3 eggs and 1/4 cup of milk.

In a saute pan, fry the bacon on medium heat until cooked, about 3 minutes or so. Set aside and rest on paper napkins. Wash your pan so that you can use it for your bread.

Pour the egg substitute in a dish or container and soak the bread on each side for about 10 seconds per side. Remove bread slices and set aside. There should be plenty of egg substitute left over. If not, add a bit more. Now add the cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper to the mixture and mix well. Set aside.

In your saute pan, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, heat over medium heat. Once butter has melted, saute your bread for about 2 minutes on each side while reducing heat to medium low. When bread is golden brown, they are ready. Remove and set aside. Clean your pan, spray it with cooking spray and pour the remainder of the egg substitute into the pan, saute over medium heat for about a minute. Cover and shut off heat. Let side for another 2 minutes.

Now it's time to put everything together. Start with setting one slice of the French Toast on a plate. Next, place the sauteed egg substittute on the toast. Then add the two slices of bacon, and finally place the second slice of French Toast on top. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and drizzle it over the sandwich and sprinkle any remaining parsley over it for garnish. You may choose to surround the sandwich with the sliced fruit. Enjoy your brunch. To think, you didn't even have to leave the house !