Category: Side Dish

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Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish

Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish is a cross between a quiche and a frittata. Going crustless creates a quiche that is a breeze to prepare. A versatile dish that can be served at almost any mealtime, another little jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen.

GOING CRUSTLESS

I have been experimenting with ‘crustless’ versions of many classics sweets such as apple & pumpkin pie which have been a success and this a sort-of tart Summer Simple Tomatoes with Ricotta & Romano Cheese. Chard & Mushroom Quich-ish is a full-fledged crustless savory recipe. Cutting down on prep time and the calories, crustless quiches came on my radar. The recipe I adpated is from a fellow blogger, back in the golden age of food blogs.

VEGETABLE QUICHE

Quiche is a flexible, forgiving way to use extra vegetables. The chard and the mushrooms were gifted to me, so I went about to find a simple quiche recipe to use the vegetables. This recipe avoids the heavy cream that is part of most quiche recipes, instead eggs and cheeses provide the base for the vegetables.

Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish | Bijouxs Litle Jewels

Mushrooms and Swiss chard anchor the dish, fresh dill and green onion provide more flavor. The key to Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish is that instead of a crust, the baking mix provides the body to the quiche-ish. A very useful pan in the kitchen pantry is a tart pan with a removable bottom. I used a 9 inch diameter pan such as this one, going for the non-stick is a good investment, time and energy. I also baked the quiche-ish in a parchement lined sheet pan, just in case of any leaking.

QUICHE-ISH FOR DINNER

Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish makes for a wonderful light supper or with brunch. Add a fresh green salad with Dijon vinaigrette and perhaps a glass of light white wine.

Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish

Chard & Mushroom Quiche-ish

 

Wishing you all love and luck.

No. 448Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Risi e bisi (Rice with Peas)

Risi e bisi (Rice with Peas)

“The peas are green! Spring has begun! Long live Venice!” The April 25th Venice tradition is for the Doge (the Chief Magistrate) to taste a spoonful of the city’s most famous dish, Risi e bisi, in public to annunciate the start the Feast of Saint Mark. Risi e bisi (Rice with Peas) marks the start of spring – join Bijouxs in celebrating this little jewel of dish. Continue reading Risi e bisi (Rice with Peas)

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Victory Garden Salad

Victory Garden Salad

Yes, small victories count. Planting a small crop of lettuce provides salads for weeks, then sow more seeds and voila, lettuce appears. The simple Mesclun mixed variety is my favorite and produced this simply beautiful Victory Garden Salad a little jewel from the garden.

VICTORY GARDEN SALAD

Celebrate, a small victory in my garden. As always, starting with the freshest most healthy ingredients are keys to a great salad. Now, residing in a tiny cottage in the central coast, life has changed. No more sprawling garden, space in my yard is a premium. I have three small areas to grow my garden favorites. Since space is so limited I have narrowed it down to a few of my favorites. First on my list is growing lettuce for salads, from which I create a multitude of dishes, much more than just salads. For years I have been growing mesclun greens mix.

Victory Garden Salad

GROWING MESCLUN

Mesclun is a Provençal word that describes a mix of tender salad greens and many times includes herbs. The name comes from “mesclular” which is a mixture, which describes this mix of lettuce, also sold as spring mix. It is frequently served in restaurants and widely available in the supermarkets. However, growing your own lettuce is easy and very rewarding. When you feel like a salad just go out and clip some fresh greens, no waste and many of varieties are “cut and come again” meaning if you clip the leaves more new leaves appear. Almost anyone can have a small victory garden, you can grow this lettuce in a 12”inch pot, perfect for apartment dwellers. A volunteer nasturtium joined the party.

MESUCLUN SALAD

Spring mix greens are in every store now. They are very tender and must be handled with care. Also, they tend to have a short life in the refrigerator, another reason to grow your own greens. In looking for a salad recipe the first chef to really feature these greens was Alice Waters, from her I take my lead.

Gently wash greens and place in a salad spinner then roll them loosely in a clean kitchen towel and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. They are best used the same day, but can usually survive overnight, but not much longer.

My favorite dressing is French, made directly in a wooden salad bowl, then topped with the greens and brought to the table, ready to toss and serve. This dressing is my everyday dressing, my go-to in the kitchen. This real French dressing is simply made by place a small clove of garlic in a wooden salad bowl, with a pinch of salt and pepper and mashed into a paste using a wooden spoon. Dijon, red wine vinegar are added and mixed, then olive oil is whisked by hand until the dressing comes together. Voila, a perfect salad.

Victory Garden Salad

Grown your own Victory Garden Salad. Stay well.

 

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Seasonal Arugula Citrus Salad

Seasonal Arugula Citrus Salad |Bijouxs Little Jewels

Salads, can we ever have enough recipes? This lovely little jewel originates from Charcoal in Venice Beach. Citrus season makes this a perfect time for this salad with blood oranges and grapefruit, tossed with arugula, radicchio and French feta, a healthy and delicious little jewel.

L.A. RESTAURANTS

I am a L.A. born and bred girl now living along the beautiful central coast. I have tried to utilize our extended down time by cruising through all of my cookbooks, hundreds in fact. Eat. Cook. L.A. brings recipes from many of my favorite haunts in L.A. like this salad. Sadly, with the downturn, many of my favorite restaurants have closed. I am happy though to cook recipes from L.A.’s  great restaurants in-between cooking and creating my new No. 4 Beautiful Food By Design Cookbook.

CITRUS SEASON

This is a favorite time of year. The winter citrus crops bring that bright spot to winter, vibrant color while we wait for Spring. There are so many choices, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and blood oranges just to name a few. California citrus are exported for enjoyment all over the world.

Seasonal Arugula Citrus Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

SEASONAL ARUGULA CITRUS SALAD 

I have lightly adapted the original recipe, substituting a few of my favorite ingredients such as Sherry vinegar & olive oil. French feta is my favorite but a Greek Goat milk feta will work just as well. Use baby arugula, or better yet grow your own. My garden is just beginning to produce lettuce. It is wonderful to go out and collect lettuce for your evening salad. I have other citrus salads on the website, such as Beet, Citrus and Olive Salad, Blood Orange and Fennel Salad, and a classic Orange & Olive Salad. All deliver the fresh California forward flavors.

Seasonal Arugula Citrus Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Wishing you a happy and safe new Spring.

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