Garden bounty

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Harry Potter robes

Goat cheese, spinach and bacon quiche

1pkg Mini Tart shells (no name in this case, just don't grab the sweetened ones)

1/2 an onion minced

1 clove of garlic minced

4 cups baby spinach 

4 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled

3 whole eggs 

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup cream

1 cup milk

1 large pkg goat cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Add a little olive oil to a large pan, on medium heat, and toss the onions in and cook until translucent and soft.

Add in the spinach and wilt it with the onions. 

Add in the garlic for 30 seconds to a minute (don't burn it).

Dump in the crumbled bacon and stir. Leave in pan off the heat to cool.

Beat eggs, milk, cream and add in salt and pepper.

In each mini tart add in a small amount of bacon/onion/spinach mixture.

Pour egg mixture over top.

Add about 1/2 tbsp worth of chunks of goat cheese to each tart.

Try to keep it close to the top. Add more or less to your own taste. My kids love goat cheese, so I go heavy.

Fresh black pepper to the top.

Bake at 375 for about 30-40 minutes (my oven is still on the fritz, and I live close to the Rockies, so adjust accordingly) 

I served with a balsamic salad of baby greens, cucumber and tomatoes (kids).

And it's likely what they'll get for breakfast! 

Goat cheese pasta

6 cups cooked pasta of choice (penne/weird cut is what was in the pantry)

1 left over steak or chicken chopped into pieces

 1/2 a small onion minced 

1/2 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 large pkg of goat cheese

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 cup spinach leaves (optional)

Boil and drain pasta to just before al dente.

In another pan, add a little oil and toss the onions in and cook on medium until translucent and soft.

If you wanted you could add in fresh baby spinach and wilt it with the onions. If I have it, I'll do it, but the dish is just as tasty without it. The spinach just adds a good serving of veggies, which is usually a good idea.

Add in the garlic for 30 seconds to a minute (don't burn it).

Dump the chicken stock and cream into the pan and bring to a boil.

Put chunks of goat cheese into the mixture and keep stirring or whisking until all cheese is melted into the cream/stock mixture. 

Dump the cooked pasta in and the meat into the cheese mixture.

Allow the sauce to coat the pasta and cook until pasta reaches desired doneness and sauce thickens up a little.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tada.

Left overs that don't taste left over.

Broccoli Soup

A lighter version of a fan favourite, perfect for dreary spring Sunday afternoons when you can't be bothered with a fancy supper!

1 onion chopped

2 or 3 celery hearts chopped

1 carrot chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

6 cups chicken broth

7 cups broccoli

1/2 cup milk

3 tbsp sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Directions:

In a medium sized stock pot melt butter and soften, onions, carrots, celery, adding garlic once onions are translucent.

Add chicken stock and broccoli bring to boil and drop to a simmer until broccoli is super soft and failing apart.

Add salt, pepper to taste.

Add in milk and use immersion blender to break down veggies.

Add sour cream.

Add cheese when serving.

Roasted garlic

Roasted Garlic

If you're like me, you hate leaving food to waste. T will buy a big bag of pre peeled garlic every now and again when he's cooking something that needs a lot of garlic. But we always end up with left overs that rot, because no matter how much you love garlic, you just can't use it all before it grows fur.

Roast it.

I just cut off the end, drizzled the pan in olive oil and then drizzled a little more over the cloves and let it alone in the oven at 200 for about 35 minutes. The cloves should come out soft with a mellowed flavour.

Amazing smeared on fresh bread as is or mashed into potatoes or into compound butter.

If you manage not to eat the whole pan, pack it into a mason jar and cover with olive oil.

Will keep for about 10 days or so, and you can use the olive in when cooking too.