Impossible Quiche

So there's this thing called impossible quiche my Mum always makes, and it's an old recipe of my Grandma's which I have (and thus one of my treasured possessions as it's her original hand-written one). Well I've gone and proved everyone wrong, because it's totally possible! Mine is a slight variation though as I kind of didn't realise I had the actual recipe. But then maybe thats what makes it impossible... it's a trick recipe!

• 1 rasher bacon, diced (fat trimmed - health kick remember)
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped roughly
• handful fresh basil, chopped  
• sprig rosemary
• black pepper
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup grated tasty cheese
• 2 tbsp plain flour (I used wholemeal)

Preheat oven to 200C.

Fry bacon, onion and garlic in a dash of oil until the bacon is just crispy and  the onion translucent.

Whisk egg and milk until well combined. Whisk in flour. Add bacon mix, spinach, herbs, cheese and season with pepper. Whisk to combine and pour into a baking dish (or pie dish). Sprinkle with a little extra cheese and season. 

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

The flour will sink to the bottom and form a thin little base. You can add more flour if you want (Grandma's recipe uses 3/4 cup). It's the best lunch! We all get a little sick of sandwiches and salad sometimes. Feel free to jazz it up with different vege and herbs. Roast pumpkin, zucchini, kale, corn, asparagus, beetroot... Whatever really. Use the herbs you have to hand. Actually, this recipe is just about using what you have: I always have eggs, some dairy and flour so the rest is a mystery!

Mini Quiches

Bored of sandwiches? Sick of salads? These mini quiches are great for lunches (with or without a side salad!). They can be filled with all sorts of bits and pieces you might have in the fridge: pumpkin, tomato, mushroom, spinach, zucchini, feta. They are a blank canvas for experimenting with the bits and bobs in the fridge. They take hardly any time at all, so you could whip them up in the morning for lunch that day. 

So for the mini quiches you will need:

• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 button squash (or equivalent of whatever filling you choose)
• 2 mushrooms (see above point)
• 1 sheet ready-made frozen puff pastry
• parmesan cheese (to grate over the top, so not much. Feta works well too.)

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 6 holes in a muffin tin.

Cut pastry into 6 circles (10cm diameter and slit to the centre) and line tin. Finely chop vegetables and place in lined muffin tins. Whisk milk and egg in a small bowl then pour into muffin tin over vegetables.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake for 15-20 minutes till golden brown and pastry has puffed up. Cool in tin for 5 minutes before lifting from tin.

Cool completely if storing them, or serve warm with a quick side salad (think simple - lettuce, avocado, tomato tossed with some balsamic vinegar).

You can use any number of filling combinations. Use your imagination (and whatever's left in the fridge!). Here's some of my favourites:

• baby spinach and feta
• pumpkin, rosemary and parmesan
• zucchini and feta/parmesan
• mushroom
• onion and bacon
• tomato, mushroom and onion

Ultimate health: fresh food, herbal tea & Harper's Bazaar

Flatbread Pizzas

This is inspired by Donna Hay's 'harissa pumpkin and goat's cheese pizza' from her book 'Simple Dinners'. I didn't have harissa, butternut pumpkin is too expensive, I'm not a fan of onion relish and prosciutto is waaaay out of my budget at the moment. So, some changes had to be made (if you want the original I'm afraid you'll have to buy the book as she doesn't have it online).

• 1 x flat bread (I used a wholemeal lebanese bread)
• 2 tbsp pesto (of any kind, purchased or homemade. I definitely recommend any from Barilla particularly the Pesto Rosso one I used. A-MAZING)
• 1 sprig rosemary
• handful baby spinach leaves, torn up
• 500g pumpkin, cubed (whatever's in season/cheapest)
• goat's cheese (I used a fetta - see the photo below because it's one of the best cheeses I've had in awhile)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a pizza tray (or other flat baking tray/sheet) and place base on top. Spread generously with pesto (feel free to use more than 2 tablespoons!), then sprinkle with rosemary and spinach leaves. 

Soften the pumpkin a little by placing it in a freezer bag (or one of the ones you put fruit and vege in at the  supermarket if your all eco-friendly/saving money by not buying plastic bags), tossing in a little oil and cracked pepper. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Spread cubes evenly over pizza. 

Finish by crumbling cheese over the pizza. Bake for 10-15 mins (depending on thickness of your base), until browned on edges and pumpkin beginning to caramelise. 

This is a great lunch, or a quick and easy dinner. Plus its healthy! Experiment with toppings, and maybe let me know what you've used. Speaking of which, readers feel free to send me recipe ideas/ photos of your creations. I may even try a few out and pop them up on here! Could inspire a new section of reader contributions. Let me know what you're all thinking. 

Jamie's Cornish Pasties

VINTAGE POST:

These are delish. Perfect warming weekend lunch. Very British, which makes them even better I think. From 'Jamie's Great Britain', his Early Autumn Cornish Pasties are well good.

Pastry:

• 500g plain flour
• sea salt
• 200ml water
• 250g cold unsalted butter
• 1 egg, beaten

Filling:

• 350g beef (he uses skirt, but rump or even gravy/shin beef is fine)
• 1 onion
• 1 potato
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 200g pumpkin (butternut is best), in 1cm cubes
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• sprig of rosemary
• sprig of thyme
• olive oil

Place flour and salt in a bowl. Cube butter and add, then rub with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and quickly bring together.

Preheat oven to 200C. Cut meat and vege into 1cm cubes, combine in a bowl. Season and add nutmeg, tossing to coat. Finely chop the herbs and add to mixture. Drizzle with oil and set aside.

Cut pastry into 6 pieces. Dust a clean surface with flour and also dust your rolling pin (or large glass jar if you don't have one). Roll into rounds "the thickness of a pound coin" (basically the same as $1) and 22cm in diameter. Compact a small handful of filling using your hands and place in centre of pastry, leaving a border of at least 2cm around the edge. Brush edges with egg and either fold over to make a half-circle or bring both sides of the pastry together and pinch together at the top (like I did - see picture below). Repeat with remaining pastry rounds and place on a lined backing tray.

Brush with egg wash and cook 30-35 minutes until golden. 

Best enjoyed with generous amounts of tomato sauce and mustard.

I use the photos from the cookbook, firstly because they're better than mine & secondly because
I loved the layout of it. They look so edible!