Quiche Trio with Arugula Apple Salad

Although you might think that quiche is a french classic dish, it originated in Germany. Quiche has a pastry crust and a filling of eggs and milk or cream which, when baked, become a custard. This dish is more of a sampler of three different types of quiche accompanied by a fresh tasting salad to balance out a little lightness from the open faced savory pies.

Quiche Trio with Arugula Salad Recipe

Whole Milk- 1 cup
Eggs- 1 egg, mixed
Shredded Parmesan Cheese, 1 cup
Bleu Cheese- 1 Tablespoon
Sharp Cheddar Cheese- 1/4cup, grated
Mushroom- 1 oz. sliced thin
Bacon Lardons- 1 oz, cubed
Basil- 1 Teaspoon, Chiffonade
Premade Pie crusts- 3 piece, 3 inch radius

Arugula- 1 cup
Grapes- 4 pieces, halved
Apple- 1/4 piece, thinly sliced
White Balsamic Vinegar- 3 Tablespoons
Paprika- 1/4 Teaspoon
Light Olive oil- 1 Tablespoon
Salt and Pepper- as needed

Preparation for Quiche
Preheat oven to 340 degrees
Mix the whole milk, eggs, and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese in a bowl. add a pinch of salt.
Fill in every pie 3/4 of the way with the egg mix.
pie 1: put in bleu cheese and bacon to the top of pie
pie 2: put in mushroom and basil to the top of pie
pie 3: put in 1 oz. parmesan cheese and sharp cheddar cheese to the top of pie
Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top of all three pies and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
(tip- poke the center of the pie with a toothpick and see if the eggs are no longer a liquid base to make sure its cooked through)

Preparation for Arugula Salad
Whisk liquids together till emulsified, fold on ingredients, garnish with parmesan cheese.

Beignets with Pepper Jelly Cream

Beignet is the forerunner of donuts. Yes, the french started it all. Beignet is one of the most universally recognized names for fried dough desserts which are basically fritter batter. With this dish I could have made any sort of cream sauce, glaze, or topping to the beignets, but I decided to go with the duo of pepper-jelly and cream cheese for its rich smooth flavor.

Beignet Recipe

Lukewarm water- 1 cup
Granulated sugar- 1/4 cup
Salt- 1/2 teaspoon
Large egg- 1 piece
Butter, softened- 2 tablespoons
Evaporated milk- 1/2 cup
Bread flour or all-purpose flour- 4 cups
Instant active dry yeast- 3 teaspoons
Vegetable oil for deep frying*
Powdered sugar for dusting

Pepper Jelly Cream Recipe

Pepper Jelly (Red or green)- 1/3 cup
Cream Cheese- 1 1/2 cup
Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon
Brown Sugar- 2 oz.

Preparation for Beignet
Using a mixer with a dough hook, place water, sugar, salt, egg, butter, evaporated milk, flour, and yeast in the bowl. Beat until smooth. Remove dough from bowl and turn out onto a lightly-oiled surface. Form dough into an oval, place in a lightly-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled (3 to 4 hours) or overnight.
Remove the prepared dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly-floured board to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into approximately 3-inch squares, triangles, or circles (your choice); set aside.
In a deep fryer or large pot, heat vegetable oil to 360 degrees and then deep fry individually. when browned on both sides, place in a bowl with napkins and cool.

Pepper Jelly Cream
All at room temparature, with a whisk, mix all ingredients together and then cool. Serve chilled.

Orange Caprese with Guava and Mint

This simple appetizer serves as a refreshing appeal to the taste buds. Mozzarella, as my chef said once to me, is like a sponge. It can soak up any flavor you add to it. I love guava for its exotic taste and its aromatic scent that perfumes the air with goodness. Adding the candy guava gives a great flair to the dish.

Orange Caprese with Guava Recipe:

Mozarella- 3 pieces, 1/4 inch slices
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 2 ounces
Mint- 1 Tablespoon, minced
Orange- 3 pieces, 1/4 inch slices
Guava Candy Slab- 3 1/8 inch slices
Salt and Pepper- As Needed

Preparation and Plating for Orange Caprese;

In a blender, liquify the mint,the olive oil, and a pinch salt. Roll three guava slab candy slices. This will be used as one of the stacks for the caprese. In the middle of the plate, Layer the caprese in the order like so: mozzarella slice, orange slice, the three guava slab slices facing upright, mozzarella slice, orange slice, mozzarella slice. Don't forget to season each layer. With a spoon, pour the mint oil around the caprese. Garnish with mint.

Stuffed Bacon and Cheese Zucchini with Pickled Tomato

You can never go wrong with bacon and cheese in a dish. Lardons have been used for great purposes especially in french cuisine. When you saute, grill, or bake a cubed piece of bacon it renders its fat bringing out a strong savory pork flavor whilst complimenting all the other added products. With that technique in mind, this dish has a wonderful flavor with the stuffed mouthwatering oven baked zucchini.

Stuffed Bacon and Cheese Zucchini with Pickled Tomato Recipe

Cream Cheese- 1/4 cup
Red Jalapeno- 1 piece, small diced
Scallions- 2 stems
Bacon Lardons- 1/4 cup
Zucchini- 1 piece, halved, deseeded
Parsley- 1 tablespoon, fine chopped
Pearl or Sunburst Tomatoes- 4 pieces, thinly sliced
Red Wine Vinegar- 1 Tablespoon
Salt and Pepper

Preparation for Zucchini
Preheat oven to 330 degrees. Half the zucchini and with a spoon scrape out the seeds creating room for your stuffing. Drizzle some oil on both sides and season.

Preparation for Stuffing
Microwave the cream cheese for ten seconds. mix in diced jalapenos, scallions, and bacon lardons. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. With a spoon, place in the zucchini. Put the stuffed zucchini on a pan as well as the other unstuffed one and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Preparation for Tomato Salad
slice tomatoes thinly and place in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar and a tablespoon of chopped scallions and parsley. place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until zucchini is cooked.

Final Preparation
Take the unstuffed baked zucchini and cut unabias(diagonally). This piece will be used to mount the stuffed zucchini and give it height on your dish. Take the tomato salad and plate it in a floral way overlapping each other. Voila!