Quick Crustless Quiche

We went to a party last night. Quite a few people came over afterward and we stayed up waaaay too late. So, this morning/afternoon I wanted something filling that was kind of good for me, but not too good for me. We had french toast last weekend and there wasn't enough Bisquick for waffles or pancakes, but we did have a half-dozen eggs in the fridge. I'm pretty picky about my eggs. They can't be too wet and the cheese can't be too gooey but I don't like them if they get really overcooked either. And, since we don't have a non-stick pan that's a good size for omelets or scrambled eggs those were both out of the running. I did happen to have a ton of broccoli in the fridge, though, and a couple of kinds of cheese. The logical decision was to go for a crustless quiche. The Dijon mustard, nutmeg, and Parmesan all worked well to create a complex flavor in something that had the potential to just taste like egg, cheese, and broccoli. Some of you may ask, "Crustless quiche, isn't that just a good old fashioned Minnesota egg bake?" To which I will firmly reply, "NO!"

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs
• ¾ cup cream
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese(freshly grated)
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan (freshly grated)
• 3 cups broccoli (tops only, chopped in bite-sized pieces)
• 2 oz brie, chopped into really small pieces with the rind removed

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 9in pie pan with non-stick spray.
2. Blanch or steam the broccoli florets until they are bright green and almost tender. Set them aside.
3. Whisk eggs, cream, mustard, salt, and pepper together until well blended.
4. Add parsley, Colby-Jack, parmesean, and broccoli. Mix gently until everything is well coated with the egg and cream mixture, then pour into the pie pan.
5. Sprinkle the bits of brie evenly across the top.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are brown and the middle has risen.
7. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

***I know, this isn't a very heart-friendly recipe. Try substituting egg-beaters or 2 yolks and 5 whites for the eggs. The cream can be replaced with low-fat half and half, but NOT non-fat since it's made differently. The brie can be left out and the colby-jack can be traded for low-fat cheese.

(Not So) Lazy Sugar Cookies

A month or so ago I was bored so I decided to bake cookies. It's cold outside, though, so I didn't really want to go to the grocery store to pick up any ingredients I didn't already have. To solve my first dilemma I turned to one of my favorite online recipe gathering places, Allrecipes.com. I only had one egg, plenty of butter, no milk or chocolate chips, and no baking soda. Really, it was almost like a reverse Iron Chef -- make something WITHOUT any of these secret ingredients. Luckily I found a recipe that only included ingredients in my cupboard. Next came the feats of strength. I don't have a mixer in my tiny kitchen, but amazingly I was able to cream the butter and sugar together by hand. Once everything got put together I decided I didn't want to roll it out and cut it, since rolling usually makes a big mess. I found another suggestion online to roll the cookies into teaspoon sized balls, then press them with the bottom of a glass. Another recipe even suggested spraying the bottom of the glass with Pam, dipping it into sugar, then pressing the balls onto the cookie sheet. They turned out crisp, sparkly, buttery, and not too sweet. Adam even called them "the best cookies ever." Not bad for not having the right ingredients or tools!

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup sugar for decoration
* 3/4 cup butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt with a wire whisk. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well blended. Add flour and mix until combined. Do not over-mix.
3. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1/2 hour (in the bowl is ok!).
4. Spray the cookie sheet with non-stick spray or cover with parchment paper.
5. Scoop out a teaspoon (or slightly larger) of dough and roll it into a ball. Unless you don't want round cookies. Then you could probably make an oval, or a cube.
6. Place the ball of dough onto the pan. Spray the bottom of a glass with non-stick spray, then dip it into a plate with sugar and press the cookie flat with the bottom of the glass. Cookies should be about 1/4 in. high.
7. Continue rolling and pressing cookies. Plan ahead when you put the ball on the baking sheet so the cookies are about 3/4 inch apart.
8. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove the cookies when the become golden around the edges, not brown. Transfer them to a piece of parchment paper (or brown paper sack) to cool.