Blueberry Danishes

When living at my last apartment near the heart of downtown I would often take advantage of an early rise and walk to one of my favorite coffee shops  to snag a blueberry danish and a piping hot coffee. I'd cram a napkin in my pocket, balance the danish in one hand and carefully hold the coffee in the other to avoid spills, and make my water to the water. Now, no matter where I am, when I find myself with an opportunity to snag a fresh danish and a hot coffee I'm instantly transported to memories of the cool, quiet mornings that I spent walking blissfully around the city.

Somehow, after all those mornings spent making my way to various shops to indulge in a pastry and caffeine, I never tried to recreate it in my own kitchen. Now that I live further from those shops, my indulgences are few and far between. I recently hosted a brunch, and realized this was an opportunity to try my own hand at making a blueberry danish, and I'm sure glad I did. I'm almost afraid to tell you how easy it was to do, because once you know the truth you'll be trying to bribe people to come over for brunch every weekend, just so you can make these delights. I mean, you can make them for yourself, but be warned that you'll probably try to eat them all... they're sinful, to say the least.

Makes 12 danishes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar +  1 tablespoon for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 quart fresh blueberries  (4 cups)
• 1 package puff pastry, thawed  (I used Tenderflake, 397 grams)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Dust a flat work surface with flour, then roll out half of the package of puff pastry into a large rectangle, about 10x15". You want the pastry to be about 1/8" thick, like the thickness of a kitchen towel. 
4. Cut the pastry in half lengthwise, then into thirds crosswise to make 6 squares. Pierce each piece with a fork randomly around the surface, about 4-6 times. Fold each corner in to make a diamond shape, no need to be perfect with this part - just fold and go! 
5. Place the pastries evenly apart on one baking sheet. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of each pastry, then top with a heaping pile of blueberries (about 1/3 cup each). 
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the remaining puff pastry and bake them all for 15-20 minutes (mine took the full 20 minutes, but every oven is different so I strongly recommend you peek in at the 15 minute mark. The pastry will be puffed and light golden, and you shouldn't see any exposed raw dough from the top. 
7. Remove the danishes from the oven and let them cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. 

Notes: You can change out the blueberries for whatever is fresh or in season, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches -- any tender fruit will do. If you use a firm fruit like pears or apples I recommend that you slice and cook them down first (you can saute or roast apples/pears beforehand).

Spinach & Ham Quiche with an Olive Oil Crust

I have said this before and I'll say it again: the beauty of making a quiche is that it's a great place to use up random bits of leftovers. You know that last tablespoon of capers you can't seem to use up? Or that little hunk of blue cheese you keep meaning to use? Or the mashed potatoes you made too much of? Yeah, you can throw pretty much anything into an olive oil crust, whisk in some eggs, and bake it for a wonderful brunch or set yourself up for quick breakfasts for the week. I have even mixed in beef and broccoli from Chinese takeout leftovers

This recipe came from just that, leftovers. I slow cooked a ham hock earlier in the week for Pig Pie, and I had about a cup of chopped ham leftover. I keep frozen spinach on hand at all times as it's a great add-in for meals that are lacking in color (add it to the rice as it cooks, swirled into a plain broth, into the pot of noodles boiling, etc.).  I also had a few odds and ends of cheeses that I couldn't seem to get rid of, so I shredded the cheeses and added them to the mix as well.

That is also something wonderful about a quiche - it can be as complex or plain as you like!

Ingredients:
Olive Oil Crust: 

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Filling:

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozza, parmesan, blue, gouda)
• 1 cup chopped ham (you can substitute this for leftover chicken, turkey, or sausage)
• 1/3 cup cooked spinach (thawed and drained)
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

 Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 
2. Mix all crust ingredients in a medium bowl, using your hands or a large spoon to mix the dough together until smooth. This should come together fairly quick, dough will be soft but not sticky, just oily. Press the dough into a pie plate, cover with plastic wrap and chill the crust in the refrigerator while you assemble the filling. This is not a very firm dough, so expect it to look more rustic that perfect.
3. In a large bowl whisk the eggs lightly then stir in all of the remaining ingredients.  
4.  Remove the crust from the fridge and discard the wrap. Pour the filling into the crust (use a spoon to gently even out the filling if needed). Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crust is golden and the filling has set. 

Serve warm or chilled along with condiments such as salsa, sweet chilli, sriracha, and/or Dijon. 

Zucchini Quiche

I love having a quiche in my fridge - I can have a slice on the go, pack some for lunch, or serve it for brunch! Here is an easy quiche (complete with a super easy crust recipe that will probably change your life) that is perfect for those moments when you need a last-minute meal.

Make 8 healthy portions
Ingredients:
For the Crust

•  1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• Dash of salt, pepper, and any other seasoning you want (I used oregano in this quiche)

For the Filling

• Salt/pepper/dried oregano
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Make the dough for the crust by simply combining all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then mix in the oil and water until dough forms (not sticky or dry - if it's dry add splashes of oil until you get a smooth dough, or if it's too wet add flour by the tablespoon). Roll it out on a floured surface to a 10-inch round, then carefully lay it in a round cake pan (or a pie pan - I just prefer a cake pan for quiches). Place the pan in the freezer to set up while you're preparing the filling. 
2. Cut the ends off the zucchini, then slice it lengthwise. Chop into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Finely chop the red onion, and roughly chop the garlic. Heat a pan to medium heat then drizzle with a bit of oil. Add the ingredients and stir often for 1 minute. Add the apple cider vinegar, then let it cook off (about 1 minute). Take the zucchini mix off the heat and remove the pan from the freezer. Scoop the filling into the crust, spread evenly. Top with parmesan and a dash each of salt, pepper, and oregano. 
3. Beat the eggs and milk in a medium bowl then pour over the fillings in the crust. Bake your beautiful quiche in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes. You can check to see if the quiche is ready by inserting a toothpick - if it comes out clean it's done!