Eggs PortugalJackie made this breakfast dish for us a few times. I asked her for the recipe. As she got a little older Jon took over the kitchen and always made great scrambled eggs and of course, lots of bacon. I don’t know how Portugal got into it…who know. We have great memories of our visit to Via Marina. The girls were almost always with us and they too have wonderful memories of Gramma Jackie. From Carol
Eggs Portugal
8 slices bread
3/4 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 lbs. sausage
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
3/4 t. mustard
1 can mushroom soup
1/4 cup vermouth (think I would use something else….more milk, cream, dash of sherry)
1 can sliced mushrooms
Brown sausage and crumble up
Cube bread and put into a 9 x 13 casserole
Mix eggs, milk, mustard and a dash of salt.
Pour mixture over casserole
Let stand over night in the frig
Pour soup, mushrooms and vermouth over all
Bake 1 1/2 hours at 300′
My sister-in-law once said she loved Coq Au Vin. I had never made it, but the thought was stored until the other day. The time was now. So, I put this together. Husband Dennis loved, loved, loved it!
Since all my kids have flown the coup, my office is the lucky group that get my leftovers. I think they are goin’ like it!
4 pieces of bacon or ham slices, coarsely chopped
2 chickens
2 chopped onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thyme
Salt and Pepper
16 ounces large crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved
8-12 carrots, chopped into 1 inch chunks
1 fennel bulb chopped into quarters
4 whole garlic cloves
2 bottles red wine. Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah all work.)
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup beef gravy mix
Bake for 4 hours at 300 degrees. Move the pot from the oven to the stovetop.
Add Gravy mix to 1/2 cup water, stir to mix and then add to drippings.
Let simmer 5 minutes and serve over mashed potatoes.
If you do not have gravy mix, use flour. Place flour in small cup.
Add 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture to sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on platter; stir juices from dish into sauce and spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fresh thyme.
I started this at lunch time, and finished it off by making mashed potatoes when I got home from work. This is a keeper.
Quiche AppetizerQuiche Bites!This is for a crowd!
WOW! What a versatile dish! It can easily be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch and even as a cocktail dish as an hors d’oeuvre. It’s QUICK and EASY! Just wait ’til the raves come in. They will just love it! And you will too! [
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
12 large eggs
dash salt
1 cup creme fraiche/sour cream (drain any moisture) or evaporated milk or 1 can cream of mushroom condensed soup, or cream
2 cups cottage cheese
8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese (grated)
8 oz Cheddar Cheese or parmesan (grated)
8 – 10 ounce canned or (fire roasted) green chilis (if you use fresh, saute until tender)
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
9″ x 13″ casserole / baking dish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, melt the butter in your baking dish. (Some people may elect to substitute this step with spray oil because of calories, but I think it makes that crusty portion of the dish that puts it in a new level. Just letting you know.) Beat eggs and milk, add seasonings. From here on out, do not overmix! Stir in green chilis, cottage cheese and 2 cups of grated cheese. In another bowl mix dry ingredients flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Did I mention not to over mix? It will look a little lumpy. Pour on top of melted butter in oven.
Bake at 400 for 50 minutes until set and golden brown.
A great part of this dish is the crusty cheesy edge that forms from baking. The casserole should be puffy, and the cottage cheese adds a creamy sensation when eating. So good.
Many people will add pimentos or diced omatoes which you can do, but prefer to serve with fresh pico de gallo on the side. I would also make up a big batch of chorizo fried potatoes as a side dish, along with fresh fruit salad. Perfect brunch? Serve mimosas and bloody Mary drinks.
Want to make it heartier or just one dish? Grate potatoes and add to the bottom of the baking dish on top of the melted butter. Add diced
ham or cooked browned crumbled sausage and then your egg mixture.
Or to make Florentine Casserole, add crumbed crispy bacon and chopped spinach and omit the green chilis.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees for approximately 30-35 minutes or until the center is set. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting.
Serve a 3 inch square for breakfast alongside Potatoes and Chorizo and a nice diced fruit salad. For appetizers, cut into 1 inch cubes.
At Christmas this year, my sister-in-law, Carol made the pies. She has shared her mom’s Lemon Cream Pie recipe. “My mom’s pie had meringue on top made from the whites of the 3 egg yolks. Many recipes today suggest whipped cream. All sound yummy. For the crust I use the Pillsbury and roll it out a little. Use a small pie tin as this is not a big pie. Doubling recipes doesn’t work for me. I just prick the crust with a fork several times, then pre-bake the crust. I don’t think Meyer lemons are good for this…not enough acidity and didn’t set up right. My mom’s recipe said, ‘do not cool in front of a drafty window’.”
So ingredients are..
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk or any brand as long as it is 13 1/2 to 14 oz can.
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
3 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
Optional some recipes use the zest of the lemon in this pie also.Â
Pre-bake the pie crust and cool
Mix filling together
Pour filling into baked crust
Make meringue (sometimes I add an extra white for more volume).Â
Put the meringue on top making fancy little doodles, peaks and valleys
Put the pie the oven 325 degrees to brown the peaks of the meringue.
Chill until ready to serve.
The meringue can be tricky so I won’t give details other than
Make sure bowl is dry…copper bowl is best
Do not let any yolk or water get into the whites
You can whisk or use electric beaters
Add cream of tartar to get more volume
Use powdered sugar, regular sugar or vanilla to flavor and/or sweeten
To make this pretty, you can make the pie in cupcake pan lined with parchment so each person for dinner has an individual pie.  They are so cute!
