Potato "Quiche"

My bible study leader brought this recipe to our last luncheon, and it is delicious! It isn't greasy and heavy like a lot of quiches', it's light yet filling. Brought it to an Easter pot-lock and it was a hit as well.

6 to 8 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup fully cooked diced Ham
5 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp seasoned salt


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place diced potatoes in microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap with small slits for venting. Microwave on high for 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring once. Stir in butter and salt in cooked potatoes; roughly mash potatoes. Spread into a 9 by 13 baking dish, pushing potatoes up along sides to create a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are browned. Meanwhile, combine cheeses and ham. Spoon into the potato crust. In a bowl, beat eggs, cream and seasoned salt, pour over ham mixture. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in center come out clean.

*The dish can be made vegetarian by omitting the ham, and substituting mushrooms*

Risgrynsgröt (Swedish Porridge), and Almond Milk Oatmeal

Swedish porridge is very soft and sweet, the perfect comfort food for winter. Traditionally it is reserved for Christmas time but due to my husbands persistent request we actually had it for dinner yesterday.
Traditionally an almond is placed in the Porridge and whoever gets the almond in their bowl is next to be married!

1 1/2 dl Arborio Rice
3 dl water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon butter
7 dl milk

Sugar
Cinnamon

Put rice and water in a pot. Add salt and butter. Boil on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the milk and stir. Bring to a boil and let it simmer on very low heat for about 40-50 minutes. Ladle into bowl, drizzle with sugar and cinnamon, and pour a little milk on top. Enjoy!

*.42 cups to a deciliter
*Arborio Rice can be found in most bulk food sections, I have found it at Winco and Market of Choice.

Almond Milk Oatmeal
I love oatmeal, but find that it can be tasteless and that the portions are too small. That is why I invented my Almond Milk Oatmeal, it's creamy and the portion size about doubles, leaving you with a big bowl of satisfying oatmeal.

Serves 1
1 1/2 cup almond milk
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 Old Fashioned Oats
2 tbs chopped almonds
raisins *optional

Bring almond milk and water to a boil, stir in oats. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into a bowl and add some chopped almonds, and raisins if you like sweeter oatmeal. Enjoy!

Tender Beef and Rice Stew

I love stew on cold winter days. It's such a comfort food. My goal with this stew was to have really tender meat, which is why I recommend marinating the meat so long. I also found that by adding caramelized onions, it added a wonderful flavor.

2 lbs beef chuck
Italian salad dressing
White wine

Prior to making this stew marinate the beef chuck in about 1/2 cup of salad dressing and lots of white wine for a couple of days, this will make your meat very tender.

3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion
5 cloves minced garlic
1 cup dry brown rice
8 sliced Crimini mushrooms
salt and pepper
1 14 ounce can whole tomatoes
1 tbs dried thyme
2 cups beef broth
1 tbs chantarelle bullion
1 cup Italian dressing
Salt and pepper

On medium-high heat fry onion and minced garlic in 2 tbs olive oil until carmalized and very soft, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile boil 2 cups of water, add rice, cover and bring to a simmer until onion/garlic is done, and remove from heat. Set garlic/onion mixture aside. In the same pan add remaining olive oil. Cut up chuck into 2 inch pieces, salt and pepper; then brown in batches just slightly on all sides. Do not overcook meat, or it will become tough.. Place stew meat in crock pot. Drain half cooked rice-add to crock-pot. Cut other half onion into slices and mushrooms, fry for about 2 minutes in pan over medium heat-add sliced onion, mushrooms and caramelized onion/garlic to crock pot.
Cut whole tomatoes into small pieces. Add tomatoes and thyme to crock pot. Add beef broth, Chantarelle bullion, and Italian salad dressing.
Heat crock pot on low all day, for at least 8 hours, and you will have tender, and delicious stew for dinner! When you come home add 1 tbs flour to thicken if needed, and enjoy!


***A note about Chantarelle Bullion***
I love chantarelle bullion, I use it in gravies, soups, and various other recipes where I want a tasty mushroom flavor. I get this bottle called Touch of Taste, by Bond. I get it in Sweden, but you can buy it online

Lisa's Thai Curry Soup

I love Thai food. Coconut milk and curry are so fantastic together! I have read many Thai soup recipes, and this is a combination of my favorites. I would never have thought to put apples in a soup, but they added the perfect compliment to the spicy broth. The list of ingredients looks long, but its mostly just spices. This experiment turned out to be the best soup I've ever made! Enjoy!

-1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
-Italian dressing - salt and pepper
-1 tsp paprika and cumin -1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup water
1/2 cup brown Basmati rice

-1 Gala (or other tart or slightly sweet variety) apple chopped into 1 inch pieces
-1 lime
-1 tbs butter
-1 small chopped onion
-4 large cloves minced garlic
-1 carrot, finely minced
-5 Crimini mushrooms, finely sliced
- 1 red chili pepper, seeded, and finely minced
-1 tbsp yellow curry powder
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp cayenne pepper

-1 can coconut milk
-2 1/2 cups milk
-1 tbsp flour
-1 tsp red curry paste
-1 1/2 tsp Chantarelle and Chicken bullion (substitute more chicken or fish bullion if you don't have Chantarelle)

A day to an hour before you begin this recipe marinate the chicken in Italian Salad dressing to make it tender and juicy. Season chicken with paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Bake chicken breast for 30 minutes at 425 degrees, let cool, and cut up into small pieces.
Boil 1 cup of water in small sauce pan, add 1/2 cup rice. Reduce heat to low and cook until done, about 35 minutes.
Set chopped apple pieces in lime juice, we will add them at the end of the process so they retain some of their crunch.
While chicken is baking and rice is cooking melt butter in a large frying pan. Add onion, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne; fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add mushrooms, carrot, and chili pepper,- fry 4 more minutes.

In a large soup stock pot bring coconut milk and milk to boil, quickly stir in flour, whisking fiercely to avoid clumping. Add curry paste, chicken and Chantarelle bullion. Add fried vegetables, diced chicken, rice, and apples. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about five minutes minutes. Enjoy my Swedish taste of Thai!