Welcoming Baby Matthew!

This weekend, I was able to cater a baby shower for one of my friends from church! She's expecting her second- a little baby boy!! I was extremely excited to work with her to make some tea/brunch themed food for everyone who came to welcome baby Matthew!

One of the items on the menu was quiche! I was able to come up with 3 different flavors- caramelized onion, spinach and feta, and ham and cheddar. They were a great compliment to one another, and to the rest of the menu. I've included the recipe for the spinach and feta and ham and cheddar below!

You can get creative with the fillings for the quiche! The crust is a flaky pastry that greatly accompanies the rich egg custard filling. Any filling would go great with this!

Assorted Mini Quiche (makes 24)

Crust:
9 oz All Purpose Flour
1 stick Butter
3 tbsp Shortening
3 oz Cold Water

1. Cut the cold butter into small cubes (1cm x 1cm).
2. Put the pieces into the flour and salt. Make sure each cube is coated.
3. Press the butter to flat pieces. Add the shortening.
4. Rub the butter between your fingers to make flakes. Continue until the butter chunks are about the size of a pea.
5. Create a well in the center of the flour and pour your cold water into it.
6. Bring your flour towards the center of the well a little bit at a time, until it is completely incorporated.
7. Flatten your dough slightly and wrap it in plastic. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, until it is chilled.

Filling:
1 cup Milk
3 Eggs
2 Egg Yolk
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1. Lightly beat your eggs and yolks.
2. Add milk and seasoning.
3. Pour into a container with a pour spout, or a liquid measuring cup. 

Topping:
Spinach
Feta Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Ham

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two muffin tins.
2. Roll out your crust dough to about a quarter inch thick.
3. Use a 3 inch round cutter to cut out rounds.
4. Place the round into the muffin tin.
5. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tin. If you must re-roll the dough, be sure to chill it for about 15 minutes in between rolls. This is so the dough has a moment to rest and does not shrink.
6. Place spinach and feta cheese into to bottom of 12 crusts. You should tear the spinach to fit well into the crust.
7. Cut cheddar cheese and ham into small pieces, then place into the bottom of the remaining dozen crusts.
8. Pour the filling into the crust, filling almost to the top of each crust. You want to leave a short amount of space, just to prevent overflowing.
9. Bake the tarts for about 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the custard is set.
10. Cool slightly and remove from the tins.

We had a few other great menu items to enjoy, too: scones and peach jam, tea sandwiches (egg salad, cucumber, and tomato), portabello and goat cheese spread with crackers, pumpkin cheesecake, cupcakes, and of course, macarons! We also had a fun blueberry spritzer for the ladies to enjoy. 

I loved getting the opportunity to serve Helen and her family and some of our friends before the arrival from baby Matthew! We are so excited to welcome him into the world!!! If you want to have a deliciowhso catered event, click the tab above, and be sure to contact me! I'd love to connect and work with you to make your event perfect! :)

Classic Eggs Benedict

Having brunch on a Sunday is one of my favorite activities. I love eating breakfast food- especially eggs. One of my go-to menu choices is eggs benedict. I love tangy hollandaise sauce on top of perfectly poached eggs. I see it as a perfect balance of tangy, salty, and rich.

Today, we celebrated my mom and stepdad's birthdays with our family. Her birthday is today, and my stepdad's birthday is tomorrow. We all got together to enjoy a meal, and eggs benedict on a Sunday afternoon seemed to be the perfect choice. It's not only my go-to, but also my mom's favorite breakfast item.

Eggs Benedict (Makes 4 servings)
8 Eggs
2 tbsp White Vinegar
3 Egg Yolks
1 tbsp Water
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 pinch Salt
2 sticks Butter 
4 English Muffins
8 slices Canadian Bacon
Paprika or Chives

1. Prepare your poaching liquid by filling a medium sized pot with water, and then adding a couple tbsp of vinegar. Bring the liquid to just under a boil, and reduce the heat to medium-low heat to maintain the temperature.
2. In a small pot, combine yolks, water, and lemon juice. Whip the yolks until they become pale and thickened.
3. Gently heat the yolk mixture while constantly whisking. Make sure that you're scraping the sides and bottom constantly to prevent curdling. Make sure your heat is low as you do this. The mixture will begin to froth and then thicken.
4. Once thickened, add the butter slowly. If the butter is softened, it will make this process easier. Reserve 1 tbsp of butter.
5. Once the sauce is made, you can add salt to taste, add additional lemon juice if needed. Set aside the sauce.
6. Crack one egg into a small ramekin. Have a slotted spoon an a paper-towel lined plate available. You want to make a thick layer of paper towels to soak up excess water.
7. Gently tip the egg into the pot of poaching liquid. Use the spoon to very slowly swirl the water. This will help maintain the shape of the egg.
8. Gently swirl the egg for about 1.5 minutes, until the white has cooked, but the yolk feels very soft. Remove the egg with the slotted spoon, and tip it onto the paper towel to soak up the excess liquid. Repeat the process for the remaining eggs.
9. Toast each half of the english muffins. Once toasted, spread the remaining butter onto each piece.
10. Quickly heat the canadian bacon on both sides, you want to lightly brown it.
11. Place a piece of canadian bacon on each piece of toasted english muffin, and then add the poached egg on top. Spoon a generous portion of hollandaise sauce on top of each egg and sprinkle with paprika to garnish.
 12. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

This recipe does take a little time and multitasking, but I assure you, it is SO delicious. The richness of the egg yolk was a perfect complement to the sourdough english muffin and salty canadian bacon. It was the perfect way to celebrate a special occasion, and I would definitely make it again. Happy birthday Umma and Appa!