Easter Brinner

Adam and I really wanted to celebrate Easter by preparing a brunch. The only issue was that our guests were unavailable for brunch. No problem--we just made the brunch for dinner (hence calling it brinner). We made an outrageous amount of food including a spinach and gruyere quiche, a roasted asparagus salad, a shrimp salad, and sticky pecan buns to top it all off. I must say it was quite a feast!


Spinach and Gruyere Quiche (Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Bridal Edition)

We made a variation on the quiche Lorraine recipe from Betty Crocker. It actually only vaguely resembles the original recipe. I will try to give you exactly what we did, but the wonderful thing about quiche is that you can add any vegetables and any cheese along with egg and milk to a pie crust, bake it, and end up with a fantastic meal.

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. shortening [butter]
2 to 3 Tbs. cold water

1. Measure 2 Tbs. water into liquid measuring cup; set aside. Place shortening, flour, and salt in food processor. Cover and process, using quick on-and-off motions, until mixture is crumbly. With food processor running, pour water all at once through feed tube just until dough leaves side of bowl (dough should not form a ball).
2. Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. If desired, wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes to firm up the shortening slightly, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky and lets the water absorb evenly throughout the dough. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
3. Roll pastry on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down pie plate, 9 x 1 1/4 inches, or 3 inches larger than 10- or 11-inch tart pan. Fold pastry into fourths and place in pie plate; or roll pastry loosely around rolling pin and transfer to pie plate. Unfold or unroll pastry and ease into plate; pressing firmly against bottom and side being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked.

Filling
1 package frozen spinach, defrosted
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
4 eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup skim milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Make pastry. Fold pastry into fourths; place in quiche dish, 9 x 1 1/2 inches, or pie plate, 9 x 1 1/4 inches. Unfold and ease into dish, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
3. Sprinkle spinach and cheese in pastry-lined quiche dish. Beat eggs slightly in large bowl with fork or wire whisk. Beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into quiche dish. Bake 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 300. Bake about 30 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.


Roasted Asparagus Salad with Pecorino, Lemon, and Olive Oil (Cooking Light, April 2009)

This makes a huge amount. Not to worry, because there won't be much left--it's that good.

2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 cups torn Boston lettuce (about 2 small heads)
2 large hard-cooked eggs, each cut into 6 slices
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (1 oz.) shaved fresh pecorino Romano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Place asparagus on a large jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with 1 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; toss well. Arrange asparagus in a single layer on pan. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes or until crisp-tender, tossing once. Cool slightly.
3. Arrange lettuce on a large platter. Top with asparagus and egg slices. Combine remaining 2 Tbs. oil, juice, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over asparagus and lettuce. Top with cheese. Serve immediately.


Shrimp Salad with Blood Oranges and Slivered Fennel (Cooking Light, April 2009)

We wanted to add a fresh, non-vegetarian dish to the meal. I think this shrimp salad worked in perfect harmony with the rest of our springy, clean components of our feast.

1/4 cup fresh blood orange juice (about 1 orange)
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
24 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
cooking spray
3 blood oranges, peeled and cut crosswise into thin slices
2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 small)
chopped fennel fronds (optional)

1. Combine orange juice, lemon juice, 1 1/2 Tbs. oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, and pepper, stirring with with a whisk.
2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
3. Combine shrimp, remaining 1 1/2 tsp. oil, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt; toss to coat. Thread 4 shrimp onto each of 6 (12-inch) skewers. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove shrimp from skewers; keep warm.
4. Divide orange slices evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with 1/2 cup fennel and 6 shrimp. Drizzle 1 Tbs. dressing over each serving. Sprinkle with fennel fronds, if desired.


Pecan Sticky Rolls (Cooking Light, September 2008)

These take a LONG time to make. They are absolutely delicious, but they are definitely a time commitment. The sauce was a bit grainy for my taste, but if you are craving a sticky bun while trying to maintain a healthy diet, these are certainly worth the effort.

Dough
3/4 cup warm skim milk (100 to 110 degrees)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
1/4 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
1/2 cup egg substitute [or 2 eggs]
3 Tbs. butter, melted and cooled
4 cups all-purpose flour (about 18 oz.), divided
cooking spray

Sauce
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 Tbs. butter, melted
2 Tbs. hot water
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

Filling
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbs. butter, melted

1. To prepare dough, combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir yeast mixture into milk mixture. Add egg substitute and 3 Tbs. melted butter; stir until well combined.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 3 3/4 cups flour to yeast mixture; stir until smooth. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 Tbs. at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough with feel slightly soft and tacky).
4. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; turn to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 45 minutes. Punch dough down and turn over in bowl; lightly coat with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 45 minutes. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.
5. To prepare sauce, combine brown sugar, 3 Tbs. butter, and 2 Tbs. hot water in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Scrape brown sugar mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly with pecans, and set aside.
6. To prepare filling, combine 2/3 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; pat dough into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle. Brush surface of dough with 1 1/2 Tbs. melted butter. Sprinkle granulated sugar mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Beginning with a long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut roll into 15 slices (approximately 1 inch wide). Arrange slices, cut sides up, in prepared pan. Lightly coat rolls with cooking spray; cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
7. Preheat oven to 350.
8. Uncover rolls, and bake at 250 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; carefully invert onto serving platter.