Scottish Egg Brings Me Back

I don't even remember the last time I blogged. I'm not even going check. I will be embarrassed. Instead, I will talk about the culinary treat that brings me back to my food writing roots:

The Scottish Egg.









Have you ever tried one of these? It was love at first bite. It's a hard-boiled egg encased in sausage then breaded and deep fried. The only thing it's missing is bacon.

Thanks to Zach for ordering it and offering a piece. And thanks to Horse Brass Pub on SE Belmont and 46th for your super hot fryer!

Quiches Without Borders

When I was in Weight Watchers earlier in the millennium, one of the tricks to lower calorie desserts during the holidays was to bake a crustless pumpkin pie.

Pie crust is typically white flour, fat (butter, lard, shortening), and a little bit of cold liquid (I know a person who uses vodka). So you remove that and use fat-free condensed milk, all of a sudden you have a low-fat dessert (there's still of couple of eggs in the mix so it's not fat free).

What's the fun of eating a pie without crust, you ask?

Well, maybe you're gluten-sensitive or you're trying to lose weight but still want some of the goodies or you just don't like that crumbly crust...there are a number of reasons.

For me and my Quiche Without Borders, I just didn't want to deal with pie crust when making individual sized quiches. With mini quiches/tarts, there's always such an overwhelming percentage of crust that you don't experience with a slice from a regular 9-incher.

I don't recommend removing the crust from any recipe that requires a double crust (like an apple pie) because it requires that type of enclosure to help retain it's juiciness. But any single crust-er that holds its own shape (pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, quiche) will be just fine.

Spinach and Artichoke Heart Quiche
1-1/2 tsp, olive oil
1 oz, onion, small dice
2 eggs, beaten
4 fl oz, heavy cream
4 fl oz, milk
pinch, fresh nutmeg
6 oz, frozen spinach or 1/2 bunch fresh spinach, cleaned & stemmed
1 c., artichoke hearts, frozen (thawed) or canned

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Heat oil in saute pan. Add onions. Cook until translucent (2 mins).
3. Add spinach. When spinach wilts add artichoke hearts and heat for 2 mins.
4. Remove from heat and squeeze out all moisture. Roughly chop spinach and artichoke hearts.
5. In mixing bowl, beat eggs, cream, milk, and nutmeg.
6. Add veggie mix to egg mix. Stir gently to incorporate.
7. Pour mixture into 9" pie pan or 4-6 smaller, oven-proof dishes. They will puff up so do not overfill.
8. Bake at 350*F 20-30 mins, until set.

I love eggs. Enjoy!