Chanteuse Designs

Pound Cake with Strawberries

My dear friend Emily was visiting from California this weekend and I wanted to fix her a beautiful Sunday brunch for our visit. Not remembering what were her favorites or can live without foods, wanted to play it safe and come up with something somewhat healthy and somewhat decadent. So this RICH pound cake finished off a lovely brunch. Even with the hour change, time went far too quickly. The only downside, she had to catch a plane.

Here is the recipe below which I snagged from my favorite www.tastespotting.com site and some side notes. One thing for certain, if I owned a behemoth of a mixer, which I can still live without (mostly due to a big space grabber) would have been really super easy. The butter at room temperature during winter was a workout. Photos are of each of the eggs, one at a time, and don’t brag how silky this mixture became.

Ingredients

3 cups sugar

2 sticks butter, room temperature

7 eggs, room temperature

3 cups cake flour, measured then sifted three times

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Generously spray a 10″ bundt pan with baking spray – ensure all the nooks -&- crannies are coated.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
  Alternate adding in half of the flour, the cream, then the remaining flour.  Mix well after each addition.

Add the extracts and combine thoroughly.
Pour batter into the prepared pan the place pan into COLD oven and set the temperature to 350°F.   Do NOT place the pan on a baking sheet as bundt pans require heat circulating thru the center core  (a baking sheet will prevent this and your cake will not bake properly).

Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until a long sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
 Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. 
Invert and cool completely on a wire rack.

This really turned out nice. The only thing I would recommend is that you use a spray to grease the pan, and not just oil. (Just exactly as was recommended!!) It was tough to get out and would have been easier that way. Don’t miss the sifting step as well. You won’t regret it.

 I dusted with confectioners sugar and served with delicious strawberries. A great ending to a visit that ended far too soon.

I wore an old Farmers Market favorite, my Sonoma Olive monogrammed apron!! Love helping small businesses get their logo’s out there.

Bon Appetit!

See more photos of this cake at: www.chanteusedesigns.com/kathleen’sblog

Carrot Cake

Our most handsome and talented Kyle was visiting from Atlanta this week and I wanted to make something different and special, but something that I knew would be a crowd pleaser too. When you’re six feet 3 inches tall at 18 and still growing (can you imagine……..can we just adopt him??;-))  you want something healthy but that will keep them coming back all year long!

This didn’t disappoint! It was perfect. I feel that a carrot cake without pineapple or pecans is not worth baking. So enjoy this recipe. It is really not a time-consuming cake as you can see you can throw it together quite quickly.
Of course I snagged this from www.tastespotting.com and Michelle’s at  http://culinography.wordpress.com.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans, plus extra (whole and/or chopped) for garnish
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 8-9 inch round or one 9×13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugars and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in carrots and pineapple. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan(s).

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 50 minutes (depending on pan size), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3.5 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake and garnish with extra pecans.

We had so much fun that we could hardly make room for this wonderful cake. It was a great breakfast item with hot coffee too! Moist and delicious. May Kyle visit more often and I will promise more goodies like this to come. Look out summertime, a new Spielberg is on the loose!

And I wore my favorite apron, my Napa Ruffle. So much fun, so little time!

Bon Appetit.

Banana Pancakes

The best banana pancake recipe I have found in a long time. Granted, I haven’t been looking because I just really have a hard time switching from my all time favorite French Toast if I am going to switch from something “light” or eggy for breakfast.  But I have been enlightened with this one.

This was so easy, and is perfect for that Sunday morning lazy day breakfast. It is so filling that afterwards you want to just relax and read a good book. It used to be the Sunday paper, but all that’s changed now. ;-)

You can make most of this the night before (like I did), then in the morning or after that wake me up run with the dogs, throw these together and serve with some fresh squeezed orange juice. Ah, spring has sprung for sure.

Double Banana Pancakes
(I’ve lost the original source, but I believe it was from a book of pancakes)
Makes 4-8 servings
2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

4 large eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas [originally 3/4 cup]

Cooking spray or vegetable oil for the pan
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.
In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand until the batter is evenly moistened. (At this point, the batter can be covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours, or used right away.)
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and grease it lightly by brushing or spraying with oil. Right before you make the pancakes, fold the mashed bananas into the batter. Drop about 1/4 cup of pancake batter into the hot pan, spreading them slightly into circles. Leave about 2″ between pancakes.
Cook until small bubbles appear and the edges are set, about 2 minutes, then flip using an offset spatula. Cook on the second side an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the pancakes are golden brown. Serve at once with Triple Berry Maple Syrup.
Triple Berry Maple Syrup
Makes 2 cups
4 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen

Zest of one lemon

1 cup maple syrup

It was so good and filling I couldn’t eat but half of them. Yes, I was going for the photo op and normally would only have two, but hey –  a picture is worth a thousand words. These were great and stacked beautifully.

Uh-oh, I wore my running gear and got out of cleaning duty!!

Kapeeesh!

Fried Chili Cabbage

I love Indian food and can’t wait to visit my favorite restaurant in Menlo Park soon. As much as I try to cook as though I am in one of those delicious restaurants, I am still missing the magic. If you cook vegetarian, it seems to come a bit closer but I figure with a little more time I will master their spices and fool myself thinking I am actually there. For now, enjoy this light and healthy meal. This recipe comes from off my cook book shelf; “Complete Indian Cooking” by Hamlyn and its a wonderful introduction to Indian cooking.

2 TB of olive oil
1 small onion
6 cloves garlic
1 t white cumin seeds
1 t turmeric
1 white cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup shelled peas
1 cup sliced carrots
8 oz tomatoes, skinned and sliced
1 t green mango powder
1 fresh green chile, chopped
1 T grated ginger
1 t garam masala
1 T chopped cilantro
2 T melted butter

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic with the cumin seeds for 5 minutes. Add the turmeric and shake the pan for a few seconds.

Add the cabbage, potatoes, peas, and carrots. Cook, stirring continuously, 5 minutes. Cover the pan and continue to cook gently over a low heat for a further 10 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, mango powder, chile and ginger. Stir well and then replace the lid and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.

Sprinkle the garam masala and cilantro into the saucepan and stir well. Heat through over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Serve hot with the melted butter poured over top.

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

If you have some hot Chai Tea,
all the better will this meal be!

I wore my Napa Apron, and we dined feeling ever so happy and healthy.

Bon Appetit.

Steaming Hot Chicken Asparagus Soup

It was one of the nights, or rather beautiful days where I just couldn’t get warm and really missed making my soups. Since the dogs were not well this week I went out and bought them a chicken. Lazy me, I picked it up at Costco so I could get back to work and get Jessie back on his feet quickly (it worked wonderfully too). Jessie was back on his feet in no time, sorta like chicken soup for a dog.

I needed to continue my best efforts at being a born again vegetarian…….again. Being the recycle queen, the dogs got the chicken,  but I had to make soup out of the bones ..well yes for me. And the great benefit was a super healthy, super easy and super clean and yummy soup. So, I wasn’t exactly cheating, but I totally was.

In a large pot I sauteed one onion and about 6 cloves of garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. After which I then poured in 4 – 6 cups of pure filtered water and the chicken carcass, along with salt, pepper, and some white wine. Simmering covered for about an hour. Debone the chicken, or what’s left and remove from the soup. I then added 3 cups of asparagus, 2 cups of sliced carrots, and lastly some cilantro. Depending on how cooked you want your carrots and asparagus you can cook for only 10 minutes, or 30 minutes before serving.  Serves 4 for dinner or 6 as an appetizer.

I served with my home made black sesame seed bread, toasted and some wine!! Sunday warm yourself up dinner. Plenty of room for dessert.

Simple, quick and my low carbon footprint strikes again. Nothing left on the bones, so there was very little to put in my trash bin.
If you are composting, most everything else can be placed there or in your worm bins. Nothing like the great smell of earthly mother nature.

Don’t you just loove being green??? If you haven’t seen the documentary “No Impact Man” I really recommend you seeing it. How a New Yorker did what he did was so admirable. Ya gotta love him. Reminded me of when I bought my Hybrid and kept getting flipped off in the HOV lane! Humans, can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

I wore my Poupon Apron, which is warm and happy. Mission accomplished. 

Bon Appetit!

Vegetarian Udon Noodles

While perusing my cabinets and finding more of those lovely and delicious udon noodles, found a favorite recipe of mine (yes on www.tastespotting.com) and threw this quick and easy dish together. I didn’t have the chili oil, but have some wonderful sesame oil with this exquisite chili powder we picked up at the Asian market in San Francisco. I used about 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon and it was hardly spicy hot. So if you are looking for a little kick, go for half a teaspoon if you don’t have the original chili oil requirement.

Literally takes fifteen minutes to prepare. This would be great for a surprise last minute dinner guest.

Easy 15 min vegetarian meals

3 bundles udon noodles
1 large red bell pepper
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (I used frozen peas….worked great!)
2 cups chopped cabbage
3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, (Used button mushies, worked great)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon sesame chili oil (Chinese chili, or even red pepper flakes, may also be used)
5 green onions, sliced in half lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch lengths, for garnishing

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon noodles according to the directions on the package. When the noodles are done cooking, drain them, rinse them thoroughly under cold water, and set them aside.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, edamame, garlic, and ginger. Saute the vegetables until they become crisp tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and sesame chili oil. Continue cooking for another minute or so. Toss the udon noodles in the skillet until they are warmed through. Garnish with the green onions and serve.

This was even better the next day for lunch served cold. Sign of a great dish. The peas were a wonderful substitute but if you love edamame, like I do, make sure you include on your grocery list. Nowadays you can get them at any grocery store.

I wore my Napa favorite! Though my Asian would have been a pretty stylish act!

Bon Appetit!

Udon Noodles with Peanut and Ginger

Why are these noodles so saintly? Must be because the Japanese just have some of their food so elegantly served that you can’t go wrong.  The little ribbons around each portion are even decorative. This Japanese wheat noodle recipe on a scale of 1 to 10 is about a 7. Yes, wish I could rate it better but there are many more udon recipes that are great but aren’t as quick with as few ingredients. If you’re just starting out with these noodles, you won’t be disappointed. They taste sooo clean (one of my favorite words in the whole entirety of the universe).

This of course was picked up from my daily site www.Tastespotting.com.  Let me recommend a great cookbook on these and similar noodle recipes.  “Noodles Every Day” by Corinne Trang is a great starter cookbook. The photos will make you very hungry for asian fare. So if you aren’t up for cooking, make sure you make reservations before opening her book.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound udon noodles

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the udon and stir. Cook according to the package directions or until tender. Drain the noodles in a colander.

2. Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, lemon juice, soy sauce, water and honey in a small saucepan. Simmer gently over medium heat for 5 minutes, whisking to dissolve the peanut butter.

3. Stir the chives and ginger into the sauce and simmer 30 seconds. Toss the noodles with the sauce. Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper.

I added the cilantro, one of my favorites, and think you could have even just added some julienne carrots to kick it up a notch.

I wore my Poupon Apron. So warm and sunny it was perfect for this dish. Couldn’t take it off!

Bon Appetit.

Rice Paper Rolls

My boyfriend was a professional chef and always bringing home ingredients I have never purchased before. One of the easiest and truly delightful items were the beautiful shrimp and veggie rice paper rolls he made. Honestly, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is almost more difficult. So I encourage many of you if you have never made these, you will have discovered how effortless and healthy a quick meal these can be.

For the rolls
16 22cm rice paper rounds
2 lb. shrimp  (you can also use chicken)
12 ounces crab meat (optional)

1/2 cucumber, cut into thin strips
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 cup snow pea shoots – around half a pack

1/2 cup fresh coriander, roughly torn

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

1. Soak one rice paper in a large, shallow dish filled with lukewarm water for 30 seconds until soft and pliable.
2. Remove rice paper and lay flat on a chopping board or clean surface. Pat dry with a clean tea towel or paper towel.
3. Take a small bunch of vegetable mixture and lay out in the centre of the paper. Top with a couple of pieces of shrimp and fresh herbs. Roll to enclose filling and ends.
4. Repeat with remaining rolls.
Serve the rolls sliced in half with dipping sauce on the side.

I watched……….I ate…………I conquered the rice roll challenge!! But I think I had clean up duty.

Sooo Sooo worth it.

Beer Bread

Can I just tell you that whenever I see easy, breezy bread I get a little nervous? Rightfully so, as yeast and certain ingredients do need special time to mature. DON’T we all to become better humanoids or in the case for bread, mouth watering quick and easy shouldn’t be in the same sentence.

All fun aside, while wanting to make some bread but being really short on time, decided to tempt the beer bread loaf that was circling round the bake sites. So many articles on how Deeeelicious it was and Eeeeeasy. So I went for it. And honestly, just not impressed. I did a cheesy beer bread I found on Tastespotting.com (there were many which made me think I had a chance) and have to say that I was definitely disappointed. Looks great, but all that glitters is not gold…..don’t ya know!

Truths out. If we are adding thyme and rosemary of which are not fresh, this already doesn’t sound  like it is going to stand a chance at being savory. But I will just put my humble opinion out there and say, have a go and let me know what you think. It was definitely quick and easy. If you don’t have the time, I think bakery Artisan bread is the only way to go. Especially if you have a fabulous soup that you want to pair it with. It’s that golden rule; great couples make great lives (meals) together! ;-)

Here is the recipe below, and I would tinker it a bit or just start by using fresh herbs versus dried herbs. But if you are not willing to be adventurous, I would definitely recommend the beer biscuits in a previous blog.

Heat oven to 375˚ and grease a bread pan.
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 t baking soda
3/4 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
3/4 cup of cheese
1 t rosemary
1 t thyme
12oz beer
1/4 cup olive oil (you could use butter)
2-3 T of water if necessary

Combine all ingredients with the beer being the last. Bake for 50-55 minutes. PS I dotted with butter and sprinkled with cheese after being in the oven for 25 minutes.

Such a busy morning and was in such a rush (gee how unusual), stayed in my park gear and forgot to put on my Paris Mini….but boy the soup was divine!

Bon Appetit my friends.

Japanese Cucumber Salad

It is time for a new month. And with it some new recipes. I love cucumbers and the watery juice that comes from them. It is so refreshing on a hot summer day. I loved this recipe and want to share it but it would have been a great valentine dish to have fixed. Pourquoi?? Because it makes your lips tingle!!

Though I only used one cucumber per the directions, it had enough juice, even after the reduction, for two.  Sooo refreshing. Enjoy.

Recipe: Japanese Cucumber Salad (Adapted from:
For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:
1 english (hothouse) cucumber, peeled
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup of water
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Directions:
Peel the cucumber then cut in half lengthwise. Take a small spoon and scoop out all the seeds from the cucumber. Cut into bite size pieces and place in a colander, sprinkle with salt and toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place on several layers of paper towels. Let stand for 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse and pat dry.
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cook until reduced to 1/3 cut (about 10 minutes). Remove vinegar reduction from heat; cool. Combine cucumbers and vinegar deduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Enjoy.

My apron of choice? My Paris Mini of course.  Oh, and I was listening to a Tony Bennet cd I bought ages ago and never even opened! Not so great but not so bad, but such a fun day.

Snagged this idea from www.Tastespotting.com (oh, how unusual Kathleen) and it is a great way to serve Potatoes. Soooo easy. I love potatoes, especially if they are easy, aren’t loaded with too many extras and are as healthy and natural as possible. Remember, buy local whenever you can. 

(PLUS, there is a movement coming up in early April to buy only AMERICAN MADE ITEMS! We can do this. For only two days, it will be an awesome statement to make to congress.) I will write about that more soon. But for now, my Washington grown spuds are easy, tasty and perfectly yummy.

Here’s all I did:

Thinly slice your potatoes just close enough to the bottom but not through. Take some good olive oil and drizzle through the slices. Salt and pepper. (I am heavy on the sea salt) Bake for an hour in a 350˚ oven. I also baked some eggplant at the same time, but you could bake another pie or something so you are using the grid with a two for one use!! Always good to stay off the grid. 

You can garnish you potatoes with anything your heart desires, but the nice thing about this example is that it is like a home made potato chip and a good spud all in one. As you can see I like mine crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside. But you can make yours any way you like. Thanks Tastespotting.

I wore my Napa Mini as no mixing was involved and served with a lovely salad with blue cheese and almonds. Perfect.
Bon Appetit!

What’s not to love about lemons? Today, a noteworthy honorable mention for the lemon tree.

The Lemon tree even has a song derived for it’s dual personality. And one of the things I miss most about my backyard is my magnificent lemon tree.

Lemon oils have so many uses that I could go on for days about the properties, (and I do in some of my blogs) but for today we will keep it to the medicinal and beauty elements of one of my favorite fruits.
I probably buy more lemons than any other fruit, though oranges and mangos are a close second. Lemons are an intoxicating clean and uplifting fragrance that one smell turns an entire room into a day of sunshine, even if it’s raining outside. (Close your eyes and your in Greece!)
Essential oils from lemons are a wonderful aid to concentration and cognition. Lemon is antibacterial, antiseptic and great for sore throats.  As the ancients have used for many years, lemon is a number one choice for colds, and flu like symptoms.  Hair rinse, sunburns are just a few to mention as well.

Here is one little Energy spray that you can use all around the house, at bedtime or for a great bath.
Energy Spray
1 drop Lavender
4 drops Lemon
3 drops Orange
2 drops Rosemary

Mix the oils into 3 cups of water and spray around your home and work area for an uplifting scent.
Even my dogs love this smell, and that’s saying a lot for hunting dogs.
List your favorite lemon dishes or uses. Tomorrow I will blog my favorite lemon tart. A true party favorite.

Off to market I go for some organic lemons, toting my favorite Post Cards market bag.

Au revoir.

First of all, can I tell you I tried these for the first time at a great cafe in McKenna, Washington? Liquid Soul uses absolutely no sugar in almost all of their pastries and pies. It is truly incredible. So, I needed to try to make these myself and found them on the web.  Believe it or not; only had one tweaking. Only because I forgot the coconut. But they came out great and a super way to use some of my fabulous juicer pulp.  (I won’t tell if you won’t tell!) These are usually much larger in shops and topped with beautiful sugar…..but we know I cut as much of that out as possible. But if you’re having guests, do add a touch on top!

Morning Glory Muffins
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/3 cup walnut halves
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I only used 1/4 cup)
2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 medium carrot, grated
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
3/4 cup chopped pineapple
3 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil-(I used butter)
6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (Didn’t have so I used more pineapple juice and carrot pulp from my juicer!!)

Preheat oven to 350F. Oil or butter your 12 cup muffin tin.
Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let sit for 10 minute while raisins plump, then strain and squeeze out excess liquid with your hands. Set aside.
Place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then chop coarsely and set aside.
Sift four, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Mix gently with a wooden spoon and set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, combine raisins, walnuts, carrot, apple, pineapple, eggs, canola oil, melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract and coconut; mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and continue stirring just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. It’s important not to over mix. Scoop batter into oiled muffin tin, filling the cups to the top.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then slide a fork down the sides of each muffin and gently lift it from the pan.
Makes One Dozen.
As you can see I used cups instead of oil for my muffins.

I wore my Napa apron of course. And would someone rave about not having to use a mixer! Not a single cupboard got slimed. This is truly love at first batch. Not a drop on my apron. I have passed them out to my friends and we will see how they rate!! Next time, I think the coconut will be a great addition.

Bon Appetit!

I love quiche. I just absolutely love quiche. It is my comfort food for sure. My girlfriend has her own chickens and said they had eggs “coming out of their ears.” (See where this is going!) So, Tracy delivered the eggs and I had to brush up on my quiche perfection. Such sunny warm weather for February and I had gotten a bit rusty. But, we shall see how I fare when her husband sends in his grade score!!

Here is my recipe which I have made for years from memory, but I did my best trying to measure out for your cooking pleasure! Yes, I cheat on the cheese and buy pre-shredded (injury) but I recommend grating your own cheese. MUCH more yummy and cost effective. 

Artichoke Quiche
Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1/8 t italian spices (Use anything fresh if you have)
1 cup of ice water (Has to have ice in it more or less depending on your flour)

Filling:
10 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
1 small onion chopped
1 jar of artichoke (I used a healthy cup of artichoke hearts)
2 cups of cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350˚.  In a saucepan, saute your chopped onion using the liquid from your artichokes. Cook until lightly pale in color, pull off stove and set aside to cool.

In your Cuisinart with your dough blade, place flour, butter, and seasoning in and pulse to lightly mix. With your ice cold water, pour into the flour mixture and work into a clean smooth dough. Take out and place onto floured surface; roll out and shape into your pie pan. Cook for 5-8 minutes. I sometimes use foil and place my beans on top of crust, but today I couldn’t find my beans!?? Take out of oven while preparing egg mixture.

In a mixing bowl mix your eggs until lightly combined. Add milk, cooled onions, artichokes and salt and pepper to taste. (1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper your discretion)

Once combined I place 1/2 c of my grated cheese in bottom of the crust. Next I add the mixed eggs and top with the remaining cheese. Place foil on top and bake for 50 minutes or until knife come out almost clean. Quiche will continue to cook once pulled out of the oven. When cooled, cut and serve with a strawberry salad and asparagus grilled. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  ;-)

The aroma is heaven sent!! I wore my Poupon Apron! So yellow, so sunny out, so much to enjoy!! Off to the dog park!

Bon Appetit!