Category Archives: Quiche

Ham, Cheese, Kale, Potato Quiche

Hi Everyone,

As I mentioned in my previous post, there were two very popular requests for recipes from my personal Facebook page this week, and the first recipe I posted yesterday was for the Roasted Eggplant Pizza. Today I am sharing a recipe for Ham, Cheese, Kale, and Potato Quiche.

This was very easy and can be put together quickly with any combination you choose. I had leftover ham that I didn’t use from making split pea soup, some kale, two potatoes, and some cheese in the refrigerator and it all came together and gave me the inspiration to make a quiche.

I am one of those people that could eat any type of quiche and a salad for lunch every day and never get tired of it. I have been known to rummage through the veggie bin toward the end of the week and find ingredients for a weekend quiche. This particular quiche was exceptionally delicious.

I hope this recipe inspires you to start experimenting with ingredients and start making a weekly quiche for yourself.

Ham, Cheese, Kale & Potato Quiche

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1 cup half and half OR whole milk
½ cup real mayonnaise (Optional)
2 TBSP flour
1/3 cup minced red onions or shallots
Garlic powder to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
8 ounces shredded, mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp grated cheese
2 yellow potatoes – washed
1 bunch kale- removed from main stem
½ cup of diced ham or half of a pre-cooked ham steak

1 9-inch unbaked frozen “deep Dish” pie shell – OPTIONAL

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Dice the potatoes into bite-size pieces and parboil for 10 minutes in boiling water. After 10 minutes remove from the pot; drain the potatoes -set aside.

Wash the kale and remove the leaves from the main stem and dice the leaves into strips- set aside

Dice the ham into bite-size pieces and set aside

Add 1 tbsp of olive oil (or vegetable oil) to a large skillet and saute the potatoes until they start to turn golden

Add the shallots and a sprinkle of salt and pepper

Add the kale and saute until the kale wilts.

Remove from the skillet into a large bowl.

Add the ham and garlic powder.

Hand whip eggs, half-and-half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add the mozzarella cheese and grated cheese. Mix well.

Add this mixture to the kale, ham, and potatoes. Pour into a deep-dish pie pan sprayed with cooking spray.

If you want a crust with this quiche, pour this mixture into an unbaked 9-inch, deep-dish pie crust.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.

6-8 servings

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

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Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.

Spinach Quiche- my go to meal…

6 Replies

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Hi Everyone,

How are you? I hope you enjoy your upcoming weekend.

I just wanted to share a recipe that I have been making for years and years and has become my “go-to meal” for many occasions.

Such as the nights you don’t want to make a big meal, an addition to a Sunday brunch, lunch with the girls and the list goes on….. You get the idea, an easy meal.

Let me tell you what I love about this dish. Not many ingredients, easy to put together and it cooks for one hour that gives you enough time to make a side salad and set a table.

I don’t even remember where I got this recipe from, a friend, relative, cookbook, newspaper. That is how long I have had it.

I have it written on an index card and kept it in my kitchen cutlery drawer and there it has lived for years.

Tonight I made this quiche and served it with a new recipe for me, Peach & Tomato Caprese salad (delicious) with lemon oil & balsamic glaze served with English cucumber bites with red pepper hummus and sun-dried tomatoes.

Bob loved the meal and I loved the taste and the ease at which to prepare it.

You can also use the basic recipe with roasted veggies and I have included that recipe as well.

So let’s start with the recipes…

SPINACH QUICHE

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 cup half and half
½ cup real mayonnaise
2 TBSP flour
1/3 cup minced onions or shallots (I prefer the milder taste of a shallot)
Garlic powder to taste
8 ounces shredded, sharp or mild cheddar cheese
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1 (9-inch) unbaked frozen “deep Dish” pie shell or 2 regular pie shells

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Hand whip eggs, half-and-half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch, deep-dish piecrust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.

6-8 servings

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ROASTED VEGGIE QUICHE

Ingredients:

4 – 5 eggs (depending on the number of veggies)
1 cup half and half
½ cup real mayonnaise
2 TBSP flour
1/3 cup minced onions or shallots
Garlic powder to taste
8 ounces shredded, sharp or mild cheddar, swiss, or mozzarella cheese
Leftover veggies – roasted for 45 min at 400 degrees tossed with a little bit of olive oil and salt.
1 (9-inch) unbaked frozen “deep Dish” pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

After the veggies come out of the oven, I usually drain them in a colander for 20 minutes to make sure the excess oil drains from the veggies and doesn’t make your crust soggy.

In addition, I like to use a thin layer of very fine breadcrumbs on the bottom of the crust to keep the crust from getting soggy as well. The breadcrumbs will soak up any oil.

6-8 servings

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PEACH & TOMATO CAPRESE SALAD

For this salad, the quantity of the ingredients depends on the number of people you are serving.

This is the quantity I used for 2 servings and I did have salad leftover.

Ingredients:

1 ripe peach – (cut into sections)
2 Roma tomatoes (or heirloom tomatoes) sliced and halved
10 grape tomatoes (cut in half)
4 round slices of mozzarella (diced)
Salt & pepper to taste
A few leaves of fresh basil
Lemon oil (or any oil you choose)
Balsamic glaze
Red onion – thinly sliced (optional)

Directions:

I added the peaches, tomatoes, mozzarella, salt & pepper to a bowl with a tablespoon of lemon oil and set aside for 10 minutes. When ready to serve, I added the fresh basil leaves and drizzled the salad with balsamic glaze.

COOKS NOTE: Don’t forget the ciabatta bread to soak up all the juices from the salad.

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ENGLISH CUCUMBERS WITH RED PEPPER HUMMUS AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO BITES

This has to be the easiest side to put together and also looks nice on a brunch buffet tray…

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber (partially peeled)
Jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Red pepper hummus- (store-bought or homemade)

Directions:

Wash and partially peel the cucumbers so the skin has stripes.
Cut the cucumbers into bite-size pieces and add a small dollop of hummus and add a small piece of sun-dried tomato as a garnish.

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Do you see what I mean about an easy meal to pull together? I hope this post gave you some inspiration for some new additions to your dinner menu. Ciao!

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Ask your family and friends to share, like, comment and join DishingwithDiane.com and become part of the family!

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

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Spring Has Arrived…

2 Replies

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Hi Everyone,

I have been very, very busy the past few weeks so instead of sharing a tablescape today, I wanted to share some springtime recipes with all of you.

Spring has finally arrived here in the Northeast and it is glorious to finally have some nice weather. Spring makes me want to open all the windows and welcome in the fresh air. What a pleasure!

I am waiting for all the farmers markets and road stands to open. I love going to farm stands and buying fresh produce straight from the fields. Fresh is best and I want to support the local farmers.

I also buy all my organic herb plants from the farms. This year I am growing a larger herb garden than last year because it seems that I am constantly buying herbs in the grocery store only to have them last a few short days.

Last year we planted basil and parsley but this year I am branching out to add rosemary, sage and thyme.

As we all know I have a brown thumb (I killed the bamboo), so Bob will have to take over the garden. I will still be the chef.

To welcome spring and this lovely weather for the past few days, I decided to make a quick weeknight “Springtime Buffet” for Bob and I with some fresh veggies. Nothing fancy, just an ordinary night.

(Once you read the recipes, you will notice that they are all fairly easy).

I started with one of my favorite salads, an Italian caprese salad which is layers of alternating tomato slices with fresh mozzarella, basil, some olive oil and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. I have this salad all spring and summer.

I made two additional salads for the table, one is a very refreshing carrot salad with pineapples and raisins.

I have been making this four ingredient salad for years. I can’t even remember where I got the recipe from. When I visit my son, I have to remember to bring a container of carrot salad because it has always been a favorite of his. The secret is using fresh topped carrots and not the carrots pre-packaged in bags. Fresh carrots are so much sweeter.

The second salad was a tossed salad of mixed greens with the addition of radishes, cucumbers, fruit, nuts and cheese. I make my own salad dressing with lemon juice, mustard, mayonnaise, garlic & oil and I will include that recipe at the end of the post.

It is officially spring when I start using one of my favorite pieces for spring and summer. A galvanized wheelbarrow that I use for salad. Purchased last year in my home away from home, Pier 1.

It just puts me in the mood for gardening and springtime.

The main entree for this buffet was a vegetable quiche.

The quiche was filled with yellow squash, green zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach. You can add any combination of veggies you want as long as you use the basic recipe. I change the filling all the time depending on what I have in the veggie bin.

I did not have enough time to “attempt” to make my own pie crust ( making homemade pie crust is not my specialty), so I used a frozen organic pie crust.

I always sprinkle a layer of fine bread crumbs on the bottom of the pie crust just in case your filling is too wet (the mushrooms give off liquid). The bread crumbs will prevent the crust from getting soggy.

I find the best bread crumbs for this job are the organic bread crumbs from Trader Joe’s because they are extra fine.

All the ingredients are mixed and now the quiche is ready for the oven…

Once our springtime buffet was complete, we enjoyed eating this meal outside on the patio. I just love when we can dine al fresco.

(Although in Italian, the expression al fresco usually refers to spending time in jail and not eating outside. Very shocked when I heard that bit of information, but we aren’t in Italy.)

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I hope that some of the recipes today inspired you to try something new.

Give them a try and find a new favorite, and enjoy the nice weather too!

I’ll be back soon with a new tablescape…

HERE ARE THE RECIPES…

CARROT SALAD

2 bunches topped carrots

1-cup mayonnaise

1/2 pineapple peeled and chopped OR a 14oz can of pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2-cup raisins

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Peel the carrots and grate them in a food processor fitted with the large grating attachment. (if you lay the carrots on their sides in the feed tube, you will have nice long grated strands)

Place the carrots in a large bowl and add the mayonnaise, pineapple, raisins, salt & pepper. Toss well and season to taste. Serve chilled or at room temp.

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FAVORITE SALAD DRESSING

3 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 TBSP cider vinegar

1 TBSP mayonnaise

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

4 tsp sugar

1 very small garlic clove, chopped OR 1 TBSP minced garlic in a jar

1 cup olive oil

In a food processor, blend all ingredients EXCEPT the oil until smooth…..with the motor running add oil in a stream, blend until emulsified. Transfer dressing to a jar and keep it covered and chilled until serving, yields 1- 1/4 cup

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VEGETABLE QUICHE

Ingredients

4 large eggs
1- 1/4 cup half and half OR heavy cream
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup sliced shallots
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1- 1/2 cups sharp or mild cheddar cheese OR Gruyere cheese
2 cups diced veggies
1- 9-inch unbaked frozen “deep Dish” pie shell OR 2 regular pie shells

COOKS NOTE: I sprinkle a layer of fine breadcrumbs on the bottom of the pie crust in case your filling is too wet, it will prevent the crust from getting soggy.

COOKS NOTE: if you add spinach, buy frozen it’s easier…thaw and squeeze out excess water. Break apart the spinach and add to the ingredients.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Hand whip eggs, half-and-half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium-mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch, deep-dish piecrust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.

6-8 servings

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Enjoy Spring!

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

If you enjoy the posts, please spread the word and ask your family and friends to become a member of DishingwithDiane.com

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

Also, continue to send me your emails and comments, I LOVE hearing from you.

Cooking with Herbs …

4 Replies

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Hi everyone,

We had a mini heatwave here in the Northeast the past few days. The temperature went from very cool weather to being in the 90’s in a matter of days.

Since the weather has been so unpredictable, I have had a late start planting my garden.

We finally bought our plants and they are all in the ground.

Now we wait for the first bounty.

I feel like my Dad when I plant a garden. He followed in the footsteps of his family and planted a vegetable garden every year. Back in Brooklyn, all the neighbors would share whatever vegetables they grew.

Sharing your garden bounty is always a nice part of summer.

Bob and I usually plant tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers and some herbs.

This year I am increasing my herb plantings.

I don’t know about you but it seems I am constantly buying herbs in the grocery store. I buy basil and within a day it turns brown. My parsley turns yellow almost immediately.

So I have decided that this year, is the year of the herb garden. I have added thyme, sage, dill, rosemary and tarragon to the usual parsley and basil.

While I was planting the herbs, I thought it would be great to make a quiche using a combination of herbs for a light brunch with a side salad. So I did some research for a new recipe and I found one for a “Crustless Herb Quiche”. I want to share this recipe with you today. Very fast and very easy.

Along with the quiche I made a Baby Spinach Salad.

My take on an old classic.

The classic spinach salad minus the bacon, fresh mushrooms and croutons.

The right salad dressing means everything to enhance the flavor of a salad and I have had the good fortune to meet a wonderful fellow foodie named ” Cucina Teresa” on one of my Facebook food groups who makes the perfect salad dressing.

Spinach salad calls for balsamic dressing and Cucina Teresa makes the best creamy balsamic salad dressing I have ever tasted. (which I highly recommend for this spinach salad recipe.) I just can’t say enough about it. I know I sound like a walking advertisement, but it’s that good.

I have included her ordering information after the “Recipe” section at the end of this post, in case you are interested in trying her dressing. You will not be disappointed.

Another salad for this brunch is one my mother made all the time with cucumbers from her garden.

Cucumbers with Sour Cream and Dill.

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Brunch is served ...

(Recipes at the end of the post.)

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What better way to enjoy herb inspired food than on “herb” themed dishes. I have just the right set.

The dishes I am using for brunch are made by Certified International, designed by Susan Winget. I just love her work.

It is an earthenware dish with a cream background with designs of herbs, butterflies and bees in shades of blue, lilac, green and yellow with a brown rim. The name of the featured herb is on each plate.

I only bought the salad plates and mugs along with a few serving trays because I intended to only use this set on the patio, just for dessert and coffee/tea after dinner on summer nights.

The large serving tray is 14 X 14 and highlights lavender and chamomile alongside a birdcage and butterfly. The tray is cream and lilac with various shades of green and a brown rim.

The small serving tray is 11 x 5 and is cream and green with a brown rim. The word “herbs” is spelled out on the tray with a design in lilac, blue and green that features not only herbs and a butterfly, but a gardening tool as well.

The set comes with the most adorable tea pot, creamer and sugar bowl that caught my eye first. Both pieces have a cute butterfly attached to the lids.

The tea pot is a watering can with accents of lime green with a design of chamomile flowers (one of my favorite teas) and a butterfly on the lid.

The sugar bowl is a flower pot with accents of lime green with a floral and butterfly design, a butterfly on the lid and the message on the creamer says, “Plant your wishes”.

The creamer is also a watering can, with accents of lime green and a similar floral and butterfly design and the message on the creamer says, ” Hope for rain”.

I am using the same burlap tablecloth that I used for Easter. I just love this tablecloth and find it is the perfect backdrop for a lot of my dish collections that feature garden themes.

You will be very surprised, but I am not using a cloth napkin. For this tablescape I am using a paper guest/dinner napkin and therefore no napkin rings. I found this napkin in a gift shop in Stony Brook, NY and it turns out that the napkin is also by Susan Winget. Somehow, I am drawn to her work everywhere I go.

Susan’s work reminds me of two other designers that I admire, Susan Branch and Marjolein Bastin.

The napkin is cream with lovely branches of lavender and a few bees. Perfect for the dishes. Thinking about it now, I should have bought more than one package.

No placemats either for this tablescape, just my brown rattan chargers. Another natural earthy addition to go along with the theme. I suggest if you buy only one set of chargers, purchase brown rattan. They are very versatile.

I have a new flatware purchase that I bought for a different dish collection but thought that it would be perfect on this table. The flatware has wooden handles in the same shade of brown as the plate rim and they coordinate perfectly with the chargers.

No glassware, I am just using the matching mugs from the set. The mugs are over-sized and have a mint green handle and the same designs as the salad plates.

My centerpiece is all about gardening and I am using a wooden cream picket fence plant holder that was given to me back in the day when my son was still in grade school. The plant holder has hand painted designs of watering cans, birdhouses and flowers.

This planter is over 20 years old.

Close up of the hand painted designs.

I am filling the plant holder with an artificial Lavender plant (you know how I am with live plants and yes, after a good two years of tender loving care, I killed the bamboo. A story for another time).

Anyway, this lavender plant reminded me of the design on the napkins and matches the colors on the plate; and for $ 9.99 in Homegoods it was a great bargain.

I am adding a few garden tools, garden gloves and some packets of seeds to complete the centerpiece.

I just love the way the centerpiece turned out so I am leaving it on an end table in the living room for the entire summer (it was put together in five minutes).

For a little fun and a pop of color, I have added a packet of seeds to each place setting for decoration that can be used as a favor.

Favors do not have to be expensive. Just a little token as a reminder for your guests of the party, luncheon, dinner or gathering is enough.

This tablescape and centerpiece, reminds me of the visits Bob and I have made to a Lavender Farm in East Marion, NY called “Lavender by the Bay”.

If you are ever on Long Island, NY and want to take a drive and see a gorgeous field of lavender, that is the place to go.

Lavender by the Bay

Together will the dried lavender, they also sell lavender products from sachets to lotions, including lavender honey (one of my favorites).

I should have purchased this sachet, it would have looked adorable on the table. It blends right in with the dishes. Next time…

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I hope this tablescape gave you some inspiration to try a new recipe for brunch, take a drive to a lavender farm or plant an herb garden of your own.

Good luck to anyone with a garden this year and I will keep you posted on the success of my garden.

Don’t forget the recipes at the end of the post.

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well.

Diane

Place Setting

Table Details

Salad plates and mugs from Certified International – pattern, Herb Garden

Tea pot from Certified International – pattern, Herb Garden

Creamer and Sugar bowl from Certified International – pattern, Herb Garden

Serving platter and trays from Certified International – pattern, Herb Garden

Burlap tablecloth from Amazon

Paper Napkins from Tapestry Designs

Brown rattan chargers from Sur La Table

Brown flatware from Amazon

Artificial Lavender plant from Homegoods

Picket Fence plant holder was a gift

Seed packets, gardening gloves and gardening tools from Ace

Recipes

Crustless Herb Quiche

from Chef Mary-Frances Heck of Fitness magazine

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 20 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Carb Grams Per Serving: 6

Ingredients:

2 strips bacon, chopped
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Nonstick cooking spray
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup low-fat milk
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces goat cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, 3 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in herbs and remove from heat.

Spray a 9-inch glass pie dish with cooking spray. Arrange onion-herb mixture in dish. Whisk together eggs and milk; season with salt and pepper. Pour into dish and dot with goat cheese. Bake until set and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

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Diane’s Baby Spinach Salad

I use a creamy balsamic vinaigrette for this salad.

Ingredients:

All ingredients can be adjusted to your liking.

½ cup of dry mini farfalle (bowtie) pasta. (I use Barilla brand)
4 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 cup walnut pieces (or any nut of your choice)
½- 1 cup mozzarella “pearls” (or goat cheese or feta)
½ an English cucumber, sliced
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup red onions, sliced
1/4 cup scallions
1 hard- boiled egg, sliced
fresh basil

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain. Set aside.
In a large bowl toss together pasta, spinach, strawberries, mandarin oranges, walnuts, mozzarella pearls, cucumbers, red onions, scallions, sliced egg and tomatoes. Mix well.
Just before serving pour dressing over salad, toss, add some fresh basil and serve.

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Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Dill Dressing

By Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp. fresh lemon (from 1 lemon)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish (optional)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4-6 Kirby cucumbers (about 1 lb.), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice and dill
Season with salt and pepper, and whisk well to combine
Add cucumbers, and toss to coat. Garnish with more dill, if desired.
Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to 4 hours

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The Cucina Teresa website is under construction at the moment but you can inbox her facebook page, “Cucina Teresa” and she will give you prices and directions on how to send payment for this fantastic product.

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Thank you for visiting my blog.

If you enjoy the posts, please spread the word and ask your family and friends to subscribe to DishingwithDiane.com

Once you subscribe, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.

Happy Mother’s Day 2017

11 Replies

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Hi Everyone,

Wow, Mother’s Day is here already. It feels as if I just packed up the Christmas decorations……

Every year when Mother’s Day approaches, I never think of myself as being one of the mom’s to be celebrated with that great honor of being a mom; even though I have been a mother for almost 27 years.

Instead, I think of the other mother’s and strong women in my life. My grandmother, my mother, and my sisters. I wish they were here today, so I could show them how much I love them and tell them what they mean to me.

I am fortunate to come from a long line of strong women who taught me great lessons.

They taught me unconditional love, family traditions, all about my heritage, perseverance, and gave me a strong work ethic to get things done.

Another important lesson I learned from these women, “If you don’t want to fail, then you don’t give up”. This is something that I remind myself of when life gets a little overwhelming.

I told you they were strong women.

So today’s tablescape, honors these women in my life who made a difference along with my mother-in-law who gave me the love of my life.

Bob is an angel on earth and I couldn’t imagine a day without him.

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When I think of a Mother’s Day tablescape, I think it should be very feminine.

The first set of dishes that immediately came to mind were a set of floral dishes from the Kathy Ireland collection.

So let’s get started…

The dishes are the Georgian Estate pattern by Kathy Ireland and they are porcelain with a cream background with various flowers and leaves in shades of pink, lilac and green.

I am starting the tablescape with a dusty rose tablecloth. This color goes so well with the flowers on the dishes and it is also one of my favorite colors.

(It looks a little more coral in the photo due to lighting, but it is a deep rose in person).

Since my mother of pearl charger plate is so detailed and beautiful on it’s own, I am not using a placemat. The charger looks great against the dusty rose tablecloth.

This tablescape gives me a great opportunity to use my new purchase, pearl napkins rings. The pearls add to my very feminine theme and also remind me of my mom and her pearls. They will be used along with blush pink napkins.

Flatware will be off white pearl to match the chargers.

My glassware will be Waterford Marquis goblets.

The centerpiece can be no other than roses. What mom doesn’t want to receive flowers on Mother’s Day?

You know how much I love candles, so I am using mercury glass votive candle holders and champagne scented candles.

Absolutely wonderful fragrance from Pier 1.

What is more feminine than pearls and diamonds? So I am mixing pearl and crystal table scatter along with glass pebbles in shades of pink, frosted white and burgundy to decorate the table.

My centerpiece, along with the flowers have little mementos that remind me of my mother, grandmother and mother-in-law.

A strand of pearls for my mother; she wore pearls every day.

She was such an elegant lady, full of love and a warm heart.

A trinket box for my grandmother and a pair of gloves.

The handbag trinket box was a gift from my grandmother and every time she took me out for a special day to the Plaza Hotel’s Palm Court restaurant in NYC for afternoon tea, she always bought me a new pair of gloves to go with my dress. I see gloves and I think of grandma.

Fruit jelly slices for my mother-in-law.

Jelly slices were her favorite candy in the world. We just bought them for her whenever we saw them- no special occasion necessary. When I see them I think of the smile on her face whenever we gave her a box.

These memories help to make the centerpiece complete.

Now that I spoke of them, I have to take this opportunity to share a few pictures with you of these beloved women…

This is a photo of me (I am the youngest) and my sisters with my mom in 1961.

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Me with my beautiful mom ( and her pearls).

Me and my sisters.

Every year I dressed in the same color as one of my sisters for Easter.

The next two photos are of my grandmother. The first picture when she was 19 years old and the second picture when she was 90 years old with my son.

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The next picture is of my mother-in-law with my husband Bob (on the left) and his two brothers.

Bob and his mom.

I miss them all dearly, but I am blessed to have had them in my life…

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This year Bob wanted to take me out for Mother’s Day, but I decided to stay home for Mother’s Day dinner instead and Bob will be helping me cook. My son will not be able to come home for a visit, so Bob and I are planning our day driving out east on Long Island to some of the farms to get some new plants for the flower garden as well as my vegetable garden before returning home for dinner.

My menu for Mother’s Day 2017 with be some of my favorite dishes…

(Bob helped prepare and taste test the recipes for me last night so I could take the photos and share the recipes with all of you today).

(recipes at the end of the post)

Starting with a …

Mimosa or Bellini

1st course: Shrimp and Champagne Bisque soup with Gruyere Cheese

2nd course: Tart with Pancetta and Green Onions

Spinach salad with strawberries, mandarin oranges, goat cheese and sliced almonds.

Dessert: Chocolate cake with chocolate and dulce de leche mousse, served on a pink glass vintage cake stand.

(purchased- no recipe)

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Maybe, if I have room left after dinner, Bob and I will go out for some homemade ice cream and return home to relax on the patio.

Sounds like a perfect Mother’s Day for me.

I wish all of you moms, moms to be, grandmothers, godmothers, stepmoms and pet moms a wonderful, happy and joyous Mother’s Day.

Enjoy your children, grandchildren, family and friends and make great memories.

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well.

Diane

Place Setting

Table Details

Kathy Ireland dishes – pattern, Georgian Estate from Dinnerware Depot

Dusty rose tablecloth from Amazon

Blush napkins from Amazon

Pearl napkin rings from Amazon

Mother of Pearl chargers from Pier 1

Goblets and Champagne flutes from Waterford

Off white Pearl flatware from Amazon

Mercury glass votive candle holders from Michael’s Arts & Crafts

Champagne scented votive candles from Pier 1

Pearl and crystal table scatter from Michael’s Arts & Crafts

Shades of pink glass table scatter from Michael’s Arts & Crafts

Pink vintage cake plate from Pier 1

White cake plate to display centerpiece from Target

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RECIPES

Shrimp and Champagne Bisque with Gruyere Cheese

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
½ cup minced shallots
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups clam juice
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 pound Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
Garnish: Gruyère cheese, chives

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Gradually whisk in clam juice and stock; bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. (At this point, soup can be refrigerated up to 3 days.)

Cut shrimp into ¼-inch pieces. Over medium-low heat, add cream and Champagne. Return soup to a simmer, and slowly whisk in cheese ¼ cup at a time, letting melt between additions. Stir in chives and shrimp, and cook for 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Garnish with shredded Gruyère and chives.

Note: Clam juice can be replaced with chicken stock for a milder flavor.

Recipe courtesy of the Cottage Journal

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Breakfast Tart with Pancetta and Green Onions

Ingredients

Butter, for the pan
Flour, for the pan
1 — 9-inch unroll-and-bake refrigerated pie crust
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded gruyere cheese
3 scallions, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Unroll the pie crust and gently press into the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim any excess from the top.

With the tines of a fork, prick the bottom of the pastry. Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the beaten egg white. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the egg white has set. Let cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned and crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the mascarpone, gruyere, scallions, salt, pepper and the pancetta. Pour into the cooled crust and bake for about 18 minutes, until the mixture has set and the top is golden.

Cool the tart for 10 to 15 minutes and then remove from the pan. Cut the tart into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis from “Weeknights with Giada” for Food Network Magazine

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There is no recipe for the salad….I just mixed some fresh spinach with fruit, almonds and poppy seed dressing.

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Rainy Day Recipes…

1 Reply

(Click PHOTO to enlarge and then hit back arrow to return to original size).

Hi Everyone,

I don’t know if any of you are like me and have joined various “food groups” on Facebook. I love chatting with members of these groups, sharing recipes and finding new ones.

I received numerous requests for two recipes that I recently posted on one of my Facebook food groups; so I thought that I would share the recipes with all of my members.

I call them “Rainy Day Recipes” because they are comfort food to me when the weather outside is cold and nasty and you just want to stay in and be warm.

The recipes are for Spinach Quiche and Sausage, Bean and Spinach Soup.

Enjoy!

Sausage, Bean and Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sausage (casings removed)
2- 3 garlic cloves , minced
2 bay leaf
10 oz. pkg. of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and wrung free of water)
1 medium onion- fine dice
2 carrots – fine dice
1 celery stalk – fine dice
1 potato – fine dice
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 spring of fresh rosemary
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cans cannellini beans- drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
6 cups broth – chicken or vegetable
¼ cup red wine
(piece of parmesan rind – optional)

Directions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat, add sausage and brown – approx… 10 minutes

Add ¼ cup red wine to scrape up all the sausage bits

Add diced onion, carrots, celery, potato and tomato paste- cook until the vegetables get soft

Add garlic, beans, and diced tomatoes, mix well. 2-3 minutes

Add broth, spinach, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and parmesan rind if using. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes.
The soup tastes better the more it sits.

Cooks Note: I served this soup with melted Dubliner cheese on toasted ciabatta bread.

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Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 cup half and half or heavy cream
½ cup real mayonnaise
2 TBSP flour
1/3 cup minced onions or shallots
Garlic powder to taste
8 ounces shredded, sharp or mild cheddar cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and wrung free of water)
(1) 9-inch unbaked frozen “deep Dish” pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Hand whip eggs, half-and-half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium-mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients.Pour into an unbaked 9-inch, deep-dish piecrust.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until top is golden brown.

6-8 servings

Cooks note: this basic recipe can also be used to make chopped broccoli quiche too – use Dubliner, Swiss or cheddar cheese. Mix whatever combination you like.

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Diane

Please ask your family and friends to “follow”, “like” and “share” DishingwithDiane.com .

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.

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Dishing With Diane

RECIPES AND TABLESCAPES FOR ALL OCCASIONS… BECAUSE EVERY DAY IS A CELEBRATION!

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Place Setting

Table Details

Recipes

Happy Mother’s Day 2017

Diane

Place Setting

Table Details

RECIPES

Shrimp and Champagne Bisque with Gruyere Cheese

Breakfast Tart with Pancetta and Green Onions

Rainy Day Recipes…

Sausage, Bean and Spinach Soup

Spinach Quiche

Diane

Diane

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Diane

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Diane

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Lavender by the Bay

Diane

Place Setting

Table Details

Recipes

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Diane

Place Setting

Table Details

RECIPES

Shrimp and Champagne Bisque with Gruyere Cheese

Breakfast Tart with Pancetta and Green Onions

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Like this:

Sausage, Bean and Spinach Soup

Spinach Quiche

Diane

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