Asparagus Pecan Quiche Food

ASPARAGUS WITH PECANS AND PARM

Steps:

• Steam the asparagus spears in a basket-style steamer over boiling water until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and remove to a serving dish; keep warm.
• Meanwhile, melt half of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted (it's ok if it begins to brown), stir in the sliced mushrooms, and cook until they brown, soften, and begin to release their liquid; pour into a serving dish, and set aside. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet, and stir in the onions. Cook until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Season with garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped pecans, and cook for a minute more.
• Sprinkle the onion mixture with half of the Parmesan cheese, and stir in the reserved mushrooms. Pour over the asparagus in the serving dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

FRESH ASPARAGUS WITH PECANS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry., In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and oil. Add the asparagus; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for up to 3 hours. , Drain and discard marinade. Sprinkle asparagus with pecans.

ASPARAGUS AND CHEDDAR QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Roll out pie dough and mold into an 11-inch pie dish, crimping the edges to make ridges. Pierce the dough with a fork several times. Bake in the hot oven until slightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter, onions, asparagus, cayenne and garlic. Sprinkle with a pinch salt and a pinch pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the asparagus is soft and mixture is fragrant. Remove from the pan to a bowl and let cool.
• In a large bowl, add the chives, Dijon mustard, eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, a large pinch salt and a large pinch black pepper. Whisk together until well combined.
• Add the asparagus mixture to the pie shell, then pour in the egg mixture. Top with the Cheddar and bake until the eggs are set, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut into wedges and serve.

ASPARAGUS AND PARMESAN CRUSTED QUICHE

Steps:

• For the dough: Pulse the flour, curry powder, poppy seeds and salt in a food processor. Pulse in the butter until it turns to loose crumbs. (Do not overmix.) Add 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water through the top and pulse until the dough comes together and forms a loose ball, adding additional ice water as needed. Remove the dough and form it into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
• For the batter: Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot and begins to smoke lightly, add the asparagus and cook over high heat until the excess water is cooked out and the stems are softened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from the skillet and arrange in a single layer on a kitchen towel to drain and cool.
• Place a baking sheet in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
• Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into an 11- to 12-inch round. Roll the dough up around the rolling pin and roll it back over the pie dish. Press it gently into the bottom and up the sides. (Ideally, there should be about an inch of excess dough hanging over the sides.) Pinch the dough up to create a crimped top edge. Line the dough with a piece of parchment paper, then fill it with pie weights or dry beans and bake until light brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and cool at least 15 minutes.
• Whisk the cream cheese with the eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream, Worcestershire, hot sauce, nutmeg and black pepper to taste. Line the asparagus up in piles of 5 to 6 at a time. Cut three-quarters of each asparagus into 1-inch slices, leaving the pretty tips separated and intact. Fill the quiche shell with the batter and the 1-inch pieces of asparagus stems. (Reserve the tips for later.) Place the quiche carefully on the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the batter sets and browns on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the reserved asparagus tips on top, then sprinkle with an even layer of the Parmesan. Place back in the oven until the top browns slightly, an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes, then cut and serve.

ASPARAGUS BACON QUICHE

Steps:

• Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes; remove foil, bake 5 minutes more and remove from oven and set aside. Cook asparagus in a small amount of boiling water until crisp tender, about 3-4 minutes; drain well. Arrange the bacon and asparagus in the crust. In a bowl, beat eggs; add cream, 1/2 cup cheese, onions, sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour over asparagus and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 23-25 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

ASPARAGUS AND FONTINA QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Using a vegetable peeler, slice the asparagus lengthwise into long, thin strips, starting just under the tip of each stalk. Leave the tips whole. (Alternatively, cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.)
• In a pot with a steamer insert or in a covered sauté pan fitted with an expandable steamer basket, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Add the asparagus to the steamer insert or basket, cover, and steam until tender, about 30 seconds for strips and about 3 minutes for pieces.
• Rinse the asparagus under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir in the Fontina, Gruyère, and reserved asparagus.
• Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
• Bake until lightly golden and set in the center when the pan is gently pushed, 40 to 45 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover it with foil to prevent it from burning.
• Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 or 8 slices and serve warm or at room temperature.
• The quiche is best served the day it is made. Tightly wrap leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

ASPARAGUS QUICHE

Steps:

• Bake crust at 425° for 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. , Cook the asparagus spears in a small amount of water until tender. Drain and cool. Set aside three spears for garnish; cut the remaining asparagus into 1/2-in. pieces. Combine the asparagus pieces and onions; add flour and toss. Pour into crust; sprinkle with cheese. Whisk together eggs, cream, salt, basil and cayenne; pour over asparagus mixture. , Bake at 325° for 25 minutes. Split the reserved asparagus spears lengthwise and arrange, cut side down, in a wheel pattern on top of filling. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

ASPARAGUS AND PARMESAN QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Place pie crust on a baking sheet. Brush inside with mustard. Pat asparagus dry and arrange evenly over bottom of crust; sprinkle with cheese.
• In a bowl, whisk eggs until slightly foamy; whisk in milk, pepper, hot pepper sauce and dill until blended. Pour over asparagus and cheese.
• Bake for about 40 minutes or until filling is puffed and set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• COOKING TIP: You can use fresh asparagus and blanch for 2 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water, just until bright green, then drain and rinse under cold water, or purchase frozen asparagus spears and just let them thaw. Choose medium-thick spears for the best results.
• FOR THE ADVENTUROUS: add 2 oz of smoked salmon, chopped or 1/2 cup chopped cooked shrimp or crab with the asparagus.