Sambal Roasted Eggplant with Cardamom Yogurt

If you enjoy spicy foods, read on. 

Sambal is a paste of ground chili peppers, not quite as smooth and soupy as Sriracha and differently spiced than harissa, but very much in the same family of hot sauces. It's sometimes called Sambal Oelek; oelek refers to the mortar and pestle traditionally used to grind raw chili peppers into a paste. It can be made with raw peppers, or roasted. This recipe calls for roasting red bell and habaneros and leaving the thai chilis raw. You can find all sorts of delicious hot peppers at the farmers market this time of year and, chances are, the farmers selling them have quite a few favorite ways to use them, too! 

Once you've made a batch of sambal, generously brush it onto sliced eggplant, let it roast, then serve it with cardamom spiced yogurt. Serve it as a side with grilled meats or coconut basmati rice. You can also serve the roasted eggplant as an appetizer with the cardamom yogurt as a dipping sauce. 

Sambal
Makes 1 cup
1-2 red or yellow bell peppers* 
5-6 habaneros (or scotch bonnets or serrano) 
1 cup of shallots, unpeeled and sliced vertically
8 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
3-4 thai chilis
1 lemon, juiced and zested**
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 piece of ginger, 1/2-inch, peeled and chopped***

*The sweet peppers might be cheating in terms of authenticity, but they bring a little sweetness and round out the heat of the thai chilies and habarneros. Adjust as needed. 
**Substitute lemon for lime
***While you're at it, add a 2-inch piece of lemongrass root, if available; try the farmer's market or your local Asian market

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the bell peppers, habaneros, shallots, and garlic. Roast for 30 minutes, until the pepper skins are blackened and the shallots and garlic are soft, then let cool. Remove the tops and skins from the peppers, pull out the seeds (how many seeds is up to you; I left about a third of the seeds from the habaneros), and place the peppers in a food processor. Peel the skins off the shallots and garlic, discard the skins, and place the roasted shallots and garlic in the food processor. Carefully sliced the tops of the thai chilis and remove the seeds; use gloves if available. Add to the food processor along with the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, brown sugar, sea salt, and ginger. Blend until moderately smooth (see photo above), transfer to a sealable container and refrigerate until ready to use.  

Sambal Roasted Eggplant with Cardamom Yogurt
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 small eggplants
1/4 cup sambal (recipe above)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush olive oil onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Cut eggplant into 1-inch slices. Score the tops of the eggplant with the knife in a criss-cross pattern. Generously brush sambal into the criss-cross ridges. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the eggplant skins begin to wilt. Stir together greek yogurt and ground cardamom and serve with the roasted eggplant, plated or as an appetizer.  

Mushroom Asparagus Quinoa Cakes & Sage Cream

Last week I was gifted some delicious kitchen ingredients from my friends Josh and Aubrey (who happen to own and operate an awesome book store in downtown Springfield called Bookmarx). Among the bootle was a handful of these beautiful mushrooms from Willow Mountain Mushrooms, natural mushroom growers based in the Ozarks.

These mushrooms are divine on their own but they are perfect for these mushroom asparagus quinoa cakes, topped with sage cream and micro greens. Great for a group, serve them as an appetizer or as the centerpiece of a salad. Cakes like these are a great way to use leftover quinoa or any similar cooked seed, grain, or rice such as barley or risotto. The surprises of the sage cream are applesauce and a dash of nutmeg. Any microgreens work nicely, but look for radish greens for a taste of spiciness. 

Mushroom Asparagus Quinoa Cakes
Makes 12 cakes
1 1/2 cups cooked red quinoa
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup shallots, sliced
2 cups chopped mushrooms, stems and gills removed (I used oyster and shiitake)
1 cup chopped asparagus
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon chopped herbs (I recommend rosemary, parsley, and/or sage)
1/3 cup parmesan, shredded
1 cup bread crumbs
sage cream (recipe below)
microgreens, for garnish

Cook the quinoa if not using leftovers. 

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shallots, and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and asparagus, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Remove from heat and aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fold in the cooked quinoa, chopped herbs, shredded parmesan, bread crumbs, and sauteed vegetables. Mix until combined. 

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Patty out the cakes, about 1/3 cup each, and cook on the hot skillet. Turn after 5 minutes and cook a remaining 7 minutes on the other side. Lower the heat if needed to keep them from burning. 

Serve hot, topped with sage cream and fresh microgreens. 

Sage Cream
Makes about 1/2 cup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon very finely chopped sage
dash of nutmeg

Whisk together sour cream, apple sauce, sage and nutmeg. Drizzle liberally over cakes. 

Coconut Poached Eggs & Avocado Toast

I know there is a delicate line between hustle and hurriedness, alacrity and haste. The shift from one to the other happens in an instant and the only remedy is to dial back and breathe.

Today I'm taking slower steps, considered movements, moments of pause. I ran around like a mad woman this past week, and honestly I don't regret a moment of it because it was packed with event planning, projects I really care about, and time spent with wonderful people, but I loaded too much into the week. I found myself rushing Wednesday night to prep some infused simple syrups before bed. I jolted into the moment when a glass pitcher I had just filled with hot simple syrup shattered and the hot river of sugar water washed onto my entire forearm, leaving a considerable burn before surging onto the floor. I was devastated, howling in pain, and feelingly generally foolish because I knew better. I just needed to slow down. 

I've been gently replaying the moment in my mind, "slow down or get burned." Skin is a precious organ and my healing arm is a powerful reminder for me to take care not to rush.

And with that bit of honesty, I wanted to share an amusing moment from this week.

This is what food blogging actually looks like. 

I stepped away for a second to retrieve a different SD card for my camera, and the unsteady backdrop squashed the food before I had a chance to capture any of it by photo. Ha! I was starving at the time, so I happily had an early lunch, prepared and photographed round two, then had another lunch. 

Now onto this recipe for coconut milk poached eggs on avocado toast. The avocado is brightened with lime juice and minced jalapeno and the coconut milk spiced with red curry paste. The bit of spiciness is wonderful, but I think the best benefit comes from the coconut milk. It adds an extra dose of creaminess to already luscious combination and the soft bursts of coconut flavor are a nice surprise at breakfast or brunch. -Mallory

Coconut Poached Eggs & Avocado Toast
Serves 2
1 avocado
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can coconut milk, 13.5 ounces
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 large slice of toast (or 2 small)
1 tablespoon sprouts
Maldon sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine the avocado, jalapeno, garlic, and lime juice in a small bowl. Use a fork to break up the avocado until smooth. 

I generally poach eggs in a large pot with plenty of water in order to get the prettiest eggs possible. That said, I prefer to make this recipe in a small saucepan to get by with only using one can of coconut milk.

Bring the coconut milk to heat in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the red curry paste until smooth. When the coconut milk reaches 180 degrees, use a small spoon to swirl the water clockwise so that it creates a whirlpool. Drop the egg into the center of that whirlpool and continue stirring along the outside of the saucepan for 10-15 seconds until the egg sets. Start a timer and cook the egg for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the egg from the coconut milk and place it onto a plate. Repeat with the second egg.

Spread the toast with the avocado, add the sprouts, and the poached eggs. Sprinkle with maldon sea salt (or another flakey salt) and pepper.

Shakshuka with Braised Mustard Greens

I find shakshuka simply bewitching. Even the first glance of bright eggs poached in a thick crimson tomato sauce is enthralling, but then fragrant waves of stewed spring onion and spices hit and it's game over. Grab the nearest tortilla, hunk of bread, spoon, just gimme. And it's a dish that defies mealtime--equally alluring throughout the day--although I like it best for brunch gatherings where you can plop it down, an ambrosial centerpiece, and let everyone just dig in. There are beautiful shakshuka recipes all over the place. This recipe is adapted from a version made by David Lebovitz. In lieu of chiles or spicy peppers, I made a version that uses mustard greens to bring a bit of heat to the shakshuka.  It's a great way to make use of the onslaught of fresh mustard greens from your garden or the farmers market. If you're craving even more heat, jalapenos would make a nice addition. 

I left off one of the finishing touches, and I beg you not to repeat my mistake. Cilantro. Finish the dish with fresh chopped cilantro and everything in the world will be okay for just a few perfect bites. Enjoy! -Mallory

Shakshuka with Braised Mustard Greens
Serves 3-4 
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 spring onions, chopped (use the entire onion including the greens)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pound fresh tomatoes, cored and diced, or 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (juices mostly drained if using canned)
3 cups mustard greens, chopped
3 ounces feta
cilantro for finishing (optional)
3-4 eggs

Heat olive oil on medium-high in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3-4 minutes until soft then stir in cumin, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook together for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add in the diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the chopped mustard greens then use the back of a large spoon to make burrows for the eggs. Crack the eggs into the tomato sauce and let cook until the whites solidify, but the yolks remain soft and runny, about 15 minutes. Top with crumbled feta and cilantro. Serve with corn tortillas and cooked white beans or with pita or hunks of crusty bread.

Matcha Bowl & Honey Granola

In a hopeful effort to usher in springtime weather, I'm going to post two delightfully green recipes in a row. There's a considerable bit of snow still on the ground, but I've already started picking out seeds to start for this summer's garden and a plot in our backyard to try to bring them to harvest. Speaking of, I'm excited to share that the Springfield-Green County Library District just started a fantastic new Heirloom Seed Library program in which patrons may check out locally sourced heirloom seeds for free with their library card. The seeds are currently available for checkout at The Library Station and Midtown-Carnegie Branch Libraries. If you're living in Springfield and ready to get started, stop by these branches and visit the following online resources.

• Seed Catalog and Planting Guide - details available seeds with planting instructions.
• Seed Harvesting and Saving Instructions - provides detailed steps for returning harvested seeds, which is encouraged but not required. 

The inception of the Heirloom Seed Library will be coupled with events over the next few months on basic garden planning, community gardening and seed saving. Admittedly, I'm partial, but this is a really cool new service and I'm so proud of my co-workers for bringing this dream to life. If you're living in Springfield, I hope you'll take advantage of the chance to check out seeds from the library and connect with other growers in the process. 

Onward to a new recipe that I'm excited to share with you, a Matcha bowl! I had my first Acai bowl a few weeks back and was spellbound by the experience. The bowl contains a thick acai berry smoothie topped with granola, fresh fruit then drizzled in honey. As a quick aside, I'm missing you lovely #womenincoffee and my #USCoffeeChamps breakfast pal, Heather. This breakfast bowl is inspired by that experience, but with Matcha green tea as the focal point. The thick smoothie brings together frozen pineapple, frozen banana, coconut milk, matcha powder and honey. It's garnished with a simple homemade granola, fresh fruit, honey and cocoa nibs. If you've not yet cooked or baked with matcha powder, test it out in a bit of hot water to taste it. While the cocoa nibs echo some of the soft bitter qualities of the green tea, their fruitiness brightens the experience and the honey sweetness ties everything together. Consider this on St. Patrick's Day if you're looking into green breakfast possibilities. -Mallory

Matcha Bowl
Makes 2 matcha bowls
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 frozen banana
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoons matcha powder
2 tablespoons honey, divided
1/4 cup granola, recipe below
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
1 fresh banana
1 cup fresh strawberries

Blend frozen pineapple, frozen banana, coconut milk, matcha powder and 1 tablespoon of honey in a blender until smooth. Divide the smoothie between two bowls and top each with granola, fresh fruit, cocoa nibs and the remaining honey.

Quick & Easy Granola
Makes 4 cups
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Combine oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan over low heat combine honey, butter and vanilla extract. Stir until the butter is melted. Pour onto dry ingredients and mix until everything is well coated. Spread out evenly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove from oven, let cool and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Butternut Squash Waffles & Bourbon-Maple Creme Fraiche

I like waffles best with some sense of savory. The butternut squash offers a hint of heartiness to these waffles, making them both filling and satiating. It's a nice way to slip squash (or vegetables in general) into breakfast. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Puree
Makes 1 1/2 cups from half of the squash
1 butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil 

Only about half of the squash is needed for the waffles. Reserve the remaining half for a separate recipe, or roast, puree, and freeze it for future use. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. 

Remove the top and bottom from the squash and slice in half, lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Roast the squash cut-side up on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the squash is extremely tender. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Puree the roasted squash in a food processor, blending until smooth and stopping to scrap down the sides of the food processor as need. The puree will be thick and dense. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the butternut squash puree for the waffles.

Maple-Bourbon Creme Fraiche
Makes just over 1 cup
1 cup creme fraiche
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons bourbon 

Whisk together creme fraiche, maple syrup and bourbon. Break up any clumps then refrigerate until the waffles are ready to serve. Skip the bourbon if you like and replace it with brewed coffee or additional maple syrup. 

Butternut Squash Waffles
Makes 12 waffles
2 cups flour all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 eggs

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, combine butternut squash puree, buttermilk, melted butter and maple syrup. Beat eggs in a separate bowl and whisk them into the wet ingredients. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Set aside and heat the waffle iron according to its instructions. 

When the waffle iron is preheated, pour in and cook 1/3 cup of batter until golden brown. Garnish with maple-bourbon creme fraiche and fresh mint leaves.

-Mallory

Rosemary Cayenne Granola Bars

Mark and I closed on our first home yesterday. After we signed the sizable stack of papers and officially took ownership, we drove straight to our new little bungalow with a bottle of champagne. Last night we set up camping chairs in the empty living room and had over a few friends for pizza. It was a wonderful day. I'm soaking in every bit of it because now the packing, painting and moving continues. 

The pace isn't going to slow down anytime soon, which means we're falling back on our favorite quick-and-easy recipes right now. These granola bars are at the top of the list: delicious, uncomplicated and great to eat on the go. A weekend batch lasts throughout the week.

As a somewhat related aside, my mom playfully gifted me this tea towel a few weeks ago as a reminder that a lot of stress can be assuaged by having something to eat. Hello breakfast. 

Rosemary Cayenne Granola Bars
Makes 12 granola bars
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

This recipe calls for raw and unsalted nuts, but you can adjust as needed to use what you have on hand.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit. Line a 12x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper then grease it with butter it for good measure.

Mix together rolled oats, cashews, peanuts, pecans and almonds in a medium-sized bowl. Spread onto a half-sheet pan and toast in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If you’re working with any already roasted nuts, omit them from this step.

While the oats and nuts are toasting, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract, salt, rosemary and cayenne in a small saucepan over medium heat. If the nuts you're using in the previous step are already salted, use less salt than this recipe calls for in this step or skip the salt entirely. Stir over the heat until the butter is melted and the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the oats and nuts are a finished toasting in the oven, combine everything in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Pour into the greased baking dish and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. The bars will still have a bit of chewiness to them, so if you prefer a crunchier bar, extend the baking time an additional 5 minutes. The bars pictured went the extra 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until completely hardened, about an hour. Use the sides of the parchment paper to lift the granola bars out of the baking dish and onto a cutting board. Cut into bars and store them in an airtight container for up to a week, placing parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking to each other. 

-Mallory

Herb Fried Chicken Biscuits & Apricot Mustard

This all started with craving for apricot jam and slowly transformed into an excuse to dish up fried chicken, which happens more often than not; I love fried chicken. I have very sweet memories from childhood of fried chicken and roller coasters because my family would venture to Six Flags St. Louis theme park once every summer and we couldn't do so without packing fried chicken. The tickets were awarded to my brother, sister and me for reading books throughout the school year as part of the 600-Minutes program- now it's called Read to Succeed. When lunchtime rolled around, we migrated back to the parking lot for a packed picnic lunch of fried chicken that we enjoyed cold from iced coolers packed in the family minivan. My mom fried the chicken the night before, so as I was lying awake in bed anxious for the next day's allures, the rich smell of fried chicken seeped into my room and pulled me even further from sleep. 

Getting back to today and the apricot decisions, I opted to postpone apricot jam until summer when I can get fresh, in season apricots from the market to bring to a sweet stovetop simmer. Instead, I put together an apricot mustard from dried apricots. The mustard seeds and dried apricots take a few days to hydrate in a bath of white wine and apple cider vinegar, but the result is glorious. The biscuits and fried chicken come together in less than an hour. 

Apricot Mustard
Makes about 1 cup
1/4 cup mustard seeds
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Soak mustard seeds and apricots in a glass bowl along with wine and vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap and let soak for 3 days at room temperature.  Transfer mustard seeds, apricots, white wine and apple cider vinegar to a food processor. Add salt, brown sugar and nutmeg and blend until the mustard reaches your desired coarseness and consistency.

Buttermilk biscuits
Makes 12 biscuits
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees fahrenheit. 

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until it’s the size of small peas. Add buttermilk in a pool in the middle, then mix until just combined. Turn out the biscuit dough on a lightly floured surface and knead gently by folding it in half, rolling out the dough, then repeating the fold and roll two additional times. Cut out biscuits using a 2-inch cutter, place on parchment-lined baking sheet, then brush them with melted butter.

Bake at 475 degrees fahrenheit for 12 minutes. Remove biscuits from the oven and cool on a wire rack. 

Herb Fried Chicken
Makes 12 biscuits 
Peanut oil
6 cloves garlic, lightly smashed with skins in tact
6 sprigs hard herbs: thyme, oregano, rosemary
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 3 pieces
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chili sauce or hot sauce (optional)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Fry chicken in three batches using a medium skillet. Add 1 1/2 inches of peanut oil to the skillet and set the heat to medium-high. Add garlic and herbs immediately so that they infuse while the oil comes to temperature. Meanwhile, pat dry the chicken and set aside. Whisk together greek yogurt, milk and chili sauce (if using) in medium bowl. Sift together flour, salt and black pepper in a separate medium bowl. Drench the chicken first in the flour, then in the milk and again in the flour. Then fry, baby, fry. The oil is ready to start frying when it sizzles from a drop of water. Fry the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Check for doneness by cutting into the center of a piece, then adjust heat and cooking time accordingly. It's better to keep the heat in the medium to medium-high range and cook longer than to crank the heat and end up with burnt chicken. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate, then serve with biscuits and apricot mustard.

-Mallory

Spinach Artichoke Dip with a Brunch-Ready Quiche

A few years ago when dining at a local Italian cafe, Mark and I had a sizable amount of leftover spinach artichoke dip. Our server shared that her favorite fix for leftover spinach artichoke dip is to fold it into eggs the next morning. As you might suspect, this is unsurprisingly delicious. Now I'm always a tad thrilled to make this dip for a dinner gathering just to set aside some of the batch for an upcoming breakfast or brunch. The dip fares well in the freezer, too, so there's not necessarily the urgency to use it right away. We've adapted this to omelets, scrambled eggs and frittatas, but our personal favorite is quiche, especially if we are hosting out of town guests.

You can stumble upon many enjoyable recipes for spinach artichoke, but I'm a hearty proponent of making a roux of flour and butter and turning it into a cheese sauce using a smoked cheese, like smoked gouda. 

6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
10 ounces fresh spinach
2 14-ounce cans artichokes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 cups milk
8 ounces cream cheese, softened and divided into 8 smaller pieces
1 cup smoked gouda, grated
1/2 cup parmesan, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. 

Melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add fresh spinach and let it cook down, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the spinach from heat and drain the liquid, squeezing out as much as possible, then set aside. Heat artichokes over medium heat for 2 minutes, then set aside with the spinach.

Use the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter for the roux; substitute lard or bacon fat if you have it on hand. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the fat over medium heat then add flour, stirring continuously as the roux begins to change in color and texture, 2-3 minutes. Add salt then stir in milk, making sure to break up any clumps of flour. Add in cream cheese and smoked gouda, stirring until the cheese sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in spinach and artichokes. 

Grease a 9x9 inch or similarly sized baking dish. Pour the dip into the baking dish and top with grated parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot with sliced vegetables, bread and/or tortilla chips. Reserve a cup and a half of the dip for an upcoming quiche.

Ready for the quiche? The crust takes the most preparation, so if you're short on time you can swap in a pre-made crust. 

Quiche Crust
Makes 1 bottom crust
4 ounces butter (1 stick), chilled
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
2-4 ounces ice water

Cut the butter into small pieces then set it in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. Combine salt and flour. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your hands. Crumble the butter into the flour until any remaining pieces are the size of small peas. The flour will look more like cornmeal or polenta at this point. Add the vinegar and 2 ounces of ice water. Combine with a spatula until a dough forms. Add more ice water as needed, one tablespoon at a time. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and set chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Roll out the pie dough on a floured surface and place in a buttered pie dish. Line the inside of the pie with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights or dry beans, then bake for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside to cool and prepare the filling. 

Quiche Filling
Makes 1 quiche
1 1/2 cups spinach artichoke dip
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3 eggs

Stir together spinach artichoke dip, cayenne and heavy cream in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl then add to quiche filling. Stir until well incorporated then pour into the cooled pie crust.

Bake for 35 minutes until the sides of the quiche are set, but the middle still slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing. 

-Mallory