Artichoke & Spinach Quiche, Overnight French Toast

My daughter Joy & grandkids, Joanne & Jason, visited last month with Joanne's friends and their Mom, Betty. They were booked at Paris Hotel but invited them over to my house for breakfast before heading back to Los Angeles. Joanne's friends with their Mom Betty were vegetarians so Quiche Lorraine, which usually comes with crumbled crispy bacon was out of the menu. Although I still did served crispy bacon on the side. I prepared Artichoke Quiche & French Toast the night before. This is particularly helpful for working moms, when kids are back to school and must have a nutritous breakfast. Using french bread produced a better result, than regular thick sliced bread. Probably, that's why it is called "French Toast". Make sense.

Overnight French Toast

• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp butter- for frying
• 6 (3/4 in. thick) slices French Bread (I buy french bread at Fresh & Easy-98 cents for day old)

1. Combine eggs, milk, orange juice, sugar, salt cinnamon & vanilla.
2. Beat well. Set aside.
3. Place bread in a single layer in a shallow dish (shallow baking pan)
4. Pour egg mixture over bread, turn slices to coat evenly.
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight or less.
6. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet; arrange 3 slices bread and cook 3 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Do not crowd the pan.
7. Repeat with remaining butter & bread slices.
8. Sprinkle toast with powdered sugar. Serves 2-3

Note: I doubled above recipe for french toast to serve 6.

Artichoke Quiche

• 
  
  6 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• dash tabasco (optional)
• 1 can artichoke hearts, halves & drained in paper towel (may be substituted ith frozen spinach squeezed dry or combine both vegetable)
• 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1/2 lb grated Swiss Cheese (may use monterey jack, cheddar, goat cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat together eggs and next six ingredients. Set aside.
3. Arrange artichoke heart in a lightly buttered large pie plate or quiche baking dish.
4. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, then grated swiss cheese.
5. Pour egg mixture.
6. Bake 20-30 minutes. Serves 6

Note: May also leave unbaked in refrigerator overnight, covered with plastic wrap and baked the next day when ready to serve.

Easy Oven Pot Roast

Tonight, being Mitchell's last night of a brief vacation before going back to school, we are planning to go to the Fremont Street Experience and/or Las Vegas Strip. While waiting for the 108 degree temperature to cool down a little bit, I made a quick dinner with ingredients I already have in my freezer & pantry.

Beef Pot Roast (3-4 servings)
1.5 lbs boneless chuck roast
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 knorr beef bullion dissolved in 2 cups hot water (maybe substituted with canned beef broth)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 bag(2lbs) frozen Kroger stew vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, potatoes)Need not thaw frozen vegetables, but also may be substitute with fresh vegetable.

• Coat meat with flour, then shake off excess
• Heat oil in an oven proof pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking
• Add meat and brown well on all sides
• Add 2 cups broth (made from beef bullion & water), thyme, pepper & bay leaf, bring to a boil
• Cover tightly and cook in a 350 degrees oven for an hour
• Lay frozen vegetables around meat and continue to cook for 30 minutes
• Transfer meat and vegetable to a platter and keep warm in oven (turned off)

Sauce: 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt, more pepper if desired

• Skim and discard fat from drippings.
• Pour drippings into cup (add water to make 1 cup total)
• Melt butter in pan over medium heat stirring until bubbly
• Remove from heat and with wisk gradually add drippings, salt & pepper
• Return pan to medium heat and cook stirring until sauce boils and thickens
• Pour sauce into a small bowl

Garnish meat & vegetables with fresh parley, if desired, and accompany with sauce. Serve with white rice.

Slice meat at the table. Makes 3-4 servings. (Double receipe to make 8 servings)

Bon Appetite!!!

But then maybe we will just stay home since it won't be cooling off anytime soon.