Impossible mid-week meals

I've had a few emails recently asking for recipes for quick meals. I made this impossible quiche a few days ago. The prep time took five minutes, I put it in the oven for 40 - 50 minutes and it was on the table. This quiche makes its own 'pastry' so even if you think you don't make good pastry, or have never attempted pastry, this will work well for you.

This is an excellent mid week-meal and even if you have a husband or teenagers who must eat meat at every meal, the bacon in this quiche and the promise of home made apple cake for dessert, maybe with some piping hot custard or ice cream, might persuade them it's not so bad after all. If you have more time in the morning than in the evening, make this in the morning - even half cooking it would be fine, put it in the fridge for the day and finish off or warm it up just before you eat it.

IMPOSSIBLE QUICHE - serves 4 - 6

Place the following in a frying pan and cook, then put it to one side.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 rashers of bacon or a cup of ham, chopped 
• ½ red capsicum,  finely diced

In a mixing bowl, combine:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup cream
• ½ cup plain flour
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese
• handful of chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Add the fried vegetables to the egg mix and pour it into a greased ceramic quiche dish or shallow pie dish.  Cook in the oven on 190C/375F until golden brown and set in the middle.

Serve with a fresh garden salad. 

MY VINAIGRETTE - I much prefer a vinegar-heavy dressing on my salads.

• ½ cup good vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• ½ tablespoon honey or sugar

Put it all in a jar and shake till it has combined.

And for dessert?  Why not try a serving of apple pulp cake. I had a lot of pulp left when I juiced apples last week. This took care of one of the bags of apple pulp.

APPLE PULP CAKE

• 125 grams/1 stick butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 eggs - room temperature
• 1 cup apple pulp or stewed apples
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• milk or buttermilk

walnuts and brown sugar for topping

NOTE: if you have no apples, tinned peaches or apricots - well drained and mashed with a fork, would be a great alternative.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy, add the eggs and work it in. When fully incorporated, add the flour, apples, salt and vanilla.  Fold in and add enough milk or buttermilk to make a thickish dough.  Add to a cake tin and sprinkle over half cup of crushed walnuts and one tablespoon brown sugar. Bake on 190C/375F until golden brown.

If you're following along with the vinegar making, don't forget to find a warm place to keep your vinegar.  The bacteria and yeasts need warmth to grow.

Happy cooking everyone!