Monday, July 28, 2014

Kris's Pepperoni Quiche Recipe



I began making this for my family years ago - just made it up as I went, based on what I had in the fridge at the moment.  My family happens to love pepperoni so I wondered how it would be in a quiche.  I have refined the recipe over the years but here is the end result.  I have made this for many many people over the years and truly haven't had a person yet that didn't love it.  If you have non-pepperoni lovers you can substitute ham instead (probably even bacon).

Here it is!
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Makes: 1 Quiche
Serves: 6-8

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

This recipe requires that you use a blender.


Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury pie crust
7 eggs
1 heaping cup of shredded cheese (I like the bagged mix of yellow & white cheese)
1 cup of cottage cheese (I use 4% milkfat, large curd)
1/3 cup of milk
2 tsp of dried onion
1/2 tsp of black pepper
Broccoli (I buy the bag of frozen, chopped broccoli
Cauliflower ( I buy a bag of frozen cauliflower, then chop it up into small pcs.)
1 bag of Hormel Pepperoni (you will use about 25 pcs)

Directions:

1.  Put one pie crust in your pie pan, I prefer to use glass pie pan but you can certainly use metal.
2.  Spread a combo of chopped broccoli/cauliflower in the bottom of the crust.  Don't use too much, just enough to lightly cover the bottom - say 1 cup total of the mixture.




3.  Using your blender, blend the following together:
Eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, milk, onion, and black pepper.  Blend on high until it is a creamy, smoothie texture.




4.  Pour blended mixture into your pie crust over the broccoli/califlower.
5. Now add your pepperoni slices.  I use about 25 of them and I simply stick them upright evenly spaced into the mixture.





6.  Place a piece of tinfoil over the quiche and back for 1 hour.
7.  Remove tinfoil and back another 10 minutes or until crust edges are lightly browned.

I serve cornbread with this quiche and it is a huge hit!  Hope you enjoy it.
 

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Totem Scarf - Free Knitting Pattern!

--> ©2014 Kris Basta
I love this totem stitch and I wanted to see if I could use it in a scarf with my favorite shaping - worked from the bottom up and casting on stitches as you go to extend the width of the scarf.  I LOVE it!  I especially love the way this yarn worked up ("Polo" by Zitron - 60% cotton/40% Acrylic), it is nice and soft and drapey.  I highly recommend a cotton blend for this pattern.  Yarn is labeled as worsted weight but I would call it light worsted.
To download the pattern to your computer, scroll past the photos at the bottom and you will see the link that you can click on to download.  Happy knitting!

Tools & Materials:

1 circular needle, U.S. size 10  (circular is used to accommodate the large number of stitches that you will work with).
320 yds of worsted weight yarn

Gauge: 4 sts = 1" in stockinette



References:

1. Cast on at beginning of the row, otherwise known as knitted cast-on.  Tutorial video here:
  
2. ssk (slip, slip, knit), here is a tutorial showing how to do this:

Abbreviations:
K = knit                                              yo = yarn over                     
P = purl                                              st = stitch K2tog = knit 2 tog
CO = cast on                                     Rep = repeat
ssk = slip, slip, knit  (*slips are made knitwise)

DIRECTIONS:  CO 18 sts.

Set up rows:
1.  Knit

2.  (Wrong Side): K2, p14, k2.

3.  K1, p1, k3, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k3, p1, k1.

4.  K2, p14, k2.

5.  k1, p1, k2, k2tog, yo, k6, yo, ssk, k2, p1, k1.

6.  CO16 sts (*make sure you use the type of cast on at beg of row as referenced above.  Use this type of cast on throughout the pattern), k1, p6, k4, p5, k1, *K1, p14, k1, rep from * to last st, k1.

7.  CO16 sts, k6, p4, k6, p1, *P1, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, p4, k2, yo, ssk, k1, p1, rep from * to      last st, k1.

8.  K1, *k1, p5, k4, p5, k1, rep from * to last st, k1.

9.  K1, *p1, k2tog, yo, k3, p4, k3, yo, ssk, p1, rep from * to last st, k1.
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Now begin pattern rows:
1. (Wrong Side): K1, *k1 p14, k1.  Rep from *  to last st, k1.

2.  K1, *p1, k3, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k3, p1.  Rep from * to last st, k1.

3.  K1, *k1, p14, k1.  Rep from *  to last st, k1.

4.  K1, *p1, k2, k2tog, yo, k6, yo, ssk, k2, p1.  Rep from * across to last st, k1.

5.  CO16 sts, k1, p6, k4, p5, k1, *K1, p14, k1, rep from * across to last st, k1.

6.  CO16 sts, k6, p4, k6, p1, *p1, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, p4, k2, yo, ssk, k1, p1.  Rep from * to last st, k1.

7.  K1, *k1, p5, k4, p5, k1.  Rep from * to last st, k1.

8.  K1, *p1, k2tog, yo, k3, p4, k3, yo, ssk, p1.  Rep from * to last st, k1.

Work these 8 pattern rows until you have 240 sts total and have worked through row 8.

Work rows 1-4 of pattern rows

Knit 2 rows.
Bind off.