Nutritional Therapy 101 - A little self-indulgence is good for everyone

Day 1 of the journey to smaller and better things like jeans that fit, or a bathing suit I don't look like a beached whale in. No box, bag or can. Hmmm. How can I do this?

At first I was thinking that breakfast was going to be difficult. I mean most breakfasts come in boxes right? Fruit Loops; Cocoa Puffs; Granola bars; Pop-Tarts; Oreos; even Carnation instant breakfast or Slim Fast (the latter of which by the way goes great with the pop-tarts, Oreos and granola bars). They all come in boxes!

Actually what’s difficult for me is remembering to eat the meal at all. I am usually busy working on this project or that; sending out resumes to places I’d really rather not work but need the job; working on one of the books I’m writing which is the toughest thing for me cuz I have an incredible imagination and am always coming up with new stories, but the hours in each day are not increasing to accommodate all those thoughts swimming around in my head.

Anyway, by around 11:00 AM and 5 or 6 cups of coffee later, my stomach reminds me, none so gently I might add, that I have forgotten it yet again. By the way I’m not so good at punctuation so if I have a participle dangling off the page somewhere, please forgive me.

So...back to breakfast.

Eggs; The perfect meal unto itself. Whether scrambled, poached, fried or baked you can eat this little protein miracle that comes in its own cute little container, all by itself. So for today, since I am preparing the food for a High Tea for 14 this evening and quiche will be served, I think I am going to make an extra one just for me. After all I'm worth a little indulgence now and then aren't I? Aren't you worth it?

Okay. So maybe you can't make it just before you herd your six kids and a harried husband out the door so you can put in 10 hours behind a desk, while daydreaming of the tropical island you found for sale and wish you were on, on The Write Way to Travel web site, but you can make it this weekend right? I mean the kids can forgo the 4-H judging at the county fair this one year, right? Besides, you're not going to eat the whole thing, so however many slices are leftover, they can be individually wrapped and frozen to be taken out any morning of the week when you feel a little self-indulgent.

Basic Pastry Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut in small pieces
2/3 cup chilled water

Place the flour and the salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to mix. Cut the butter in chunks and add it to the flour. Process it, using pulses, until the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.

With the food processor running, add the water and process briefly, using pulses, just until the pastry beings to hold together in large clumps. Divide the pastry into two equal portions, placing one of the halves onto a floured work surface and gather it into a ball. Proceed with the following recipe:

Quiche au Fromage
12 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cup milk (preferably whole)
6 ounces each gruyère, brie, and extra sharp cheddar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg - optional

Roll out the pastry to fit a 10-1/2 inch glass or metal pie plate (NOT removable bottom). Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, and place the pastry in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights (a bag of beans will do in a pinch, but please take them out of the plastic bag they came in!) and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the pastry is golden at the edges, or about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the aluminum foil and pastry weights (or beans). Return the pastry to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and the milk until thoroughly blended. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the cheese and stir until it is blended. Divide the mixture evenly between the pre-baked pastry shells, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg and bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and is completely baked through, about 30 minutes.

To test for doneness, stick a sharp knife blade into the center of the filling and if it comes out clean, the quiche is done. Remove the quiche from the oven and serve immediately.

Now...if this seems like an awful lot of quiche...it is. Remember I was making quiche for 14, but the recipe actually makes enough for 20, so feel free to divide the recipe in half if you just want one.

Oakie Doakie. Talk to you guys later.