Things I Am Loving This Week

Time again for the Things I Am Loving This Week, those (mostly) food-related things that I am enjoying and want to share.

First up, I love, love, love Australian cookbook author Jill Dupleix (just type in her name on my blog search to see some of the several recipes of hers I have made and posted), and I found a UK version of her "Lighten Up: Light, Fresh, Modern, Healthy Food"--one of her cookbooks that I didn't have. It is full of lots of her simple recipes, on the healthier side like these little Paper-Wrapped Quiches--an easy and quick breakfast treat to love.

Dupleix says, "These little tarts don't need pastry at all. Instead, they cook in a scrunch of baking paper, so they are easier to make and lighter to take for office lunches, fast suppers and picnics."

Paper-Wrapped Quiches

"Lighten Up" by Jill Dupleix

(Serves 4 / Makes 8)

400g spinach, well washed (about 2 cups)

6 large eggs

100 ml (about 3.5 oz) milk

2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese, plus 1 extra Tbsp

sea salt and pepper

2 Tbsp finely chopped chives or parsley

2 thick slices ham, diced

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the spinach in a dry non-stick pan over high heat until wilted, tossing well. Squeeze dry and set aside.

Heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Cut eight 15cm baking paper squares. Line 8 deep muffin molds with the squares.

Beat the eggs with the milk, 2 Tbsp cheese, sea salt, pepper and chives. Scatter a little spinach and ham into each mold. Fill with the egg mixture. Top each one with two cherry tomato slices. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until just set. Top with extra grated cheese. Eat warm or cold.

Notes/Results: These go together quickly and easily and taste great. I used some of the last of my giant wedge of sheep's milk etorki cheese, which melts perfectly, and smoked ham along with the spinach. I also used soy milk in place of the dairy milk since it is what I had on hand. These would also be great with a mix of sausage and peppers or some bacon and mushrooms too.

By now you must know how much I love a salty-sweet chocolate combination, so when I saw this Salty Dog Chocolate Bar from B.T. McElrath, made with "Butter toffee pieces in 70% dark chocolate and sea salt"--I had to try it.


It even comes with directions for eating: "You have a choice. Eat our Salty Dog Bar salt-side up and you're invited into its rich, dark chocolate charms, only to discover the spiky crunch of toffee and sea salt. Eat it salt-side down and feel how the sharp pops of salt ushers in notes of chocolate and caramel. So what's it going to be: mellow or bold? Or both?"

I felt it my responsibility to do extensive taste testing with this one and tried it several times each way--salt side up and then salt side down. Either way it is delicious--the dark chocolate has that perfect combination of crisp/creamy and a good level of salt, but I prefer the salt side up as I like having the creamy taste first and then ending on the crunch. That way both the salt and the toffee flavors and textures seemed to stand out a bit more and linger on the tongue. This could be a new favorite!

Finally, I love the kindness of fellow bloggers and making new friends. Spencer (aka "The Mouse") and his wife, ("The Cat") of Live2Eat Eat2Live Blog, are new bloggers who live in Hawaii, and I am getting to know them online through Souper Sundays. Recently they took a trip to Shanghai for some family business and were kind enough to bring me back a gift from their trip.

Spencer was nice enough to drop the package by Whole Foods this weekend where I was doing a demo, and I was excited and pleased to find some fun chopsticks and holders and some flowering tea. Flowering or blooming tea is a favorite of mine because not only do you get to enjoy a cup of delicious tea, but it is its own entertainment, as you wait to see the flower that appears out of the tightly-tied bundle of tea leaves. In this case it was a green tea with a light jasmine flavor and pretty white jasmine flowers.

As much as I appreciate the gifts, I love the thoughtful gesture even more and hope to get to spend some more time chatting with both the mouse and the cat sometime. ;-)

So that is what I am loving this week.

How about you? What things are you enjoying right now?