Guy Fawkes, Coffee Maker, Dinner Tonight.

As usual, on this date, most English people think of Guy Fawkes who tried to blow up the British Houses of Parliament. So, boring everyone to death, I am continuously quoting the following:

Remember, remember the 5th of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

However, we don’t remember Guy Fawkes so much because of what he tried to do as because we burn him in effigy on this day of the year (pretty ghoulish) plus setting off fireworks and generally having a good old time. Mainly we are celebrating the failure of the gunpowder plot and its intent to assassinate the Protestant king, James I,  in order to return England to Catholicism. I’m not sure they would have found a Catholic monarch acceptable to the English as, by then, I think they were pretty fed up with Catholic sovereigns and had had a wonderful experience with Good Queen Bess who was  a Protestant.

Now I’m really impressed with Black and Decker. What should arrive Friday morning but my new coffee pot. I couldn’t believe it. A very state of the art looking machine too. I guess we will start using this one and put the other one away as a spare. Or I could keep one working in the computer room, how about that, I could have coffee nearby all the time. Oh no, I would still have to fetch water and ground coffee!!! However, it arrived in less than 48 hours, that is impressive service.

We have friends coming to dinner tonight, so have to get on with preparations. The youngster of the family is gluten intolerant so the menu has been discussed, so nothing secret. Basically, shrimp cocktail, London Broil, Microwaved Scallop Potatoes and Brie to finish off. Not sure what vegetable I am going to do yet. I have posted the recipe for London Broil before, way back. – September 22, 2010 was the last time I posted it.

I couldn’t resist this recipe, it looks so delicious although I haven’t seen purple or blue potatoes for a while now. Don’t you think it looks wonderful? Not only that, it would be good for people who have problems with gluten.

Purple Potato and Carrot Quiche

By The Gluten Free Goddess
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com
After five years of making flourless quiche recipes, I no longer miss the pie crust I used to love. This surprises me, but I'm not unhappy about it. Quiches filled with roasted vegetables are beautiful. Every slice reveals its own mosaic of edible jewels embedded in a creamy custard. Purple, yellow, green, and orange. The colors of spring.

This recipe makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

3 baby or smallish purple or blue potatoes, sliced into wedges/slices
2 small gold potatoes, sliced into wedges
1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into thin sticks
A handful of small broccoli florets
Half a medium zucchini, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 large eggs
1/2 cup Half and Half, sour cream, or milk
Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Swiss, cheddar or Gruyère cheese
½ cup sweet onion, diced
Chopped herbs -- parsley, marjoram, or basil
Chopped chives or spring onions

Instructions

First, roast your veggies:
3 baby or smallish purple or blue potatoes, sliced into wedges/slices
2 small gold potatoes, sliced into wedges
1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into thin sticks
A handful of small broccoli florets
Half a medium zucchini, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

Toss the veggies and garlic in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper; roast in a 375 degree F oven until fork tender, about 40 minutes or so. Remove and set aside. Keep the oven on.

Prepare the custard:
5 large eggs
1/2 cup Half and Half, sour cream, or milk
Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
Whip the custard ingredients with a whisk till frothy.
Grate your favorite cheese: Swiss, cheddar, Gruyère -- it's all good. You'll need about a cup of grated cheese.
Lightly oil or butter a 9-inch pie plate.
Spoon the roasted veggies into the plate and arrange them evenly. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Pour the custard over the veggies and cheese, allowing it to seep in and around all the vegetables.

Options:
Add a half cup chopped sweet onion to the roasted vegetable mix.
Add some chopped chives or spring onions to the custard.
Add a tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs to the custard -- parsley, marjoram, or basil.
Bake the quiche in the center of the oven till set and golden, about 25 to 35 minutes. Test doneness with the wiggle method [jiggle the pie plate a bit to see if the center shimmies; if it does, cook for five more minutes] or if it's very close to done, insert a small thin knife into the center -- if it emerges clean, you're good to go.

Set the hot quiche on a wire rack to cool a bit before slicing and serving (this allows for a more precise slice).

Serve with a salad of baby spring greens and glasses of crisp white wine. Raise your glass and toast spring.

Nutritional Information Per Serving
Calories: 199
Carbohydrates: 25.6g
Cholesterol: 18mg
Fat: 5.6g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Fiber: 3.1g
Sodium: 70mg
Protein: 8.5g

Have a great weekend.