Pea Salad (Side Dish)

It's been a long week or so of cleaning out the fridge, and the next few times I cook I'll actually be referring back to my own blog to find the recipes I need, so posting will be sparse til next week. However, last night I was able to try a new dish. I found a recipe online then tweaked it to my liking, and the results were very tasty. This only serves 4-6 people, though, so if you make it for a party you may want to double the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 slices thick-cut bacon
1 12oz package frozen peas, thawed and drained
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped scallions/green onions
2/3 cup light sour cream
2 Tbsp light mayonnaise
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Fry bacon in a large skillet until crispy, then allow to drain and cool on a paper towel. Crumble and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine peas, celery, scallions, eggs, sour cream, mayo, and salt and pepper. Toss to mix well. Can be placed in the refrigerator for awhile until it's time to eat.

Just before serving, add the bacon pieces and mix well. Takes just a few minutes to throw together, but you should add at least 20 minutes to cooking time to account for boiling the eggs and frying the bacon. Very tasty!

Simple Blueberry Crisp

Like I said before, I've had an empty frozen pie crust hanging out in the freezer for a few days now. There isn't a whole lot of room on the counter where I'm currently living, so I didn't really want to clear myself a space just to roll out one half of pie crust dough for a full blueberry pie. I've never had a blueberry crumble or anything before, so I pooled my memories of making an apple brown betty along with flavors that would fit a blueberry pie, and threw this little masterpiece together.

Ingredients:

1 frozen deep-dish pie crust shell
6 cups blueberries (thawed under warm water if using frozen)
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of ground allspice

Set the pie crust on a pizza baking pan (for support) and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour in the rinsed blueberries.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, then add the butter and mix until crumbles form.

Sprinkle all over the top of the blueberries, then bake for 35-40 minutes.

Finally, an Update! Easy Quick Quiche

I apologize for the long lack of posting. I have spent the last three weeks moving to California with my family and getting things organized, and trying to relax a little. My in-laws did most of the cooking the first week or so, but I finally got a chance to use my skills this past weekend. It's so much easier having my husband at home to watch the baby while I cook!
I got this recipe from the Food Network, so I can't take credit for it, but I wanted to share it with you anyway since it turned out so well. And since frozen pie shells come in packs of two, I thought up my own version of a blueberry crisp to make as well (next post).

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup minced onions
Salt and garlic powder
8 ounces shredded Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Hand whip eggs, half-and-half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch, deep dish pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.