My Mother's Salmon Quiche

Tasty. Classic. Foolproof. Thanks Mom!

Makes 4–6 servings.

1 9-inch pastry shell
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1 teaspoon butter
3–4 large eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup cream or milk
½ teaspoon salt

7 ounces canned salmon (one tall can), drained and flaked
2½ tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (about 4 ounces)

Poke holes in your pastry shell with a fork to prevent bubbling (called docking the crust). Bake the pastry according to package directions your recipe. (Because you so totally made it from scratch...just like I do. Yep.)

Meanwhile, fry onion in butter to brown. Beat eggs with milk and cream; stir in onion and salt.

Combine salmon and parsley, and place in baked pastry shell (that was definitely made from scratch, yeah-huh). Sprinkle with cheese. Pour egg mixture over top.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or microwave on high for 17 minutes. Quiche is done when it is a custard consistency (a little jiggly in the centre). Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with a salad of simple greens. Probably also made from scratch.

Eggnog French Toast

Every year, I get one or two requests for the French toast recipe I prepare for Christmas brunch. It is the perfect recipe for Christmas morning: it takes just ten minutes to prep the night before, and in the morning all you have to do is pop it in the oven. It pleases a crowd, too; the recipe serves eight, and even those not keen on eggnog like it. Add some bacon, coffee, and mimosas, and you're done.

I highly recommend the accompanying compote; it is the magic ingredient that makes the whole meal extra special. It takes a bit more time than the French toast itself, but can easily be made a couple days in advance. If you want to cut the fat in the compote recipe a little, I have found it is safe to reduce or omit the first four tablespoons of butter without too much difference to the taste...but on Christmas Day, the butter stays!

Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for our annual tradition. I follow a Bon Appetit recipe exactly as it was printed in December 2001. (Best. issue. ever. If there is ever a fire, my order of rescue is: the kid, the hamster, the Mac, and my Dec '01 BA. Yes, I think about these things.) Luckily, BA graciously posts all their recipes for free at Epicurious. Enjoy!

Eggnog French Toast

Cranberry-Apple Compote