Irish Beer and Cheese Bread

Hello all!  I apologize for the lack of posts.  I'm still here, but with my crazy life I haven't been updating this blog like I should.  So again, I apologize.  The posts here will be irregular and infrequent as I continue to juggle wedding planning, work, and nursing school, but I can guarantee I will always keep The Beachside Baker up, so recipes can be available for you to access at all times.  Hopefully, with our wedding just weeks away, I can eventually take "wedding planning" off my to-do list and return my baking/blog posting to it's original spot on my weekly to-do's. 

Before I share my new recipe with you, I can update you on the last few months.  Our wedding is so soon, and we only have a few minor things left to plan!  The last few weekends have been devoted to accomplishing more for our wedding, with last weekend being the date of our cake tasting.  We've picked out a cake with several different flavors (which I will refrain from mentioning for now) that I think the guests will be pleased with. 

Also, last month I enjoyed a fun bridal weekend back in my hometown, Manteca, CA.  We started the weekend off with a bridal shower, hosted by my sister (maid-of-honor) at her home.  It was a beautiful day for the shower, and many of my friends and family attended.  We played games, ate food, and I received many wonderful gifts that I am so thankful for....many of those are kitchen items which I will definitely use as I add more recipes to this blog! 

I can't wait to use this ice cream maker!



More things to use in the kitchen!



Sis and I

After the shower, we had a few hours to rest and freshen up before the bachelorette party!  The bachelorette party was definitely the highlight of the weekend.  Many of my friends came to join in on the fun, and we had a great time.  Our night included dinner, drinks, karaoke, AND dancing.  What more could I ask for?

I love each and every one of these girls!  I'm so glad they all made it out.

Besides wedding-related news, I also am well into second semester in my nursing program.  The first 8 weeks of this semester we're studying mental health, so I'm busy learning about mental illnesses, medications, pathophysiology, how to remain safe around these unstable patients, and how we can be therapeutic for these patients.  We're currently dong our clinical rotations in the psych ward of a hospital, so it's definitely been interesting, yet exhausting at the same time.  I'm currently running on coffee.  Lots of coffee.....


My view every night.

 Now that you're caught up with my news, let's move on to the highlight of this post:  Irish Beer and Cheese Bread.  I've had this recipe saved as a draft for a while now, but since St. Patrick's Day is coming up in the near future, I think it's the perfect time to share it.

This bread recipe is a very easy type of bread to make.  It does not require any yeast or kneading dough, so it's perfect for beginning bakers.  This recipe does, however, call for Irish ale and Dubliner cheese, hence the name, "Irish" Beer and Cheese Bread.  Since March 17th is just around the corner, many of you may be drinking popular Irish ales, such as Guinness, so just keep a bottle aside to use for this bread.  If you're looking for any other St. Patrick's Day recipes, I also highly recommend Irish Cupcakes.  These are extremely popular among my coworkers, and are absolutely delicious any time of year.  Wash down that cupcake with a Shamrock Shake and you're all set!

I originally found this recipe off of one of my favorite food blogs, Brown Eyed Baker.  Michelle, the blog author, always posts a round-up of recipes for each holiday season, which is one of the main reasons why I love to subscribe to her blog.  If you're ever in the need for a recipe for a specific holiday occasion, whether it's St. Patricks Day, Easter, or maybe just for a summer BBQ, I highly recommend browsing through her recipe collection first!

I found this recipe on her blog a few years ago, and this bread immediately caught my eye.  I had some extra bottles of Guinness and needed a simple way to use them up, and these was a perfect recipe to use them in.  I like pretty much anything that involves cheese, but the combination of the Dubliner cheese, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, and spices made it much more savory and satisfying than most breads I'm used to.  If you're a carb-a-holic like me, this bread is just the thing for you, so give it a try!



Irish Beer and Cheese Bread
Print this recipe
Yield:  1 loaf
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker, originally adapted from Make it Naked

Ingredients:

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
8 oz extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
4 oz Dubliner cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups Irish ale (I used Guinness)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Measure out 1/4 cup of the sharp cheddar, 1/4 cup of the white cheddar and 2 Tbsp of the Dubliner and reserve for topping the bread later.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining cheese, the flour, baking powder, dry mustard, salt, cayenne, white pepper, and garlic. Stir to ensure that all of the cheese is coated with flour.

In a small bowl, whisk together the beer, sour cream, egg, and Worcestershire sauce.

Pour the beer mixture into the cheese and flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the dough until just combined. Spoon the dough into the prepared loaf pan, using a spatula to even out the top. Mix together the reserved cheeses and sprinkle evenly on top.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean (or, if you have an instant-read thermometer, the middle of the bread reaches 190 degrees F).

Remove bread from the oven, place on a wire rack, and cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the pan and continue to cool. When the bottom of the pan can be touched, turn the bread out and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Brownie Cookies

I'm alive.

My long absence may have made you think otherwise, but I'M HERE!!  Just insanely busy with life, but at not one moment did I forget about this blog.  It's just that trying to find time to post AND bake/cook is quite a struggle. 

But I'm here.  Here to share a special brownie cookie recipe, which I'm sure any of you chocolate lovers would love.  Before I do, as always, I'll update you with the recent happenings in my life.

As far as wedding details go, we've gotten a lot more done since the last time I've mentioned it.  Dress is ordered, tuxes have been chosen, menu is tentatively set, and our DJ/lighting is set.  That last one was a major relief!  DJs can make or break a wedding, so we are thrilled to have found someone professional, who we think will set the perfect tone. 

I can't remember if I mentioned before, so I'll mention again.  Our colors will be navy blue and blush pink. Not bright pink, not Barbie pink, not hot pink...it has to be super light, subtle blush pink.  Here are a few photos of inspiration to get you up to date with my "vision."


Navy blue and blush pink invitations.  Image from 100 Layer Cake

Navy bridesmaid dresses.  Image from Wedding Chicks.  Photography by  Paul Von Rieter



Feminine, blush pink shoes are a must!  Image from Bridal Guide

Romantic hairstyle.  Image from Wedding Chicks



Gray tux.  Image from Style Me Pretty  Photography by Meg Smith Photography

Blush pink flowers, candles, simple centerpieces.  Image from Bridelicious

 

As for what's left to do, we need to figure out the floral situation.  We're not sure if we want to use a florist for flowers...expect for maybe a few key pieces, like an arrangement for the ceremony or wedding party table.  I've considered making the bouquets myself and maybe simple table arrangements.  We're not about to throw down major $$ on giant flowery centerpieces that no one will probably even remember.  So for now, that's still on our "to-do" list.

Also, Tony and I went to my friend's birthday dinner a few weeks ago.  She's Morrocan, so she wanted to celebrate her birthday by having us join her for a traditional Morrocan meal at Marrakesh, a restaurant in Costa Mesa, CA.


Myself, Tony, and the birthday girl

 I have to admit, before that night, Tony and I have never tasted Morrocan food before.  However, we're always open to trying new things, and after dinner we concluded that Morrocan food is REALLY good!  The food was delicious, and the atmosphere of the restaurant made it a very fun experience for the both of us.  The menu consists of several prix-fixe meals to choose from, which is great because you get to try a lot of different things. 

We ended up eating the traditional feast:  kabobs/sausage served over couscous and vegetables with Harisa sauce on the side, and our entrees, lemon chicken and honey lamb (which I highly recommend!).  All of the prix-fixe dinners are served with freshly baked rye bread, vegetable soup with lentils, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans, three traditional Morrocan salads (all of these were amazing), Bastilla:  filo dough stuffed with chicken, eggs, and almonds, covered with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and for dessert, fresh mint tea and homemade baklava. 


Three traditional salads:  marinated eggplant, tomatoes & cucumbers, and spiced carrots



Kabobs:  lamb sausage and kabobs served with coucous, vegetables, and Harisa sauce



Bastilla:  filo dough stuffed with chicken, eggs, and almonds baked and covered with powdered sugar and cinnamon



Homemade baklava--my favorite!!

In addition to the great food, there are also belly dancers that periodically perform throughout the restaurant, making it an entertaining experience as well.  The two dancers who came over to our table area were very friendly, and encouraged some of the Overall, it was a great meal, lots of fun, and Tony and I want to go back again sometime so we can enjoy it all over again!

Some of the dinner group, plus the dancers

After talking about Morrocan food, it would be most appropriate to post some sort of Morrocan recipe, but let's be honest here:  I have no idea how to cook Morrocan food.  I just eat it.  So instead, I'll be posting a recipe that is completely unrelated but so good that it doesn't matter:  these awesome brownie cookies I made a couple weeks ago.

I had my eye on these brownie cookies for a while ever since I spotted the recipe on Erica's Sweet Tooth.  I've actually tried similar cookies before from a local bakery, so when I saw these on Erica's blog, I knew I had to try them and see how they compare.

These brownie cookies are exactly as you would imagine.  The tops are nice and crackly like a brownie would be, and slightly fudgy and chewy in the middle.  With such a rich, chocolate flavor, they are perfect for dunking in a big glass of milk.  Best of all, the recipe is incredibly simple--as long as you have the ingredients on hand, you could be enjoying these cookies within the next hour!

If some of you like chocolate, but wouldn't call yourself a "chocolate-lover," you might want to try baking these cookies without the addition of chocolate chips.  The chocolate chips really take the chocolate flavor to another level, but may be much for those who prefer a lighter flavor.

Brownie Cookies
Print this recipe
Yield:  about 30-40 large cookies
Recipe from Erica's Sweet Tooth, originally adapted from Pure & Yummy

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocoalte, chopped
3 cups (18 oz) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine butter, unsweetened chocolate, and 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until butter and chocolate are completely melted and smooth.  Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.  Reduce speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.  Scrape down the sides if necessary and beat well.

Add the chocolate mixture and mix until incorporated.  Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips with a rubber spatula (optional).

Use a medium ice cream scoop or large spoon to form balls of dough and place 1-inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Deep Dark Mocha Cupcakes

FINALLY, another cupcake recipe...right?  I know, it's been a long time since my last post, let alone my last cupcake recipe.  I haven't had much time to cook or bake lately now that I'm so busy in school, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bake some cupcakes for my supervisor, Paulette's, birthday!  Rather than my usual large cupcake batches, I made a simple dozen for Paulette and I to enjoy, so it only took a couple hours out of my day.  After school yesterday, I was able to run home and whip up these birthday treats, and still make it to Starbucks in the afternoon to catch up on studying.

So before I dive into the details of the cupcakes, let me catch you up on the happenings in my life.  Let's see...since the last time I posted, we learned a lot of things in nursing school; things as simple as making an occupied bed, bathing, and checking vital signs to more complicated procedures such as changing sterile dressings (for wounds) and inserting a nasogastric tube.  And that's only been 3 weeks...I can't imagine what the next 3 will bring.  We also had our first exam already!  I'm happy to report my FIRST grade in the nursing program is an A!  Hopefully I can manage to keep it up throughout the semester...I do know that things are not going to get any easier, only harder and more complicated!

Also, on September 8, Tony and I went to a concert together.  We went to the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre in Irvine to watch one of Tony's favorite musical performers, The Dave Matthews Band!  Although I'm familiar with their music, I wouldn't claim myself a DMB fan, but I have to say, I really did enjoy the concert and seeing Tony fulfill something he's always wanted to do. 


Pre-concert tailgating in the parking lot!  FYI Budlight is not my first choice of beer, but in this case, that's what we had!

Now, as I type this second half of the post, my supervisor and I just finished one of these cupcakes and I have to tell you, they are SO good! 

This cupcake recipe is actually a special recipe from Joy of the well known blog, Joy the Baker, the popular and hilarious Joy The Baker podcast and the recent author of a best-selling cookbook, Joy The Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes.  I tried searching for the recipe on her website so I could link to it, but she doesn't have it posted.  I actually received this recipe from Joy herself, in a special "surprise" gift box. 

You see, Joy has this really cool subscription-based gift program set up with Lost Crates where you can purchase a gift for $25 plus $5 shipping on either a monthly or quarterly basis, and receive a special suprise gift box picked out by Joy The Baker herself!  It could contain anything she chooses, such as things for your home or awesome foodie gifts, and the majority of the time, the contents in the gift box actually exceed the $25 price you pay!  I love Joy's food taste and quirky interests and personality, so I always know that I will be pleased with the surprises I receive. 

I've received several gifts through Joy's Lost Crates subscriptions, such as a Rifle Paper Co. gift box which included a notecard set and paper floral coasters, a delicious vanilla-themed box, with high quality vanilla extract, whole vanilla beans, gluten-free flour, and a recipe card for "Banana Breakfast Dumplings with Vanilla Bean Maple Butter," but I think the gift including this cupcake recipe card was my favorite, by far!

This particular box included items from the famous King Arthur Flour Company, focusing on their premium chcoolate ingredients!  The box included double-dutch process cocoa, REAL Guittard chocolate sprinkles (jimmies), espresso powder, colorful cupcake liners, a $10 gift card and catalog for King Arthur Flour, AND best of all, a recipe card for these amazing cupcakes, signed by Joy!


Front of recipe card

Back of recipe card

 If you like cute, quirky things for your home and anything food-related, you would LOVE receiving these surprises from Joy.  If you're interested in trying it out, you can read more about it and sign up here.

I am so glad I made the time to try this cupcake recipe because the flavor is perfect!  I'm a huge coffee lover, so this new recipe is perfect to feed my coffee addiction (yes, I have an addiction, even more so than usual and I blame school for it!).  At first I wasn't sure if the coffee flavor would be strong enough when paired up with the rich chocolate cake, but I think the flavor balance is just right.

The chocolate cake recipe is ridiculously dark, rich, and sooooo good!  Tony taste-tested one last night, and said that the chocolate cake recipe for this cupcake is one of the best he's tried (and trust me, he's tried a lot!).  The high quality double-dutch process cocoa, espresso powder, and buttermilk, I believe, are the keys to this recipe's success.  You can really taste the difference when using good cocoa powder.  I'm all for cupcakes using Hershey's cocoa powder, but if you want rich, gourmet flavor...you just have to use the good stuff!  Plus, the espresso powder; it really makes the chocolate flavor pop, and then the buttermilk keeps the cake nice and moist!
If you love coffee and chocolate, then this is the recipe for you! 

Deep Dark Mocha Cupcakes
Print this recipe
Yield:  12 cupcakes
Recipe from Joy The Baker

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup double-dutch cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp instant espresso
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the coffee buttercream:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp hot water
1 tsp instant espresso
Chocolate jimmies (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.  Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients being careful not to over-mix.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners and bake in oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and one cup of the sugar.  Beat until thick and incorporated.  In a small bowl, stir together vanilla, hot water, and espresso powder.  Stir until powder is dissolved.  Add the remaining sugar and espresso mixture to the bowl.  Beat on medium speed until smooth and slightly fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Spread (or pipe, sparingly) onto cooled cupcakes.  Top with chocolate jimmies, if desired.

Notes:

• If you wish to pipe on your frosting with a decorating tip and like lots of frosting, you may want to double the frosting recipe.  I used one batch of frosting for these cupcakes, but piped VERY sparingly.  The frosting is sweet so I personally don't think more than one batch of frosting is necessary, but do whatever suits your own taste!

Vegetable Cheese Soup

Doesn't this bowl of soup look good?  I sure think so!  Maybe it has to do with the fact that Labor Day just passed--the unofficial "end" of summer, so I'm beginning to anticipate cold-weather foods.  I don't know about the weather where you are, but here in Southern California, it's been a little too hot for me!  Tony and I did try to make the most of our nice weather over Labor Day weekend.  Our friends from San Diego came up to Long Beach with their family to visit, so we spent most of our time eating good food, enjoying a few "adult beverages" and relaxing at their hotel pool.


Cheers!



Halle, Tony, and I riding the ferris wheel at The Pike in downtown LB

Tony gave Ethan his first set of golf clubs

Even though summer weather has its perks, I can't wait to welcome the autumn breezes and cool nights, and start enjoying the variety of comforting fall foods. In fact, I was absolutely thrilled when I went to Starbucks yesterday to see that the ever-so-delicious pumpkin spiced latte is back!  I usually stick to iced coffees, not the sweet, special drinks, but for a pumpkin spiced latte, I make an exception.  I was a happy camper yesterday, enjoying the (freezing) cold AC in Starbucks, nose stuck in my nursing textbook, with my pumpkin spiced latte in hand. 

This is my life now.  Study study study....

Although it's still warm here in California, I know many others have been experiencing wet weather lately so this soup recipe from Lulu The Baker may come in handy!  Even if it's still hot where you live, the cool weather will be here before you know it.

This Vegetable Cheese Soup is a great recipe for cold weather.  It's easily adaptable to whatever vegetables you prefer, and is a great option for picky eaters.  If you want more protein, feel free to throw in some chicken or any other type of meat.  If you don't like carrots, leave them out, or add another vegetable instead.  I'm sure corn would be great in this soup!  Whatever adjustment you make (or maybe none at all), this is a great base recipe suitable to anyone's tastes.

Vegetable Cheese Soup
Print this recipe
Yield:  6-8 servings
Recipe from Lulu the Baker

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes depending on how small they were chopped.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Spiced Honey Glazed Chicken

I can't believe this day is finally here.  Today I completed my FIRST day of nursing school.  Many, many days full of studying and sleepless nights lie ahead, but despite the stress that will come, I'm currently excited about what the next two years will bring!  My uniform is ready for use and most of my first semester books are purchased.

These huge books are only some of the books I'll be studying out of this semester.  I still need to purchase my two pharmacology books, so imagine two more books in that stack.  Thankfully, we don't have to bring ALL of them to class, but we still need several...and each book weighs a ton!  Especially those bottom two; they're like encyclopedias!

Hopefully, as I progress through the program, I'll still be able to cook meals at home every once in a while.  I have quite a few recipes ready to post, but (if you haven't noticed) I'm posting them slowly so I don't run out, just in case!

 For today's recipe, I'm going to share one that I discovered on Pinterest.  This Spiced Honey Glazed Chicken is pretty easy to make, and ends up as really delicious, flavorful chicken.  The sugars in the honey crisp up under the broiler, making a sweet and spicy coating for the juicy chicken.

Tony and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish, and it was a great last-minute way to cook the package of chicken legs and thighs that I had recently purchased.  One of my favorite things about this dish is that it uses very few ingredients, all of which are pretty common and can probably find in your pantry.  We ended up pairing this chicken with a mushroom-potato side dish, but feel free to pair it with any side of veggies or carbs...or both!

Spiced Honey Glazed Chicken
Print this recipe
Yield:  about 4 servings (8 chicken thighs)
Recipe from Nutmeg Nanny

Ingredients:
1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 8 thighs per pkg)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to broil setting.

Mix spices together in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix honey and cider vinegar in another small bowl and set aside.

Un-tuck chicken thighs so they are flat.  Rub chicken surface with spice mixture, lay flat onto sheet pan.  When all chicken has been seasoned, put pan under broiler.

Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes on one side and flip.  Cook for 5-7 more minutes on other side.  Flip again, then baste the chicken with the honey mixture, making sure to completely coat chicken.  Return pan to oven and let cook under the broiler for a few minutes, until the honey starts to thicken up and glaze.

Remove chicken from oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Notes:
If you do not want to use your broiler setting or have a gas oven, you can bake the chicken at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Are you a fan of chickpeas? 

I'm not.  At least, not whole chickpeas.  I would only enjoy chickpeas blended into a fine paste and made into hummus.  However, I bought a few large cans of chickpeas once to make some hummus, only to find that hummus is REALLY hard to make without a food processor. 

Yeah.  I made it with a blender.  It worked...but only after struggling to mix and blend, mix and blend, mix and blend, an insane amount of times, which by that time I was so frustrated with the whole process that I swore to never use a blender again to make hummus again. 

Oh sure, the hummus turned out pretty tasty, and the cost of making it homemade is way cheaper than storebought hummus...but rather than struggle every time I crave hummus, I've figured I'll just someday purchase a food processor.

Someday.

And, let's just say that "someday" has not come yet.  So I'm stuck with a couple cans of chickpeas in my pantry, and I don't want them to go to waste...so what do I do??  Make ROASTED chickpeas!

Yes!  Finally a solution to my overabundance of canned chickpeas.  This recipe does not require a food processor, eliminates the drab flavor and unappealing texture of chickpeas that I dislike, and results in a crunchy, flavorful snack! 

These Roasted Chickpeas are incredibly easy to make.  Simply toss the rinsed, drained chickpeas with olive oil and a special blend of spices, then roast on a sheet pan in the oven until done! 

Simple. 

And delicious. 

Enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
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Recipe from Our Best Bites, originally adapted from What's Gaby Cooking

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking mat.  Set aside.  Drain and rinse chickpeas and pat dry with paper towels.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the spices and olive oil.  Toss the chickpeas in the spice mixture until coated evenly.  Spread chickpeas over a lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven.  Use a spatula to toss the chickpeas, then return pan to oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy.  Allow to cool before serving.

Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

Hi everyone!  I have a great recipe to share with you all today.  Doesn't that slice of quiche above make you hungry?  It is so good, filled with bright green pieces of broccoli and gooey, cheddar cheese, and suprisingly, the crust is not your traditional butter-filled crust.  This crust is actually made with brown rice!

Before I share the recipe, I'll also update you all with some news in my life.  Let's see...within the last week I've finally taken my final and finished my first nursing class!  This is great news, because it means I finally get a 2 week break from school.  I can now focus a little more time on updating this blog and catching up on my blog-reading. 

Also, Tony and I have been trying to fit in time for our wedding "to-do's."  We still have a few vendors to find, and details to plan but so far I'm not feeling too much pressure!  One thing we did finally get around to is mailing out our save-the-date cards!  I'm so happy with the way they turned out:

We used one of our engagement photos for the card.  We have some other AMAZING photos taken by our talented photographer, Wes Hamachi, which I will eventually share with you in the future.  Wes focuses a lot more on landscape photography, but he's a great engagement photographer as well!  Check out his website to see some absolutely beautiful landscape photos.

Now, as for this quiche, most of the ingredients in it are pretty typical (egg, cheese, veggies) but what really makes this quiche unique is its crust.  The crust is not your typical buttery pie crust.  Instead, this crispy crust is made out of brown rice!  I was immediately intrigued with this idea when I first discovered this recipe because not only did I not feel like going through the efforts of making and rolling out pie dough, but the brown rice is a healthier option.

See how crispy the brown rice turns out?  This is due to the twice-baked method.  The crust is pressed in the pan and baked for about 7 minutes, then the filling is added and baked again for another 35 minutes.  It results in a crisp golden crust.  Oh, and if you're wondering what those dark grains are within the crust, I actually didn't use pure brown rice.  I used leftover rice from dinner the night before, which I got from Trader Joe's and is described on its package as a "brown rice medley" so there were some other grains in this crust as well...and it still turned out delicious!  I hope you enjoy this recipe and are inspired by this new brown rice crust method.

Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust
Print this recipe
Yield:  6 servings
Recipe from A Little Bit Crunchy..., originally from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
5 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces and blanched
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 green onions, sliced
1 pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Mix the rice, finely grated cheese and one egg in a bowl.  Press the rice mixture into a pie plate, about 1/4-inch thick. 

Bake in a preheated 450 degree F oven until the edges and bottom start turning golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Mix the remaining eggs, milk, broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese and green onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven until golden brown and set in the center, about 30 to 35 minutes.