Porridge with Spiced Quince and Rhubarb

It is definitely porridge weather this weekend, and I was inspired eating breakfast this Thursday morning at a little bakery in Salamanca, Hobart. Their porridge, flavoured with honey and figs, was was delicious!

Yesterday afternoon I happened across some lovely quinces and a great looking bunch of rhubarb, so last night I did a bit of baking...

I cut up the quinces and rhubarb and placed them in an ovenproof dish.. I sprinkled over two teaspoons of cinnamon, two tablespoons of brown sugar and just under 1/4 cup of ginger cordial that I had stashed in the pantry (fresh ginger would also be great, although if you are doing that you might need a bit more sugar). I poured in about half a cup of some sweet red wine (I used some Brown Brothers Ciena), although any sweet desert wine would have done the trick, and then mixed it all together. Oh and added about a dozen chopped dates too for good measure.

Baked them covered in a low oven (150 degrees celcuis) for over an hour or just until the quinces are really soft. By this stage the rhubarb has lost it's shape, but I like it that way so it worked out well!

I had some this morning with my porridge- the spicy, tartness of the quinces and rhubarb worked really well with the creaminess of the porridge. I have quite a bit left over and also think it would work wonderfully with some thick greek yogurt, sprinkled with toasted almonds and walnuts and maybe a drizzle of honey.

Quiche... Aunty Mary style!

My dinner tonight was inspired by my Aunty Mary, my Mum's sister. At christmas time last year she made the most DELICIOUS quiche to bring for Christmas lunch. It was a regular quiche filling, but instead of a pastry crust she had used cooked rice to form a fantastic savoury crust! It was moist and flavourful- she had added grated tasty cheese and herbs as well as a few knobs of butter and an egg to the rice- and it was a taste sensation! A regular quiche revolution!

I decided to try a version for dinner tonight, using ready-cooked brown rice and a vegetarian filling. I heated the rice according to the packet instructions and added a teaspoon of butter, grated parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. I then added an egg and mixed it thoroughly.
Using a non-stick baking dish, I heaped the rice mixture in before shaping it much the same way as you would shape pastry for a quiche; ensuring that the rice was evenly spread and that there weren't any holes. I baked it in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes, then pulled it out and brushed the rice with some egg white. I then put it back in the oven for 2 mins or so. This part was my Aunty's hot tip- the egg white forms a 'seal' to ensure that the quiche mixture doesn't seep into the rice too much.

I then added my quiche filling, consisting of;
-4 eggs
-a generous handful of chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil and oregano)
-grated parmesan cheese
-1/4 cup light milk
-a sauteed spring onion and a handful of baby spinach leaves

I baked it in a moderate oven until the filling had JUST set... and voila! Yummo. Thanks Aunty Mary!