I love quiche. For breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner ... quiche is always appropriate, in my opinion. It takes a bit of time to prepare, but it is so worth it, and (if planned accordingly) rewards can be reaped for days.
I spent some time this past weekend perusing my extensive stock of cooking magazines, learning and becoming inspired. I've had so much going on recently (what with my pup's recovery from her flying attempt and all...) that I haven't given much thought to meal preparation. It seemed like an excellent time to get back in the swing of eating well.
So I created my meal plan for the week and made the grocery list. With some wonderful menus planned, I decided that a spinach quiche would be just the way to start the "Week of Tasty Sups."
The original recipe calls for frozen spinach, but I simply can't stomach that. It tastes so synthetic to me; I much prefer fresh spinach. I also like to combine some additional vegetables—for color as much as flavor. This time I added one yellow pepper and two plum tomatoes. Top with some sliced kalamata olives after the first 15 minutes of baking, and you have a beautiful combination of flavors.
This quiche is just rich enough without feeling heavy. I think next time I'll leave out the cheddar and add some garbanzo beans and more feta to round out the Mediterranean flavor. I should also mention that I generally make two quiches instead of just one. The pie crusts come in a two-pack after all, and leftover quiche is delicious. I suppose it could be frozen, but mine is hanging out in the fridge awaiting its next appearance.
Any combination of additions/subtractions would likely work well here. Make it your own, and enjoy!
Spinach Quiche*
1/2 c butter—I used about 1/4 of that and have also used olive oil (instead) in the past
3 cloves garlic, chopped—I used 5 ... really big cloves. I love garlic!
1 small onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 package spinach
sliced kalamata olives
1 package herb and garlic feta
1 package shredded cheddar
salt and pepper
9-inch pie crust (x2)
4 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in yellow pepper and saute about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach, tomatoes, feta and 1/2 c cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into crust, allowing egg mixture to combine with spinach mixture.
Bake 15 minutes. Top with sliced kalamatas and remaining cheddar and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until set in the center. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
*Recipe discovered on AllRecipes.com.
