Quiche is a simple and quick dish to make. Whether for breakfast or dinner, quiche is an exciting way to incorporate a selection of ingredients and flavours.
The History of Quiche: Quiche Lorraine
Thought of a classic French dish, quiche has its origins in Germany. In Lothringen, which would later become Lorraine, quiche was a type of “open cake” made with a custard of eggs and milk or cream and baked in a pastry crust. Named after its hometown of Lorraine, the quiche Lorraine is today one of the most popular forms of quiche. The original quiche Lorraine featured egg, cream custard, and smoked bacon or lardons. Cheese was not added to the quiche Lorraine until much later. The traditional crust of the quiche was made of bread dough and not the flaky pie crust that most are familiar with today.
Fun and Easy to Prepare Quiche Using Fresh or Frozen Vegetables
Quiche is a fast and simple dish to make as it does not require exact measurements to turn out perfectly. Quiche is a great medium for experimentation with different ingredients. With endless variety of vegetarian and meat quiches, the dish can be customized to an individual’s specific tastes. As well, quiche works well with either fresh ingredients in the summer months when a variety of produce is readily available or in the winter months with canned or frozen vegetables.
Here is a basic quiche recipe that is open to experimentation. Any of the vegetable or meat ingredients may be substituted for another variety in the same quantities.
Delicious Spinach, Ham and Mushroom Quiche Recipe:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 9 inch frozen pie shell (may be substituted for fresh or homemade)
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup sliced white mushrooms in bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup chopped cooked ham in bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp dried or fresh dill
- 1 tsp Dijon or whole grain mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, crack 5 eggs and whisk until yolks are broken. Add 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp of dill, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Add 1 cup of cottage cheese, ½ a cup of chopped cooked ham, and ½ a cup of sliced mushrooms to egg mixture. Add half of the shredded cheddar cheese and set aside the remaining cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Line the bottom of the pie shell with a layer of freshly washed and dried baby spinach leaves. Carefully pour the egg and vegetable mixture into the pie shell on top of the layer of spinach. Ensure that the mixture is spread evenly over the pie shell.
- Sprinkle the top of the pie with the remaining shredded cheese and place quiche in the centre of the pre-heated oven.
- Cook quiche for 35-40 minutes depending on oven temperature. Quiche is cooked when egg mixture “puffs” up and the top is lightly browned and shredded cheese melted. Test for doneness by poking the centre of the quiche with a toothpick or fork, ensuring egg mixture is no longer liquid. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serve the quiche on its own or accompanied with a small salad for dinner or fresh fruit at breakfast.
Rachel West - Rachel resides in Toronto, Ontario and works as an Online Merchandiser for Entertainment, writing about the latest DVDs and CDs for a high ...
