Spinach Quiche
Pâte Brisée (From New Recipes for the Cuinart Food Processor)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sweet butter, frozen, cut into 1-Tablespoon pieces
¼ teaspoon salt
2 whole eggs
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Cooking Directions:
1. With metal blade in place, add flour, butter and salt to the beaker of the food processor.
2. Process, turning on and off rapidly, until butter is cut into flour and very small granules are formed, about 10 seconds.
3. Add eggs and lemon juice.
4. Continue processing until ball of dough form on blade. If dough seems too soft, sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour and process until combined, about 6 seconds
5. Form into two ball, cover with waxed paper and refrigerate.
Makes: Two 8 or 9-inch pastry shells or 8 mini tart shells.
Spinach Quiche
Ingredients:
Pâte Brisée (1 ball of dough)
Uncooked beans or rice
Egg yolk, beaten
1 small onion diced
4 ounces Gruyère, Comté, or Swiss cheese, grated
1-pound fresh spinach or 1 10-oz package frozen spinach
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch pepper
¾ teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 ½ teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 eggs
1 ½ cup heavy cream or ¾ cup heavy cream and ¾ cup whole yoghurt
1 small tomato cut into ½ inch slices
Cooking directions:
Preheat oven to 425 ⁰F
1. Spray the pie pan with Pam.
2. Roll out dough (or use pre-made crust) and put in pie pan. Flute edges.
3. Gently prick bottom and sides of crust.
4. Cover bottom with a generous round of aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with 2 cups dried beans.
5. Bake for 18 minutes.
6. Remove beans and aluminum paper. Then, wash pastry with a little beaten egg.
7. Return to oven for an additional 3 minutes.
8. Set aside and allow to cool as you make filling.
9. Turn down oven to 375 ⁰F
10. Sauté onions until caramelized and set aside.
11. Steam spinach until wilted. Drain thoroughly pressing down on spinach to extract as much water as possible. Then, wrap in paper towels and squeeze.
12. Add to beaker with metal blade in place the drained spinach, lemon juice, salt, pepper, tarragon and grated nutmeg. Process until finely chopped. Remove and set aside.
13. Spread mustard on the pie crust bottom using a pastry brush.
14. Put eggs and cream into the beaker and process.
15. Add back in the spinach mixture and process.
16. Put sautéed onions on the bottom of the crust.
17. Add grated cheese then egg, cream and spinach mixture.
18. Place pie crust on a tray (in case of spillage) and add egg mixture 2/3 to the top.
19. Add tomato slices in a decorative pattern.
20. Put pie in the upper third of the oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until puffed and browned.
21. Slice quiche onto a hot platter and serve.
NB: As it cool, the quiche shrinks down. It can also be served at room temperature although it is always tastier warmed up a bit, however, it will never puff again.
Makes: Four main course or six appetizer servings. You can also make four mini-tart-sized quiches which are perfect for brunch.
Wine Suggestions: Chenin Blanc, Arneis, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner