Photo: Miriam KreshSpinach and mushroom quiche
This cheese-and-veg-loaded tart is a sweet way to get your family to eat leafy greens.
The Little One won't eat spinach unless it's mingled with mushrooms and cheese. I'm not one to make my family eat foods they don't like, but spinach, well… spinach is so good for you. So I bake a delectable quiche with the required mushrooms and cheese, and serve it warm. It doesn't last very long.
As for the crust, I don’t even get the food processor out to mix it up. I just rub the butter into the salty flour, scooping up more flour from the bowl to release any butter clinging to my fingers. I like the friction of grainy flour in my hands. The work relaxes me. But for those who don’t like that idea, just whirl your crust ingredients in the food processor.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cold butter, diced
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Water or milk (by tablespoons, as needed)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen spinach
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk, buttermilk, or loose sour cream
- 3/4 cup firm cheese to slice and lay over crust
- 1/2 cup another, mild cheese, for filling (brie is good, but any mild cheese will work)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the crust
For the filling
Directions
(Photo: Miriam Kresh)
For the crust:
Rub the butter into the flour, or put the flour into the food processor and add the diced butter – until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add the salt.
Add the liquid, one tablespoon at a time. Go slowly and stop adding liquid as soon as the dough holds together.
Make a ball of the dough, wrap it up in plastic wrap or a clean plastic bag, and chill it for an hour in the fridge.
Meanwhile, prepare your filling.
For the filling:
If you're using fresh spinach, wash it and steam it quickly in its own rinse water. Add no salt. If using thawed-out frozen spinach, steam it with no added water or salt. Chop it up coarsely.
Chop the onion. Sauté it in a little olive oil or butter until it begins to soften. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Sauté the vegetables until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the fire.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk and beat again. Add a pinch of salt and another of pepper. Set the bowl aside – in the fridge if the kitchen is hot.
Slice the first cheese. Chop the second cheese into large dice.
Assemble the quiche:
Roll the dough out and fit it into your baking pan. I usually place a sheet of baking paper on the pan first because I hate to scrub out baking pans. But it’s not as pretty.
Fit the slices of firm cheese over the raw crust.
Mix the sautéed vegetables into the spinach; mound all on top of the crust.
Pour the beaten egg/milk mixture over and into the vegetables. Dot the cubed cheese all over.
Transfer (carefully) to the oven, pre-heated to 375° F (190° C). Bake for 35-40 minutes.
This dairy, vegetarian dish is light yet filling – comfortable for lunch or dinner on a hot day.
Related Topics: Baking, Breakfast, Vegetarian
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