Easy Vegetarian Quiche

Dear Reader,

I’m going to let you in on a little secret — it’s not hard to make a good quiche.

Recently, at a potluck event, my little vegetable quiche surprisingly garnered a handful of compliments. How did you make it? What’s your secret? I was taken aback because quiche is incredibly simple to make and the basic “quiche” format has a lot to offer. Just because it looks fancy and sounds French, doesn’t mean it’s hard to make (it’s not!). So, today, I’m sharing a customizable vegetable quiche recipe because anyone can make a good quiche.

Recipe Overview

Equipment

• 9” pie dish
• Food processor (if you choose to make the crust from scratch)
• Freezer/ refrigerator
• Oven
• Stove (+ pot/ pan) or Microwave (dependent on the vegetables you choose to prepare)
• Small and Large bowl
• Utensils + measuring cups/ spoons
• Optional — colander to drain boiled vegetables
• Optional — foil to cover dough/ to prevent crust from browning
• Optional — roller for dough (hands are an adequate substitute)

Part I – Crust

• I have provided a simple crust recipe (10 mins hands-on time/ 20 mins hands-off)
• You can save time by purchasing a frozen 9” pie dish (no need to defrost!)
• You can also skip the crust altogether (healthier option — no butter!) and just line the pie dish with a non-stick spray

Part II — Filling

• Suggested vegetables — broccoli or asparagus or spinach + mushrooms or onions
• Suggested milk — whole or 2% (I used skim, which was fine, but I have used whole milk in the past with better results; I’ve never used a non-dairy milk…I’m just not sure what would happen…).
• Suggested cheese — shredded cheddar; blended cheeses (like Colby Jack or Mexican Cheese)

PART I. CRUST

10 mins prep/ 20 mins in the freezer

CRUST INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (sea salt, table salt — whichever!)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), sliced into small cubes
  • If you only have salted butter — that’s cool too! Just omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt from your recipe.

Time-saving note: A store-bought, frozen 9” crust also works well! Usually, there is no need to defrost these before using them. If you are calorie conscious, you can even go crustless!

CRUST INTSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and cold water until combined. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, add the flour, butter, and salt. Pulse until mixed.
3. Add the egg-water mixture into the food processor. Pulse until the lumps become dough.
4. Remove the dough from the food processor and transfer the dough onto a lightly-floured surface. (You may also want to add flour to your hands or the roller)
5. Roll out the dough (and estimate the measurements so it stretches out over your 9” pie tin)
6. Place the stretched-out dough in the pie tin. Press the dough so it covers all the edges
7. Let the dough sit in the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes, cover with plastic wrap or foil, (if you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, let the dough sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour).

PART II. FILLING & BAKING

15-20 mins prep/ 30-40 mins bake

 FILLING INGREDIENTS

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups chopped vegetables
  • Best options include: broccoli florets, asparagus, mushrooms (or a mix!)
  • If you would like spinach; consider substituting 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, and wrung free of water; or 3 cups fresh spinach
  • Option: add a little flavor like 1/4 cup sweet or red onion; or add a dash or parsley or something else fancy
  • Be sure to have some oil or butter on hand to cook onions/ mushrooms if you choose to use them
• 3/4 cup whole milk (can use 2% or less, but full-fat milk is better)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheese
  • Cheese blends work great (“Mexican cheese,” Colby Jack, etc.) for maximum flavor
  • Shredded cheddar also works well

FILLING & BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Prepare vegetables
   1. If your broccoli came frozen in a bag, cook according to microwave or boiling advice.
   2. If you’re working with frozen spinach defrost, and wring free of water
   3. If you’ve chosen mushrooms or onions, add cooking oil to a pan (set stove to medium high) and cook until lightly browned; cool, set aside
   4. If you have fresh vegetables (broccoli or asparagus), add water to a small pot, add vegetables, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a colander, drain, and cool. Chop vegetables into small pieces.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper
4. Stir in the chopped vegetables and shredded cheese
5. Pour mixture into the prepared pie crust
6. Bake quiche for 30-40 minutes (ovens vary, so start checking after 25 mins; bake until the center is firm).
   1. Crust may brown, if you’re talented enough to the tent crust with foil consider doing so.
7. Cool (for like 10 mins) and serve

Enjoy your deceptively simple and fancy creation.

Love,

Raven