Ever since my school days I really wondered what my carnivorous egg-loving friends enjoyed so much about quiche.
Being a vegetarian, I never dared to take a bite to find out;) I hated it when the caterers at school breakfasts, parties and events would INSIST that the quiche was “vegetarian”. I’m happy that now I have crossed a simple thing like quiche off of my bucket-list.
I’ve been day dreaming of eating a quiche for breakfast for two weeks now. I’m not sure how I got the urge! I think I’ve been reminiscing on an amazing vegetarian quiche my friend Dimple once made. (Hoping when she reads this she will send us the recipe) I’ve decided that I have to me more generous with myself in order to connect with my readers! In that case….I have to confess that her quiche was SO good, I think I may downed one too many slices in the backseat of her car while travelling to Tzaneen. ( Half the tupperware,maybe?)
Gluttonous , I know.
This was my first try at an adapted, “healthier” version of an egg-free quiche.
I’m really thrilled that the crust has NO butter in it – cutting back on all those delicious calories of flakey shortcrust pastry that we all love.
I made the crust using whole wheat flour, a little bit of brain ( to make it seem EXTRA healthy) and some olive oil. I think thats quite a win if you’re trying looking to cut down!
prep time: 20 minutes (work effectively!)
cooking time: 30min serves : 6
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup plain flour
2 tbsp wheat bran ( you can add wheat germ too )
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water – must be very chilled ( I added a block of ice to my cup)
1 1/2 cups of rice or baking beans
For the filling:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp green chilli
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp olive oil
+-4 cups chopped, uncooked spinach ( I estimated a big bunch )
1 1/2 cup chopped portobellini mushrooms ( or any mushrooms you prefer)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese or crumbled paneer
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 tbsp goats cheese or feta
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp reduced fat fresh cream
2 tbsp corn flour
black pepper
salt
Method:
For the Pastry:
Mix the flour and salt together.
Add the olive oil and rub through until completely combined.
Gradually and slowly ,add the water and combine until the mixture sticks together when pinched.
On a floured surface, roll out the crust until its about 7mm thick.
Gently lift and shape it into a tart tin.
Prick holes into the crust. Cover with a sheet of baking paper. Firmly press the rice down. This is to make sure that your pastry doesn’t rise during baking.
Bake at 180 degrees for 20minutes. Remove the rice and baking paper and bake for a further 5-7 minutes.
For the filling:
It would be a good time-saving idea to prepare your filling while the crust is baking.
Roughly chop the spinach. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the cumin and chilli and fry until sizzling.
Sauté the spinach and mushrooms together until they’re just cooked. Don’t aim to wilt till dead here!
Add the nutmeg, a good amount of black pepper, and a tiny bit of salt to taste. Cook for a further 5minutes.
In a processor, or by hand, mix the ricotta, milk, cornflour and cream together. You can add a touch of paprika to this mixture like I did! I just couldn’t resist. Add a pinch of salt too.
Once your crust has cooled slightly, spread a little bit of cheddar cheese to cover the base.
Add the spinach and mushroom filling, and top with the creamy ricotta mixture.
Sprinkle a bit of pepper and finish with a final layer of the remaining cheddar and feta.
Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before digging in!
By mistake, I doubled the quantity of the pastry dough. I think it turned out to be quite a great idea – I made some extra filling so that my family can enjoy a slice of quiche and fresh green salad for lunch tomorrow!
The more time the quiche has to rest, the better it sets.
A really good “make – ahead” dish for busy people like you!
P.S…I’ve corrected the ONE spelling mistake I made in this post for my observant friend Misha. ( Yes I made sure I counted) 🙂
Table Studio 