Quiche to live for!

I never gave quiche much thought until it was presented to me in the most elegant setting.  It was summer of 2001, and I found myself in London, England. I was traveling with my aunt Hope and a few of our friends. We were there for many reasons, but one of our mutual friends was getting married and we happened to get invited to the pre-wedding party. The party was held at the groom’s mother’s apartment in Notting Hill. I remember walking into the apartment and instantly being enchanted. It was decorated like a mini version of the royal palace. Colors of gold and blue tickled my eyes, and all the detailing was so well thought out. From the candle fixtures to the linens on the table, everything was done extremely tastefully. I remember the kitchen had a collection of pigs in chef hats. So cute. I was happy to be in a new place, but even more excited when I found out the groom’s mother had made 12 different kinds of quiche for our dinner. Needless to say, the dinner party was a smash, all her quiches were absolutely sublime. I got bitten by the quiche bug.

That same summer, I flew to Stockholm, Sweden to visit family friends, Kajsa and her lovely mother Anita. It was a whirlwind trip. I was so taken by theSwedish people and all their offerings–great shops, beautiful architecture,  salmon roe in a tube that resembled a toothpaste container, lamb roasted outside by a lake, and gorgeous parks. Kajsa and Anita made sure to make my visit eventful and introduced every last inch of beautiful Stockholm to me. One evening we decided to stay in for dinner. With Anita being a master in the kitchen… it was a no brainer. She asked what I fancied for dinner. Before I realized, the next words that were spilling out of my mouth were, “Do you know how to make quiche, Anita?” She looked at me with a face that read “challenge me.” Then answered, “Of course, it’s really simple.” The rest is history. For the next hour, I sat and marveled at her every move. That’s where I learned to make quiche… a cozy kitchen in Stockholm, Sweden.

Since then, I’ve played with so many variations of quiche, keeping what I loved of Anita’s teachings and adding touches of my own.

Ingredients:

1 – teaspoon olive oil

1 – pint cherry tomatoes (chopped in half)

1 – teaspoon garlic powder

1 – teaspoons of salt

2 – teaspoon black pepper

1 – package of Pillsbury pre-rolled pie crusts (two packages come per box,  you’ll need both)

2 – cups baby spinach (fresh)

6 – ounces crumbled feta cheese

1 1/2 – cups sliced mushrooms

6 – stalks green onion (chopped)

1 – teaspoon of Lawry’s seasoned salt

1 1/2 – cups colby jack cheese (shredded)

1/3 – cup chopped fresh basil

1 1/4 – cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

1 – heaping tablespoon spicy brown mustard (I use Gulden’s)

11 – eggs

1 3/4 – cups half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a frying pan, pour in olive oil over a medium high flame and allow oil to get really hot, then toss in cherry tomatoes with garlic powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Saute on each side for 4 minutes. Then take off flame and set to the side.

In a round 12-inch baking dish at least 2 inches deep, take one of the packages of pie crust and place on the bottom of dish. Then take the other pie crust, lay it out on a flat surface and cut it into 4 long pieces.  Take each piece and line all around the baking dish to form a crust up the edge of dish. Some of the pie crust will hang over the edge, and that’s okay. Next, grab a fork and make little puncture holes all over the pie crust leaving a half inch in between fork holes.

Now the layering begins: Start with the baby spinach and arrange at the bottom of pie crust lined baking dish. Once you have the spinach spread out evenly and neatly, then add feta cheese. Next lay all mushrooms flat to create the next layer.

With any of the excess pie crust pinch dough in between thumb and two fingers, go around the edge of the baking dish forming the crust.

Go back to building your quiche. Add a layer of green onion, Lawry’s seasoned salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper .

Then add shredded colby jack cheese. Next, take your sauteed tomatoes and distribute them evenly to create your next layer.

Sprinkle chopped basil on top of the tomatoes, and then add shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

In a big mixing bowl, add spicy brown mustard, eggs and half and half and beat until combined. Lastly, pour entire egg mixture slowly over the top of your vegetable cheese layered pie crust.

Put in the center of the oven and bake for one hour.

Voila… you have quiche and it’s so good!

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