6: Mediterranean Quiche

And now, the continuation of "A Tale of Two Quiches..."

In my previous post, I explained that a short weekend at the lake house means bringing some quick and easy foods.  For my recent lake-weekend, I made two different flavors of "shortcut" quiche, meaning two easy quiche flavors using pre-packaged pie crust. 

Ever since my vegetarian days, I not only have a deep, passionate love for vegetables, but I also really appreciate having meatless options available when I'm feeding groups of people.  I made the Ham & Cheddar Quiche as a more basic, popular flavor (read: something my husband would eat), and I made this Mediterranean-style quiche mostly for myself. 

One of my favorite flavor combinations is mushrooms with spinach.  Add feta, and I'm ALL ABOUT IT.  To add some color and another layer of flavor, I decided to include roasted red peppers.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• Milk
• 6 oz. Feta
• Bag of fresh, baby spinach
• Sliced button or baby portabella mushrooms
• Roasted red peppers (make your own, or go "shortcut" style like I did)
• Pie crust
• Butter or olive oil for sauteing

First, I pressed the pre-made pie crust into the pie pan.  I just like to have things ready to go so that as my ingredients are prepped, I can throw them in.

After that teeny, tiny bit of "setup" I jump in to the good stuff: sauteing mushrooms and spinach in olive oil or butter.  Also known as "mmmmm... that smells/looks delicious."  I use one really big pan so that I can do everything together and still have room to stir.

Few things in the culinary world get my
juices flowing like mushrooms sauteed in
butter, especially when you add some
onion and garlic... But for this "easy quiche"
I stuck to just a few key ingredients.

Once the mushrooms are pretty well cooked,
I add handfuls of the spinach.  Mushrooms
take longer, where the spinach cooks up and
wilts very fast. As it shrinks, add another handful
at a time until the entire bag is in the pan.

Once the mushrooms and spinach look like
this, you're ready to add them to the crust.
I usually poach a few stray mushrooms in
order to conduct a "taste test." You know,
just to make sure it doesn't taste bad... ;)

You can either put half the mixture in the
bottom and add a second layer later, or
you can just create a really thick layer of
spinach and mushrooms in the bottom.
Either way, sprinkle half the feta on top.

Here, I'd like to say a few words about cheese.  I know I mentioned in my Ham & Cheddar Quiche post that I'm dedicated to "Extra Sharp" Cheddar.  The truth is, I'm fairly particular about cheese in general.  Hm... I should amend that statement... I ADORE CHEESE.  I'm not particular in the "picky eater" way.  I mean, if you put cheese anywhere NEAR my face, it will get eaten.  I don't care if it's Velveeta (yeah, yeah... I know a lot of people make fun of Velveeta or other processed cheeses, but honestly, those have their place too!) or if it is some gourmet manchego, I'll eat it.  The way in which I'm particular is simply that some brands or suppliers taste better to me than others.  Feta is one such cheese for me.  I use feta a lot more than most people probably... I love in on paninis, in omelets, on salads, with rice, in quesadillas... I just love the texture and flavor.  Seeing as how I love feta, and seeing as how I shop at no fewer than three different grocery stores, I have tried a variety of brands.  I know I talk about Trader Joe's in almost every single blog post, but seriously folks, Trader Joe's is awesome.  The "Trader Joe's" brand of almost anything is of great quality and usually has a pretty kick-ass price.  Plus, they seem to "get" their consumer.  For example, Trader Joe's has this little brick of feta.  Most often, you'll find feta in crumble form, usually sold in small tubs.  That's great for lots of things, but I went with the brick on this quiche because I've found that the denser texture holds up better in dishes that are baked or cooked longer.  Plus, you can make the chunks or pieces as big or as small as you want, and that flexibility is nice.

Once I've added all or most of the feta
on top of the spinach and mushrooms,
I slice up the roasted red peppers.  Since
this was a "quick-quiche" I used pre-made.

You can dice them up into smaller pieces,
do large chucks, or basically cut them to
your personal preference.  I went with small
strips.  I like the way they look like that.

Now, you'll probably notice in any quiches I do, that I like a really "layered" approach.  That's just my preference.  I just love using a fork to cut into a slice of quiche and seeing a thick layer of sauteed spinach, or tasting a layer of cheese.  There are times where I mix all the ingredients together, even with the eggs sometimes, in order to get a more uniform appearance.  I just think there is something to be said about cutting a piece and getting a great view of all the different tasty treats hiding inside.  Plus, it helps ensure you get a little bit of everything in each bite.

To make the egg mixture, I beat half a dozen eggs very thoroughly with some milk or cream until the mixture is kind of foamy.  It doesn't take long, especially if you get some assistance from an egg beater or mixer.  I'm not going into details here, as I already covered this bit in my previous post.



  


Next, I pour the egg mixture over the top of the quiche, gently to make sure I don't totally disrupt all the fillings.  Then I use the remaining feta over the top, and finish off with a generous sprinkling of my very favorite herb, oregano.  Seriously, people!  Basil gets all the glory.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love basil.  It is delicious and full of flavor that works in soooooo many different dishes and even beverages.  However, oregano is super delicious and honestly, it's almost as versatile as basil.  I use it when I saute vegetables, when I scramble eggs, on fish, on chicken, on pork... If you haven't tried a heavy-handed dose of oregano on something, you should try it!

Finally, I pop the whole thing in the oven at 250° for 45 minutes to an hour.  Personally, I like the top to have a shiny, golden brown appearance, especially on a veggie flavor.

There you have it!  An easy, vegetarian quiche that will provide a week of meals.  Oh, and it tastes fantastic too!  I should know, I ate this entire thing!  Um, not in one sitting, though.  I promise.

Love & Eggs,

Laura

These eggs brought to you by 
my backyard flock.