Florentine Quiche

Quiche is one of those really cool, super versatile formula recipes.  Start with a pie crust in 9 inch shallow pan.  Whisk the egg and milk mixture together with seasonings until just blended.  Keep the quantities of remaining ingredients according to the formula above — but the rest is up to you, what you have on hand and how brave you are! See end of post for alternatives.   I tend to stick with bacon or ham for the meat, spinach for the vegetable and Swiss cheese because 1) this is a tasty way to eat cooked spinach for all its healthy benefits and 2) it’s a  good flavor combination!   Bytes and his brother figured out early on that “Florentine” is “code”  for spinach.  🙂

If you like a firm crust, prepare it and bake for 12 minutes, then let it cool while preparing filling.   OR you can grease the pan and omit the crust entirely for a low carb, gluten free main dish.   To assemble quiche, spread meat evenly on crust. Next add vegetables, chopped or cut into bite sized pieces.  Add a sharp grated cheese.   Tonight I used a mix of swiss, shredded (not grated) parmesean and provolone because “somebody” used half the Swiss (in  quesadillas!) before I got to it.  I like to “toss” the spinach and and most of the cheese together in the crust because it makes a smoother overall texture.   The fat in the dairy products are necessary to the firmness of the finished quiche.  Using fat free substitutes will make a watery quiche, although whole milk can be substituted if necessary for the half and half.

The first few times I made quiche, I had a hard time getting it into the oven without spilling.  Solution: place the quiche minus liquid on a baking sheet on top of the stove.  Carefully and evenly pour the liquid on the quiche and slide baking sheet and all into the oven.    Quiche bakes at a hotter temp than many other dishes – 375 degrees.  It’s done when a table knife inserted in the middle comes out clean – about 35-40 minutes.  It will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven, so let it set about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Alternative suggestions:

Precooked meat:  chicken, turkey, ground beef, sausage, or seafood as shrimp, lobster, crab

Vegetable: Cauliflower, zucchini chunks and/or broccoli, microwave three minutes to start the cooking process.  Onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, slice thinly and sauté briefly before adding..

Combination:  Any vegetables and/or meat up to two cups total.

Cheese: Swiss, guyere, Colby jack, cheddar, parmesan, provolone or any combination

Seasonings: Nutmeg binds and “sweetens” the other flavors, but you can add or substitute other seasonings to taste as: dill, thyme, rosemary, garlic or onion powder.

It was a joy to have this recipe mentioned at Petite Hermine!

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