When I look for a quick and easy meal to make, yet tasty and nutritious, I often think quiche or tart – specifically spinach quiche! Preparing the dough from scratch does not require a lot of extra time and while the dough is resting I can get all the other ingredients ready. This week I am sharing another family favorite recipe which is a very simple spinach and feta quiche.
Swap the Ingredients
The best part about a quiche is it’s adaptability. You can make the quiche vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian by making simple ingredient swaps, depending on your tastes. For example you could use goat cheese instead of feta. Or add some bacon or salmon.
The original ingredients of the quiche are the ones used for the classic Quiche Lorraine. A savory tart made with a short crust dough, garnished with bacon and a mix of cream, milk, eggs and seasoning. The name “quiche” finds its origins in the Lorraine dialect, kuchen which meant tart. Early in the 17th century the word quiche was found in the Nancy area and then officially appeared in 1869 in the French dictionary.
The name “quiche” became very popular in the 20th century and now refers to any tart which has a custard base (cream and eggs). Nowadays, quiches come in many variations; I personally love to experiment with different flavors and spices.
Some flavorful combinations include salmon and asparagus, roasted bell peppers and goat cheese, onions and bacon, mushroom and thyme. Let your creativity guide you and play around with your family’s favorite ingredients!
Breakfast, lunch or dinner? How about all three!
One of the reasons I like making quiche is because it’s so versatile. It can be served for a nutritious breakfast or brunch item and will keep you going all morning. Want a light lunch or dinner? Pair a slice of quiche with a salad and some fruit and you are all set. Having some drinks with friends in the evening? Cut a quiche in small pieces and you have yummy appetizer bites to nibble on! Additionally, quiches are so healthy and nutritious. The cream and eggs provide proteins and the various vegetables add vitamins, minerals and fibers.
If you would like vegan friendly options, you can make the following adjustments:
Dough: swap the butter for some vegetable oil of your choice (¼ cup). I like olive oil for its strong flavor. Filling: swap the cream for some silken tofu so you will still get the creamy texture and the milk for some nut or soy milk. Omit the cheese and replace it with nutritional yeast. Again, the key is to play around and experiment with your favorite fillings!
Tag me @valeriesfrenchkitchen and send me pictures of your version. Looking for more ideas? Check out my family favorite Ratatouille recipe.
Spinach & Feta Quiche
Ingredients
- For the Dough
- 7 oz flour
- 2.5 oz butter
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup cold water
For the Quiche mix- 4 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp nutmeg
For the Quiche filling- 1 ½ lbs frozen spinach
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3.5 oz Feta cheese
- 1 oz Swiss cheese, gruyere or emmental
Instructions
- First make the short crust dough: 10 min
- Mix the flour, butter and salt together until the butter is well incorporated in the flour.
- Add the water and mix with a spoon to make the dough and roll it into a ball. The whole process should be done quickly and the dough should not be worked on otherwise it will become hard when cooking.
- Wrap in with film and let rest for about 30 minutes in a cool place or in the fridge before using.
- Preheat the oven at 380 F.
- Roll out the dough and line it over a 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12”) diameter quiche pan. Poke the dough with a fork to avoid it from rising while cooking.
- Blind bake for 10 min.
- For the Quiche filling:
- Thaw the spinach according to the package instruction (stove top, microwave or overnight in the fridge) and press it hard to take off the excess water.
- Once the spinach is pressed, spread it evenly on the cooked quiche crust.
- Mix the eggs with the cream and milk.
- Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and crushed garlic.
- Poor the mix over the spinach and add the crumbled feta all over the quiche.
- Finish by sprinkling the grated Swiss cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
