Quiche

So, I've been less motivated to cook and clean lately. Not really sure why, but it's indeniable - I just don't want to do it.

I'm not sure what the solution is to the cleaning problem, but as for the cooking problem, I decided that it might be a good idea for me to take some photos of my meals so I can show them off here. :) I'll include recipes with them, too, so that you can make them yourself.

(Proviso: I am not an experienced cook, but I have gathered that I'm, nevertheless, more experienced than some, if only by exposure to food that tasted really good in my youth. Hope this is useful for someone.)



Quiche is a little time consuming in the beginning, but all the steps are incredibly easy. Moreover, it tastes wonderful, and it's the only egg-dominant meal I know of which still tastes great as a leftover (in fact, you don't even need to bother warming it up, because it's great cold - - unless eating cold food gives you the heebie-jeebies, that is. I know some people who are like that.)

First, here's my grandmother's pie-dough recipe (which I'd thought was my father's recipe, as he was primarily the one who make it). NOTA BENE: Measure everything very carefully - - this is one of those recipes where the ratios have to be just right or weird things happen.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening

- - - cut shortening into flour with pastry cutter or knives used scissor-fashion (you know the drill), until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Beat 1 egg in bowl
Add 1 T. vinegar
then add 5 T. water

- - - add liquid mixture to the flour mixture. I recommend digging in with your hands instead of attempting to use a spatula - it mixes it better, faster.

Roll out the pie-dough on a VERY well-floured surface (I prefer to use a pastry cloth) until it's as thin as your tastes prefer. Roll the pie-dough up around the rolling pin carefully (I prefer to lift up the edges of my pastry cloth to support the dough and keep it from tearing) - - as if the rolling pin were a spool and the pie-dough a cloth. Then roll it back out over your pie or tart pan.
I've found this to be the most reliable way to keep anything from tearing. My mother-in-law taught me how to do it, and says she learned it from a Sissy Spacek movie. *shrug* Go figure - movies CAN teach you useful things.

This recipe makes enough pie dough for 2-3 quiches. Pie dough saves well - just put it in a ziplock and throw it in the fridge. Allow the leftovers to "thaw" a bit before trying to roll them out.

Now for the filling:

4 eggs
1 cup milk (evaporated milk or light cream works even better)
spices

- beat well -

Now, those are the only essential components of the filling. What else goes in is entirely up to your discretion, and often you can just grab whatever leftover bits of meat and veggie you have in your fridge, using spices that fit them.

Now, first, bake your pie-crust at 475 for 5 minutes (this helps make it flakey), then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and add your ingredients:

For the Quiche pictured above I added the following:

generous sprinkling of garlic powder (using the sniff-test to determine whether it was sufficiently garlic-ed) - - added into the egg/milk mixture, of course

three slices of hickory-smoked ham, diced
about 1/8 of a green pepper, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
a palm-full of mushrooms, diced
a generous amount of asagio, parmesan and romano cheese

- - - You sprinkle the latter group of incredients into your hot pie-shell and then pour your milk/eggs/spices mixture over the top.

It should bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, give or take, depending on your oven. The quiche will stop "jiggling" and a knife inserted into the center will come out clean when done.

Other ingredients I have used:
baked turkey
ground mustard
bacon
swiss cheese
red peppers
onion/onion flakes
spinach
feta cheese
chicken breast

P.S. - obviously, from the picture, I like serving this with white wine. This is highly recommended. ;)