I LOVE quiche. When I was younger, my mom always made quiche when my dad was out of town, as he didn't like it very much, so it was elevated to treat status in my mind very quickly. After I got married, I waited awhile to break out my mom's quiche recipe, because I was afraid my dear hubby was going to dislike it, and it would be banished to when he travelled(which is not very much, we travel together when we do travel). I needn't have worried. He loves this recipe almost as much as I do. Yet another reason why I love him.
This is a great recipe for using whatever bits of veggies you've got lying around. I used asparagus, vidalia onion, and green pepper this time around. I also left out the bacon, as neither Chris nor I am fans of it. I've had it both with and without bacon, and I personally like it better without, but the recipe is good either way.
Quiche
Crust:
1 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 + 1/8 c. butter (or butter-flavored shortening)
1 1/2 to 2 T. cold water
Filling:
3 eggs
1 c. evaporated milk
3/4 c. milk
1 t. salt
dash pepper and nutmeg
cooked bacon pieces (opt.)
sautéed onions
shredded cheese to taste
various cooked veggies to taste
Directions:
Combine flour and salt in a small mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture looks like small peas. Add water, a little at a time, forming the mixture into a ball. Roll out into a circle, to fit a 9" pie plate, or, alternately, place ball in pie plate and push with fingertips out to edges evenly. (Be sure to give a good edge to the crust, as it shrinks a bit while cooking.) Bake at 375° for 8 to 9 minutes.
In a blender, combine all filling ingredients except bacon, cheese, onion, and veggies. Put the bacon, cheese onion, and other veggies into the pie crust, and VERY slowly pour the egg mixture into the crust. (A trick I've learned is to place the crust, with veggies added, back on the oven rack before pouring the egg mixture in. This way, I don't have to move a very full, very liquid pie into the oven. Careful, though, as with this way you're more apt to spill in the oven if you don't pour VERY VERY slowly.) Place quiche in oven, and bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes.
Note: My mom always covers the crust edges with foil once the filling's in, to keep it from overbrowning the crust. I don't bother. The end product is prettier if you use the foil, but there's not much difference otherwise.
