Seriously, I plan to meet Frank at Crown Camera this week to discuss the perfect camera for Cooking with Doni.
So until then, dang it all, you’ll have to imagine my quiche. But when you picture it, make it really pretty.
It’s more of a formula than a recipe. And with Thanksgiving breathing down our onion-scented necks, this quiche is easy to slam together for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
To save valuable time, let’s not make crust from scratch today. (Unless you have some frozen.)
Buy one of those Pillsbury pie doughs (I have nothing against the cheaper, generic ones). You’ll find them in the store near the eggs and cheese and stuff. (I like these rolled dough disks better than the frozen, empty pie crusts because you can’t roll them to the size you want, and more important, they contain that tell-tale manufactured crimp look along the edge: dead give-away you didn’t make it.
If you really want to blow people’s socks off, buy Pepperidge Farm’s frozen puff pastry sheets, roll one out and cut to fit a quiche pan for your crust. You’ll have people kissing your feet. (Cardiologists may not be among those people.)
Second, rummage around in your refrigerator for your quiche filling.
For the “custard” base, you’ll need eggs, and milk (half and half is best but I know we’re watching our fat content), of course.
Next you’ll need something in the cheese family, such as Cheddar, Jack, mozzarella, Parmesan, etc.
You’ll need other stuff, too. Whatever you’ve got works, but some of my favorite ingredients are roasted red peppers (if you use peppers in a jar, blot well with paper towels to remove the water), sauteed onions, sausage, bacon, ham, chicken, spinach (if it’s wet, wring it bone-dry or you’ll have a soggy quiche.
Other great items include eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, chopped artichoke hearts and smoked salmon.
For seasonings, use your imagination. Some things are classic, though, like dill with salmon.
Regarding the custard base, I usually crack about 4 to 6 eggs in a 2-cup glass measuring cup, then add two yolks to make it creamier. Notice the measurement, because that’s how much milk I’ll add. So if I have 1 cup of eggs, then I add 1 cup of milk (or, did I mention half-and-half?). Beat well. Season. Set aside.
Regarding the filling, if your refrigerator is bare, there’s no shame in a practically “nekkid” quiche, dressed down in a skimpy attire of eggs, milk and cheese. That works. It’s your quiche. You can do what you want.
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Your Personalized Quiche
1 -pre-made pie crust
Eggs, about
Whole milk or half-and-half
Grated cheese
Fillings
Seasonings
Cover quiche or pie pan with non-stick spray. Set dough in the bottom. Sprinkle a generous handful of cheese along the bottom. Add the fillings.
Crack eggs in a big glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal the same quantity. Add seasonings, but for sure a little salt and pepper. Beat with a fork to incorporate everything.
Pour the liquid custard over the filling. Top with a little more cheese.
Put pan on a cookie sheet (easier to remove the quiche later) and place on the very bottom rack of a 450-degree oven for 10 minutes. (This sets the bottom crust and keeps it from getting soggy.)
Reduce oven temp to 325 and let bake for about 40 minutes to an hour, or until a knife in its center will come away without wet batter.
Note: To keep the quiche top from getting too brown, sometimes I’ll set a cookie sheet on the rack directly above the quiche.
That’s it. Enjoy. Let me know how it turns out.
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