The Quiche Challenge.

The quiche is one thing I have always wanted to master. It's such a great way to use up veg and other leftovers that you have lurking in the fridge. It also lasts for days, - which makes it a very economical meal during term time. Making quiche does, however, come with a few challenges! Admittedly, I had never really dabbled in the world of pastry before and boy was it hard work. Due to my first time nerves I decided to go with a pre-made  pastry, which according to the reviews, is just as good as homemade. Having opted for the easy route, I was left with one major question, 'to grease or not to grease' the tin? I decided to grease the tin, but as I found out the hard way, this was definitely the wrong answer! I realised this as I watched my pastry slip down the sides of the tin during the blind baking (not good). Luckily I managed to salvage it with some amateur pastry DIY....... but boy was it stressful. Having said that, after the pastry drama it all went rather swimmingly and ended up being quite the tasty quiche.    

Ingredients:  

1 pack short crust pastry 

1 egg 

3 egg whites (this includes 1 for the blind baking) 

100ml skimmed milk 

1/4 tsp nutmeg 

1/2 tsp oregano 

1/2 tsp chilli flakes 

1tbsp finely chopped chives 

1 handful spinach 

1 large courgette 

1 small onion 

1 clove garlic finely chopped 

1 handful mushrooms 

1 handful cherry tomatoes 

50g blue goats cheese (use any cheese you favour, it will all taste good)  

Salt & Pepper 

Olive oil 

Method:  

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C, flour a work surface and role out your pastry till it's about 1.5cm thick. Place in your UN-GREASED tin and press against the sides. Then prick the bottom of the pastry to prevent rising and use one of the egg whites to egg wash the base. This acts like a barrier to prevent the dreaded soggy bottom. Place in the oven for around 15 mins till lightly golden. 

2. While the pastry is baking you can crack on with the filling. Firstly fry the onions in a drizzle of olive oil, on a medium heat, for around 8 mins. Then add the courgette and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper and continue frying. When the courgettes start to soften add the mushrooms and fry till cooked. Set aside. 

3. In a bowl add the egg, egg whites and milk, and whisk. Then add the chives, chilli, oregano, nutmeg and salt & pepper. Stir in well. 

4. Once the pastry is cooked remove from the oven and lower the temperature to around 175 degrees C. Place the spinach in the bottom of the pastry case and then the veg filling. Making sure it's evenly distributed. Then halve the tomatoes and tumble into the mixture. Crumble and add your cheese to the filling. Finally add the egg mixture and fill in the gaps. 

5. Return the quiche to the oven and bake for a further 40mins until the filling is set. You can check this by placing a knife in the centre, if it comes out clear your quiche is done. Leave to rest for 10mins and then it's ready to serve.