Mushroom and onion quiche
This quiche is a winner every time I make it! I think my basic recipe dates back more than 20 years and featured in my first Snowflake baking book. I always keep to the same crisp, cheesy base. It requires no blind baking and that makes it the best base ever! I simply change the filling to what I have available at home. Tonight it was portobellini mushrooms and some left-over broccoli. A lovely vegetarian option! Be sure to try this recipe and change the filling to make it your own.
I often made the base ahead and just keep in the freezer to have ready when I do not feel like a lot of effort cooking.
Makes 1 quiche
Base
250 ml (140 g) cake wheat flour
250 ml (100 g) grated Cheddar cheese
100 g butter or margarine
Filling
30 ml olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
125 g button or Portobellini mushrooms, quartered
50 g broccoli, cut in to small florets
125 g feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
2 extra-large eggs
250 ml milk
125 ml fresh cream or milk
30 ml chopped fresh mixed herbs or 10 ml dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Base: Combine flour, cheese, butter and herbs and mix to a soft, sticky dough or mix in a food processor. Press dough onto base and against sides of a greased 23 cm ovenproof tart or quiche dish. Place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes until firm.
2. Filling: Heat oil in medium, heavy-based frying pan. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes until soft. Remove from heat and leave to cool slightly.
3. Blanch the broccoli until soft. Spoon onion mixture onto pastry base, then layer mushrooms and broccoli.
4. Whisk eggs, milk, cream, herbs and seasoning together. Pour over filling. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 °C for about 45 minutes, or until set and light brown.
Variations
– Substitute 125 ml (70 g) cake wheat flour with 125 ml (70 g) wholewheat flour.
– Substitute the mushrooms with 125 g cherry tomatoes (cut in half) with any other vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach or asparagus.
– Add 125 g rindless streaky bacon, chopped and lightly fried.
Tip
The difference between a quiche and a savoury tart is that quiches have a savoury egg custard mixture as a filling, whereas savoury tarts may use a starch, such as cornflour or flour, with or without an egg, to bind the mixture.