Mile High Quiche Food

MILE-HIGH ALPINE QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325. Cook bacon in a large skillet over moderately high heat until crisp; remove bacon to paper towel. Keep heat at moderately high and cook mushrooms in bacon fat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium; add onions and thyme and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Season vegetables with salt and pepper; cool.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over bottom of the Pastry Shell. Combine half and half and eggs; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in bacon, remaining cheese and vegetable mixture into eggs. Pour egg mixture into pastry shell.
• Bake the quiche for about 1 1/2 hours, or until brown on top and the custard is just barely set in the center. I wiggle it in oven and there is a slight jiggle to the middle section; this will finish cooking upon cooling. Let cool slightly in the pan to be able to carve nicely. Run a small spatula between the pan and the baked crust to make sure it releases from pan before removing springform pan latch. Cut quiche into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
• Make Ahead The quiche can be cooled and refrigerated overnight. To serve, first cut quiche into serving size wedges, place pieces on a baking sheet and bake 350 oven about 12-15 minutes until warm.
• 1. In bowl of Standing Mixer or a Food Processor mix flour and salt. While machine running, add butter til mixed in. Add water, half at a time just until thoroughly incorporated. Flatten the pastry into an 8-inch disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• 2. Set a 9-inch springform pan on a baking pan with sides, lined with parchment paper or foil. Spray the inside of the pan with cooking spray.
• 3. On floured board, roll out pastry into a 16-inch round; transfer to the springform pan and press it firmly up to the top of pan, trimming as necessary. Refrigerate the pastry for 15 minutes to firm up.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line the pastry shell plastic wrap or parchment paper; fill the shell with dried beans or rice. (I save a whole bag of this stuff and reuse it all the time) Bake the crust for about 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Grab the plastic wrap or parchment paper and remove the beans. Bake crust for another 15 minutes until nicely browned. Cool Pastry shell. The pastry shell can be covered and held at room temperature overnight.

DEEP-DISH HAM QUICHE WITH HERB AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• To make the pastry: combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg yolk and ice water in a small bowl to blend, add it to the pastry. Work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin (this may take a little practice) and lay it inside a 9-inch springform pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly; trim the excess dough around the rim. Place the pan on a sturdy cookie sheet so it will be easier to move in and out of the oven, this quiche is pretty heavy.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• To make the filling: Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, coat the pan with oil, and add the onions. Slowly cook the onions, stirring, until they caramelize and release their natural sugars. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to help the onions break down, if needed. Toss in the ham, cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes to get some color on it. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, pour in the cream; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the caramelized onions and ham over the bottom of the crust and carefully pour in the cream and egg mixture; the filling should be about 1-inch from the top of the pan. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until the quiche is set, puffy, and jiggles slightly. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. In the meantime make the asparagus salad.
• To make the asparagus salad: In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus for 4 minutes, or until they are just crisp-tender. Drain the asparagus, transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and drain well. Slice the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan and herbs, drizzle the herb and asparagus salad with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• Loosen the quiche from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Carefully unmold the ring, and transfer the quiche (with the bottom base) to a serving plate. Cut it into wedges, drizzle with a little olive oil, and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the asparagus salad on top.

MILE HIGH SPINACH MUSHROOM QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set eggs and half and half on counter to bring to room temperature. With 1/2 T of butter, saute the onion and mushrooms till onions are translucent and mushrooms are browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat the thawed and drained spinach with the remaining 1/2 T of butter and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Combine with onions and mushroom mixture. Using an electric mixer with whisk, combine eggs and half and half. Whisk for at least five minutes. The yolks will become lighter and the mixture will be foamy on top. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Lay pie crust in TALL pie dish or 9 x 9 casserole dish. Crimp edges with fork or fingers. Spread 1/2 of vegetable mixture on pie crust and then pour egg mixture over it. Delicately add cheese and then the remaining veggies so that some is still suspended and floating. Bake for fifteen minutes at 400 degrees, then lower oven to 375 degrees for thirty to forty minutes or until center is cooked through. Allow to rest for at least ten minutes. Obviously any vegetable or cheese can be uses in a quiche. If you use asparagus or peppers, make sure they are cut in bite sized pieces. This allows the egg to rise around them. I've also used leftover phyllo dough. Just layer thawed sheets with melted butter and drape in pie dish. Pull pastry up and around the edges of the egg mixture before baking.

DEEP-DISH HAM QUICHE WITH HERB AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter; mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg yolk and 3 tablespoons ice water in a small bowl; work into the dough until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch round. Carefully roll up the dough onto the rolling pin (this may take a little practice) and lay it inside a 9-inch springform pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and side; trim the excess. Put the pan on a sturdy baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to fill.
• Prepare the filling: Put a skillet over medium-low heat and coat with the olive oil. Add the onions and slowly cook, stirring occasionally, until they caramelize, 40 to 45 minutes. (Add a couple of tablespoons of water to help the onions break down, if needed.) Toss in the ham and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Whisk in the cream; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the onions and ham in the crust and carefully pour in the egg-cream mixture; the filling should be about 1/2 inch from the top. Cover loosely with foil and bake 1 hour, 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the quiche is set but jiggles slightly, about 30 more minutes. Remove to a rack and let cool 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; blanch the asparagus until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then drain. Slice into small pieces and put in a bowl; add the parmesan and herbs. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• Loosen the quiche from the pan with a thin metal spatula, then remove the ring. Transfer the quiche to a plate and cut into wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper. Top with the salad.

BREAKFAST QUICHE

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add 3-5 tablespoons ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour., Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to an 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake 5 minutes; remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer; remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 375°., Sprinkle bacon, cheeses and onion over crust. Beat remaining ingredients until blended; pour over top. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

MILE HIGH QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fit the pie crust into the springform pan. Brush the pie crust with the egg white. Fry the bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Sprinkle the bacon and then the green onions over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the bacon and onions. In a large bowl add the whole eggs, egg yolk, salt, nutmeg, pepper, cayenne, and beat mixture until well combined, but not frothy. Slowly, pour the mixture over the bacon and cheese in the pie shell. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until top is a golden brown and puffy and the center seems firm when it is gently pressed with fingertips. Remove to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes. With a sharp knife, loosen edge of pastry from the side of the pan, and gently remove side of springform pan. Leave the bottom of pan in place and put on a serving plate to serve. Serve warm. Serves: 6 to 8