i'm ready to be busy again...just ya know, not with homework or internships or anything.
this weekend was wonderfully sweet. breakfast in bed (waffles!), a mini-marathon of Third Watch our favorite show, and massive assive cleaning. finally got the old bed and box spring, which had been sitting half inside the closet door (wtf? how am i supposed to get my clothes man?), mostly out of the apartment. the mattress is still in our bedroom but neatly now, up against the wall. laundry put away, candles to burn away the smell of dust and dirty clothes (god, seriously, do men never clean?) and most everything put to rights again. ahhh, i love a clean bedroom/bathroom. it feels more peaceful and restful, i swear.
we started our "household" budget last night, keeping track of when things are due, when paychecks arrive, receipts of crap we buy, and what we can put into savings. it felt really great, like we were actually working together and understanding each other. let's just hope it keeps up!
and finally, today i broke in my new tart pan (with removable bottom, ooooooh) that i got for christmas with a freakin bad-ass quiche. quiche is such a delicate word, but delicate this quiche was not. this was a filling, veggie stuffed, whole-wheatified, hearty demigod of quiches. and don't be afraid, this quiche is meant to stand alone, to which i recommend eating it on smaller plates than we did (giant dinner-sized), or giving it a plate buddy like a sassy side salad so it doesnt look so lonely. who doesnt like a sassy side salad?
the crust of this bad boy is amazing, and if you overestimate the amount of dough you'll need like i did, you can roll it out and make tasty little homemade crackers! i take my dough seriously folks, no wasting in this kitchen. it's full of herbs and butter, seldom a bad combination, but throw whole wheat into the mix and you've got a fiesta. a whole-grain fiesta.
if you like your quiche super eggy, you might wish to adapt this to include more egg. i prefer my quiche full of stuff, and i rather like to use the egg more of a medium to hold all that stuff together instead of being the main event.
when all was said and done, this came out beautifully. savory, herb-y, eggy goodness.
Salmon, Cheddar & Summer Veggie Quiche w/ Whole Wheat Herb-Butter Crust
Yields 6 large slices or 8 medium slices
nutrition facts can be found *here*
crust ingredients
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 stick butter (softened)
1/4 cup water
filling ingredients
1/4 lb. turkey bacon, medium diced
1/3 cup diced medium onion (any color)
1/2 red bell pepper, medium diced
1/2 medium zucchini. medium dice half and slice the rest into coins or wedges to garnish
1/2 cup diced mushrooms (i like portobellos, but any kind of hearty mushroom will do)
1 frozen salmon filet approx 4 oz. (optional) cubed
2 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup reduced fat or fat free sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese, divided
to make the crust
1. mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. cut butter into bowl and combine. dont be afraid to use your hands here. mix butter and dry ingredients until a crumbly dough forms. add in water and slowly collect dough in a ball shape, squeezing and reshaping with your hands until all the flour is incorporated. you can add in more water if you feel your dough is too dry.
2. wrap ball in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 10 minutes. this makes the rolling easier and you wont get melted butter all over your hands (true story). you can also start prepping your vegetables while you wait.
3. preheat oven to 425 degrees. remove dough from fridge and roll out on wax paper sprinkled with flour. roll out dough until the diameter is at least 3 inches wider than the top of your chosen baking vessel. transfer to baking pan and fold down edges so that the side/top crust is thicker than the bottom crust. if you are using a regular pie plate, flute or crimp edges down. if you are using a tart pan, press firmly into the sides to an even thickness all around. prick bottom a few times with a fork to reduce puffing. (you can also use pie weights, rice, or beans on a sheet of aluminum foil)
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, set to cool slightly, and reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.
to make the filling
1. crisp bacon in a skillet to your desired level of doneness and remove from pan. using the same pan, saute vegetables and salmon until tender. return bacon to the party.
2. in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sour cream and half the shredded cheese. salt and pepper to taste.
3. spoon vegetable mix evenly into the bottom of the crust. don't be afraid if your crust is completely full, we want it that way. evenly pour egg mixture over top of the vegetables, it will seep down and bind everything together. garnish with remaining cheese and zucchini slices.
4. Bake for 30 minutes then broil at 500 degrees for 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden.
enjoy!
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