Mini Quiche Florentines from the Scratch
These mini Florentine quiches, almost never happened!
There is something very right about a mini Quiche! I had to make them happen! With some thinking, in a jiffy, they did happen. In fact, I ended up putting them together right from the scratch. Testimony to the fact that both on good days and bad, the kitchen and stove never fails me.
You can follow the technique to make any mini quiche of your fancy, plain, with ham and tomatoes, sub with broccoli are some of what comes to my mind.
Last month, Beverly my surrogate mom passed away, peacefully without much complaint. After a few days of bravado, Dr. Brush is in the hospital, his health failing, ironically due to a weak heart. Their daughters are struggling with the loss. They are trying to accept and cope with the possibility of losing both parents in less than two months. Dr. Brush met Beverly in his teens and their love is a testimony to the stuff dreams are made off. Their story is partly chronicled in his memoir Farewell the Winterline.
Today at 91, maybe after a journey of over 70 years together as friends and then husband and wife, he said goodbye to her. Probably, he is just too heartsick to continue the journey alone. Will I be able to say farewell? I wonder? I sit hear thinking of my early days in this country, when their warmth and love filled so much of the emptiness of homesickness.
One of my distracting weekend activities is to plan the snack for Aadi’s robotics team, something that he loves to supervise and co-ordinate. The success of how well the snack is received somehow is personal for my son. I cannot tell whether it is because of his own popularity rating or his love for me.
I first started this exercise with puff pastry, which I burnt and then continued with making a ridiculously easy pie crust recipe and I think that I will stick to the second option. As quiche recipes go, this one was pretty light with a couple of easily found cheeses – cheddar and Parmesan. Feel free to make your own.
This weekend, I have sort of taken to a little bit of downtime! I indulged in some shopping and am immersing myself in planning and assisting the team get ready for their first showdown on the 21st!
And for your snacking pleasure… here is the recipe!
An easy festive spinach based mini quiche perfect for holiday snacking of breakfasts.
Ingredients
- 11/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons ice cold water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sized red onion, finely diced
- 2 cups chopped spinach or any leafy green
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon powdered cumin
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro or parsley
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup of sharp cheddar (such as Cabot extra sharp cheddar) or replace with 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Place the flour and butter in a food processor and pulse together until well mixed. Add in the vinegar and water and pulse until the dough forms a ball.
- Grease a muffin pan. Break pieces of the dough and roll into circles and shape around the muffin wells. Stick the pan and dough in the freezer for about 20 minutes, while you prep the rest of the recipe.
- Heat the oil and add in the red onion and saute for about 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add in the greens and mix well. Cool the mixture.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and remove the baking dish from the freezer and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Beat the eggs with the half and half, cumin, cilantro or parsley, black pepper, salt and fold in the spinach mixture and cheese.
- Remove the muffin pan from the oven and fill with the mixture. Fill until about three quarters full, do not overfill.
- Return to the oven and bake until set and golden (about 20 minutes).
- Carefully remove and serve.
Notes
The cooking time is mostly unattended.