Chicken Quiche

Chicken quiche:I can finally make quiche! My favourite person's favourite thing in the world, isnt it? Can't wait to make one for her soon :)This one's for you Upsie!
Ingredients:

Crust:

150 gm flour

75 gm unsalted frozen butter cut into small peices

1 tb sp salt

3 tb sp ice cold water

3 tsp herbs (I used thyme)
Method:

Seive the flour. Add salt. Add the cold butter. Now using a couple of forks mash the butter into the flour till it breaks into smaller peices. Add the thyme. Now use your hands and quickly bring it together without using much pressure. Add the water to help form a dough which should not be too hard or too soft. Let it sit in the fridge for about half an hour. Bring it out and roll it to get 1/4 inch thickness. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut out a big round shape, basically bigger that the rim of you pie tin. Now place it in the greased and dusted pie tin and scrape off the extra dough from the rim. Place a sheet of butter paper in it and fill it with kidney beans or rice or any grains to weigh the butterpaper down. Now bake this in a pre-heated oven for 30 min at 180-190C. This is basically to bake the crust.
Filling:

250 gm boneless chicken cut into small peices

1 med onion chopped

3 tb sp oil

Salt to taste

3 tb sp mixed herbs

1 tsp pepper

1 cup grated mozzerella cheese

2 eggs

1 cup milk
Heat oil. Add onions. Saute till it turns transparent. Add herbs. Add chicken, pepper and salt. Let this cook till chicken is done, that should be about 10 min. Let it cool. Bring out the baked crust in its tin. Remove the butterpaper with the grains. Arrange a layer of half the cheese at the bottom of the crust. Now add the chicken filling and again top it with the remaining cheese. Beat the 2 eggs into the milk and just before popping it into the oven pour it into the quiche filling. Bake for about 30 min in a pre-heated oven, at 200C, or till it forms a golden brown color on top. Let it cool before you tear it apart.

This makes for a great lunch with a side of steamed veggies and some iced tea maybe. So comforting :)

PS: Thank you so much Bhakti for these lovely pictures :)

Mushroom and Spinach Quiche

Ok, last evening I walked all the 7 km there was to get to Spar(soooper!market).Little did I know I was working up an appetite too. I strolled around and took one quick scan at the fresh vegetables and the diary section. Thats when it dawned upon me that I love quiche and why haven't I tried making it yet. So there I was scampering around the dairy and veggie sections, thinking on my feet and trying to come up with a recipe for quiche myself..partly myself atleast.So here we go..
For 2 small quiches:
For the pastry (crust)
1 cup flour(maida)
1/2 cup of unsalted butter straight from the freezer cut into small pieces
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 cup cold water
into your flour add the small pieces of cold butter and mix with a forkand not your hands.This is just to make sure the butter doesnt melt.Then slowly start adding the cold water, spoon by spoon.Begin to use your hands nowand start kneading. You need to basically form a dough not too soft, nottoo stiff.Your water quantity could change accordingly.Once the dough is done, use a thin cotton or muslin cloth or cling foilto cover it and keep aside in the fridge for about an hour.After which take it out, roll it with your rolling pin and use any small sized mould suitable forfor a quiche.Or, if you have just one used to bake cakes, that would do as wellPre-heat your oven and place the mould inside with the dough rolled and placedinside. Bake for about 10 mins on med heat. Set aside.
Filling:
1 tbspn butter
half a big onion finely chopped
10 medium sized mushrooms
2 fists full of spinach (i dont know how else to measure!)
1 egg
1 tblspn fresh cream
1 tblspn maida
1 cup grated cheddar cheese(you can also use the cheese cubes available anywhere)
salt and pepper for seasoning
Heat butter, add onions, saute them till they're transparent. Tip in the mushrooms. Let them cook for 5-7 mins. Add the cream and maida.Some salt and pepper. Keep aside.Blanch the spinach in just one spoon of water, drain any excess water. Keep aside to dry.Later chop into small pieces.In a separate bowl whisk one egg white till frothy. Add the yolk and give it a stir.Add the mushroom and onion mixture. Also add the dry chopped spinach and the cheese.Give it a good mix.Pour this into the baked crust. Pop it back into the oven and let it bake over med heat(or as per your oven's settings for baking) for 15-20 min.Do check after 15 mins by sticking a fork into it.As always, if it comes out cleanyou're done.Serve warm. Perfect for brunch or even late coffee in the evenings.

Bon appetite!!