Spinach & Mushroom Quiche

In my opinion, quiche is like a wonder-food.  Because it's a cross between an omelet and a pie you can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner (or all 3 in a row because it's so delicious).  It's also SUPER easy and quick to make.  I love recipes like this because they don't involve a lot of careful timing which means it's stress-free and can be made while you're chatting with friends & family or watching HGTV on your iPad while your husband watches hockey.  

If you want to up the ante and get a li'l fancy you can make your own pie crust (I have a great recipe here that I use for my apple pie that can also be used for this quiche) but if you want to keep things a little more simple you can use a ready-made frozen pie crust.  My favorite ones are the Trader Joe's brand because they are made with all-natural ingredients and real butter, but if you don't have a TJ's nearby I'm sure you could find a good one somewhere like Whole Foods.  (Just beware certain generic brands like Pillsbury because they are full of preservatives & artificial ingredients - yuck!).  I like to make mine with fresh spinach & mushrooms and a LOT of garlic - but feel free to add whatever veggies you like!  Broccoli would be great, as would a little bell pepper...  This is another great recipe for clearing out your fridge & making it your own!

(Speaking of making it your own, I like to call it "kweesh".  I just can't help it).

You Will Need:

• 1 pie crust (for homemade see here)
• 1 large onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic 
• 2 cups of fresh spinach (or one 10 oz. pkg frozen spinach)
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (or 1 can sliced mushrooms)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• your choice of cheese (I used 1/2 cup mozzarella & some fresh grated parmesan, but I have also used 6 oz. of herb & garlic feta instead of mozzarella & it was amazing)

Directions:

1.  If you're using a frozen pie crust, make sure you take it out of the freezer to give it enough time to thaw (the package will tell you how long - mine took 1.5 hrs).  Once it has thawed, press it into your pie dish.

2.  Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.  Once the oven is heated, I like to pre-cook my empty pie crust for 10 minutes so that it stays crispy underneath the egg.

3.  Finely chop your onion and sautée in a pan over medium heat with a little bit of olive oil.  Chop & add your garlic (I use a garlic press) making sure to stir fairly often so it doesn't burn (turn the heat down if you need to).

4.  Finely chop your spinach & mushrooms and add to the onion mixture.  Continue sautéeing.

5.  In a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs & milk, adding a dash of salt & pepper (keep in mind, cheeses are generally salty so if I'm using a flavorful cheese I usually don't add any salt).

6.  Once your sautéed vegetables are nice & soft, add your cheese & stir until melted.  Spoon this mixture into your pie crust & pour egg mixture over top.  

7.  Bake for 15 minutes, then remove & sprinkle a little grated cheese on top if you like (this is where I used my fresh grated parmesan).  Then continue baking for another 35-40 minutes until the egg in the center is cooked.  Keep an eye on your quiche and if you notice the crust getting a little brown you can add a loose covering of tin foil over top for the remainder of the baking time.

8.  Let cool for about 10 minutes, then serve & enjoy!