'Quiche' me, you fool!
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
So, it’s Feb. 13 and you forgot that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.
It’s far too late to get a reservation at a fancy restaurant. Any flowers you buy are going to be at a premium price.
What’s a Valentine on a budget to do? Give your date a “quiche”!
My apologies to Theda Bara, silent screen star who in 1915 first said the not-so-immortal words “Kiss me, my fool!” and which quickly became an immortal part of the lexicon, “Kiss me, you fool!” But what’s a fool to do when they’re not prepared for the day of “Luv”?
For each one of these recipes you can do two easy attachments to make a full and dazzling meal. Don’t forget to (safely) light a few candles, put on some “smoochie” music, cover the table with a cloth and — for Pete’s sake — use cloth napkins.
Start with a glass of champagne (or sparkling lemonade), a bowl of seedless grapes and some fancy crackers. Water crackers are a mainstay, but there are lots of sesame, wheat and even corn crackers out there. You don’t need cheese, but a small wedge of brie would not go amiss.
Next, have two plates of salad ready to go. Here’s the combo: pre-bagged spring greens paired with a canned fruit (pear, mandarin orange, grapefruit) and a toasted nut (pecan, walnut, macadamia). You’ll only need one bag of greens, one can of fruit and a couple of tablespoons of nuts, which you can quickly toast in a dry skillet. Serve with salad dressing of your choice.
Now, place a generous but sexy slice of quiche on a plate and decorate it with a strawberry or a sprig of parsley. Finish the meal with chocolate pudding served in a martini glass rimmed with chocolate. How? Melt 3 ounces of semisweet or white chocolate in the microwave and then dip the rims of the glasses in it. Refrigerate them until ready to use, and then fill with pudding.
You could also place three cheesecake bites or mini-eclairs arranged on a small plate and drizzle them with a squirt of fudge sauce — piece of cake!
Now, to business. A quiche is the easiest thing on the planet to make. Check your refrigerator — do you have any leftover meat? A pork chop, chicken leg or a half of a steak? Toss it in this quiche, and if you don’t have any basil, use oregano or parsley. If you have a glass pie plate, you can forgo a crust. Just spray the plate well with nonstick spray or butter it.
TOMATO AND
BASIL QUICHE
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 med. red onion
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. dried basil
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese,
divided
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake pie shell in preheated oven for 8 minutes and remove to cool. Chop the onion, but first slice through the center and save some rings to decorate the top of the quiche. Chop the rest of it up.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft; remove from skillet. Sprinkle tomato slices with flour and basil, then sauté briefly on each side. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper.
Spread 1 cup shredded cheese in the bottom of pie crust. Layer chopped onions over cheese, and top with tomatoes. If you have some chopped, cooked meat, add it now. Pour on the egg mixture, layer on the onion rings and sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Fill the crust right up to the pleated part of the rim. If you have leftover filling you can bake it in a well-greased casserole or muffin tin, or scramble it real quick in a skillet for a snack.
Bake in 400-degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.
In this recipe, be sure you pick through the crab meat to ensure there aren’t any bits of shell — it really hits your teeth hard if there is.
CRAB AND
ARTICHOKE QUICHE
1 9-inch pie crust
4 slices of bacon
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 jar (6-oz) marinated artichoke hearts
1 cup crab meat, picked and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
5 large eggs
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Brown the bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Remove bacon to drain, and leave the pork fat in the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, scallions, garlic and pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened, for about 10 minutes.
Add drained and coarsely chopped artichoke hearts and crab meat. Cook another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add parsley, basil, salt, and pepper.
Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle Swiss and Parmesan cheese over crust. Top with artichoke mixture. Whisk together eggs, mustard, and cream and season with nutmeg. Pour evenly over artichoke mixture and bake until set, about 45 minutes. (If you really like cheese, sprinkle some more Swiss on top). Serve warm or at room temperature.
If you have time to run to the store, grab some fresh veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, half-and-half and special cheese for this quiche. A cup of chopped, cooked meat can go in here, too, if you like.
MEDITERRANEAN QUICHE
1 9-inch pie crust
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onions, sliced
1 med. zucchini, chopped
1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
4 oz. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh basil
2 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup grated Gruyere (or Swiss)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and zucchini and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates and the vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomatoes, basil, and thyme and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
In a bowl, beat the eggs and half-and-half together. Add the salt, pepper, grated Gruyere, and crushed red pepper.
Spoon the vegetables into the pie crust, pour in the eggs, and crumble the goat cheese on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Now, you’ve sent your date to the couch with another glass of something, hidden the dishes in the kitchen, cranked up the music — you take your partner in your arms, twirl around the floor a couple of times and say “Quiche me, you fool!” Guaranteed to work! Happy Valentine’s Day. Next week it’s more cheese (the ingredient, not my writing). Let’s get cooking!