earlier in the week I made a quiche. Again. You see once I overcame my fear of making my own short crust pasty I discovered that quiche is something that tastes delicious, allows you to experiment and is a great way for using leftover meat and veg. It is easy to do and can be eaten hot or cold. Because it travels well in a Tupperware box it makes great lunch for those who work. (in our case - my husband).
I only have one quiche tin, 7'' (18cm). I find this to be the perfect size for 4 people. I always accompany my quiches with a light salad if they are designed for supper.
So my latest creation was
a roasted butternut squash and kale quiche. I made a squash quiche about 2 weeks ago and although it tasted ok, it was overcooked slightly and was dry as a result. It was a bit bland and as my husband put it mildly it was 'chunky'. Apparently the squash cubes were too big. He was not wrong. So I thought it was time to have another go at a squash quiche, after all I went and bought the biggest one in the shop! After a thorough inspection of my fridge I found some black kale. Up until this week I had never seen black kale (cavolo nero) before and was really looking forward to tasting it.
I spent an hour researching recipes online which had both black kale and butternut squash.
So I adapted a couple to make my quiche.
To make the shortcrust pastry:
180 gr plain flour
100 gr butter, very cold and cubed
salt
1 lightly beaten egg
Rub the butter with the flour and salt until it resembles bread crumbs. Add just enough beaten egg so it sticks together. Shape it like a ball and transfer to a piece of cling film. Cover with another piece and using a rolling pin (or a bottle) press it down into a disc, just a bit smaller than the tin. Wrap well in the cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. If pressed for time you can put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Take it out of the fridge, wait for a minute or two until it softens slightly and roll it out so it is a lot bigger than your tin. You will need to cover the bottom and the sides of the tin with the pastry. Ideally the thickness should be around half a cm. Transfer it to the tin and press it very well to the insides. If there are any tears just patch it up. Trim off any excess from the top with your thumb. Prick it with a fork several times as this will ensure your pastry is crisp. Then put it in the freezer for half an hour. If you have time you can leave it in the fridge for about an hour. It keeps in the fridge for at least 2-3 days and it can be frozen and used another time. (I am yet to try this).
Turn the oven to 180C and blind bake it for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the beans and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Look at your pastry, you want it to be slightly golden in colour and crisp.
To make the filling:
1/2 a large butternut squash, peeled and cubed in small chunks
about 80gr black kale
1 small onion
75 gr feta or greek salad cheese, cubed
50gr cheese (anything you have will do)
some salt and pepper
2 eggs
100-150 ml double cream
Rub the squash in oil and salt and pepper and roast at 180C for about 25-30 minutes until cooked.
Sautee the onion until translucent for about 5 minutes then add the finely shredded kale. Keep moving it as you want the kale to wilt only. It takes about 3-4 minutes. Take off the heat and add the butternut squash. Mix well then transfer to the quiche tin.
Beat the eggs with a fork, add the remaining egg from the pastry, add the cheeses and the cream, stir well. Pour over the vegetables until filled to the rim.
Put it carefully in the oven and continue to bake for about 30 minutes at 180C until it is just set.
I ate mine cold the next day as it was intended for lunch. It was simply delicious. The sweetness of the butternut squash was offset nicely with the saltiness of the feta cheese.
The kale added texture but I am not sure it enhanced the taste in any way. Hubby loved it and when I had my second portion earlier today I wished I could have another slice tomorrow.
Hope you like it!
XoXo
Desi in the Kitchen
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