Wonderful Spinach Quiche

Rev 0.19; last revised:  26-Jan-09

[Caution:  This recipe is still under construction--steal at your own risk!]

The reason I decided to try this recipe was that it is supposed to "miraculously" form its own crust as it bakes, it does.  My changes/upgrades seem not to have compromised that useful and interesting "feature."

Yield:  8 to 12 servings

Preheat oven to 375°F (bake for 50-55 min)

Filling:

• 1-medium onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 3-4 Tablespoons butter
• 1/8-teaspoon dried thyme         [needs more!]
• 1/4-teaspoon ground nutmeg     [needs more!]

Sauté the onion in the butter until it’s soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the thyme and nutmeg.  Remove from heat, set aside.

Crust:

• 1-cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 2-teaspoons baking powder
• 1-teaspoon salt
• 3-Tablespoons Dry Milk                [why on earth...?]
• 2-Tablespoons (1 ounce) butter, cold

In a small-medium bowl, dry mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and dry milk.  Mix in the butter by rubbing with your fingers (or use a fork, pastry blender, or mixer) until crumbly.  Set aside.

• 3-large eggs, lightly beaten           [try 4?]
• 2-cups (one 15-ounce container) Ricotta Cheese, broken up into small chunks
• 1-teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (~4 ounces) shredded or grated cheese:  cheddar, Jarlsberg, or other cheese of your choice
• 1-cup (5-6 ounces) of raw, chopped fresh spinach**

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, add the Ricotta cheese, salt, and the crust mixture from the previous step.  Mix or stir to break up and distribute.  Add the shredded cheese, and the sautéed onions made previously.  Mix well.  Finally, add the fresh chopped spinach.  Continue to stir/fold the mixture to just distribute the ingredients evenly.

Grease a 9” pie or spring-form pan (at least 1-1/2 in. deep) with butter or lard.  Spoon mixture into the prepared pan.

Topping:

• 1-cup (8 ounces) sour cream (or yogurt cheese--yogurt that’s been drained till it’s very thick)

Spread the sour cream by "dolloping" the sour cream atop the filling.  Use the back of the spoon or spatula to smooth and connect the dollops.  Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Bake the quiche in the preheated 375°F oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it appears set almost all the way into the center, and has begun to brown slightly.  It's okay if the surface cracks.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack for at least 20-30 minutes (if you can) before serving.

Enjoy!

**  or 1 (10-ounce) box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly wrung dry
NB: "cooked, drained, chopped fresh spinach?"  In a recipe that's gonna be baked for 50-55 minutes?  Yeah!  Be sure to thoroughly cook your food and then dump out all of the nutrients.  Great plan, that...

NB:  This recipe started out as "Miraculous Spinach Quiche" from a flour and baking products marketing company that I've grown to love.  However, I shall leave them nameless in order to keep their sheep-like flocking and pandering to public ignorance, private).  Unfortunately, they turned it out full of the typically, ignorant, brain-dead, faux-health, "low-fat" and "egg-free" nonsense so sadly befouling so many of today's recipes.  Those of you that know how I cook, know that those kinds of fact-free implementations simply won't fly with me.  So I changed it.  Now it makes a Wonderful Spinach Quiche".