Flakey, feta, veggie quiche
This is well and truly inspired by my mother. She always made quiche this way, using puff pastry instead of making her own. She always insisted this gave a lighter fluffier quiche so that the filling part would be the contents not the dough. I have to say I have to agree. Also if you buy good puff pastry, now days you can get spelt, whole wheat and all using butter and other natural ingredients instead of shortenings and other bad fats.
The great thing with this quiche is that you can use any veggies you have at hand. I love broccoli as it tends to crisp up and yet retain some bite. I also love onion or leek as this brings softness and sweetness. Also peppers and tomatoes on-top are yummy for the same reason, soft and sweet. The feta brings it all together with saltiness and creaminess.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 squares of spelt/alternatively whole wheat puff pastry (make sure you get the stuff that isn't made with strange fats it should be butter no other)
1/2 courgette
1/2 head of broccoli
1/2 long green paprika
1/2 long red paprika
1/2 leek (or a medium red onion)
1 block of feta (mine was 250 grams), diced
3 eggs
salt and pepper
2 stalks of kale (I used cavalero nero)
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 stalks of thyme, stalks removed
2 garlic clove, minced
drizzle of frying oil (rice oil)
Other veggies I recommend would be green asparagus, mushrooms, spinach. You could also add pesto after its come out of the oven, yum.
If you are using frozen puff pastry take this out at least 40min prior to starting.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C
Chop all the veg into bite size chunks
Fry the (except the tomatoes) veg in an appropriate cooking oil; in batches. You want the slightly soften the veg, so between 2-5 minutes per batch. Begin with the broccoli and kale as these tend to need a bit longer.
Whisk together the eggs, add the thyme leaves and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk again to make sure alls blended in.
Take out a baking or quiche form (I used a round 20cm diameter form). Place the puff pastry in the form and make sure the pastry is lining the bottom nicely. Now brush on some of the egg, onto the inner casing of the puff pastry. This will stop any veg juices from making the puff pastry soggy.
Bake the puff pastry for approx. 10-13min. you don't want the pastry fully baked, but you want to have the egg wash looking glazed and not soggy.
Now add the fried veggies to the quiche form, patting down to make sure you fill all possible air holes. Pack those veggies in nice and tight. To the top add the feta, also pushing some pieces into any possible nooks and crannies. Then add the halved cherry tomatoes.
Finally pour the egg mix over the entire quiche, try to divide it evenly.
Bake the quiche in the oven for about 45min -1 hour. Depending on your oven. You will know its ready when the puff pastry is golden around the edges of the quiche, you poke the centre and around the sides of the quiche and the fork comes out dry (no egg wetness) and the veggies look crisp and soft.
Serve with a large side salad, slathered in a good dressing.
