MIX AND MATCH QUICHE RECIPES

Steps:

• Get ahead: You can make this all on the day, if you prefer. Equally, you can cook the whole thing the night before, and enjoy cold. Whatever works for you! Put the flour, butter and a pinch of sea salt into a food processor and pulse for 15 seconds, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 4 tablespoons of water and pulse for a few more seconds until it comes together. Scoop on to a flour-dusted work surface and push and pat into a round – don’t be tempted to knead it. Wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

  Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Lightly oil a non-stick loose-bottomed tart tin (25cm diameter, 4cm deep). Roll out the pastry on a flour-dusted surface, turning it every so often, until it’s just under ½cm thick. Gently roll it up around the rolling pin, then unroll it over the oiled tin and ease it into the sides, letting the excess pastry overhang. Prick the base all over with a fork, place on a baking tray, then bake blind for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool, trim off the excess pastry, and store in an airtight container.

  Prep your chosen veg – peel, carefully halve and deseed the squash, then dice into 2cm chunks, or clean and slice the mushrooms. Put a large non -stick frying pan on a medium heat. Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic, then place in the pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add your chosen veg and cook for 30 minutes, or until soft and starting to caramelize, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water to prevent it sticking, if needed. Season to perfection, then leave to cool. Tip into a blender, crack in the eggs, add the cream and grate in the Cheddar, then blitz until smooth, cover and refrigerate overnight.

  On the day: Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Pour the filling into the pastry case, then crumble over the goat’s cheese. Rub the thyme sprigs with a little oil, then pick the tips and leaves over the tart. Bake for 40 minutes exactly, then remove and leave to cool, ready to wrap and go.

  CALORIES 285kcal  FAT 17.7g SAT FAT 9.8g PROTEIN 9.8g CARBS 23.5g SUGAR 4.5g SALT 0.5g FIBRE 2g

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the chive pie crust: Mix the flour, chives and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and vegetable shortening and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. Using a fork, stir in the vinegar, beaten egg and 5 tablespoons cold water. Stir the mixture until just combined. Shape the dough into 2 discs. (You'll only be using 1 disc for this recipe. You can wrap the additional dough in plastic wrap for storage; it will keep up to a week in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.)
• Have ready 2 sheets of parchment paper that are each at least 12 inches square. Place the disc of dough between them. (If the dough is sticky for any reason, don't worry. Just sprinkle some flour on the parchment to get started. You shouldn't have to add much for it to stop sticking.) Starting at the center, roll the pin out to the edge. Turn the dough and parchment as necessary and continue rolling, always from the center to the outer edge. After a couple of rolls, lift the parchment paper away from the dough to loosen and replace the parchment. Flip the whole thing and loosen the other paper sheet. Continue rolling until the dough is large enough for your pie pan.
• For the filling: Slice the leeks thinly, and then soak them in cold water for about 10 minutes to remove any grit or dirt. Drain well.
• Put the mushrooms on a large baking sheet. Roast until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, saute the leeks in the butter until golden brown and beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
• For the quiche base, add the cream and eggs to a medium bowl and whisk them to combine. Stir in the leeks, mushrooms, grated Swiss and some salt and pepper. Mix in the pesto and prosciutto. The mixture should be very thick!
• Pour the mixture into the pie shell, then cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too brown on top. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
• Place the quiche on a cutting board and slice wedges with a serrated knife. Delicious for breakfast, and even better for lunch with a salad and a bunch of juicy grapes!