The quiche is one of my handiest recipes. For those who do not know it, it is a classic of French gastronomy, perhaps one of the most widespread and versioned worldwide, coming from the Lorraine region. The quiche is a savoury tart, composed of a base of shortcrust pastry and filled with different ingredients curdled with a mixture of egg and cream.
Ingredients
- 140 g whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- Three tablespoons olive oil
- 150 ml of boiling water
- 1/3 cauliflower
- One egg
- 150 ml of evaporated milk
- Salt, pepper, nutmeg
- For the dough (2 very thin 18 cm quiches):
- For the filling (quantities for 1 18 cm quiche):
Recipe
The original recipe, the quiche lorraine, was filled with leek and ham, but since its birth in the Middle Ages, it has come a long way and, although the classic is a guaranteed success, we can find thousands of equally delicious variants.
The quiche recipe that I brought you today is straightforward, fast and light that we will prepare with cauliflower. First, I have used a whole grain and vegan dough that considerably reduces the amount of fat in the conventional shortcrust dough (which is delicious but not suitable for every day) and is done in a kick. If you are too lazy, you can always use a purchased cake base, but both in terms of health and flavour, I highly recommend making it. And more in this case, that in the time it takes to cook the cauliflower, you will have the dough ready.
And if not, you can always make several when you have the inspired day and freeze them stretched out between two baking sheets. Also, instead of cream, I usually make my quiches with evaporated milk or 0% whipped cheese (the lightest version of all). With these two changes, we went from a reasonably heavy recipe to a light and balanced meal that we can often use, adapting to what we have in the fridge and to the taste of our guests.
Other quiche recipes are smoked salmon that you can find here or ham and cheese that is here.
Easy quiche preparation
- The first thing we will do is clean and cut the piece of cauliflower that we will use into small bouquets. Then we can steam it for about 20-30 min or in the microwave for about 15 minutes. It has to be soft but not fall apart. We turn on the oven at 180ºC.
- Meanwhile, we prepare the dough. We boil the water and mix the flour, salt and paprika in a bowl. Add the oil to the bowl and mix vigorously with a spoon or fork. Finally, add the boiling water and stir for a few more minutes until a homogeneous and smooth dough is obtained. Knead for a couple of minutes with your hands on the counter while it warms, and it will be ready to use.
- We divide the ball in two and stretch each part between two baking sheets until it is the right size to cover our mould. If you only prepare a small cake, you can freeze the other ball, stretched or rolled, without removing the baking papers. If we plan to use it soon, we can keep it in the fridge, unstretched, wrapped in film.
Bottom Line
- We grease the mould (in this case, I didn’t do it because mine was silicone). And we put the dough on top, cutting out what is left over. A good trick so that the edges are perfect is to pass the roller over. It so that the cut that occurs in the dough is precisely parallel to the walls of the mould. Now we have to blanch the dough. Baking it for 10-15 minutes alone so that it finishes being made later with the filling. Ideally, place a baking paper with some weight on it (for example, some chickpeas). However, I confess that half the time, I do not.
- Now we beat the egg with the evaporated milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. We check if the cauliflower is there or if it needs a few more minutes to cook. Once the cauliflower is tender, and the dough is half done. (Not browned, be careful, bleached), we only have to distribute. The tiny flowers of the vegetable are on top of the base. And carefully pour the mixture of egg and milk. Ensuring that it is well distributed. We return to the oven for another 15 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the filling is set.
Outcome
The quiche is delicious, freshly made, warm, and cold, several hours later and even the next day. Therefore, it is something I usually resort to when having a picnic. At home, we can enjoy it as a single dish. Take a couple of good portions or accompanied by a salad to complete the supply of vitamins.
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