Courgette Vegetable Quiche

Quiches are a convenient and easy way for a delicious dinner, that can be prepared ahead by baking the dough base in the weekend and finish the cooking during the busy week. Quiches are delicious both cold and hot, which makes them one of the preferred and loved food for Lunchbox. The filling varies depending on what you have in your fridge and your tastes.

A homemade Quiche is one of those things that puts store bought to shame. Surprise yourself with how easy it is to make a homemade quiche crust. To make life easy pre prepare pie crust during the weekend and the busy week dinner will be ready in just 5 minutes.

QUICHE PASTRY FLAN

The pastry for quiche is a simple shortcrust pastry that is buttery and crumbly, crispy yet soft enough to cut your fork through. If you do have the time, it is truly worth making the effort to make your own pastry. It’s super quick and easy to make the dough using a food processor. The dough comes together in minutes – flour, butter, salt, yolk, water, blitz = ball of soft dough ready for baking, after chilling.

MAKE AHEAD:

Quiche is a brilliant make ahead because it’s one of those things that truly reheats well without compromise. Quiche is brilliant reheated. Keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge then reheat for 15 minutes at 180 C in the oven.

Quiche Pastry Flan case:

Make pastry in a food processor:

Combine the flour, salt and cubed butter in the work bowl of the food processor. Press, turning the machine on and off, just until mixture is crumbly.

Add the egg yolk, iced water and process again briefly, just until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough from the processor and gather it into a bowl.

Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Making the dough by hand:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter. Rub into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbles.

In a small bowl mix the egg yolk, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water. Add to the flour mixture. With a fork, toss gently to mix and moisten.

Press the dough into a rough ball. If it is too dry, to form a dough, add the remaining water. Turn on to the work surface or a pastry board.

With the heel of your hand push small portions of dough away from you, smearing them on the surface.

Continue mixing the dough in this way until it feels pliable and can be peeled easily off the surface.

Press the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap in cling and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Baking Blind:

Leave to soften for 10 minutes at room temperature before rolling out. To line a pie tin lightly butter a 23-25 cm based pie tin.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about 3 mm thick. Gently roll the pastry loosely around the rolling pin, then unroll over the tin and gently ease the pastry into the tin, leaving a 2.5 cm. overhand. With floured fingers press the overhand down slightly toward the base of the pan to reinforce the side.

Roll the rolling pin over the rim to cut off the excess. Press the pastry against the side of the tin to form a rim slightly higher than the tin. If you like, crimp the edge. Prick the base with a fork and chill for at least one hour.

Blind Baking Cream fillings and quiches are often given an initial baking. (blind baking) The technique is also used for pastry cases that are to be filled with uncooked or pre-cooked mixture. For baking use weights to prevent the bottom rising too much and becoming destroyed.

When the dough is rolled in the tin, pick the bottom all over with a fork.

lay the circle of a greaseproof paper in the pastry case and press it smoothly over the bottom and up the sides.

Put enough dried beans in the case to cover the bottom thickly.

Partially baked pastry: For partially baked pastry put the case in a 200 C oven for 15-20 minutes or until is slightly dry and set. Remove the paper. The pastry is ready to be filled and baked further.

Enjoy!