Pizza Quiche 

This is another recipe that I concocted based on items I had in my kitchen, I did not go out and buy any of these things with this recipe in my mind.  This is my favorite kind of cooking – I feel it’s a direct extension from my collage and painting mindset.

If you have been following this blog, or have spent any time with me, you know I am a breakfast-aholic – waffles, pancakes, muffins, egg casseroles, and especially quiches.  This was one of those ideas that I just thought was so brilliant that even my adventuresome eaters would gobble up.  Ha, that’s funny…

My ah-ha moment of making quiches came about when I finally figured out to fill my favorite pie pan with water and then pour it into my stainless steel bowl that is marked with measurements.  Now, aside from a few basics I keep the same – 4-5 eggs and 1 cup of liquid  – I can mix and match my quiche recipes as I like.  The 1 quart line is the magic line to keep my quiche from overflowing.

Pizza quiche should be whatever pizza toppings are your favorite – we went with pepperoni, tomato, red bell pepper, kale, onion, and cheese.

For more on crust techniques and tricks of the trade check out previous links on pastry crusts.  I first learned about the vodka crust technique from my dad, who learned about through reading about J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s findings, author of The Food Lab, for America’s Test Kitchen.  You can read more about it here.

I can’t wait until that kale is coming out of my yard again.

It was so nice earlier this week – at 71° – that we ate dinner on our porch.  Today it was supposed to snow, guess that is just spring in Iowa for you.  My daughter is in the background of this photo making her *lovely* gagging-because-you-made-me-try-a-new-food face.  Even though it is just eggs and pizza toppings, both of which she loves.

Sigh.  Toddler adventures with food.

 

Pizza Quiche

1. Prepare a single-crust pastry.
2. Meanwhile, sauté 1/2 yellow onion, diced with 1 small red bell pepper, diced with seeds and ribs removed in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until softened.
3. Combine in a bowl: 5 beaten eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 medium tomato, diced, 3-4 oz of chopped pepperoni, 1-2 tablespoons of pizza seasoning, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.  Mix in the onion mixture and 1 cup of shredded kale.
4. Pour into prepared crust and bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes or till the center jiggles slightly and is almost set, or when a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  If necessary, cover the edges in foil or with a pie crust shield, to prevent browning in last 20 minutes, or so, of baking.

Pastry for Single-Crust

1.  Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup butter into 1-1/4 cups flour. Pieces should be pea-sized. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of ice-cold water over part of the flour mixture; toss with a fork.  Push moistened flour to one side of the bowl.  Repeat, using 1 tablespoon of the liquid at a time until all the flour is moistened, using 4-5 tablespoons of ice-cold liquid – water, vodka, or a mixture of the two – in all.  Form dough into a ball.

2. On a lightly floured board, use hands to slightly flatten dough.  Roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

3. To transfer pastry, wrap dough around a rolling pin.  Unroll into a 9-inch pie plate.  Do not stretch the dough, as this will cause shrinking.  Trim excess dough and fold over.  Do not prick dough.

4. Line with double thickness of aluminum foil.  Bake in a 450° oven for 8 minutes.  Remove foil, bake for 4 to 5 more minutes or until pastry is set and dry.  Reduce oven temperature to 325°.