January 11, 2009

It's been a gorgeous crisp day here in Dallas; perfect for a little computer work, a little housework, and a little cooking.  Since I didn't want to make a trip to the Wally Mart, I had to find dinner ingredients in my house.  What I came up with is Spinach Quiche, but with a simple tomato sauce served alongside to make it a bit different and to add some extra flavor.

The quiche is LilSis' recipe, that she got from her friend, E, when she lived in New York.  We've both been making it for years.  It's a great simple recipe, and I don't think it's as decadent as some recipes. I always make mine without a crust, I just don't think it's necessary and it adds a bunch of simple carbs and fat grams so I skip it.  This time, since I'm trying to eat as well as I can but I still want good food, I'm trying out Cabot 50% Light All Natural Cheddar cheese.  I got 2 pounds of it at Sam's Club the other day, so that's what I had.  It worked out wonderfully.  It tasted good and cheesy, and didn't melt away into the quiche like a full-fat cheese does.  The shreds held their shape a little more; I think you can see some areas of intense white cheesy goodness in the photos.

The tomato sauce is just a simple combination of cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic and seasonings.  If I had fresh basil and shallots on hand, I'd use them, but you can really use whatever you have and whatever you like.  I really liked adding the sauce to the quiche!  I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before!

Spinach Quiche with Tomato Sauce

Spinach Quiche

4 eggs
1-1/2 c milk (since I'm not a milk-drinker and never have any in the house, I use half evaporated milk and half water)
1 10-oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, liquid pressed out
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Few shakes hot sauce (to taste)
2 c grated cheese (cheddar, parmesan, monterrey jack, gouda or any combination of cheeses)
2 Tblsp flour

Whisk together the eggs, milk, spinach and seasonings.  In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the flour, then add to the wet ingredients.  Mix together and pour into a greased pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until set and golden brown.

Tomato Sauce

4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tblsp olive oil
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt to taste

Seasonings of your choice. I used:

1/2 tsp minced dried garlic
1 1/2 tsp freeze-dried shallots
1/4 tsp dried granulated onion
1/4 tsp shallot pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp sugar
Few dashes of hot sauce

Saute the garlic in the oil for a few minutes, but don't let it brown.  Add the tomatoes and seasonings, and simmer 10 minutes or so until the tomatoes start to soften.  You can leave the sauce chunky, but I prefer to whir it around a little bit with an immersion blender.  With a small quantity like this, watch out though.  I sprayed tomato sauce all over my countertop and backsplash, not to mention myself!  Keep sauce warm until quiche is done.

An easy Sunday Supper!

Cut yourself a slice of quiche, and spoon the sauce over it.  Sprinkle with a little parmesan if you have it.  Bon appetito!

~BigSis