Spinach & feta quiche

For this quick quiche, we’ve combined the popular Mediterranean tastes of sweet red pepper, olives and spinach with slightly salty feta cheese. While flaky homemade pastry is ideal, if you’re pinched for time, you can purchase a frozen pie shell, but look for the deep-dish variety to accommodate all this filling.

If you wish you can prepare all components ahead of time.  Make pastry or purchase deep-dish pie shell. Steam spinach or defrost. Then squeeze dry and chop. Crumble and measure feta, chop olives and whisk eggs with milk. Refrigerate, covered, in separate containers until ready to proceed with recipe.

The quiche can be enjoyed hot or at room temperature.

Makes 8 wedges

• 1 bag fresh spinach or 300g pkg frozen spinach,
• 10 inch (26 cm) unbaked pie shell ,
• ¼ cup (50 mL) diced red pepper,
• 1 cup (250 mL) crumbled feta cheese,
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped pitted black olives.
• 1½ cups (375 mL) homogenized milk or half-and-half cream (if using a regular shallow frozen pie shell, use only 1 cup (250 mL) milk),
• 4 eggs (if using a regular shallow frozen pie shell, use only three eggs),
• 1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil,
• ½ tsp (2 mL) dried leaf oregano,
• pinches of salt and black pepper.

·         Place oven rack on lowest level.

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Trim fresh spinach.
3. Cook spinach in a microwave or in boiling water just until wilted. If using frozen spinach, defrost but do not cook.
4. Squeeze spinach in your hands until dry, then chop.
5. Scatter over unbaked pie shell.
6. Sprinkle with red pepper, feta and olives.
7. In a bowl, whisk milk with eggs and seasonings.
8. Pour over mixture in pie shell.
9. Place on a baking sheet to catch any spills.
10. Bake on bottom rack of a preheated oven until pastry edges start to brown, from 10 to 12 minutes.
11. Without opening oven door, reduce oven temperature to 350F (180C) and bake until centre of quiche seems set when lightly jiggled, from 20 to 25 minutes.
12. Remove to a rack and let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Any remaining quiche will keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 day.