Ingredients:
White Flour Crust:
- 5 ounces of unsalted butter
- 10 ounces (2 cups) of unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon of superfine sugar
- 2 tablespoon of ice-cold vodka, unflavored
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Quiche:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups of baby spinach
- 4-5 strips of Morning Star Veggie Strips
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup of ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
- up to 1/2 cup of milk
- 3 ounces or 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
White Flour Crust:
- Cut the butter into small pieces and refrigerate or freeze to make them cold.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and set the rack in the middle.
- Sift the flour with the salt and sugar into a large bowl. In a cup combine the vodka with 3 tablespoons of ice water.
- Rub or cut the butter into the flour with your fingers to make a crumbly meal. You can also make the dough in a food processor, pulsing the butter and flour to a crumbly meal.
- Slowly add the ice water and the vodka while turning the mixture with a fork or pulsing the food processor until the dough forms a ball.
- Remove the dough ball from the bowl, divide it in half, and lightly pat each ball with the flour. If you’re only making one crust, wrap the second dough ball in plastic and refrigerate or freeze for later use.
- Place the dough you are using between the sheets of parchment paper and roll out to a 10- or 11-inch disc. Remove one sheet of paper, lay the dough over a pie pan, and peel off the remaining paper. Ease the dough into the pan; cut the excess and crimp the edges. Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the vanilla extract. With a pastry brush, lightly coat the sides and edge of the crust with the de wash to enhance the color.
- Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line the parchment paper, and place the dry beans or the pie weights in the center, all the way to the sides. Blind bake the crust for 10 minutes. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack. Then remove the parchment and weights.
Quiche:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the middle.
- Prepare the pie crust as directed and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a small skillet over high heat. Add the shallots and saute until soft. Set aside to cool.
- Wash, dry and roughly chop the spinach.
- Cook the bacon or the veggie strips until crisp. Set aside to cool, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk to blend. Fold in the cooked shallots, ricotta cheese, and nutmeg. Add the milk as necessary to loosen the mixture so that it is loose but not runny in the bowl. You may not need any.
- Spread the spinach, bacon and parmesan on the bottom of the crust, then pour the egg mixture over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set, the edges bubble and the quiche appears golden across the top. Remove it to a wire rack to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
