Crustless Spinach Quiche.

Been busy with all the christmas shopping. There are simply too many people in the malls these days, would rather stay at home and bake or simply do nothing. I've decided to bake quiche today because its been something I have been wanting to bake ever since I am able to remember.

The first time I tried quiche was in secondary school, when a friend brought her mum's home-made quiche for us to try. Its was so good, I fell in love with quiche. For some reason quiche also reminds me of something very british. Well perhaps because it became popular in England sometime after WWII.

 I did some research and found out that although quiche is now a classic dish of French cuisine, quiche actually originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule, and which the French later renamed Lorraine. The word 'quiche' is from the German 'Kuchen', meaning cake.

(Food Reference)

(Pictures were taken when I was in Edinburgh )

Adapted from (Allrecipes)

2-1/2 Tsp Vegetable oil

1 onion

110g Fresh spinach leaves

4 Eggs, beaten

2 1/2 C Munester Cheese ( I used parmesan and leftover pizza cheese)

1 Slice ham ( had a slice of leftover ham, so I threw it in as well)

1/4 Tsp salt

1/8 Tsp black pepper

1/4 Tsp Garlic

1/4 Tsp Oregano

1) Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.

2) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occassionally, until onions are soft. Stir in ham and spinach and garlic. Continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.

3) In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and oregano. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.

4) Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30min. Let cool for 10min before serving.

Could be eaten warm or cold.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onion . Hamcups .

Brussels sprout is a vegetable i've alway liked but did not get much chance to eat them, because over here its not a common dish during meal. I love the texture and crunchiness of brussels sprouts. Had wanted to try it out last week but could not find it in the supermarket ( Fairprice does not have brussels sprouts!). So i've finally got my hands on these lovely green brussels sprouts.

I found the extremely simple recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen and skipped some of the ingredients because I was planning to bake Hamcups as well and did not want my parents get an overdose of cheese.  So here goes, my adapted version!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 Packet of brussels sprouts ( I can't remember how much, but just enough for your family/ friends should be good! ) Trimmed and halfed

1 Onion

1.5 Tbs Olive oil

1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar ( I used balsamic vinegar salad dressing, which worked well!)

1/2 Tsp Rosemary

Salt and pepper for taste ( because I used balsamic dressing, could do without if using balsamic vinegar)

1) Preheat oven to 220 degree C. Trim Brussels Sprouts, remove any discoloured leaves and cut into halves. Cut Onions. Put Sprouts in mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, pepper, salt.

2) Covering roasting pan with foil if desired, and spray with non-stick spray if needed. Arrange sprouts and onions in a single layer on roasting pan, and roast 20 mins. turning occasionally or until sprouts are slightly crisp and golden brown on the edges.

* I did not manage to take any pictures of the roasted Brussels sprouts because I was too busy eating them!

Apart from the brussels sprouts, I baked hamcups as well. You might be wondering, huh?! Whats hamcups. Ah haut first saw this recipe and said that I should try it, and indeed its really worth trying! Its simple and taste very good! I found this recipe from Hail's Kitchen

Ingredients
4 slices ham
4 eggs
1 onion, diced
2 tbs sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tbs thyme, minced (or any herb you like, I used oregano)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (whatever you like, parmesan, cheddar, gouda, I used a mixture for pizza)
1 tbs olive oil or butter or both
salt/pepper to taste

* I did not have mushrooms, but the result was just as great!

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with the ham slices. Be careful not to rip the slice, as it will be the 'cup' for you egg. 

2) Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil or butter. (If you add the butter and olive oil you can turn the heat up higher without the concern of your butter burning). Add the shallots to the pan and saute until transparent, then add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are browned, season with salt and pepper and stir in the sour cream and thyme. 

3) Spoon the mushroom mixture into the bottom of the ham. Carefully crack an egg into the ham cup. Sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes or until the egg is to your desired consistency.

Looking and tasting good!