Quiche with Spinach & Feta Cheese

Today is the first day of the fall semester. Although not looking forward to the commute this semester, I'm feeling good because after this, I'll have a month off and one semester left before I'm done. Dinner can be challenging on nights I have school, and this semester Mike is back to school as well. On these days we'll often cook dinner around 3-4, and eat around 4:30 (much earlier than our usual 7-8 o'clock dinnertime) before hopping in the car to head to school.

Quiche is one of our go to easy meals on nights like those. We are crazy about eggs in this house so we always have them stocked, add whatever vegetables you have lying around, some cheese, milk, and you got a quiche. But wait, I know some people are weird about eggs. I'm weird about eggs. So I know a quiche might seem like what my brother Eric referred to as an "egg pie" but it's so much better than that. So don't be afraid to give it a go. Also, most quiches rely on butter and heavy cream, which makes it super fatty, but this recipe, which is kind of a mash of a few different recipes that have become our staple, uses olive/vegetable oil, and milk. Here is the recipe for the whole shebang including the easiest crust ever.

Crust

2 cups white flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour and salt together with a fork or just shake it around a bit. Add, oil and water. Form into a ball. Spread it out around the bottom of a cake pan or quiche/tart pan. I know who has a quiche pan? But it's so, so much easier (and prettier) with a quiche pan. With a fork, poke a few holes in the crust and throw it in the oven for about 20 minutes (it makes the crust, thicker and crustier in the end).

Meanwhile:

Filling

4 eggs

1 lb spinach (it cooks way down)

1/2 large red onion or 1 small red onion, diced.

1 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup milk (I use skim, but any kind works)

Heat a large skillet/saute pan over high heat and coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil (a couple of swirls or about 2 tablespoons). Add the onions, lower the heat and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, a few pinches of salt and pepper and give it a good mix with the onion  for about 2 minutes, letting the spinach wilt. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs. Add the milk and feta cheese. Add the spinach/onion mixture. Throw in a little more salt and pepper. Pour in crust. Bake for 40 minutes. Give it a wiggle to make sure it is cooked through. It shouldn't wiggle. It'll be a rich, creamy, cheesy little slice of egg pie (wink, wink).

Images by Amynonymous for Domestic Observances