FRIDAY

Quinoa & Kale Crustless Quiche  |  Carrot Soup

I love this dish.  It was given to me by a dear friend {who knows that I prefer squares over circles…it is all about those nice neat corners} and it resides in a plate stand on my counter, when not in use, adding colorful flowers to a corner of my kitchen.  It is a fabulous dish for baking & I make most of my quiches in this lovely ceramic piece of art.

Tonight’s quiche is a new recipe for me…it caught my eye while I was window shopping over at Food52 last week & I put it on our menu.  So HAPPY I did!!!  Let me sidestep here…in the midst of preparing dinner tonight & speaking with a friend on the phone, we decided to get the families together for a casual, Friday during Lent meatless dinner.  I brought this quiche, cut up into small squares, as an appetizer {it was not big enough to be the main dish for 9 people} and it was gone in under 5 minutes. Savory, cheesy, wonderful {if any had been left-over, it would have made for a lovely breakfast in the morning}…

Quinoa & Kale Crustless Quiche {adapted from Food52}

• ½ cup quinoa
  
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large bunch of baby spinach, chopped {substituted for kale which was not available at my small, neighborhood market today}
• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced 
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded {I used a sharp Vermont Cabot Cheese, aged two years}
• 3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 4 eggs
• Kosher salt & freshly-ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9-inch baking dish {either butter the dish thoroughly or spray with canola oil}.  Rinse the quinoa.  Combine the quinoa and water in a pan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer.  This will take about 20 minutes.  Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, begin to caramelize the onions.  Heat the olive oil in a large, deep cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  When the oil is shimmering, add the onions.  Slowly cook until the onions are soft and browned.
3. Remove the onions from the cast-iron skillet & place them in a large mixing bowl.  Add the spinach to the hot skillet.  Over medium heat, cook until the spinach is just wilted and bright green, about a minute.
4. Allow the greens to cool.  Squeeze out any extra liquid using a colander.
5. Add the spinach, quinoa, garlic, cream cheese and cheddar to the mixing bowl.  Stir the ingredients so that they are evenly distributed.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs so that they are well-combined.  Pour over the quinoa/spinach mixture.  Stir until the egg clings to the greens.  Add salt & pepper.
7. Pour the mixture in the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour…until the top is golden and the pie has started to pull away from the edge of the dish.  This dish is better served at room temperature.

{This recipe was a BEST GREENS Contest Finalist at Food52}…

Combine the quinoa and water in a pan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer…

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  When the oil is shimmering, add the onions.  Slowly cook until the onions are soft and browned.

Remove the onions from the cast-iron skillet & place them in a large mixing bowl.  Add the spinach to the hot skillet.  Over medium heat, cook until the spinach is just wilted and bright green, about a minute.

Add the strained spinach, quinoa, garlic, cream cheese and cheddar to the mixing bowl.  Stir the ingredients so that they are evenly distributed.

Whisk the eggs so that they are well-combined.  Pour over the quinoa/spinach mixture.  Stir until the egg clings to the greens.  Add salt & pepper.

Pour the mixture in the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour…until the top is golden and the pie has started to pull away from the edge of the dish

As for the  Carrot Soup…I was in the midst of preparing this soup when our plans changed…

Carrot Soup {adapted from The Smitten Kitchen}

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds, organic carrots, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cups vegetable broth

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot {with a tight-fitting lid} over medium heat.  Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt & pepper flakes and sauté until the ingredients just begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add broth, using it to scrape up and bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.  Cover the pot with the lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
3. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.  Serve in individual bowls.

The vegetables…

And the spices…

Once the vegetables were tender, I removed the pot from the heat and let sit while I went to get ready for our dinner date.  Right before we left {and after the vegetables and liquid had cooled considerably}, I puréed the batch of soup in a blender until smooth.  I transferred to a covered glass bowl and put in the refrigerator for lunch tomorrow.

But, before I go {it is Friday after-all}, I want to leave you with a piece of beauty from the East Coast, courtesy of Jan B. in Clayton, New York {this is really far North, upstate New York…100 miles North of Syracuse}…

Jan adds…
“Here is a photo from last fall as ships pass our house on the St. Lawrence River. They  will reopen the Seaway in a few weeks, a sure sign of Spring in Clayton, New York.”

 
Jan …THANK YOU so much for sharing this beautiful scene from where you are!  I know how much Upstate New York looks forward to Spring!!!

Have a GREAT weekend Everyone!