Real Men Don't Eat Quiche?
Let's see a show of hands! How many guys wouldn't love a good piece of quiche? OK, that probably isn't a fair question since I've probably had all of 5 men ever leave a comment on my blog! Maybe this question will stir up some lively guy talk! I'll rephrase my question; Do you know any guys that don't like quiche?
When I started making quiche many years ago, John didn't like it. He wouldn't touch the stuff! I knew he liked scrambled eggs and omelets and eggs of any kind. He liked sauteed veggies and ham and cheese. So what's the big deal about quiche? Why wouldn't he eat it? One day I asked him why, but he didn't have a very good answer.
- Me: "Why won't you eat my quiche?"
- John: "Real men don't eat quiche."
- Me: "Where'd you get that from?"
- John: "Everyone knows guys don't eat quiche."
- Me: "What guys?"
- John: "Real men."
- Me: "But who said?"
- John: "I saw it on TV."
- Me: "But you like ham and eggs and veggies and bacon and pie crust. Have you ever tried it?"
- John: "No, but I know I won't like it!"
- Me: "Come on, try it, you're hurting my feelings. Do it for me and I'll love you forever."
- John: "You'll love me anyways. OK, Give me a slice and no funny stuff either."
- Me: "How is it? Do you like it? Isn't it delicious?"
- John: "Do you think I can I have another slice?"
- Me: "HA!"
And so that's how a 6 foot-2 inch manly man came to like...no, LOVE quiche! Now, when he smells quiche in the oven, his mouth starts to water. When I made this Broccoli, Leek & Zucchini Quiche, he ate half the quiche! Seriously, half the quiche! And it was a deep dish pie too! I had to take it away from the table or he would have made himself sick!
Bakery Days & Quiche
I also have to tell you, that John has made his share of hundreds upon hundreds of quiche in his day. He would make the pie crust by hand, roll it out and flute the crust. I would sautee all the veggies, Grate the cheese, slice the meats, etc. Then, I would fill the crusts with all the fixin's while he was making the custard. We'd then finish them off together, tag-team style until they were all in the oven. When I say all, I mean the convection oven would hold 20 pies or quiche. If we had more than that to do, we'd crank up the 10 burner ranges 2 ovens and we'd be able to fit another 18 in there. We always made an extra one or two for supper that night for ourselves.
Can You Teach A Guy How To Make Pie Crust???
If I could teach John how to make pie crust, then you can too. An old dog can learn new tricks! If you follow my Pie Crust Recipe from my article on Suite101, and pay attention to all the tips and tricks, you should be able to make a great pie crust. Most people work the dough too much. Don't knead it like bread dough. You'll end up with a tough as cardboard sheet of plywood! YUCK!
How To Roll A Pie Crust Without A Rolling Pin
Be one with the dough! Forget the plastic wrap, the wax paper, the water filled rolling pins, the plastic Tupperware rolling sheets with the silly little rings on it, and all the other expensive gadgets. Remember the post I did a while ago on How To Roll A Pie Crust Without A Rolling Pin? I used a simple bottle of chilled wine to roll out my dough. And that's only if I'm gonna drink white wine that night! I'll use an unchilled red wine if Shiraz is on the menu! Bottom line - You can do it, it's easier than you think!
In my Pie Crust Recipe, one batch makes 4) 9" crusts. Because I made a very deep, deep-dish pie, I would have gotten three quiche crusts out of this recipe. You can always roll out the other 2-3 crusts, put them in pie pans and flute them, then wrap and freeze for another quiche whenever you feel like it!
BROCCOLI, LEEK, ZUCCHINI & PANCETTA QUICHE
OK, Let's get to the quiche shall we? This recipe is for BROCCOLI, LEEK, ZUCCHINI & PANCETTA QUICHE. Yes, I did put pancetta in it! But you don't have to if you'd rather keep it vegetarian. If you don't like zucchini, use asparagus or red peppers, etc. Use different cheeses if you don't like cheddar and parmesan. The point is, quiche is very versatile. Don't let me tell you what you like. You know what your family likes!
This recipe is for a 10" deep dish quiche. If you wish to make a smaller one, you'll need to use less ingredients. Look here for my Quick & Easy Quiche Recipes for a smaller quiche. Plus, it has tons of other ideas you can use to add some variety to your quiche repertoire!
BROCCOLI LEEK & ZUCCHINI QUICHE RECIPE
- 1) 10" deep dish Pie Crust, crimped and fluted a little higher than the pan.
- 1 1/2 cups total of shredded cheddar & parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cups small broccoli florets
- 1/2 leek, chopped small
- 3/4 cup zucchini, diced
- 1/4 cup onions, diced small
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 pound diced pancetta or Italian ham, optional
- 5 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups half & half
- 1 tsp salt, more or less to taste
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, minced fine
Directions:
- Make the pie crust according to my recipe.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Steam broccoli and set aside.
- Sautee the leek, zucchini, onion and garlic together until al dente.
- Spread the cheeses over the bottom of the crust.
- Arrange the veggies on top of the cheeses.
- In a mixing bowl or using a hand-held mixer, combine eggs, half & half, salt, nutmeg and 1 Tbsp dill together until mixed well.
- Pour liquid over the veggies very carefully so as not to disturb the veggies and cheese.
- Sprinkle the rest of the dill and some Mrs. Dash over the top.
- Very carefully, place the quiche on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 -60 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
- Cool 15-30 minutes before slicing.
- Cool completely before refrigerating any leftovers.
- Serves 8 regular people or 2-3 Johns!
Trust me on this, if you make this BROCCOLI LEEK & ZUCCHINI QUICHE RECIPE, 9 out of 10 guys are gonna love it. The one that doesn't? Tell him to find another cook to make his meals!
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