Salmon and Spinach Quiche

I am sure there are days when you feel like you want something different for dinner. I'm not talking about ice cream and pizza, lol! I was thinking in the line of pies and quiches. It's definitely not your usual rice and dishes meal, something that you would make to surprise your family. :) For me, I love pies and quiches period. But since I didn't have any left over roast chicken to make chicken pot pie, quiche was the next best thing. And furthermore I get to "sneak" a few healthy ingredients like Salmon and spinach into it. My girls were delighted and enjoyed the quiche very much, not knowing that all those good nutrients that comes along with it. :)

I always enjoy the creamy, meaty filling encased in a buttery, flaky pie crust, the combo is unbeatable. ;) Furthermore, there are so many ways of incorporating different ingredients into a quiche, from simple cheese, leeks, ham and even crab meat, yum! Think of the possibilities, lol! :D

In fact this dish can be served during dinner parties, reason being some of the steps can be done a couple of days ahead, so really no hurry when you need to serve it on that very day, just assemble and bake, vola! Okay, here is the recipe:

Ingredients for Salmon and Spinach Quiche:
1 pie crust recipe:
1.25 cup (140g) all purpose flour
125g cold butter, cubed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 to 4 tbsp ice cold water

250g Salmon fillet (no skin)
1 pack spinach, about 200g, washed and removed stems
2 shallots, finely minced 1 garlic, finely minced
1 leek, washed and sliced thinly
3 large eggs
2 cups of half and half ( I used 1 cup heavy cream & 1 cup full cream milk)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

To make the Pie Crust:

• In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt and sugar and whisk well together. Add in the cubed cold butter and rub in till the mixture resemble bread crumbs.

• Gradually add in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time till the mixture can just able to come together. Do not add too much water as it will become sticky and the crust will not be that flaky.
• Pour the dough out on a lightly floured surface and pressed together to a a dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for at least an hour. This can be done 2 days ahead.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C and take out the chilled dough. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll into a round disc of about 13 to 14 " in diameter. (I am using 10" pie pan)
• Place the disc on the lightly greased pan and gently tug in the sides. Crimp sides if desired. Poke some holes at the base of the pie dough with a fork. Then place a piece of parchment paper over it and some baking weights (either beans or rice)
• 
  
  
  
• Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes till light in color and golden brown on the edges. If the edges brown too fast, wrap the sides with aluminum foil.
• Cool on the rack till needed.

To prep Salmon and spinach:

• Season the fillet with salt and pepper. Using a small sauce pan, place a bay leaf or some slices of leek, some peppercorns, 1/2 tsp olive oil and 1 cup of water. Bring this to a simmer and add the salmon fillet in. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes till the fillet is cooked through. Remove the salmon and flake it. Set aside till needed.

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the spinach leaves in and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove leaves and transfer into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain after 5 minutes and squeeze out all the liquid, as much as you can. Then chop up the spinach finely and set aside for later.

Assemble:

• In a pan, add in 1 tbsp olive oil and heat up at medium low fire. Add garlic, shallots and leeks, cook till soft, about 5 mins. Remove from heat and set aside for later.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• In a small mixing bowl, gently mix together the salmon, spinach and cooked leeks. Then place this mixture into the pie crust, distributing evenly.
• Crack the 3 eggs into the half and half, add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Gently pour egg mixture over the filling in the crust.
  
  
  Lastly sprinkle the Parmesan cheese all over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven till the top is golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes.
• Let quiche cool a little before slicing into it. Left overs can be reheated at 140°C for 10 minutes.

I have a small slice left over and it still was good after I heated it up in the oven. So no problem in making more I guess. ;) Rushing for time, just be sure to prep the pie crust and filling ahead. ;) Hope you all will give this recipe a try...healthy, delicious and not your usual dinner. Enjoy baking!