Today we are introducing a new member to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, and we're thrilled to have her join us. Please welcome bestselling author Molly MacRae!
Take it away, Molly...
🌺
MOLLY MACRAE: I’ve been making versions of this quiche in the same brown ceramic pie dish since 1976. Sadly, the pie dish cracked a few years ago, but the recipe is still good. It’s flexible and forgiving, and it’s morphed over the years as my family’s tastes have changed.
You can use any kind of cheese you like. Use real sausage. Leave out the sausage. Use 3 eggs or 4. Sometimes I use roasted asparagus instead of spinach. Yum!
It’s a recipe that goes with the flow, much like Joe Dunbar, the Renaissance odd job man and potluck aficionado in my Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries. This is his go-to recipe for potluck dinners. It’s mine, too, for a comfortable meal with family or friends. It’s a meal in itself, or it pairs well with rice, couscous, bulgar, or salad.
Spinach Quiche
For crust (single crust fitting an 8- or 9-inch pie pan):
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour white flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¾ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup cold water (plus another tablespoon or two as needed)
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
½ teaspoon garlic powder or a clove or two of mince fresh garlic
(optional)
(Or a ready-made crust is fine, if you’d rather)
For filling and custard:
10
ounces frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to remove as much liquid as you can.
1-2
cup grated cheese (I use extra-sharp cheddar)
3
or 4 eggs
2
vegetarian breakfast “sausage” patties, warmed, and broken into bite-size
pieces
10
ounces milk (whole, 2%, or dry nonfat reconstituted)
½
teaspoon salt
¼
teaspoon black pepper (we’re a peppery bunch, so I use closer to ½ teaspoon)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 F
Mix flours, salt, and basil and garlic (if used) in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives.
With a fork, gently mix in water, adding another tablespoon or two, as needed, until dough comes together in a ball. Flatten ball on a work surface dusted with flour, roll into a circle 1 inch larger around than the rim of the pie pan.
Transfer the crust to the pie pan and flute the edge. Set aside, unbaked.
Sprinkle half the cheese on bottom of unbaked pie shell. Distribute sausage pieces over cheese.
Cover sausage with spinach.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over spinach.
In a large bowl (I use the same one I used for the crust), beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the filling.
Slice into 6 or 8 pieces. A slice of cold quiche makes a great lunch the next day.
About
Heather and Homicide – book 4 in the Highland Bookshop Mysteries
If true-crime writer Heather Kilbride has arrived in Inversgail, Scotland, to research a recent murder for her new book, why does she seem more interested in a shadowy lawyer with no connection to that murder? Heather and Homicide is a story featuring unconventional research methods, miniature books, and an ancient circle of standing stones. Available in hardback, e-book, and audio from your locally-owned independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Or ask for it at your local library.
About Last Wool and Testament – book 1 in the Haunted Yarn Shop mysteries
Kath Rutledge is about to learn the
true meaning of TGIF—Thank Goodness It’s Fiber . . .
That’s the name of the group of
fiber and needlework artists founded by Ivy McClellan, Kath’s beloved
grandmother. Though Ivy has recently passed on, the members still meet
regularly at her fiber and fabric shop, The Weaver’s Cat, which Kath has now
inherited. But that’s only the first in a series of surprises when Kath returns
to the small town of Blue Plum, Tennessee, to settle her grandmother’s affairs.
There’s been a murder, and it turns out her
grandmother was the prime suspect. Before she can begin to clear Ivy’s name,
Kath encounters a looming presence in the form of a gloomy ghost. It turns out
the specter has just as much interest in solving the murder as Kath. So, with a
little help from the members of TGIF—and a stubborn spirit from beyond—she
sets out to unravel the clues and hook the real killer . . .
Available in paperback, e-book, and
audio from your locally owned independent bookstores,
Barnes
& Noble, and Amazon.
Or ask for it at your public library.
The Boston
Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a
dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling
Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret
Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction.
Her short stories have appeared in
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
since 1990 and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction.
Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with
her on Twitter or Instagram.
I was introduced to quiche in the 1970s and have made many variations over the years. I never thought of adding a few spices to the crust. What a great idea. Thanks for the suggestion. Next time I will give it a try. I will also give your books a try. LRJ
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, LRJ. Give the herbs a try. I’ve used smoked garlic powder, too. Pretty tasty! Have fun with the books and let me know what you think.
DeleteWelcome Molly! Love the quiche and what a gorgeous crust!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lucy. It’s great to be here.
DeleteWelcome Molly. Delighted to have you here. That quiche looks amazing
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vicki, on both counts.
DeleteWelcome, Molly! I love the idea of herbs in the crust. I'm a big quiche girl, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Edith. Nice to be here! Enjoy the herbs.
DeleteSo glad you have joined us, Molly! Thanks for the terrific recipe. I love your books and can't wait for the next one. Hugs MJ
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary Jane! I'm thrilled to be here.
DeleteWelcome, Molly! We are delighted to have you join us -- we'll be over for dinner shortly!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leslie, and thanks for the timely warning. House dusted!
DeleteWelcome to the Kitchen, Molly! That spinach quiche looks delicious, and I'll take two slices please, one for breakfast and one for lunch. ~ Cleo
ReplyDeletePerfect meal choices, Cleo, and thanks so much for the warm welcome!
DeleteSo glad to have you join our kitchen, Molly! Yippee!And I love the idea of adding herbs to the crust! I could eat quiche for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner, and dinner!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many good options with quiche, aren't there? I'm so happy to join all of you in the kitchen!
DeleteWelcome to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, Molly! So glad you are here! I enjoy a good quiche and this looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tina! Glad to be here. I think I need to find some good asparagus and make another quiche this week.
DeleteWelcome to one of my favorite place online.
ReplyDeleteThat is a handsome crust with nicely done fluting.
Quiche is always a good answer to "What should I make to eat?"
Hi Libby! Nice to see you here. This has been my favorite online place for years. Glad you like the looks of the crust. Fluting is fun, isn't it?
DeleteWelcome, Molly! So happy you could join the group. The quiche recipe looks wonderful. ~Maya
ReplyDeleteWelcome Molly! I love quiche and your recipe looks yummy.
ReplyDeleteOh man. I love the bagpipes. I have been making quiche since I learned about in the house class stuff. This sounds delicious. thanks
ReplyDelete