Saturday, May 22, 2021

Spinach Quiche from @MysteryMacRae

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.


 
Bake for 40 minutes—until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes.

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 bookstoresBarnes & 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.

23 comments:

  1. 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

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    1. Thanks 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.

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  2. Welcome Molly! Love the quiche and what a gorgeous crust!

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  3. Welcome Molly. Delighted to have you here. That quiche looks amazing

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  4. Welcome, Molly! I love the idea of herbs in the crust. I'm a big quiche girl, too.

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    1. Thanks, Edith. Nice to be here! Enjoy the herbs.

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  5. So 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

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    1. Thank you, Mary Jane! I'm thrilled to be here.

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  6. Welcome, Molly! We are delighted to have you join us -- we'll be over for dinner shortly!

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    1. Thanks, Leslie, and thanks for the timely warning. House dusted!

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  7. Welcome to the Kitchen, Molly! That spinach quiche looks delicious, and I'll take two slices please, one for breakfast and one for lunch. ~ Cleo

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    1. Perfect meal choices, Cleo, and thanks so much for the warm welcome!

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  8. So 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!

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    1. There are so many good options with quiche, aren't there? I'm so happy to join all of you in the kitchen!

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  9. Welcome to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, Molly! So glad you are here! I enjoy a good quiche and this looks delicious.

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    1. Thank you, Tina! Glad to be here. I think I need to find some good asparagus and make another quiche this week.

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  10. Welcome to one of my favorite place online.
    That is a handsome crust with nicely done fluting.
    Quiche is always a good answer to "What should I make to eat?"

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    1. 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?

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  11. Welcome, Molly! So happy you could join the group. The quiche recipe looks wonderful. ~Maya

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  12. Welcome Molly! I love quiche and your recipe looks yummy.

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  13. Oh man. I love the bagpipes. I have been making quiche since I learned about in the house class stuff. This sounds delicious. thanks

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