Tea Quiche Recipe – Leek and Spinach With Black and Green Teas
The other day I made a leek and spinach quiche with black and green teas. Served with a salad, quiche is one of my “comfort” foods. Plus there’s always enough left over to have for lunch the next day. Personally I think quiche is always better the next day.
For this tea version I used black tea in the crust and a green tea when sauteing the spinach. I have to say – the crust came out perfectly tasty, but the green tea taste in the spinach was, unfortunately, lost when combined with everything else. So what I guess I’m saying is – you can skip that part of the recipe if you’re strictly going for taste or you can keep it in for the extra health benefits from the green tea – your choice.
Quiche with a Black Tea Crust and Green Tea Spinach
Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp black tea, coarsely ground (I used Assam black tea)
1/3 cup butter, frozen
1/4 cup ice cold water
Preparation:
In a bowl mix together the flour and the tea leaves. Using a grater, grate the butter into small pieces and stir into the flour/tea mixture. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time and toss the dough lightly through your fingers to mix. Avoid pressing the dough together; let pieces fall separately.
When all the dry flour is mixed in, press dough into a ball and flatten it. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Fold crust in half, slip it gently into a 10″ pie plate, and unfold. Trim edge so that it overhangs pie plate ¼ – ½”. Fold edge underneath itself and flute.
Tea Quiche Ingredients
Filling:
1 tsp green tea (I used Gunpowder Green Tea)
1 cup boiling water
1 lb fresh spinach leaves, washed and chopped
1 large leek, (white and pale green parts only), sliced (approx. 3 cups)
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
3/4 tsp sat
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 cup swiss cheese ( I used Madrigal cheese)
Preparation:
Toast the green tea over medium heat until the tea is lightly browned (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from the heat, put the toasted leaves in a measuring cup and fill with 1 cup of boiling water. Steep for 2 minutes then strain the leaves out and return the brewed tea to the pan. Heat on low and add the chopped spinach leaves and cook until wilted. Remove from the heat, strain and cool.
In another frying pan melt the butter and add the leeks, cooking, on medium-high heat, until they are tender. Remove from the heat when done and cool.
Preheat the oven to 425.
Retrieve the crust from the refrigerator and, on a floured surface, roll out the crust to fit into a 9″ pie plate (see directions above).
In a bowl beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the cream, salt, pepper and mustard and whisk. Add the cheese and stir.
In the crust, layer the leeks, then spinach, corn kernels, and finally the red pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Cook at 425 for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 375 and bake for another 20 minutes, until the center is set and the top is lightly browned.
A slice of quiche with a fresh green salad – a heavenly treat!
Leave a comment