asparagus + leek quiche

I’m deciding on what kind of “healthy” crust I want to make for my quiche. Do I go with an oat, quinoa, or millet crust? I’m cooking more organic these days, but I have yet to venture in using Xanthan Gum (needed with oat, quinoa, and millet). So, I settle for a more old fashion crust, but healthy and lower calories, using whole wheat flour and half the amount of butter; I’m pleased with my decision.

The thought of making crust frightens me, normally I would purchase a pre-made frozen crust. The process has begun and flour  is everywhere, on the counter, the floor, and the cupboards.  I must remember not to wipe my hands on my pants. I can’t recall doing this, but there are white hand prints on the back of my black lululemons, and hubby has not been seen in the kitchen. Yes, he enjoys patting my bottom.

Besides my lack of skills when using flour, I must say that using a Cuisinart to make this crust is easy. Unfortunately, I didn’t trust my pulsing skills on my first batch of dough, so before it formed into a ball, I removed the dough from the Cuisinart. I had to form a ball myself. The second time was a charm…trusting that pulsing longer would result in a dough ball. Those two nicely formed dough balls now sit in the refrigerator where they will wait for 1 hour before being rolled out. Oh my gosh, this makes me nervous. We shall see.

Not only am I experimenting with making my first healthy crust, I’ve never cooked with leek before. It has been discovered that leeks contain a lot of dirt. I bought organic leeks and they are beauties. As directed, I cut off the darker part of the leek and used only the white and light green parts. They were sliced and sliced again, darn dirt is still in there, and off they went for another washing. I don’t like the look of sliced leek, so I chop them instead. Yes, I like that better. My nose fills with the aroma of a very mild onion.

My timer goes off, and I remove my discs of dough from the fridge. I’m really nervous about rolling out the dough, plus I have an audience. One of our teenage daughters and her boyfriend are sitting at my center island. OK, here goes… wow I’m actually doing a great job. Cold dough is easy to roll out, it’s not sticking to my rolling pin. I’m pleased and was spared embarrassment.

The savory aroma of the asparagus and leek sauteing are making my stomach growl. Nice, the fog has burned off and hubby is laying out by the pool. He has asked me to get my bathing suit on and join him. This is what I will do while the quiches are baking #lovelife.

The quiches are done and I can’t wait to see and taste the results. Suddenly, I’m disappointed, my crust doesn’t looks exactly right. I used a fancy tart pan instead of the regular pie pan, pressed the dough all the way to top, instead of half way up the sides. Dough shrinks when baked, resulting in an uneven crust. No worries, I will give it a slight trim with a knife once it has cooled.

I’m ready to take one of the quiches up to our neighbor’s house, when my hubby suggests that we taste ours before hand, just to make sure it is good. I sliced us each a small piece and we devoured it.

Asparagus + Leek Quiche
Adapted from Comfort Food Fix, Ellie Krieger, and Martha StewartSeves 6

For the crust:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole-wheat flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8-teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
• 3 tablespoons ice-cold water
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

To make the dough, place the flours, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse about 12 times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cold water and pulse, 3 to 5 times more, just until dough is formed. Shape the dough into a flat disk; wrap it in wax paper, and chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 days in advance.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out to an 11-inch circle. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to the prepared pie plate. Press the dough lightly into the pie plate, and tuck the edges of the dough with foil and bake for 10 minutes, until the dough browns slightly. Remove from the oven and allow cooling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved and thinly sliced, then well washed
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups fat free half-and-half
• Ground nutmeg
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (feel free to substitute with swiss cheese)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leek and asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, fat free half-and-half, 1/2-teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Place piecrust on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese; top with asparagus mixture. To make sure the vegetables are distributed evenly, spread them in the crust before pouring in the egg mixture. Pour egg mixture on top.

Bake until center of quiche is just set, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 190 g

Amount Per Serving
Calories 347

Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20.0g
Saturated Fat 10.3g
Cholesterol 139mg
Sodium 374mg
Total Carbohydrates 24.9g
Dietary Fiber 1.4g
Sugars 5.3g
Protein 14.2g

Vitamin A 22%•Vitamin C 5%Calcium 24%•Iron 13%
Nutrition Grade B
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet