Caramelized Onion Quiche

Just as I predicted spring is not here. Nope. Just another 6 inches of snow. Bring on another month or two of winter. Darn cold and gloom. The only real saving grace of this weather for me is warm winter meals. Soup. Beautiful soup.

Soup, is what I also think is the perfect meal to give. When I want to bring someone a simple meal I love to bring soup. I know someone going through chemo right now and I thought soup would be the perfect choice. Two kinds and breads. I can't make things better and I am not good at knowing others' needs; but I can make soup and bread. I have been thinking that if part of living the gospel is sharing it, doesn't that apply to the Word of Wisdom too? Hence, the shared healthy delicious soup.

How do you share the Word of Wisdom?

I would love to know.

And this week I would like to share a fantastic recipe for a splendid quiche. Honestly, I used to make quiche a lot. And then we burned out on it. But this one. Wow. Welcome back to the table, quiche, you may return a more regular rotation. Confession: I've now made this twice in the last month. THIS NEVER HAPPENS.

Caramelized Onion Quiche

Adapted from Elise Bauer

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• 1 recipe pie dough (see below)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 large red onions (about one pound total), thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1/8 t. nutmeg
• 6 ounces Gruyère or Swiss cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 T. fresh thyme

Onions:

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle a little salt over them. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened and are translucent. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are well browned. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 10 minutes more, until onions are completely caramelized. Remove from heat.

Pie Crust:

Preheat oven to 350*.On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-by-1 1/2-inch round tart pan or a 9 inch cake pan, pressing dough into corners.

Line pastry with parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil, pressing into the corners and edges. Fill at least two-thirds with baking weights - dried beans, rice, or aluminum pie weights. Bake first for 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool a few minutes. Carefully remove parchment paper and weights. Poke the bottom of the pie pan with the tines of a fork and return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly golden. (Fork holes are for any air to escape.)

Filling:

Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the bottom of the crust. Spread onions over the cheese and then top with remaining cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, and eggs. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour over cheese. Transfer to oven, and bake until just set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before slicing. Top with fresh thyme while still hot.

Serves 6-8.

Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (increase to 1 1/2 teaspoons if for a sweet recipe)
• 2 to 4 Tbsp ice water, very cold
• Start by cutting the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and placing in the freezer for at least 15 minutes (preferably longer) so that they become thoroughly chilled.
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• In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar, pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again.
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• Remove dough from machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into a discs. Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Sprinkle the disc with a little flour on all sides. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Remove the crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.