Last Updated on September 7, 2016
Quiche the Cook!
Some of my best childhood memories center around food – some might think this a bad thing, but Italians love food and good food means someone was lovingly working their fingers to the bone to prepare it (LOTS of it) while hungry friends and family waited with bated breath to snarf it down.
One of my childhood faves was a savory Italian Meat Pie with rich ingredients like ricotta, eggs, provolone, and Italian meats baked nice and snug in a flour crust. OK – is it just me, or are you wondering, as I am, how Giada (you know, the gorgeous size zero “Italian” from Food Network) can make such delectable food and stay so tiny? She’s probably Scandinavian, dies her hair brown, and is friends with Vanilla Ice….but I digress. (Please rest assured I’m a big fan of hers…just a little bitter.)
Obviously, my mom’s meat pie would not work with our grain free, mostly dairy free eating. I came up with this quiche recipe after seeing a recipe for Easy Oven Omelet by Kelly Brozyna at The Spunky Coconut and dreaming of my mom’s meat pie.
As I’ve said before, my family can tolerate goat cheese, as it is known to be well-digested by those who are lactose intolerant, but – if you’re not sure that you can handle it, you can leave it out all together, or substitute Parmesan cheese. (Sometimes hard cheeses are better tolerated by lactose intolerant peeps.) My children prefer the Parmesan, but I’m trying to convert them since our pediatrician said that sheep and goat’s milk cheeses are easiest to digest.
You will notice the “custard” part of this quiche contains cashew milk. This is a staple in our home. It has a lovely consistency and flavor. Elana Amsterdam at Elana’s Pantry did a very instructional post about how to make this delicious milk. Please check it out.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 16 oz. package of fresh spinach
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced (This garlic-lover uses 2 cloves)
- 4 oz. pkg of Applegate Farms Genoa Salami or Soppressata, diced
- 4 oz. pkg of Applegate Farms Pancetta, diced
- 1 small log goat cheese (5-6 oz.) OR 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 7 large eggs
- ¾ cup cashew milk
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into a glass or ceramic deep-dish pie pan or large quiche dish. Spread olive oil to grease pan.
- Heat the saute pan on medium. Once hot, add pancetta and stir until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and add to greased pie pan.
- Add remaining olive oil to sauce pan and then add spinach, stirring until wilted.
- Remove pan from heat and add garlic. Stir for about 30 seconds.
- Place spinach in a colander and press out extra moisture with the back of a spoon.
- Spread spinach in pie pan atop pancetta. Then, sprinkle salami on top of spinach.
- Next, dollop goat cheese on top, OR, sprinkle Parmesan if using in place of goat cheese.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cashew milk. Pour over filling.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
- NOTE: Do not salt the egg mixture or the spinach as the meats in this dish are very salty.
