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Pear, Pancetta and Pecan Quiche (PPPQ)

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I honestly don’t know where my wife got the idea for this and this is almost all her creation.  She just came home on night and gave me the ingredients and said you figure out the portions.  After a couple of days of thought and experimentation, the portions were set.  While I still worry about all the runny quiches that if made while using pineapple I figured this might work. The bonus of her idea lead me to nutty crusts.  While not an original idea, it is intriguing and provides another way to get some additional protein and flavors.  The nutty crust is best used for this and you should reserve some of the nuts used for the crust to garnish the top with for some extra texture. Any nut base works good, but this was done with pecans.

Serves: 16 – 22

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup pancetta, diced
  • 2 large shallot, diced
  • 2 Tablespoon butter
  • 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 4 pears, cored and sliced into bite sized pieces
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 Tablespoon finely chopped toasted pecans
  • 3/4 C gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
  • 2 pie crusts of your choice. This one is based on the Pecan Nutty Crust.

Preparation

First chop up your pancetta, shallot and thyme.  Then put these together in a large skillet or pan over medium high heat.  After enough time for the shallots to start to turn translucent, about 5 minutes, of heat while stirring you add in the butter.  As soon as that is melted, add in the sugar and completely mixed for about 2 more minutes.  Then add in the chopped pears and sauté for another 5 minutes, until the pears are tender.  Remove this from the heat and allow to cool.  Then put the mixture away until ready to assemble.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Beat the eggs and half and half together to make the basic egg mix.  Mix in the pear and pancetta mixture and cheese into the eggs until completely mixed.  Then pour into each prepared pie pan and top with some of the toasted nuts.  Place in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes.  Remove and serve or pack it up for the rink.

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Nutty Butter Crust

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Who doesn’t like NUTS!?!  But sometimes people don’t like them with eggs, or anything involving eggs.  Well, I decided to hide the nuts in some of my weirder recipes.  And since they are better hidden out of sight, include them in your crust.
Makes 2 pies.

 Ingredients

  • 2 Cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 Cup of your favorite nuts, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 8-10 Tablespoon cold water

Preparation

First thing is to toast your nuts. Put the shelled nuts in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes on a cookie sheet. Remove and cool for about 5 minutes and either manually fine chop them or run them through a grinder or food processor. I used a food processor and ran it for about 2 minutes. Then in a food processor mix together the flour, nuts, salt and sugar. Then chop in the butter by pulsing the processor about 10 to 15 times. Then add the water, one tablespoon at a time with a pulse between each tablespoon. When you get near the end, pay attention to the consistency. It should just be starting to be sticky when you stop adding water. Remove from the processor and form into a large ball. Then halve the ball and form into two individual balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about an hour. Remove and individually place on a lightly floured surface to roll out to about a 10 inch diameter sheet. Place in a 9 1/2 inch pie pan. Put some parchment paper on top while preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Put some kind of pie weights on top of the parchment and place the pans in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and place back in the ovens for another 5 tot 10 minutes or until lightly browned. That should be ready, so refrigerate till your ready to fill.

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Smoked Salmon Quiche

One morning I went to visit one of the guys to talk about the first book in this series. When we get down to talk, he gives me a sly look and says, “you need to try this.” Then he disappears for a few minutes, leaving me under the close supervision of his attack poodle. He came back with some hericium (lion’s mane) mushrooms he’d grown in his basement. These were sliced up and cooked in grape seed oil and served with some home smoked salmon that he caught in a local mountain lake. As we sat there enjoying the flavors, we looked up, with that “light bulb going on” expression, and said salmon quiche at the same time. This recipe uses porcini mushrooms as the are a lot easier to get. But if you happen to have some hericium mushrooms in your basement, use them instead.
Serves: 16 – 22

Ingredients

  • 2 Pie Crusts
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallot
  • 1 cup chopped porcini mushrooms
  • 3 tablespoons macadamia nut oil
  • 2 cups quality smoked salmon (wild caught salmon is usually best)
  • 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1/2 cup shelled chopped pistachios

Preparation

In a frying pan on medium high heat, melt the butter and sauté the chopped shallots till they are turning translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. If you’re using fresh or rehydrated porcinis you should cook them whole in a skillet with the macadamia nut oil for about 5 to 10 minutes over medium high heat. Usually 4 or 5 good sized porcini mushrooms should be enough to make about one cup once chopped into about 1/2 inch chunks. Allow them to cool after cooking and and then chop them up and set aside. Chop the smoked salmon into small 1/2 inch chunks and set that aside till assembly. The pistachios can either be prepared by fine chopping or running a few pulses in a food processor. Keep all these ingredients separate containers until ready to assemble.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 375. Prepare the usual egg base, except use whipping cream instead of half and half. Add in the shallots, cayenne and dill. Thoroughly mix until just starting to turn frothy. In your prepared crusts, layer in the salmon, mushrooms and about 1/2 of the cheese. Pour egg mixture into the pie crusts over these ingredients. Top with the remaining cheese and pistachios and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
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Hazed & Infused Mac & 3 Cheese Quiche

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Hazed & Infused Mac & 3 Cheese Quiche w/ Bacon Crust
Hazed & Infused Mac & 3 Cheese Quiche w/ Bacon Crust

This one is for those who like a good beer with their Mac and Cheese. And as usual, it’s got to have bacon, so we take this over the top by including the standard bacon crust to hold the goodies, topped with another bacon crust to surround the goodness with BACON!

Serves: 16 – 22

Ingredients

  • 2 12 oz. bottles/cans of Hazed and Infused Beer from Boulder Beer Company although any good APA will work, but then it wouldn’t be hazed and infused!
  • 4 Bacon Crusts – 2 for the bottoms (in pie pans) and 2 for the tops (just flat)
  • 1 -1/2 cup of your favorite pasta shells for Mac N Cheese.  We like Conchiglie or Shell pasta over the regular elbow pasta but it’s your choice.
  • 1/2 cup of shredded Asiago Cheese
  • 1/2 cup of shredded Gruyere Cheese
  • 1/2 cup of shredded Gouda Cheese
  • 1/2 cup of chopped oyster mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup of chopped baby peppers
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 cup panko

Directions

  • Prepare the pasta as directed by the product.
  • In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the olive oil, mushrooms and peppers and saute for about 5 minutes just to get things heated.
  • Add one bottle of beer into this and reduce heat to medium to allow the beer to be absorbed into the contents.  Continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by at least half and add about half of the panko to the pot and mix thoroughly.
  • Once mixed, remove from pot and set aside in a covered container.
  • In the large pot over medium heat, add the other beer, along with the remaining panko and cook uncovered until the mixture is reduced in volume by half.
  • Add in the three cheeses, salt and black pepper and stir until all the cheese has melted.
  • Add back in the mushrooms and peppers, along with the pasta and thoroughly mix.

Final Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  • With be Mac N Cheese mixture just above room temperature, mix in the Base Quiche Mix and mix thoroughly and place into the bacon crusts that you’ve already prepared.  Or if you want to have this a little chunky, simply fill the quiche pies with the Mac N Cheese mixture and pour the Base Quiche Mix over it.
  • Top with the second pair of bacon crusts and if you want a little crunchy touch, add a light dusting of panko on the top.
  • Into the oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until the panko starts to brown.
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Irish Stew Quiche

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This is a St. Patty’s Day Special.

This Irish Stew Quiche filling that goes great with the Irish Soda Bread Crust, especially for your special St. Patrick’s Day celebration.  This one takes a little effort but is well worth it because of the savory slow cooked filling base.  As always, this recipe is enough for 2 quiches.

Serves: 16 – 22

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean boneless lamb
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1-1/2 cup peeled turnip cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 medium)
  • 1-1/2 cup carrot cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 medium)
  • 1-1/2 cup peeled potato cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 medium)
  • 1/2 medium onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 cup quick-cooking tapioca
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup of shredded Irish Cheddar Cheese

Directions

  • Cut meat into 1-inch pieces. In a large skillet brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil. Drain off fat.  Then in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker stir together turnip, carrot, potato, onion, tapioca, salt, pepper, and thyme.  Add the beef broth and stir.  Add the browned lamb and stir.
  • Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.
  • Skim the grease off the top when this is all cooked, and save 2 tablespoons of the grease.
  • In a large pot, add the grease you saved in the previous step and add 2 tablespoons of white flour and stir on medium-high heat until the mixture is browned.
  • Add all of the contents of the slow cooker into the pot and stir.  Reduce heat to a low medium heat and simmer uncovered to reduce until the gravy is thick.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool.  You should have 1 quart of stew.

Final Assembly and Cooking

  • Preheat your oven to 375 F.
  • Prepare the Base Quiche Mix and combine with the stew, mixing thoroughly.
  • Pour into your prepared pie crusts and top with 1/2 cup of shredded Irish Cheddar Cheese on each pie.
  • Into the oven the pies go for 40 minutes or until the cheese starts to turn a little brown.