Spinach Quiche Tarts Recipes

SPINACH QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (pricking about an inch apart). Bake until fully cooked and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it...if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate.) Don't worry if the crust cracks while baking; see my note below on how to fix it before proceeding. Set aside and turn oven down to 325°F.
• Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the shallots until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
• Place the cooked pie crust on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of oven). Spread the shallots over the bottom of the cooked crust, then sprinkle the shredded Gruyere over top. Scatter the spinach evenly over cheese, breaking up the clumps as best you can. Pour the egg and cream mixture over top.
• Bake at 325°F degrees for 50 to 55 minutes until the custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
• Note: I usually defrost the frozen spinach quickly by placing it in a fine mesh strainer and running hot water over it. I then gather the spinach into a ball and squeeze it dry. It takes a few minutes of squeezing and re-squeezing to get all the water out. Be patient...you need the spinach completely dry, otherwise your quiche will be watery.
• Note: Don't panic if your crust cracks -- you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
• Make ahead: This quiche can be made up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.

QUICK SPINACH QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Line two 9-inch pie plates with crusts. Cover crusts with a double layer of aluminum foil and a layer of pie weights or dried beans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edge of crust is golden, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights; continue baking until the crust sets, about 5 minutes more. Let crusts cool briefly. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Sprinkle cheese, spinach, and onion evenly onto the crusts. Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together and divide evenly between the crusts.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until golden brown and firm in the centers, about 45 minutes.

SPINACH QUICHE TARTS

Steps:

• Line 3 tart tins with pastry.
• Brush pastry with 2 tbsp.
• melted butter and refrigerate for 30 minutes before filling.
• Add 1 teaspoon of drained spinach to each shell.
• Top each tart with cheese.
• Beat 3 eggs and 1 cup half and half cream.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of mixture into tart shells.
• Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes.

SPINACH QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH QUICHE TARTS

Steps:

• Blend the flour & salt with softened butter using a pastry blender or two forks so that the butter coats the flour and it clumps into small pea sized clumps on it's own. Sprinkle the cold water by tablespoons onto the mixture and loosely turn with the fork until you feel that it is moist. Don't handle the dough too much at this point or it will be tough, not tender. Form 12 even sized balls and cover them so the air doesn't dry them out. One by one roll with a rolling pin until they are sized a little bigger than the tart pans. Fit them gently into the tart pans and even out the edges on the top with your fingers. Put all the finished pastries into a pan with a lid or cling wrap. Store in the fridge until cold or the next morning). FOR 6 TART FILLINGS: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Steam the spinach leaves until wilted and immediately remove to a dish and put ice cubes on top so that the spinach stops cooking and stays a healthy green colour. Press all the water out of the spinach with your hands. Put aside. Saute the chopped onions in a very small amount (just a Tablespoon about)of Safflower or sunflower oil so it browns a little. Set aside. Semi cook the pastry in the tarts for about 5-7 minutes at 375 degrees F. Remove from oven and adjust the temperature to 350 degrees F. Put the milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a blender with the 4 eggs. Blend for a little until blended smooth. Add the spinach, and pulse in the blender just until chopped into the milk and egg mixture but not till the pieces are too small and the milk green. Stir the sauteed onions into the milk and egg mixture. Fill the tarts that have been semi cooked with the filling mixture virtually to the top of the pastry but not so that it flows over the edge. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 25 minutes. Test with a small paring knife. If inserted half way between the outer edge and the center it should come out moist but not liquidy. Serve with Hollandaise sauce.

SPINACH AND ONION TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan and line it with the pastry. Keep it in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
• Steam the spinach above an inch of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, until wilted. You will probably have to do this in batches. I like to use a pasta pot with an insert for steaming spinach, as I can get a lot of it into the insert. Rinse briefly with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop medium-fine.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it is tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Add the spinach, thyme and salt and pepper to taste, and stir together. Remove from the heat.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon) and whisk in the milk. Stir in the onion and spinach mixture and the cheeses. Scrape into the pastry-lined tart pan. Place in the oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until tart is set and beginning to color on the top. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or room temperature.

CARAMELIZED GARLIC, SPINACH, AND CHEDDAR TART

Steps:

• Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°. Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14" round. Transfer to a 9"-diameter pie dish. Lift up edge and let dough slump down into dish. Trim, leaving about 1" overhang. Fold overhang under. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, roll out second disk of dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8" thick. Cut into 1/4"-thick strips. Transfer to a parchment&151;lined baking sheet. If dough is soft, chill until just pliable. Working with 3 strips at a time, braid dough, returning braids to baking sheet as you go. Chill until just pliable.
• Beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Brush edge of dough in dish and bottom sides of braids with egg. Arrange braids along edge, trimming and gently pressing sections together as you go. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Line dough with parchment paper or foil, leaving some overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is dry around edge, 25-30 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and brush entire crust with egg. Bake until crust is dry and set, 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, cook garlic in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes; drain. Wipe saucepan dry and heat oil in pan over medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until cloves start to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is tender, 10-12 minutes. Add maple syrup, rosemary, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is syrupy and coats garlic, about 5 minutes. Scatter cheese over crust; top with spinach. Whisk crème fraîche, cream, and remaining eggs in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Pour over spinach. Add garlic with any syrup. Bake until custard is set and golden brown in spots, 35-40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

QUICHE TARTS

Steps:

• Chop up the bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp.
• Combine the rest of ingredients in a bowl.
• Sprinkle cooked bacon onto bottom of tart shells, and top each tart with egg mixture.
• Bake at 350°F until browned.

BACON QUICHE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add the eggs, cheese, green pepper and onion. , Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles; press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin cups. Sprinkle half of the bacon into cups. Pour egg mixture over bacon; top with remaining bacon. , Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm. If desired, top with chopped green onion. Freeze option: Freeze cooled baked tarts in a freezer container. To use, reheat tarts on a baking sheet in a preheated 375° oven until heated through.

SPINACH QUICHE BITES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Remove pie crusts from pouches; place flat on work surface. With 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut 12 rounds from each crust. Press 1 round in bottom and up side of each of 24 ungreased miniature muffin cups. (A 12-cup tartlet pan can be used; see How-To tip.)
• Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Add onions to same skillet with bacon drippings. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until tender; drain.
• Beat eggs, half-and-half, cheese, salt and nutmeg in medium bowl with wire whisk. Crumble bacon; add to egg mixture. Add onions and spinach; mix well. Divide mixture evenly among crust-­lined cups.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen and remove quiches from pan with tip of knife. Serve warm or cool. Store in refrigerator.

SPINACH RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• Wrap ricotta tightly in fine cheesecloth; place in a colander over a bowl. Place a heavy bowl or cans on top; let drain, refrigerated, for 3 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 1/2-inch springform pan with olive-oil cooking spray. Place drained ricotta, spinach, basil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth; scrape sides as needed, about 1 minute. Add eggs and egg white; blend about 5 seconds. Pour into prepared pan; bake until set and just brown around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest on a cooling rack 5 minutes; run a paring knife around edges before unmolding. Cut into wedges; serve.

SPINACH AND FETA QUICHE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, tip the flour, herbs if using and butter into a bowl, then rub together with your fingertips until completely mixed and crumbly. Add 4 tbsp cold water, then bring everything together with your hands until just combined. Roll into a ball for use straight away or chill for up to 2 days.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a round about 4cm larger than a 22cm tart dish (the one I use is of glass and about 4 cm deep). Use your rolling pin to lift it up, then drape over the tart case so there is an overhang of pastry on the sides. Using a small ball of pastry scraps, push the pastry into the corners of the dish and run the rolling pin over the top to trim. Chill in the fridge or freezer for 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Lightly prick the base of the tart with a fork, line the tart case with a large circle of greaseproof paper or foil, then fill with baking beans. Blind-bake the tart for 20 mins, remove the paper and beans, then continue to cook for 5-10 mins until biscuit brown.
• While the tart case cooks, in a frying pan saute the chopped pepper in butter until softened (about 2 minutes). Then add the spinach and sauté just till wilted. Finally add the chopped sun dried tomatoes and turn off the heat.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Gradually add the creme fraiche, then stir in the dried oregano and season. You may not need salt as the feta will provide quite a bit. When the case is ready, sprinkle the crumbled feta over the base, then the sautéed spinach. peppers and tomato and finally pour over the egg mix. Bake for 20-25 mins until set and golden brown. Leave to cool in the case, then remove from the tin.