Pecan Crust Broccoli Cheese Quiche

I wanted something clean and light for dinner on Thursday night since Q was returning from a week of overeating and overdrinking at the Calgary Stampede, if the pix he'd been emailing me every night from various restaurants were anything to go by. Don't get me wrong... he needs to add some extra lbs right now since he's super-skinny but I also knew he wouldn't want another heavy meal after sitting on a plane all day. I found a couple of quiche recipes and couldn't decide which one to use so I combined the crust from one with the filling from another. And the crust turned out to be the true star of this meal. Toasted pecans ground up in the food processor with flour, butter and eggs made it super-tasty, and a small dollop of Dijon ensured it stayed on the savory, versus sweet, side of pastry. Corbin, who is rarely effervescent about food, proclaimed his love at first bite so we all knew it had to be a winner. Austin then claimed first dibs on it for lunch the next day. It didn't turn out to be the fastest dinner on earth since the pastry had to sit for an hour in the fridge but the steps were easy enough for a quiet afternoon as long as you build in the additional time.

Pecan Crust Broccoli Cheese Quiche
serves 6

Tart crust
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
2 tsp sugar
8 tbsp (one stick) butter, finely chopped
1 egg yolk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp water, approximately (add just enough to bring the tart shell together)

Process flour, toasted pecans, and sugar in food processor. Add butter and pulse to cut butter into flour mixture. Add egg yolk and mustard; add water if needed.
Remove dough from food processor; press together in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Press dough into tart pan; line with parchment and fill with weights. Bake at 350 degress for 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; return to oven an dbake 5 to 10 minutes until browned. Set aside to cool.

Tart filling

2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
3 eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Steam broccoli for about 2 to 3 minutes and then drain in strainer.
Combine eggs, cream, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well.
Line baking tray with foil in case filling overflows during cooking. Place tart on baking tray and then layer cheese along bottom of tart crust and lay broccoli pieces on top. Carefully pour egg/milk mixture over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to sit for a few minutes and then serve warm or at room temperature.

Rest of the week

July 13 Assorted quesadillas, made to order

July 14 Corbin made dinner... hmmm... tacos from the infamous yellow box. Can definitely say it'll be easy not to repeat this "recipe" for the rest of the year. But yes, at least he "made" dinner.

July 15 Broccoli cheese quiche with side salad