The other day, while shopping, I overheard a conversation in the produce department in which two costumers were trying to figure out what the name of a vegetable was they had never bought and cooked with. I was astonished to see they were talking about leeks. In the German or French cuisine fresh leeks are a kitchen staple and spring time offers you some of the best leeks to choose from. Leek is a vegetable from the allium family. I would call it the milder tasting cousin of the onion and garlic. You can usually find leeks in my fridge. I like to mix them with other veggies for roasting or sauté them for stir fries.
In this savory leek quiche the leek gets sautéed with ground beef. In my search of dinners to prepare ahead this quiche was a welcome variation to my traditional Quiche Lorraine which is prepared with bacon. I prefer to make my own pie crust, but if you are short on time a store bought one will be just fine. Serve this savory leek quiche alongside some fresh butter lettuce salad for a tasty weeknight dinner.
| Savory Leek Quiche | | Print |
- pie crust: (or use store bought)
- 2 cups 1½ Tablespoons (250 g ) organic flour
- 1 organic eggs
- ½ cup 1 Tablespoon (125g) unsalted organic butter cut in small pieces
- 1-2 Tablespoons (15 – 30 ml) ice water
- filling:
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
- 2 leeks, washed and cut (dark greens parts removed) into thinner strips
- oil
- salt ,pepper, and nutmeg
- 3.5 ounces (100 g) cottage cheese
- 1.75 ounces (50 g) Gruyere cheese, grated
- ⅔ cup (150 g) milk
- ⅓ cup (75 g) heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- Gruyere cheese, grated for topping
- Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C) Convection. Grease a 10 inch (26 cm) spring pan.
- crust:
- Prepare pie crust with flour, pinch of salt, 1 egg, cold butter and ice water in a food processor. Let rest in fridge for ½ hour.
- Roll out your dough and place it into the pan. You need a rim about 1.5 inches (3 to 4 cm) up the sides of the pan.
- filling:
- Heat oil on medium high in a bigger pan and cook the ground beef.
- Stir in leek and cook for another 4 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Mix cottage cheese, Gruyere cheese, milk, cream, eggs, and a pinch of nut meg. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread leek beef mixture evenly on top of the crust in the baking pan. Pour egg mixture over the leek mixture. Grate some extra Gruyere cheese and top the quiche.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove from pan and cut in 12 equal slices.
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