Chocolate & Chillies: Spinach Quiche with Olive Oil Tart using Cookin' Greens

I don't think I have ever eaten quiche before. I've always wanted to...it's not exactly what you grow up eating in an Indian household. I recently received a couple of coupons from Cookin' Greens to try out some of their products. Their greens are frozen within 6 hours of being picked. Everything is finely chopped. The Cookin' Greens Spinach is easy to use...if you don't want to use the whole packet you can just take out what you need and pop the rest back in the freezer. They also have frozen kale and rapini. I've never had either before and look forward to giving those a try. There are two additional products that are a mix of different greens. I can see these being a great addition to some pasta!

While I was searching for something to do with the spinach I found most recipes called for a certain quantity of fresh spinach or the standard boxed frozen spinach. A conversion chart would have been nice on the packet.

I was thinking of making Aloo Palak or my mom's Palak ki Bhaaji but then I decided I wanted to do something different. That's when I came across this recipe on Smitten Kitchen. I made some minor changes to the filling and I used an Olive Oil Tart dough. I just wished I had some pretty cookie cutters to cut up the remaining dough to make it all look pretty....I really don't like those circles. Another option is to tuck the excess dough along the sides to make a thicker edge.

I really enjoyed this and loved it cold out of the fridge and for lunch the next day. Bilal loved it and it was very easy for him to hold and eat. He lately wants to do everything "khudi" (on his own). The dough was very sturdy and no soggy/wet filling so it was mess free. He had 2 servings. Hasan tried it and said it was good but he didn't want to eat it...he'd rather have some of his favorite daal. My husband was not as excited about it as me but that's alright...means more for me!

Spinach Quiche
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Note: The Olive Oil Tart dough I have below must rest for 30 minutes in the fridge prior to filling

1/3 cup light cream cheese (I used chive and onion)
1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
2 cups Cookin' Greens Spinach
1/2 cup grated cheddar (I used marble cheddar)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (I used a heaping 1/4 tsp)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Put the spinach in a microwave safe bowl. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and microwave fro about 2 minutes. Mix and if still frozen microwave again (I did for another minute). Transfer to a strainer and when cool enough to touch squeeze as much water out as you can.

Lightly grease 9" tart pan (mine is 11" and I liked it this way). Line with your preferred tart dough. (Recipe follows for the one I used). You can tuck the excess dough along the sides or trim the dough and cut out shapes to put on top of the quiche.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add the milk in and the eggs one at a time. Beat until everything is incorporated. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into the prepared tart pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and filling is set. (I also put mine on the broiler to darken the top more). Let cool 10 minutes prior to serving.

Olive Oil Tart Dough
Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cold water

In a bowl, mix together flours, salt and thyme. Add the oil and mix with a fork. Next add the cold water and mix until the water is absorbed. Lightly knead in the bowl until the dough comes together as a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the dough and rolling pin with a little bit of flour. Roll out the dough to a size big enough to fit your tart pan. Work quickly and turn the dough 45 degrees each time you roll the dough. If the dough sticks add a litte bit of flour underneath. Carefully transfer to your tart pan. Allow to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.