Quiche Lorraine

I am not a fan of eggs. I like them well enough, but rarely will I eat one or order anything that is eggy - like an omelet. Blech! 

However, I had some girlfriends over for brunch this weekend and couldn't figure out what to make for brunch. So I decided to make Quiche Lorraine.
Quiche, it turns out, is really easy to make. And if you put enough yummy stuff in it to forget about the eggs, then it's even better.

I started with this recipe. And adjusted and added as I went.  And, I did not make my own crust. I mean let's get real here. Me and anything remotely like making bread or pie crust really does not go hand in hand.

Side note: I added asparagus to this as well. It was on sale and it just felt like it needed something green that wasn't spinach. It also took a lot longer than 30 minutes to bake. After 30 minutes it was still pretty far from being done. I up'd my temperature to 400F and cooked it for another 15 minutes. It was perfect.

Quiche Lorraine

Short Crust Pastry:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 egg
• 2 to 3 ounces water
• Dash salt

Filling:

• Butter
• 1-ounce diced ham
• 2 ounces Swiss cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 For the pastry:
Combine the flour and the salt on your work table. Add the butter and work it into the flour until the consistency is coarse. Stir and work in the egg and the water until the dough becomes a ball. Coat the work surface with a little flour and let the dough rest for at least 5 minutes.

For the quiche:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie dish. Spread the pastry out to cover the bottom and sides with your fingers (use flour to help, push dough from middle to sides of dish). Let the pastry stand a bit higher than the dish edge. Bake the pastry for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven before the pastry shrinks, (adjust sides if needed). Place the ham and cheese in the pan. In the meantime, beat the eggs and half-and-half with a fork in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and bake for 30 minutes, until the center is firm. Serve warm with a salad, if desired