Cold Weather Chow

Hey there! Happy Wednesday. Here in Philadelphia, Fall is in full swing. Leaves are changing colors and dropping, and I'm in a sweater. Love it all!

With the colder weather, I start to think about cozier foods. I love a good salad, but most salad veggies are just not as great as they were a few weeks ago. But still, I like to serve some greens at dinner. My kids are less picky than some of their friends. But that's not to say they don't balk at the idea of steamed broccoli. They will eat one teeny piece, just to please me, but not much more.

Enter the quiche. I know, I know, it's not exactly health food. But I can put any kind of veggie in a quiche, and my kids will eat it. I think it's the combination of eggs, cheese, and pastry crust. I mean, really, who doesn't love that?

Yes, I made that.

 Broccoli, Peas, and Pesto Quiche

Ingredients
9" pie shell (store-bought, or homemade)
2 cups fresh broccoli, florets only
1.5 cups of baby peas (defrosted)
1.5 cups cheddar cheese, grated
5 eggs, room temperature
1.5 cups skim milk
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 Tbsp pesto

Preparation
1. Set oven to 425ºF. Set pie crust into a deep 9" pie plate. Poke holes in it with a fork. Line the crust with a piece of foil folded about the size of the plate. Set the foil on top of the crust, and weigh the foil down (I use black beans, and save them to use it on my next pie crust.) This is called pre-baking. It keeps the crust crispier with custard-type fillings. There is a really good post explaining the process here. Bake the crust, for about 8 minutes. Remove the foil (and beans/weight), and bake it for 4 minutes more, poking any puffy areas gently with a fork. Remove the crust and set it aside.

2. Zap the broccoli in the microwave for one minute. Make sure both the broccoli and the peas are well drained. Lightly beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

3. Sprinkle half the cheese on the bottom of the crust. Add the broccoli (I used to make a pattern, but uh, it doesn't stay that way. As it bakes, the veggies will come up to the surface, and the pattern is lost. Just distribute it as evenly as possible.) Then add the peas. Drop little dabs of the pesto all over. Then the last of the cheese. Slowly pour in the milk/egg mixture. (Depending on how deep your dish is, you might have leftover milk/egg mixture.)

4. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean; let stand 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

-Linda