By Samantha Lim, Staff Writer
Even if you have never tried quiche, pronounced ‘keesh,' chances are high that you have eaten a variation of it in the form of a conventional breakfast dish –a good old omelet. Worldly versions of quiche include Italian frittata and Iranian kookoo. For humble food, this dish has a lot of fancy names. Thankfully, you need not be an egghead or an intellectual to cook it.
I like to think of quiche as a baked omelet. This might stem from knowledge of its namesake; the German word, kuchen literally translates to cake. Unlike omelets, these ‘egg cakes' serve as a more versatile meal of the day. Most people are fond of having quiche for breakfast or lunch, but it is often a savory option at bookstore cafes or teahouses. This dish has garnered so much popularity that there is even a website dedicated to it; quiche aficionados might want to check out Quiche.net, an online resource for quiche recipes. But simply read on for an excellent quiche recipe.
Set your oven temperature to 350°F. Beat the eggs and flour together in a medium-sized bowl. Then stir in the bacon bits and peppers. Spoon as much egg mixture as possible into each fillo shell; the filling will not rise the way cake batter does when baked. Arrange the mini fillo shells on a baking tray. Carefully put the baking tray in the oven and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. To check if the filling has set, use a small fork or toothpick to prod the center. Feel free to sprinkle cheddar cheese on top if you desire. Serve with ketchup or mustard if desired.
Quiche is a flexible dish that leaves much room for creativity, and is easily tweaked to suit individual tastes. It is hard to go wrong when paired with bacon, but you could pick your meat of choice instead of following the given recipe. Vegans and vegetarians can substitute the bacon, ham or turkey for a chopped variety of vegetables or faux meat.
Enjoy these quiches as a healthy alternative to chips during a study session and feel better knowing that they provide some protein and vegetables. Be forewarned: these mini quiches are easy to pop by the dozen, especially when fresh out of the oven and the fillo pastry is extra crunchy. An added plus is this recipe's simplicity. The mini bacon quiches took less time to prepare than a grilled sandwich. Using fillo shells, which can be found nestled between boxes of frozen pies and sheets of puff pastry at any supermarket, saves the trouble of baking a crust.
Seeing how easy this recipe is, you should get cracking!
These easy-to-make quiches are delicious and perfect for a night of drinks and appetizers! (Samantha Lim/The Chronicle)