Spinach, Mushroom & Cottage Cheese Quiche

A Quiche is an open-faced, savoury dish with a filling of cheese, meat and vegetables. It is often considered as the savoury equivalent  of the sweet custard tart. There are many variants of quiche which include a wide variety of ingredients. My favourite though is this vegetarian one with Spinach and Mushrooms. I usually use Feta cheese with this recipe, but today I'm going along with a cheaper alternate - Cottage cheese ( Paneer as it is known in india).  I am too lazy to make a crust and this recipe is just so fast and simple without one. But if you just cannot live without the crust, try this pie crust recipe to make the crust.

1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 big handfuls of Spinach
1 handful of roughly chopped Mushroom
1 Onion
4 Eggs
150ml Milk or 1 cup of Cream
200g Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Lightly grease a pie dish with butter or oil.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook till translucent. Now add the mushroom and saute for about a minute. Add the spinach and cook until its soft.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and cheese. Add some salt and pepper. Add the spinach mixture and mix well. Pour into the pie dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until eggs have set. Cool before serving.

Tip: While this is a basic vegetarian version, experiment with different meats, cheeses and vegetables. Ingredients like bacon, ham, corn, cream cheese also work very well

Tomato Soup

I love Tomato soup on a rainy day or on those cold winter days. Theres something so reassuring in a hearty bowl of tomatoey goodness. And I love the mix of flavors - sweet, sour, tangy, creamy - all in one bowl. For this recipe I have used whole tomatoes (skin, seeds et all), but if you are a picky eater, run the soup through a sieve before serving.

1kg Tomatoes
1 large Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
1 Bay Leaf
1 can diced Tomato (if you cannot find canned tomato use tomato puree)
4 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Fresh Cream and some Basil to garnish

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add diced onion, garlic and a whole bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion is translucent. Add the fresh tomatoes and cook till tender. Now add the canned tomatoes, sugar and the broth. Cook till the mixture comes to a boil. Now reduce the heat and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot, or use a food processor to blend. The soup should be smooth with a few tomato chunks. If you like your soup very smooth just pass it through a sieve to get rid of the chunks.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of cream and some basil. Serve with toasted crusty bread or croutons on the side.

Tip: Try roasting your tomatoes in the oven before adding them to the pot and pureeing it.