A spinach feta quiche is a type of savory pastry that is often eaten as a part of a meal, especially breakfast or lunch. This dish is made by baking spinach, feta cheese, and other ingredients, such as ham, tomatoes, and eggs, inside an unsweetened pastry shell. Quiches were first made in Germany and have since become popular across Europe and in North America. When properly prepared, spinach feta quiche is a fluffy, hearty dish that has many nutrients, a rather high amount of fat, and a substantial number of calories.
Spinach is one of the main ingredients in a spinach feta quiche. This leafy vegetable contains many vitamins and minerals, especially iron and vitamin C, and is considered to be one of the healthiest vegetables available. Fresh spinach must be cooked before it is added to a quiche, but canned or frozen spinach simply needs to be mixed in with the other ingredients. Other fillings, such as ham, turkey, peppers, mushrooms, or tomatoes may also be chopped into small pieces and mixed up with the spinach.
Feta cheese is also essential to a spinach feta quiche. This type of cheese is traditionally made from sheep's milk, though it can also be made from cow's or goat's milk. It is generally quite salty, which can enhance the flavors in the quiche. It is also common for these types of quiches to contain other cheeses as well, such as cheddar or gouda.
Another essential ingredient in a spinach feta quiche is egg. Eggs must be beaten before they are mixed with the feta and spinach so that they become fluffy. Milk is also commonly used in a quiche to make it lighter. Once these ingredients are mixed together, they can be placed in a pre-baked pie crust and then baked in the oven.
Though any type of bread crust can be used for a spinach feta quiche, the most commonly used types of crusts are puff pastry or pie crust. These crusts have a light flavor and hold up well as the liquid ingredients in the quiche bake and become firm. The crust can be made into a large shell, in which case, the quiche will be cut into single portions before it is eaten, or it may be in the form of small shells that can be picked up and eaten by hand, which is common when quiches are served as appetizers. Once the quiche has been baked, it should hold its shape when cut.