Friday, May 13, 2011

Spinach, Pancetta & Goat Cheese Crustless Quiche for French Fridays with Dorie

 It's been an appalling two whole months since I did a French Fridays with Dorie post. This is due to a number of factors: my trip to Prague, Krakow, and Vienna (which I've been posting about here, here, and here); the fact that I really haven't been terribly inspired to make the Dorie dishes lately (except the pepper steak - I wish I had found time to make that!);  and, finally, the fact that I just started a job cooking in the kitchen at the Desert Cafe, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Baltimore. I love it! But frankly,  I don't feel much like cooking when I get home.

And by the way, if you live in the area, come by on a Tuesday or Friday lunch or Wednesday dinner, and make sure to order the Trixie Truffle or the Mango Tango, my very own dishes that the owner put on the menu. Fun! And yes, I am still the online food and drink editor at a local magazine and I do other freelance writing projects ... so  ... whew, to say the least.

I wish I could say I were some kind of prodigal daughter and I made Dorie's spinach and bacon quiche as written,  but as usual, I didn't.  Honestly, the pronounced lack of cheese made me suspicious regarding flavor intensity,  so I improvised. I did a crustless quiche (saving my carbs for pizza, thank you very much) and did pancetta rather than bacon and added a boatload of goat cheese. Also, where Dorie instructs us to steam the spinach and squeeze out the moisture, I sauteed it with the onions and garlic instead. Dorie also cautions against letting the onions brown or take on any color at all. I don't know about you, but I like a little color in my onions, know what I'm saying?

Served with a side salad of tomatoes, parsley, red onions, olive oil and truffle salt, this made for a pretty fantabulous dinner:

Happy French Friday - check out the other posts here. Want to join in on the fun? Pick up a copy of Around My French Table and start cooking with us!





21 comments:

  1. This has everything in it I love, the spinach and cheese sounds fabulous!~

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  2. Oh. Love the new baby in your life.
    Hey - there is no law that says you have to follow a recipe! In fact, I think there are rules that say you should never follow a recipe.
    Love the quiche/ tomato salad pairing.

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  3. yay!!! I can't tell you how happy I am to see you got a mew boo!! (lots of exclamations there!) Sweetie I am so happy for you. She is so adorable I just want to sqinch her jowls.

    Food looks awesome as always.

    Mwah!

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  4. Great looking quiche and cute dog!

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  5. I love how you adapted the recipe to suit you...it looks good! Thanks for sharing pictures of your pup, too! So cute!

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  6. Trix, first of all, Franka is GORGEOUS! No doubt she will bloom under your loving care...yes, the heart is like a bottomless pit when it comes to love, especially when it comes to children and pets! Secondly, I wished I lived closer so I can taste those Trixie Tango (a combination of the two dishes) and thirdly, I think your quiche is genius - crustless and goatfull with yummy, caramelized onions!

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  7. hey, I hear what you're saying girl, so glad you don't follow recipes....boring!
    and look at those photos, so much love shining already, can you imagine how wide she will be smiling in just a short time with ya'll, or visa-versa - oh how Pete must be smiling too... I know he is so happy for the two of you.... how old do they think she is?? Franka is just perfect for you I can tell...

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  8. OMG, Trixie girlfriend! Franka (loved BI, too!) is ADORABLE and soooo very lucky! Oh, I am so glad I checked in here tonight--this just brought a huge smile, a much needed one--I had to show hubby, too! We have had a series of bumps along the road with our baby girl these past few days. Ugh. I am distraught to say the least, and heartbroken. So. . . very cool about the new J-O-B! I used to travel to Baltimore at least twice a month--BWI and I were very close! Dang it. I'd for sure come visit--may need to visit soon anyhow--need a vacay. So happy for you all, really!

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  9. It sounds like you've found a little light, and that's great. No doubt Franka is just as happy as you are.

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  10. TRIX! I am way behind reading your blog - it's been a crazy few weeks for me and I haven't even been on vacation, started a new job or got a new pet LOL! Franka is GORGEOUS, love love love and of course you could never have too many dog pictures! Pleased to welcome you back and to let you know that for FFWD, I rarely make the recipes as it - except when it's pastry which as we all know is not my friend ;-)

    CONGRATS on your job. And yay, we're so pleased to have you back!

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  11. lovely looking quiche. As a serial recipe "enhancer," I appreciate your changes to Dories version, as in my opinion, you can never have too much cheese! Welcome to Franka! She may be the luckiest dog in your area, but then again, you two are probably the luckiest humans -- a beautiful love connection. Theresa

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  12. Welcome back to FFwD! You've been missed. And I heartily approve of your tweaks to this quiche :)

    And I LOVE Franka! What a sweet friend...I can see why you fell for her immediately...I know she will bring you much joy.

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  13. I'm learning from the best... that is you, Trix... I also didn't do this recipe per Dorie's suggestions! ooooh rebel!! I made my own version of a pie crust and I sauteed the spinach... oooooh double rebel! ;-)

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  14. Hey Trix, Congratulations on the new job and on your sweet little furry friend;-)
    I like your crustless quiche filled with pancetta, goat cheese, sauteed spinach and browned onions! A recipe for a quiche filling is more or less a guideline or suggestion for the ingredients. The pastry- not as much wiggle room, I think that's why for a lot of cooks it's not as much fun;-)

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  15. This is really lovely. I enjoy every ingredient used in this quiche and can imagine that when combined they make an other-worldly entree. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  16. Oh so happy you were ready to take on a new lovely addition to your home. Franka looks so sweet and lovely. Congrats.

    And I totally agree with all your rebel choices for the quiche. Boatload of goat cheese is always a great thing.

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  17. I am so happy that you are giving Franka a loving new home. It is also great that you were able to move on and let another pup into your heart. Pete would be proud of you :)

    Your quiche looks delicious and I love the tomato salad on the side.

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  18. Oh you got a new baby...and what a cutie, congratulations and on the new job as well :)
    Love the quiche, looks fantastic!

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  19. What a sweet dog!! We have a Lab/German Shepard mix and she's just WONDERFUL!

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  20. Oh... the doggie is just beautiful and congras on your new gig too. At least you are living your dream :)

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  21. Well Franca is GORGEOUS!!! I am smiling as I type this. I want to reach through the screen and scratch her behind the ear!

    As for your quiche. I see that instead of ground beef you used pancetta and instead of red pepper you used spinach. The goat cheese instead of gruyere was a nice touch but you really should have credited me for this recipe.

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