Crustless Swiss Quiche with Bacon & Spinach

"A quiche is basically a frittata poured into a pastry shell." ... or not. Today we enjoyed a crustless version so, by definition, did that make it a frittata instead of a quiche? I don't know, don't really care, since the quiche pan held a deliciously loaded custardy something we both enjoyed. Filled with bacon, swiss cheese, spinach and green onions, it was a well-received taste treat. Who says real men don't eat quiche? RL loved it.

Quiche Lorraine was the darling of the menu for ladies-who-lunched in the 60's; a light but rich, sparsely filled, one crust custardlike pie. Over time I recall it morphing into a dense, custardy casserole filled with unusual ingredients and baked in a soggy crust. Not an improvement. Thus my preference for crustless quiches, or it might be my utter lack of the pie-crust baking gene.

We enjoyed half of this quiche/frittata served warm at lunch, and some remaining wedges served chilled the next day. Maybe next time I'll play with a pie crust... or not. 
      

Crustless Swiss Quiche with Bacon & Spinach

8 luncheon servings, 4 main dish

6 strips streaky bacon, diced
4 green onions, sliced
1 bunch spinach, rough chopped
1 generous cup swiss cheese, shredded (or cut in smallish chunks)
5 large eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt & white pepper, to taste

Prehea the oven to 375 degrees F.

Use a large skillet and cook the bacon until done, but not super crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon to an 8 or 9-inch quiche pan. Remove all but 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat from the skillet. Add the onions and spinach to the skillet and heat until wilted. Layer evenly on top of the cooked bacon. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the spinach.

Whisk together the eggs, dairy, & seasonings. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the layered fillings. Place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer or until the center is just set. Remove from the oven, let cool for several minutes to firm up; cut and serve warm. 

Joe's Special - a classic scramble

What do you cook when you're busy and don't want to mess with multiple courses? It's one-skillet recipes to the rescue! This dish, the iconic scramble Joe's Special, is especially welcome during the busy week before a holiday. My version of Joe's Special is quick and easy to prepare, calls for ordinary pantry ingredients and the finished dish is satisfyingly delicious. Win!

We first encountered Joe's Special in the late 60's at  Thirteen Coins Restaurant, a hidden Seattle treasure. Hidden? the restaurant eschewed streetside signage but was well-known for 24/7 service, upholstered swiveling captain's chairs at the counter, an open exhibition kitchen and an extensive menu. Some 40+ years later Thirteen Coins still lists Joe's Special on the menu; that's the staying power of a good restaurant and a classic dish!

Joe's Special has its own history, originating in San Francisco perhaps during the 1850's following the Gold Rush... or in the 1920s... or maybe the late 30's... depending on which source you believe. (link), (link), (link) Most recipes include onion, hamburger, spinach and enough eggs to hold it all together in a scramble. My version adds mushrooms and Parmesan cheese to the mix plus some green Tabasco to pop the flavor. 

  
This classic scramble is not a pretty dish, but Oh! My! It's! Good! Good for breakfast, brunch, lunch, a light supper or occasional late night meal; it's even a proven beat-the-hangover choice. Lately Joe's Special was a welcome solution to serving a tasty meal when the schedule overflowed with too many things more important than cooking. Definitely a one-skillet recipe coming to the rescue!

Joe's Special

4 eggs (or 1-2 eggs per person)

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning (or use dried basil and oregano)

salt and pepper

hot sauce to taste (Green Tabasco recommended)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, small dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound small mushrooms, sliced

4 cups fresh baby spinach (or 2 cups julienned kale)

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan shreds plus more for topping.

1. In a small bowl beat together the eggs, nutmeg, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and a generous splash or two of hot sauce. Set aside.
2. Use a large skillet and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until they just soften, then sir in the garlic and cook until the onions turn golden.
3. Add the beef and mushrooms. Stirring occasionally, cook until the meat is no longer pink and the mushrooms give up some liquid.
4. Add the spinach (or kale) and cook until the greens wilt and the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low; add the beaten eggs and cook, stirring often, until the eggs are done (slightly dry but still tender). Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan.
6. Serve immediately with extra cheese to sprinkle on top.

Spinach Dip Pesto Pasta

The Spinach Dip with Artichokes, Cheese and Chiles was a winner, but my throw-everything-into-the-mix approach yielded a lot of that thick, spunky dip. Spunky? You know, a dip with attitude. The quantity might be a bonus when you host a party, but it's not so terrific when you are feeding a twosome. Now what? 

I used the peppy spinach dip as I might any pesto blend, adding it to a loose bechamel sauce along with pine nuts for a pasta topping. Mmmmm, yes! that made a pleasant pasta bowl for today's hot lunch, but now I'm eager to try an oven-baked version. Imagine a spinach pesto pasta macaroni and cheese sort of dish, with crisp, crunchy browned butter-tossed breadcrumbs on top. My taste buds are quivering in anticipation, but RL is losing his taste for spinach anything. OH! the fun I've had dealing with the challenge of that large, annoying 1-pound bag of frozen spinach.

Spinach Dip Pesto Pasta Sauce

(more suggestions than a recipe)

Prepare your standard béchamel sauce (white sauce); add a large handful of meltable cheese and heat to melt. Add more milk as needed to keep the mixture thin and loose. 

Add a cup or more of Spinach Dip with Artichokes & Chiles; stir over low heat until incorporated. Adjust taste and consistency as needed.

Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and a generous handful of toasted pine nuts. Serve in a warmed bowl or on individual warmed plates.

Spinach Dip with Artichokes, Cheese and Chiles

It all began with a well-traveled 1-pound bag of frozen spinach... seriously, well traveled. The label read "European Spinach" although it was packaged in China. I purchased it in British Columbia, stored it in the bottom freezer drawer throughout our 2000 nautical mile cruise in southeast Alaska, returned it to B.C. and finally thawed it out this week. Packaged in China? what was I thinking?! Likely I was in a last-minute provisioning rush and didn't pay attention to place of origin when purchasing. 

One pound is a lot of squishy, defrosted spinach; far too much of that healthy green vegetable to fill a dozen mushroom caps, stuff a few chicken breasts or even fold inside spanakopita. Spinach smoothies wouldn't be popular with RL for breakfast, neither would spinach quiche, spinach omelettes or a frittata. I searched the galley for inspiration, struggling to resist the temptation to quietly dispose of the bag and move on. Why had I even brought frozen spinach on board?!

A quick tour of the galley turned up a block of cream cheese, a smidgen of sour cream, a carton of Parmesan shreds, several green onions, one tall tin of artichoke hearts, a can of whole green chiles, one large lemon, a handful of garlic and a pocket-sized bottle of green Tabasco sauce. Aha! that old standby spinach dip... or a riff on my favorite Costco artichoke and jalapeno dip... or some combination of the two. I went with the combination impulse.

Layer most of the above items in the food processor, pulse to combine, taste and adjust. Let the machine do the work and focus on the taste testing. The fun came at the end when it was time to adjust the texture and play around with flavors. This version of spinach dip rated two thumbs up served cold with raw vegetables and crackers, but really drew raves after being heated in the microwave. YUM! 

Drat! I still had too much of a spinachy good thing for the two of us to enjoy as an appetizer snack. Fast forward to the next day (and my next post) when this versatile Spinach Dip morphed into Spinach Pesto Pasta. 

Spinach Dip with Artichokes, Cheese & Chiles

1 large 1-LB bag frozen spinach leaves, thawed
1 block cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or more sour cream)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 bunch (6-8) green onions, green & white parts chopped
1 large can artichoke hearts, water drained & discarded
1 large can diced green chiles plus juices 
zest and juice of 1 large lemon
4 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
green Tabasco sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything into a large food processor bowl. Pulse repeatedly to incorporate; pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides.
Transfer to a heatproof serving container. Warm briefly in a microwave or heat in a 350 F oven until bubbly, about 20 minutes.  Or serve chilled or at room temperature.