Roasted Pumpkin Quiche

Eggs are undoubtedly one of my can't-live-without foods. I absolutely ♥ them, so when I found out this month's International Incident Party was all about eggs, I got really eggs-cited and put my name down for it. :) After all, two of my favourite gals are playing host ... Penny aka Jeroxie and Tasty Trix! Happy Birthday, my sweets!

Next was the question of "What dish should I make?" because eggs are just so versatile. Thankfully, as I flipped through my cookbook, I quickly found my answer - Roasted Pumpkin Quiche. Not only are eggs the key ingredient, so are pumpkins, which herald the start of beautiful autumn (in the northern hemisphere, at least). Perfect!

And because quiches are so easy-going and forgiving - unlike cakes, bleah - you can tweak the recipe and nothing will go seriously wrong. For instance, I subbed spinach for peas; whipping cream for crème fraîche. You can opt to use filo sheets (like the recipe) or opt for shortcrust pastry, and it's perfectly alright ... so feel free to experiment.

Well, without rambling further, may I present my dish to the party - and indeed, it is perfect party food any time of day - Roasted Pumpkin Quiche!


Here's the quiche, fresh out of the oven. Can you smell it?



Recipe
(from Homestyle Vegetarian by Murdoch Books)
- 500g butternut pumpkin
- 1 red onion, cut into small wedge (I used white onion)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic, crushed
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 125ml whipping cream (I used crème fraîche)
- 125ml milk
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander (I omitted)
- 1tsp wholegrain mustard (I omitted)
- 6 sheets filo pastry
- 50g English spinach, blanched (I used frozen peas, about 2 handfuls)
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degree celsius. Slice the pumpkin into 1-cm (1/2-inch) pieces, leaving the skin on. Place the pumpkin, onions, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and 1 tsp salt in a roasting tin. Roast for 1 hr, until lightly golden and cooked.
* Note: I did not do this because 1 hr is too long! I pan-roasted everything in a non-stick skillet and it was so much faster. Also, I removed the skin from the pumpkin. I don't wanna eat skin. Ewww.

2. Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, herbs and mustard. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3. Grease a loose-based fluted flan (tart) tin or ovenproof dish measuring 22cm (8 1/2-inches) across the base. Brush each sheet of filo with oil (I used melted butter) and then line the flan tin with the 6 sheets. Fold the sides down, tucking them into the tin to form a crust.

4. Heat baking tray in the oven for 10mins. Place the flan tin on the tray and arrange all the vegetables over the base. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle with parmesan.


(Left) To achieve that nice, layered effect, make sure your overlap the pumpkin slices as shown above. (Right) Tuck the edges of the filo neatly to form a crust.

5. Bake for 35 to 40mins, or until the filling is golden brown and set. Enjoy!



Check out the other wonderful egg dishes brought to our party: