Week 28: Soup and Quiche, but MOSTLY Quiche...

This has been a busy week, so when it came to choosing something to make for Year of Yum, this week, I was a bit of a slacker.

OR I was an overachiever, depending on how you look at it.

Because I had a few different recipes that I wanted to try, but I just didn't quite settle on one. So we made two things:

Cumin-Scented Wheat Berry-Lentil Soup AND Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust

The quiche was so yummy. Nearly anything that has three different kinds of cheese will get my seal of approval. Also, even though the potato crust was a whole lot of work, it was worth it. It tasted pretty yummy, and certainly it had to be more healthy than a flour-and-butter crust.

The soup...not so much. It was lacking something. Well, technically it was lacking CHARD, since I gave up looking for it after two different grocery stores had none. But I also though some sort of noodle would have given the soup more substance.

Cumin-Scented and Wheat Berry-Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups cold water
3 tablespoons EVOO
3 large carrots, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups cooked wheat berries
1 bunch rainbow or red chard, large stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine lentils, broth, and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, 25-30 minutes (brown lentils take a little longer than green ones).

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat.

When the lentils are tender, stir cooked wheat berries and chard into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chard has wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot mixture and lemon juice.



Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust

INGREDIENTS
2 cups firmly-packed shredded potatoes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 package frozen spinach, thawed
3 egg whites
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
4 ounces feta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 10-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Place potatoes and salt in a colander in the sink and allow to drain for 20 minutes. Press down on the potatoes with paper towels to squeeze out the excess moisture. Combine potato mixture, egg, and grated onion in a medium mixing bowl. Press in to the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate. Bake 20 minutes. Brush the top of the crust lightly with canola oil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Do not over bake. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, squeeze moisture out of the spinach in a kitchen towel. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and egg. Add the ricotta and feta cheeses and the spinach. Mix well. Pour the spinach mixture into the prepared potato crust. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 to 45 minutes (at 350) until the quiche is browned. Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to cool at least 15 minutes. This cooling/resting time is important because it allows the quiche to set. If you cut the quiche too early, it will be runny.