Broccoli & Potato Quiche

This is a great recipe to serve for a brunch or if you are having a few people over for dinner. You can make both the dough for the pie crust as well as the filling the previous day so only the assembling and baking can be done last minute. Don’t be deterred by the length of this recipe- it’s not as complicated as it looks and feel free to use store-bought shortcrust pastry for this. I have added the recipe for pastry here since it’s difficult to find here in India.

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry

1/2 cup plain flour (maida)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup very cold butter (cubed)

1/4 cup cold water

Filling

1 cup broccoli (boiled, drained and cooled)

1 medium potato (cubed, boiled and cooled)

1 sliced onion

1clove garlic (sliced)

Thyme (fresh, if you have it)

Feta cheese

2 eggs

1/3 cup yogurt

4 tbsp milk

Chilli flakes

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Tsp salt

Instructions

For the pastry, mix the flours with salt. Add cubed butter to this mixture. Rub butter and flour lightly between your fingers until the mixture appears like breadcrumbs. Add a little of the water and combine. If the dough is not forming add a little more of the water till it forms dough. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes. Then roll out till about 4mm thick and line 9” pie tin with the pastry. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and blind bake in oven for 10 minutes.

For Filling

Heat oil in pan. Lower flame and add chilli flakes and garlic. Before garlic starts to brown add thyme, followed by the onions and salt. Stir till onions are golden brown and are just starting to caramelise. Remove from flame and cool. Mix the onion mixture with the potatoes and chopped broccoli. Taste for salt and add if required.

Beat 2 eggs in a bowl and add yogurt, mustard and milk and mix till combined. If you like things a little on the spicy side you can add some additional chilli flakes to this mixture. Don’t add salt to this since the Feta is already quite salty.

Add the broccoli to the pie crust that you have blind baked. Break feta into cubes and distribute evenly between the broccoli mixture. Pour the egg mixture over this and bake in the oven at about 200 degrees Celsius till filling is firm and crust is golden brown. It should take about 30 minutes. To get a nice golden top on the filling place under the grill for about 2 to 3 minutes but keep a watch since the top will brown very quickly. Allow to cool and set for about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with a nice, green leafy salad.

Here are some helpful links for making the shortcrust pastry. Just follow the quantities I have mentioned in my recipe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1siW_wm9TnA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8hMr3bxM1I&feature=related

Nostalgia in Design

Shabby Chic, Vintage Chic and the Country or cottage style have one thing in common- they capture a feeling of nostalgia. They are reminders of fleeting memories of our childhood, of family gathering and of happy times. We derive a sense of comfort from this association with the past. And while, at times, I find this style a tad too frilly and fussy, I do like the idea of nostalgia in design- of connection to our past. Design shouldn’t be sterile, cold and disconnected.

Here are some interior spaces that I love. They have a wistful elegance and familiarity of days past, yet are very much rooted in the now. I find it very difficult to definitively pin down the style of these spaces- I would only attempt to classify them as shabby chic meets vintage industrial and in some cases a little bit of the modern thrown in.

Hillary Swank's Manhattan Apartment featured in Elle Decor. I love the reclaimed wooden panelling and how it works so well with the modern furniture.

Here, a dated, old trolley has been used as a display table and contrasts the soft elegance of the sofa as well as the old antique side table with the vintage lamp.

In this interior stripped wooden flooring and modern furniture is clevery combined with an old library cabinet. The crochet throw on the bed adds a lovey soft touch to this space, which has a warmth despite its minimal style.

In this space designed by CS Interiors, exposed brick is combined with reclaimed wooden panelling and provides a perfect backdrop for an antique chair and vintage floor lamp.

Old painted brickwork, distressed chairs bleached fabrics, crisp white linen all come together beautifully in these elegantly restrained interiors. (Images courtesy Properhunt)

Modern furntiure, concrete floors and stainless steel worktops are balanced by the warmth of exposed brick walls.

Mix-and-match furniture, distressed finishes and the abundant use of white lend this space a wistful charm that has an edgy appeal due to the exposed airconditioning ducts and unfinished wall surfaces.

In this room, the soft white linen starkly contrasts the old, distressed doors which make up the headboard of the bed. The delicate crystal chandelier adds a touch of elegance and luxury. (Image courtesy Design Home online)

Funky cushion covers piled on the bed give this vintage-chic room a retro edge

[Image Sources: These images have been collected from web searches over time. Unfortunately, I don't have the links to all of them so I have credited those that I have. If anyone can place the sources, please let me know and I will be happy to put them up.]