Shitake Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quiche

Mushrooms? Goat cheese? Yes, please! This quiche really is a little bit of heaven in your mouth. I got this recipe from Jeanne Lemlin's Vegetarian Classics, and after eating this quiche I think I want to give her a big hug. If you like mushrooms and you like goat cheese, make this recipe. You'll thank me (and Jeanne!) later... trust me.



Start by preparing the crust.

The recipe says to use a glass pie pan or one with a removable rim. I used neither of these (there were some issues with the first step in the recipe) and it turned out fine. I read up on the difference between metal and glass pie pans, and the glass plates distribute the heat more evenly. When using them, it is suggested you reduce the temperature of the oven by 25 degrees. (Which makes me think I cooked this at too low a temperature, but it turned out great.)

After the crust has been chilled in the pan (at least 30 minutes), poke the bottom with holes and line it with aluminum foil. (The foil is extremely important, as you will see in a minute.) Use pie weights, dry beans or raw rice to hold the crust down, bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the foil/weights and bake another 15 minutes. Let cool.






Not realizing the aluminum foil needed to be used, we poured the lentils right in. Oops. Getting them out after baking was proving to be tedious, but the biggest problem came after crust came right out when we tried to pour them back out. This was after a good 5 hours in the kitchen, so I was less than excited. Still- I've never whipped up another batch of dough so quickly in my life.


Fail...

While the dough is baking (whether it be your first or second try!), melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee the mushrooms until brown and juicy and allow them to cool.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs together in a small bowl. Add the cream, salt, pepper, and once cooled, the mushrooms.

Next, add the crumbled goat cheese to the mixture. The cheese shouldn't be mixed in too well. Allowing for larger pieces will give you goat cheese explosions of goodness in the quiche. That's right... I said goat cheese explosions of goodness.

Place your pie pan on a baking sheet. Line the pie crust with your grated swiss cheese, and carefully ladle in the egg and mushroom mixture.

Bake 30 minutes at 375, or until golden on top. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm. You just might want to make two if you have a few people over... this goes FAST! (I think between 4 people, we devoured it entirely in less than 20 minutes.)