I love to experiment with flavors and use Filipino ingredients in western cuisine. This is what makes cooking fun and exciting for me. I like to surprise my family with new and unfamiliar dishes, and being adventurous, they more than welcome anything I serve.
This was something I came up with for a weeknight dinner. We wanted something light, so I thought of making a quiche.
First, make your crust. You can do this ahead of time. In a bowl, place 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. Salt and 7 Tbsp. Unsalted cold butter cut into small cubes. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender until it resembles cornmeal. Then gradually add 3 tsp. Iced water and continue mixing until the dough comes together. Transfer dough onto a clean work surface and form into a disk. Place it on a sheet of cling wrap and refrigerate for about 1 – 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Remove the pastry dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured board, roll your dough into an 11″ circle. Carefully roll them out on a 9″ fluted tart pan. Gently press the dough on the pan and the edges of its fluted side. Using a knife or a rolling pin, cut off excess pastry. Place a piece of parchment paper over the pastry and fill it with dried beans or rice. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine 7 eggs, 2/3 cup milk (I used skim), and 2 Tbsp. Grated parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt and 2 cups baby kale. Pour the egg mixture into the pre-baked pie shell.
In a small bowl, place 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used skim ricotta), 4 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese, and mix until just incorporated. Spoon the mixture all over the pie shell. Dot about 3/4 cup of cherry tomatoes that has been sliced and about 1/2 cup of crumbled cooked longanisa all around the ricotta mixture. I used chicken longanisa patties, or you can take the meat out of the casing of any packaged longanisa of your choice. Place your pie pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 50 – 55 minutes. Note: you can wrap the edge of the pie with foil to prevent burning.
Cool slightly before cutting. The quiche can be served warm or at room temperature.
