One thing I love almost as much as cooking and baking is hearing sentimental stories from my readers about their own childhood experiences in the kitchen. Sometimes you ask me questions, send me special recipes that have been in your family for generations, or ask me to include recipes for dishes with specific ingredients. I always do my best to fulfill these requests. Recently, I received quite a few requests to write a column about quiches that are easy to prepare, don't have a large number of steps, but still taste amazing. Quiches can be served as a main or side dish and can be made from an extremely varied list of ingredients: bread, noodles, rice, cheese, fish, meat, and/or vegetables. In other words, almost anything goes. Quiches are also a great way to use up leftovers that would otherwise go to waste. Quiches can be baked in the oven, a Wonder Pot, or even a frying pan. They freeze well and can be reheated nicely in the oven or on the stove. Below you'll find recipes for three quiches. The first is a parve vegetable quiche, the second a broccoli quiche with cheese on top, and the third a rich dairy pasta quiche that is a favorite among children. BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOM QUICHE You can add a layer of roasted hazelnuts, which add amazing flavor to the quiche. 2 Tbsp. olive oil 8 Yarden mushrooms, sliced thinly ½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes, drained, and chopped thinly 500 gr. frozen broccoli Base: Oil spray 1 Tbsp. cornflour 1 Tbsp. bread crumbs or crushed pretzels Filling: 150 gr. Tzfat cheese, crumbled ½ cup hard yellow cheese, grated 1 container 5% cottage cheese 1 container sour cream 4 medium eggs 4 tsp. flour, sifted ½ tsp. baking powder Salt and pepper to taste ¼ to ½ tsp. ground nutmeg In a frying pan, heat oil. Add mushrooms and fry for three minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and fry for two minutes. Season with salt and turn down the flame. Pour water into a pot and bring to boil. Add frozen broccoli and blanch for four to five minutes. Drain. Spray oil on a pan and then sprinkle with cornflour and breadcrumbs (including sides). Add a layer of cooked broccoli and then add mushrooms and tomatoes on top. In a separate bowl, mix cheeses with cream. Add the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix well. Pour mixture over broccoli and mushrooms and flatten. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let quiche cool a little before serving. PASTA AND CHEESE QUICHE This is one of the easiest quiches to prepare. You can use any kind of pasta you want – each type creates a different texture. 1 package (500 gr.) pasta, any shape 1 container 5% cottage cheese 1 container (200 gr.) cream cheese ¾ cup Kashkaval cheese, grated 1 cup Tzfat cheese, crumbled ¾ cup Bulgarian cheese, crumbled 2 large eggs ¹⁄3 cup milk 4 Tbsp. oil Salt and pepper to taste Topping: ¾ cup grated cheese ¾ cup fried onion Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to directions. Make sure not to overcook. Drain. In a separate bowl, add the rest of the ingredients together and mix well. Add the pasta and mix. Grease a tray and pour mixture into tray. Flatten. Add the onion pieces and then the cheese on top. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180° for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot. RETT SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH In honor of Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, 13 wellknown Bulgarian culinary specialists together published a “purple” cookbook, the color associated with the struggle. This disorder occurs almost exclusively in girls, who slowly lose the ability to control hand movement, to speak or communicate, except with eye movement. Currently, there is no cure for Rett syndrome, and the Israeli Rett Syndrome Foundation is raising funds for research to find a cure. Researchers claim that during their studies, it's possible they could also find cures for other disorders as well, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and autism. The Israeli Rett Syndrome Foundation is preparing the cookbook to raise awareness for the organization and it will be accessible on its website: www.rett.org.il. If you'd like to share any photos of dishes you've prepared from this cookbook, you can post them on social media with hashtag #rett_israel. Translated by Hannah Hochner.
