I invented this one myself. It’s pretty rich, so save it for a special occasion.
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
1/4 c. whole rolled oats
1/2 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4″ pieces
1/4 c. ice water, plus a little extra if needed
Filling:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely diced
10 ounces crimini (or your favorite mushrooms), brushed clean and thinly sliced
1 oz. dry white wine
10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped chives
pinch of hot pepper flakes or 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper (Aleppo is much milder than crushed red pepper; it has a nice warmth that doesn’t sting)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh spinach
3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 c. skim milk
3 eggs
1/2 c. grated cheddar (or gruyere)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
FOR THE CRUST:
Put the oats in a food processor fitted with metal blade. Add the flour and salt and process until the oats are finely ground.
Add the butter (it should be refrigerated right up until you’re ready to use it) and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. Alternatively, you can combine dry ingredients and cut in butter by hand using a pastry blender.
With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough begins to hold together. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together. If it’s still too crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Press the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to one month. If you freeze it, leave overnight in the refrigerator before using.
When you remove from the fridge, unwrap it, but leave it on top of the sheet of plastic wrap, or use waxed paper. Put another sheet on top and roll out to fit a 9 inch pie pan. Press into the pan and return to the fridge until your filling is ready.
FOR THE FILLING:
Steam the spinach, just until wilted. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, drain (squeezing as much moisture as you can out with your hands), and chop. Set aside in a bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushrooms, raise the heat to high, and sauté for at least 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their water, most of it evaporates, and the shallots have begun to caramelize. Add the wine and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add the basil, thyme and chives, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue to cook until wine evaporates. Scrape into the bowl with the waiting spinach, add the red pepper flakes, and mix it all together. Taste it, it’s delicious! Just this mixture would be great over whole wheat pasta with a little olive oil…
Next, beat the cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in milk and eggs. Stir in the cheeses, spinach and mushrooms. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is set. Cool 10 minutes before serving with a simple green salad or fresh fruit.
Enjoy!
Jenny