Growing up, Christmas was a big thing in our house. Particularly with my father. He used to get up at 3 am on Christmas morning and stomp down the halls making noise until he managed to wake at least one of the kids up. Because he knew if one of us was up, it would wake us all up. He couldn’t help it, he just couldn’t wait. He loved to see the excitement of his kids opening presents on Christmas morning. All the hubbub of unwrapping presents, the wripping of the paper and the joyous looks of fullfillment when we got something cool, it was his favorite time of the year. But after all the presents had been opened, and the anticipation and excitement had turned to drowsy yawns, it was time for brunch. And that’s where smoked salmon quiche comes in. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, smoked salmon was a staple food. A local delicacy served with crackers or in an omlette, it’s a versatile and delicious protein. And I think symbolically it’s perfect for Christmas morning.
Astrologically, fish are linked to the sign of Pisces. And while the Sun at Christmas is firmly planted in the sign of Capricorn, I think that Pisces is a more apt sign for the occasion. That’s because it’s the sign of unconditional love, compassion for humanity and tapping into the universal subconcious. And though Pisces is not related directly to Jesus, the sign of the fish is. You see, back in times of the religious persecution of Christians, believers would scratch the symbol of the fish into the ground to identify themselves to fellow believers. And it’s interesting that Pisces is traditionally ruled by the planet Jupiter. The planet of expansion is exalted in the sign of Cancer (the ruler of eggs, cream and cheese) as it takes on a tone of spiritual compassion towards humanity, and the concept of sharing your hospitality with those less fortunate. So whether you’re a believer or not, what better way to celebrate the holiday than with this elegant but simple quiche.
Bonus: Smoked Salmon Quiche can be baked the day before, put in the refrigerator and then brought up to room temperature or gently reheated on Christmas Morning. It’s a quick and easy go to that I hope wil bring a little joy to you this holiday season.
Christmas Morning Smoked Salmon Quiche
Ingredients
- 9" refrigerated Pillsbury pie shell
- 1 cup chopped smoked salmon
- 1 cup. sliced button mushrooms
- 1 cup gruyere or Swiss cheese
- 1 3/4 cups half and half
- 4 eggs
- ¼ tsp. Nutmeg
- ½ tsp dill
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bring pie shell to room temperature for 15 minutes, then roll out and place in pie pan.
- Sautee mushrooms for a few minutes in butter and olive oil, add salmon and heat through.
- Sprinkle mushrooms on bottom of pie shell, follow with salmon and cheese.
- Mix together half-and half and eggs, nutmeg, dill, salt and pepper.
- Pour milk mixture over mixture in pie shell.
- Bake 35-45 minutes at 375 or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Serves 6
