Spinach and Lentil Pie

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 3
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.

To assemble

1. 4
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Grease a 24 cm pan.

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOvenBaking pan

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 5
   Add the vegetables and fry, until it softens.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
3. 6
   Let cool slightly and squeeze out the excess liquid.
4. 7
   Cook the lentils in boiling salted water 15 minutes, until it is soft.

   ⚙ Cooking in salted waterStovePot

   💡The water should taste like a seasoned soup, not like sea water: a heaping teaspoon of salt per liter. Add the salt once the water is boiling.
5. 8
   Drain and mash the lentils into a puree.

   ColanderMasher
6. 9
   Mix the eggs and cream cheese until smooth.
7. 10
   Add the vegetables, lentils, fried onion, turmeric, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper and mix.
8. 11
   Pour into the pan and spread evenly.

   Baking pan
9. 12
   Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
10. 13
    Bake 35–40 minutes, until the quiche is firm and golden.

    ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

    💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
11. 14
    Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

    💡Resting before cutting sets the pie: cut straight out of the oven, it is still soft inside and the slices fall apart.