* Chicken, Sweetcorn and Red Pepper Quiche

This was only meant to be a chicken and sweetcorn quiche, but when I'd added both to the quiche base it looked so blonde and boring that I had to add something else to liven up the colour a bit. There's nothing worse than being bored by your food - especially before you've even cooked it.

Actually, that happens to me a lot - it's why I never cook what I've planned. I think I spend so much time thinking "I'll cook a spag bol tomorrow night..." that when the time actually comes round to cooking it... I'm bored with the idea. It's a rare thing that we do actually eat anything that I have predicted I'll cook... sometimes even up to an hour ahead. Which is fun.... There's also the rare occasion when it's actually in the oven... which is not fun. Really.

I have the attention span of a rabid gnat. With an itchy arse.

In truth, I'm very surprised that I am still food blogging after 8 months. I can totally understand why people start these things up and then just... stop. I have NO IDEA how some food bloggers manage to find the time to update their blog every day!!! Do they have superpowers?!? How do they keep it interesting too? Because they do.

I have days when I sit here, stumped, and wonder what an earth do I write about today? And other days it just kinda happens. Like today. I had no clue where this was going until I got here. And now that I've arrived, it seems this particular journey has ended.

My mind's a blank.

.... aaaaaaaand now I'm having a Homer Simpson "La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la" moment.

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Serves 8-12

Prep time - 40 minutes (30 minutes of this is chill/rest time in fridge for pastry)
Cooking time - 45 minutes
Total time - 1 hr 25 minutes

You will need
A 23cm/9in fluted flan tin, preferably with a loose bottom to enable easy removal after cooking.

Ingredients
All butter pastry
8 oz/225g plain flour
4 oz/115g butter - cut into pieces
3 tbsp water

 The filling
100g cooked chicken - chopped
2 oz/55g red bell pepper - deseeded and chopped - nuked for 1 minute in the microwave
2 oz/55g cooked sweetcorn - drained
2 oz/55g strong cheddar or gruyère - grated
7 fl oz/200ml crème fraîche
7 fl oz/200ml double cream
3 eggs - beaten
Large pinch salt

Method 

To make the pastry, put all of the ingredients into a food processor. Using the pulse button - pulse until it binds then tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a ball shape, cover in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 370f/190c/fan170c/gas 5 and place a baking sheet in it.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out as thinly as possible then line the flan tin with it. Trim the pastry edges to just fractionally above the level of the flan tin - this helps with shrinkage - save the trimmings (you might need them later). Use a small piece of the trimmings now, as a tool to press the pastry into the fluted edges, gently. Lightly prick the base with a fork.

Line the pastry case with foil, shiny side down and fill with baking beans - I have little porcelain balls that do the job. Place on the hot baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans - very gently, sometimes it sticks to the pastry and use your trimmings to fill any cracks or holes that have appeared in the pastry. A wet finger helps to bind the uncooked pastry to the cooked.

Now put the pastry case back in the oven, on the baking sheet for another 5 minutes.

When the pastry case is cooked, scatter 3/4 of the cheese and all of the chicken, sweetcorn and red pepper over the base.

Lower the oven temperature to 350f/180c/155cfan/gas 4

Beat together the crème fraîche and double cream, then add the beaten eggs and salt and thoroughly combine. Season with salt. Pour into the pastry case, over the chicken et al then sprinkle with the remaining cheese and cook for about 20 minutes, or until golden and softly set - there really should be a tiny little wobble in the centre of the quiche, so if you're feeling brave - shake it and see what happens.

Serve hot or cold with whatever takes your fancy.

EAT