Patriotic Quichepie

For the Queen's Golden Jubilee, my mother held a party for the community, for which she cooked several extremely tasty quiche/pie hybrids which are far too delicious not to share. They're extremely easy to prepare, and were very popular with the younger set because of the fact they turned red, white and blue during cooking. I'd recommend this dish for a birthday, or a patriotic festival (assuming your country's flag is red, white and blue, of course).

(Please note that this recipe is vegetarian, but not vegan.)

Ingredients you will need:
- 1 flan base. Depending on how brave/wealthy you are, you may want to try making your own, or buying a premade one.
- 2 eggs. This will give the 'white'.
- 1 white onion/shallot. This will give the 'blue'.
- 1 red pepper. (To clarify - the sweet kind, not the chile kind.) This will give the 'red'. Alternatively you can use a vegetarian bacon substitute.
- Grated cheese - I recommend a smooth, mature kind, such as a cheddar. Avoid using pre-grated cheese, because of the anti-caking agents it tends to be treated with - it can give your dish a powdery texture and flavour. It's safest to grate as much as you need rather than measuring it out beforehand.
- If you're not bothered about keeping the red, white and blue theme, you can also add various other ingredients, such as chives (use less onion) or garlic. This will turn it green.

Equipment you will need:
- A bowl or jug for eggs
- A fork
- A sharp knife
- A cheese grater

Method:

1) Begin by peeling and slicing the onion/shallot into small pieces. Dice the pepper. Mix the two vegetables and sprinkle them on the bottom of your flan base. Try and provide an even coating to prevent vegetables bunching up.
2) Grate just enough cheese to completely cover the vegetables at the bottom of your flan. Try and keep it level.
3) Crack your eggs into your bowl. Proceed to whisk them with a fork until the mix is a smooth, uniform colour.
4) Swiftly pour your egg mixture into the flan. Your neatly-arranged cheese and vegetables will float up, and the dish will not look appealing at this stage. Don't worry, you're doing it right.
5) Put the flan in the oven on a medium-high setting for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is firm and smooth with a slight golden look. Don't aim for a crumbly, quiche-like texture, but a solid one.

To serve, simply cut up like you would a quiche or pie. You'll notice that the onion has turned blue-violet in cooking, and that under the golden top, the flesh is red, white and blue.

The quichepie can be stored for about a week if wrapped in clingfilm or similar and put in a fridge. It can be eaten hot-out-of-the-oven or cold, depending on taste, and is fairly solid and easy to store, meaning you can put it in a lunchbox if you have any left over from the party. It can be easily reheated in a microwave in a few minutes. Rich in protein and starch, it's quite filling, with a distinctive sweet-yet-savoury taste given as the sugars in the onions break down during cooking.

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