Multiple-Choice Vegetarian Quiche

One reason I call this vegetarian quiche “multiple choice” is because it is easy to adapt, depending on the time of year and what you already have in your kitchen.

Furthermore, the recipe works with most any kind of vegetable: fresh, quick-cooking choices (like tomatoes, zucchini or spinach) or cooked or steamed dense vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower or winter squash). Also, you can eat this vegetarian quiche for any meal, and it’s tasty hot or cold.

Cook and serve it in an oven-proof skillet or use a regular skillet for the onions, and bake everything in an oven-proof pie plate.

Since this vegetarian quiche doesn’t need a crust, it avoids a lot of saturated fat. The Centers for Disease Control link diets high in saturated fat to coronary heart disease. This disorder of the blood vessels of the heart can lead to a heart attack.

Vegetarian Quiche, Hold the Crust

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp., butter
1 large onion, sliced into half-moon shapes
3 to 4 cups, chopped vegetables
8 eggs
1 cup, milk
1 cup, cheese
1 tsp., salt
Black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion slices and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook the onions until they are golden brown and start to caramelize.
3. If using an oven-proof pan, remove it from the stove-top and spread the onions evenly across the bottom. Otherwise, butter a pie plate and lay the onions in an even layer on the bottom. The onions will add a crust-like texture and a bit of crunch.
4. Add vegetables, spreading them evenly over the top of the onions. (For choices like broccoli, cauliflower or winter squash, steam or cook them first before adding them to the quiche. For quick-cooking vegetable like tomatoes, zucchini or spinach, just use them fresh.) The pie plate or oven-proof skillet should look fairly full.
5. Put the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper into a bowl. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork–just enough to break up the yolks and whites. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and onions in the pie plate or oven-proof skillet.
6. Put the pie plate or oven-proof skillet into the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour. Once the whole surface is lightly brown, the quiche is fully cooked. Remove the quiche from the oven.
7. After it cools on the counter for about 20 minutes, slice the quiche into wedges and serve with a side salad.

Recipe adapted from Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown, 2014, Creative Commons 4.0 license.

This post was written by Nina Eng, RD, chief clinical dietitian at Plainview Hospital.

For more North Shore-LIJ Health Blog posts, go to http://blog.northshorelij.com/

Contents of the health blog are the property of North Shore-LIJ Health System and are provided as a health resource for consumers, health care professionals and members of the media. The medical content on the North Shore-LIJ Health Blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for consultation with your physician regarding diagnosis, treatment or any other form of specific medical advice. These materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. “North Shore-LIJ Health System,” “North Shore-LIJ,” “northshorelij.com,” “VivoHealth,” their related entities and logos are trademarks of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. Copyright © 2011 North Shore-LIJ Health System. All rights reserved.