MONDAY RECIPE POST - CRUSTLESS QUICHE WITH BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER - SERVES 6

 I didn't take a proper plated photo for this one, having forgotten before we sat down to eat, and already having finished our meal.  I have Gregg to thank for taking this.  The recipe came from a food blog called Clean and Delicious hosted by Dani, and you can get the original recipe here.  We gave it a 10 out of 10, an excellent quiche.

Described as "healthy, easy, loaded with veggies and high in protein."  Tasty and low in calories at 219 calories per slice.  From prep to table, 55 minutes.

Crustless Quiche with Broccoli and Cauliflower 

Servings: 6

2-1/2 to 3 cups broccoli florets (8 ounces)

2-1/2 to 3 cups cauliflower florets (8 ounces)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 eggs 

6 egg whites

1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt

1/4 cup scallions chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray, butter, or coconut oil. Set aside. 

Bring a couple inches of water in a small-medium sized pot and bring to a boil. 

Place a steamer basket in the pot and add the broccoli and cauliflower florets and steam for six minutes or until tender but not mushy.

Transfer the chopped broccoli and cauliflower to a medium bowl and season with salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Gently toss so the veggies are coated with the spices.

Combine the eggs, egg whites and Greek yogurt in a separate large bowl and whisk until well combined.

Add the seasoned vegetables to the prepared pie plate. 

Sprinkle the scallions and shredded cheese over top. 

Pour the egg mixture over the cheese making sure all the veggies and cheese are covered with the egg mixture.

Cook for 45 minutes or until set and the top is lightly browned. Let rest for a while until you can eat comfortably.  Serve and enjoy!

 

I have included a few of Dani's Notes:

The quiche can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature for a healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner.  

It is low in carbs and loaded in protein, tasty, filling and nutritious.  And healthy as this recipe is super nutritious.  It is packed with veggies and protein for tons of vitamins and minerals. The perfect way to start a day! 

It can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Greek yogurt gives this meal a boost of protein, and also add richness and a lovely tang.

Cheddar cheese was used but other cheese varieties would work as well, and you could use your favorite.

It’s important to steam the vegetables before adding them to the quiche. If they cook in the egg mixture, they’ll leach water and make the quiche watery and soggy.

If you have time, skip the bagged pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store. The store-bought shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents and preservatives and will not melt smoothly.

For best results, we recommend chopping the broccoli and cauliflower into small bite-sized pieces. The vegetables will be better dispersed through the quiche and it will be easier to eat.

You can use any fresh herbs you have on hand to garnish your quiche. We used green onions (scallions), but other options include basil, parsley, chives or dill.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. You can eat the leftovers cold or reheat them.

Make this quiche a day ahead of time, store it in the fridge (covered with a lid or plastic wrap), and then bake it just before you’re ready to eat!

Reheat in the microwave or oven until heated through. If you’re heating it in the oven, you can also cover it with aluminum foil to retain the moisture.

To freeze: Let it completely cool, then transfer individual slices to freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the entire quiche at once if you have a large enough freezer-safe bag or container.

To reheat frozen: Either let the slices thaw in the refrigerator before reheating them in the microwave, or you can simply place them straight into the microwave and heat them for about 1 minute. To reheat an entire frozen quiche, place it back in the oven at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until warm in the middle.

A quiche usually contains cream or milk. However, you will notice that my recipe subs Greek yogurt for the cream to add more protein while still creating a rich creamy texture!

What did Gregg and I think of this recipe?  Excellent!  Gregg and I have different tastes in some foods, as do most people.  He is not a big fan of broccoli, but I cut into even smaller pieces, cauliflower also for them to cook uniformly.  With the other ingredients he had no problem, and still gave it a 10 out of 10.  He enjoyed it enough to have seconds.  

The only reason I mention this not liking broccoli, is that if you have someone in the family who might feel the same way, it would be a good meal for them to try.  We all know how healthy broccoli is but not everyone enjoys it.

I didn't use the 6 egg whites as I only had a certain number of eggs before going to the store, and I seem to not have much of a planning stage these days. I use what I have in the fridge or the pantry.  Instead of the 6 egg whites I used 2 extra whole eggs instead, for a total of 8 eggs.  This was more than enough for us.  One of the commentors at the original recipe didn't want to use egg whites, so Dani replied that one whole egg equals 2 egg whites.

I was pleasantly surprised using the Greek yogurt instead of the cream.  It gave it a lovely flavor.

I pre-cooked the veggies but don't have a steamer, so I put them in a pot of water, brought them to a boil and continued for six minutes.  I drained them thoroughly before proceeding.  They still had a bit of a bite when I finished cooking the quiche, which was just how we like it.

That's about all I can think of.  If I remember anything else I will add it later.  If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them in the comment section.