Quiche to the Rescue!
This week has NOT gone as planned. I mean, they never do, but this week is really off. It’s Thursday, and I haven’t done a meal plan at all this week (usually done on Sunday nights), AND I haven’t been to the grocery store this week (good thing we don’t get much there anymore). So, we’ve been living out of our pantry and freezer, and I’ve been coming up with meals as I go. Last night we had a family favorite that you should always have at the ready for days when things don’t go as planned: Quiche!
I get really annoyed with all the Real Moms Don’t Make Quiche and Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche nonsense. Who are these “real” people, and why don’t they make or eat quiche? Do they not eat eggs? Do they not make pie? (This is almost as perplexing to me as Don’t Mess with Texas. Who’s messing with Texas?! But I digress…)
Quiche is an incredibly flexible and, more importantly, nutrient-dense meal. And while there are fancier and more complicated ways to make it, here is a quick and delicious version for those busy weeknights. It is very forgiving, so adjust for your family’s tastes (and what you have on hand).
The most important thing to make this a last-minute kind of meal is to have a quick crust recipe or keep frozen pie crusts on hand. You can make and freeze these yourself ahead of time (double and freeze this recipe), or buy them frozen. Now, if you buy frozen they will not be perfect. Unless you have a fantastic health food store or can buy from a local artisan, they will probably not be from soaked or sprouted flour, and so will contain anti-nutrients. But once in a blue moon, in the context of a low phytic-acid diet, it is not a big deal (and is certainly better than hitting the drive-through because you don’t have a dinner plan). The brand Wholly Wholesome comes in whole wheat and whole spelt varieties, and has a good, short ingredient list: organic whole spelt (or wheat) flour, organic palm oil, water, organic cane sugar and sea salt. (I’m including some crust recipes below, but don’t feel guilty if the frozen pie crusts work best for you! Just buy the best quality you can.) And if you’re grain- or gluten-free, just make it crust-less!
Last Minute Quick and Easy Quiche
*2 pastry shells, 9″ (frozen or homemade)
*2 cups diced or sliced fillings (see below), divided
*2 cups shredded or cubed cheese (see below), divided
*2 tsp. organic dried minced onion(or include fresh with fillings), divided
*6 pastured eggs (if your eggs are small, you may need one or two more)
*2 cups raw organic whole milk and cream, blended half and half, divided (you can even mix in sour cream or plain whole yogurt if that’s what you have on hand)
*sea saltIf using frozen crusts, line pastry shells (unpricked) with foil and bake at 400* for 5 minutes. Remove foil (save this!) and bake 5 minutes longer.
Divide fillings (and dried onion if using) evenly between the two shells.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk/cream, salt and pepper. Pour into the shells. (If it doesn’t fill the crust enough, I just whip up another egg with a bit of milk and/or cream and add it in.)
Now here’s the best part. If your family is small enough to eat only one, you can freeze the other one and have dinner (or breakfast or lunch) ready for another day!
Bake one: Cover edges with foil (or these handy little helpers
Freeze one: After pouring in the egg mixture, carefully place in freezer to set for about 30 minutes. Once the top layer is solid enough, cover with the reserved foil from above, pressing out as much air as you can. Place entire foil-covered quiche in a gallon freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To use frozen quiche, completely thaw in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking as directed above.
Fillings: You can fill this quiche with just about anything you have on hand. Here are some great combinations I’ve used:
- diced ham and cheddar cheese,
- sweet onion, spinach and Swiss cheese,
- tomato, mushroom and feta cheese,
- frozen green peas, feta and mint,
- crab meat, celery seed and Swiss cheese,
- asparagus, proscuitto and provolone,
- sundried tomato, sausage, asiago and Parmesan,
- sliced onion, bacon and mozzarella, and
- zucchini, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning and mozzarella.
Sprouted Flour Pie Crust
Adapted from To Your Health Sprouted Flour Company
*2 cups organic sprouted flour (sift to make for a flakier crust)
*1/2 teaspoon sea salt
*2/3 cup cold organic butter
*2 tablespoons whole organic or raw milk
*4 tablespoons filtered waterIn a bowl, stir together sprouted flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into flour and blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add liquid to crumb mixture. Dough will still be crumbly. On a lightly floured surface, knead until dough is smooth, adding a little flour as needed to prevent sticking. Divide in two, and roll out into circular pie crusts, 8-9″ in diameter. Bake at 350* for about 5 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400* and proceed as directed above.
No Roll Crust
Adapted from Frugal Granola
*1/4 cup butter, softened
*1/4 cup coconut oil
*1 1/4 cups sprouted whole wheat flour
*WaterHeat oven to 400*. Mix butter and coconut oil together in a bowl. Pour in flour, and stir to absorb butter mixture, until it is crumbly. Add water a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a dough consistency. Press into a 9-10″ pie pan and up the sides (or use a tart pan or quiche pan). Prick all over with a fork. Bake 15 minutes. Continue as directed above.
Note: This crust wasn’t a favorite of the kids, but I liked it! Let me know what you think if you try it.
What are your favorite quiche combos?
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