Crustless Spring Spiced Veggie Quiche

As seen in my article on @YorkRegion and my Metroland / Torstar Column: RENATA’S TABLE: Crustless spiced veggie quiche recipe is delicious and nutritious

An easy, lighter without the crust, quiche, some call it a frittata, loaded with fresh veggies and spiced with a hint of hot sauce, is a delightful lunch or dinner.  Eggs, parmesan, cottage cheese and feta cheese provide the protein and round out this delicious and nutritious quiche to perfection!

Eggs are considered a Superfood. They are wonderfully nutritious – they contain vitamins A, B5, B2, B6, B12, D, E and K, Phosphorous, Calcium, Zinc, Folate, Selenium and many trace minerals beneficial for our health.

Cremini mushrooms are a good source of riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid (all B Vitamins) and in combination are particularly good for heart health and the digestive system.

Asparagus is an antioxidant, is low in calories and rich in nutrition, supports heart and gut health, and contains vitamins C, E, A, K, folate, potassium, phosphorus.

Cottage cheese is a mild flavoured fresh soft, white cheese, a rich protein source, low in calories, high in calcium and if offered widely at most grocery stores.

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 45 minutes / Serves: 4-6    

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

• ½ Medium Cooking Onion – diced

• ½ Cup Sliced Cremini Mushrooms

• ¾ Cup Broccoli Florets – chopped

• ½ Orange Pepper – diced

• 5-6 Stalks Asparagus – ends cut off and stalks chopped

• 1 Cup Baby Spinach – torn into pieces

• 4 Garlic Cloves – minced

• 1/3 Cup Feta – crumbled

• 8 Eggs

• 2/3 Cup Cottage Cheese

• ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

• 1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce – my favourite for this is Lord’s brand ‘Aloha’ that adds a touch of heat and hint of delicious sweetness 

• 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

• 1 teaspoon Dried Basil

• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

• Generous Pinch of Sea Salt

• Generous Grinds of Fresh Black Pepper

 How It’s Made

• Preheat your oven to 375°F.

• Spray or grease a 10” pie plate with some olive oil.

• Prepare all your veggies.

• In a large frying pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil.  When hot, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes until soft.

• Add the mushrooms, broccoli, pepper, and asparagus and sauté until softened – 5 minutes.

• Add the spinach and garlic and sauté until the spinach is wilted.

• Spread the veggies in the pie plate.

• Sprinkle the crumbled Feta on top of the veggies. 

• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the cottage cheese. If you don’t want the bits of cottage cheese to show when cooked, puree it with am immersion blender or in a food processor first. Add the parmesan cheese, hot sauce, spices and season with salt and pepper.

• Pour this over the veggies/feta in the pie plate.

• Bake for 45 minutes and check for doneness by how firm it is.  If it still jiggles in the middle, bake longer, checking in 5-minute increments until done.

• Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Slice into wedges and serve.  A simple side salad is a lovely accompaniment!

Enjoy!