I grew up eating crustless quiche. My mother, always looking for a way to save on the calories and fat content in a recipe gave up making crusts for her quiches long before I was born. In recent years, she stopped making them all together, in an attempt to reign in her cholesterol. This is why I was fairly surprised when she called me the other day to tell me that she had discovered the easiest quiche recipe ever. However, when I asked if she had used a crust, she responded with shock in her voice, "Of course not!"
So folks, in anticipation of the weekend, when one of you might want to whip up a simple Saturday or Sunday brunch dish, I offer you my mom's new, very easy quiche recipe. You don't have to make it crustless, but if you do, you can indulge a little more in a scone or muffin.
Leana's easy quiche recipe
sautéed veggies
1 cup of milk
½ to ¾ lb. of grated cheese
4 to 5 eggs, beaten
salt, pepper, dried or fresh herbs
two garlic cloves pressed or chopped
I use a combination of finely chopped zucchini, broccoli, onion, mushrooms, green pepper, salt, pepper, herbs and garlic sautéed in olive oil. But any combination of veggies will work. Use your favorite.
Arrange the veggies in the bottom of a quiche pan. There should be enough to cover the entire bottom.
Mix other ingredients together and pour over the veggies, spreading the mix evenly with a fork.
Place on a cookie sheet because it makes it easier to handle.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the center is firm and the top is golden brown.
3-01-2008 @12:01AM Laura Chavanne said... What's the difference between a crustless quiche and a frittata? While I'm sure I could easily research this (I'm tired!), I always assumed the only difference between a quiche and frittata was crust -- and this just seems like a frittata that's not par-cooked on the stovetop first. At any rate, I always thought the crust was superfluous. I'll totally try this!
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3-01-2008 @8:40AM calamari said... The purpose of crust is to make quiche difficult to make well in a home oven, though using a glass pan helps immensely with getting a bottom crust that's crisp, not mushy.
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3-01-2008 @10:49AM cruisingthru said... If you're worried about cholesterol or fat, try making them with the egg substitutes, no cholesterol. I know, the cheese adds fat and cholesterol back in, but at least you've decreased the overall amount. I use the substitutes all the time and can't tell the difference in flavor.
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3-01-2008 @12:13PM carpetbagger said... where did you get that dish?
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3-02-2008 @8:14PM Marisa McClellan said... Laura, I think that the other difference is that a quiche traditionally uses cream or milk, whereas a frittata is primarily eggs, cheese and veg. Also, you get a fairly different consistency when you bake it entirely in the oven verses starting it on the stove top and then browning the top off. But they are still pretty closely related.
Carpetbagger, that pan used to belong to my great-aunt. I have no idea where it came from.
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