Menu Planning Monday: Quiche

So, I think on Mondays, instead of posting my menu for the week (which is really boring!) I'll post a recipe or meal I really enjoy. I always love finding new meal ideas, so I hope you will use and enjoy these!

Quiche is one of my favorite things to make for dinner. It's easy, delicious, and healthy (especially when you make a few substitutions). My favorite base recipe is from Real Simple. I just tweak it to make it my own.


First, saute your vegetables in olive oil over medium heat.

You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I've used broccoli, peppers, olives, fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, summer squash, etc. This time I had onions, marinated artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and spinach.
I marinated the artichokes and onions in the oil from the artichoke jar until the onions were soft and translucent.Then, I added in the mushrooms.


Turn off the heat and add in a large handful (or two) of spinach.

I LOVE the organic spinach from Costco and buy a big thing of it every time I go.


Stir in spinach until wilted.



Get your crust ready.

I've used store bought frozen crust a lot and it's definitely the easiest. This time I used the Pioneer Woman's pie crust recipe and replaced whole wheat flour for the white. After I made the crusts I froze them in individual plastic bags. It didn't look very pretty (which is probably because I rolled out the crust before taking it out of the bag, instead of after), but it tasted good!


Break four eggs into a bowl.

One of our pool customers gives us these delicious organic eggs. We get fresh eggs without the hassle of a chicken coop!


Mix together eggs, milk/half and half, salt, pepper, and spices.

I use whatever milk I have on hand (which happened to be Safeways organic 2%) and whatever spices (which was just some dried parsley). The recipe calls for gruyere cheese, which I've used before, but it's expensive and the quiche, for me, is all about using what I have. This time I used mozzarella and cheddar. My favorite is probably swiss.


Add your vegetables to the egg mixture, stir together, and pour in the crust. Cook at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.


And, serve. This was after Eric already served our plates. We had it with a salad and delicious wheat bread from, again, Costco!


Basic Quiche Recipe from Real Simple Magazine

Serves 6
Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 1hr 00m

Ingredients
1 9-inch refrigerated piecrust
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 large eggs
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 ounces Gruyere, grated
4 cups mixed greens

Directions
Heat oven to 375° F. Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Place on a baking sheet.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir in the onion mixture and the Gruyère.
Pour the egg mixture into the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drizzle the greens with the remaining tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the quiche.