Crazy for Quiche

This blog is in dire need of some breakfast recipes. Why not a quiche? This Gluten-Free Kale Egg White Quiche with Turkey Bacon (or a variation of this) is what I would make ahead of time and have for breakfast before class. It’s quite simple, definitely worth taking the time to make, and makes your kitchen smell delicious as it bakes. When I went to the Farmer’s Market in Ithaca, I usually bought kale, but always ended up with too much; it just sat in my fridge, begging to be used. By sautéing the kale and throwing it in a quiche, I never felt like I wasted the kale or any vegetables left in my fridge. If you want to reduce your veggie waste even more, you can even chop the kale stems and add them to the quiche because they cook down like zucchini. Once you have this base recipe, it’s so easy to vary the vegetables, meat, and/or cheese to what you have or to exactly what you want. Add a crust! Use peppers or spinach or swiss chard. Throw in some parmesan or switch turkey bacon for reduced fat breakfast sausage or ham. (Also, no one ever said quiche has to be for breakfast. I’ve had it for dinner, when you just don’t want to lift a finger in the kitchen.) There’s no way you can mess this quiche up — any combo will be delicious!

Ingredients (serves 4).

Egg whites equivalent to 4 eggs
1 c fat-free half and half *
1/2 c sharp cheddar
3-4 pieces of turkey bacon like Applegate, cooked
4 c loosely packed kale, washed, stalks removed and chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, washed, quartered and chopped
1/4 c loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
1½ t light olive oil
1/2 t minced garlic to sauté
Salt and pepper (optional)
Cooking spray

* NOTE: you can substitute half and half for skim milk. Because egg whites are watery than whole eggs (i.e. egg whites plus the yolk), I prefer to use half and half to solidify the quiche and add some substance to it. If I use eggs, I will substitute the fat-free half and half for skim milk.

Directions.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a pie pan with cooking spray.
Cook turkey bacon according to package. Set aside.
Heat garlic and olive oil on medium heat. Add zucchini and sauté. Toss in kale leaves (plus chopped stems if desired because it will all cook down). Cook vegetable mixture until leaves are wilted and zucchini is tender. Remove from heat.
Whisk together egg whites and half and half. Either grate 1/2 c cheddar cheese or add 1/2 c already shredded cheese to the egg mixture.
Add salt and pepper to egg mixture if desired.
Mix in chopped basil and add to the sautéed kale and zucchini.
Chop turkey bacon into about 1 cm pieces. Add to the sautéed kale and zucchini.
Mix until all vegetables and bacon are evenly coated by the egg mixture. Pour mixture into greased pie pan.
Cook for 25-30 min or until the edges begin to lightly brown.
Let cool before serving and enjoy!

Again, here is my mystery kale. I bought it at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market specifically to make a quiche. It had extremely fine leaves and sautéed really well. A picture of it from the market can be found here under “Upgrade Your Salad.”

Recipe adapted from “Crustless Quiche ” in Joy of Cooking.