Healthy and Easy Crustless Summer Vegetable Quiche

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I have never been so determined to make a dinner from scratch as I was when I forged ahead and baked this quiche, even though I didn’t start it until 8pm on a work night, knowing full well it wouldn’t be ready to eat until at least 9:30pm; and that’s if everything went smoothly. (It did).

Perhaps a saner person would have looked at the clock and resigned themselves to leftover Annie’s Mac and Cheese, or even a fresh salad, but I would not give up the dream of quiche. It came out of the oven so late that Mike didn’t even eat it (he had already eaten the mac and cheese and a fresh salad with toast on the side, like a smart thinker).

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But I made sure to ooo and ahhh over this quiche as I helped myself to not one but THREE (small) servings, trying to savor it as the clocked ticked rapidly toward 10pm and my bedtime loomed near. I try not to eat close to going to bed, but quiche night was an exception.

It’s good. Good enough to wait well into the night for, and good enough to risk going to bed with a quiche hangover. I also need to note that the reason it didn’t maintain it’s pie-slice shape in the photos was because I insisted on eating it within a few seconds of taking it out of the oven. Let this thing cool – it’s worth it!

What You Need:

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  • 1/2 of a large yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 of a green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 jalapeno or habenero pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chives, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup very finely chopped kale (spinach would work well too!)
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup almond milk (or any other milk of your choosing)
  • 1 cup shredded muenster cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp fresh black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6-8 very thin slices of zucchini
  • 6-8 very thin slices of tomato

Quiche (4)What You Do:

Preheat your oven to 375F.

In a lightly oiled medium skillet, heat the garlic and onion on medium heat until the onion becomes soft and translucent.

Add the jalapeno or habenero, and bell pepper, and chives, and stir.

Add the broccoli florets and stir well to combine with the onion mixture. Add a tablespoon of water if necessary to keep the pan moist, and cover, cooking on low-medium until the broccoli has reduced, about 7 minutes.

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While the broccoli mixture is cooking up, grab a small mixing bowl and combine the eggs, milk, cheeses, mustard, black pepper and salt, stirring well.

Set aside.

Before taking the broccoli mixture off the heat, add the kale and stir well.

Pack the broccoli mixture into a well-greased pie dish.

Pour the egg mixture over the broccoli filling, using a fork to gently nudge the broccoli around to let the egg mixture seep through to the sides and bottom of the pie dish. (There should still be a healthy amount of egg mixture over the top of the dish.)

In any pattern you like, place the zucchini and tomato slices around the top of the quiche. Make a happy face if you want!

Place the pie dish in the oven for about 40 minutes (check after 20-30 though – you want the egg cooked through and the top to be slightly browned and crispy but not burned, obviously).

Let cool for a few minutes before delving in, if for no other reason than to keep it in pie-slice shape 🙂

Enjoy!

Pro Tip: Have it for breakfast! Experiment with different cheeses too – I think Parmesan or feta would be absolutely delish.

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Tasty and EASY Kale-Blueberry-Banana Breakfast Smoothie

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I have a couple friends who tell me that they usually don’t eat breakfast, or they eat lunch or dinner foods instead of breakfast foods. I respect that (I don’t understand it) but I personally love breakfast and all of the food that comes with it – life without breakfast food would be a far more dismal place.

I would eat a runny egg sandwich and home-fries drenched in ketchup and sriracha every day if I could, but my inability to get out of bed with enough time to eat before leaving for work has forced me to get creative. Plus, my egg sandwich addiction aside, I like to switch it up once in awhile.

Here’s a delicious smoothie that is super easy to make and very yummy. I’ve made a couple variations of this smoothie, which I tell you about below, but this is by far the tastiest way to make it, in my opinion.

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What You Need:

  • 3/4 cup kale (I usually include the stems so don’t worry about preparing the leaves too much)
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter (almond butter is also a delightful substitute if you have it)
  • 1 medium banana
  • 3/4 cup almond milk (I’ve used closer to 1 cup depending on how it’s mixing)
  • 1/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

I’ve added about a teaspoon of honey on occasion for more sweetness.

What You Do:

Load everything into a blender or food processor and let it rip! As I said, you might find you need to add a little extra milk if things aren’t blending smoothly enough.

Pro Tip:  If you’re like me and value the taste and variety of locally-grown kale from a summertime farmer’s market, buy a bunch before the season ends and keep in the freezer through the winter and use whenever you need it!