Kale & Quinoa Crustless Quiche
Cuisine: Vegetarian | Original recipe: Food52.com

When I meal-plan for the week, our family eats vegetarian for meatless Mondays. And as a busy, working mom, the recipes I cook must be easy, budget-friendly, and healthy. This recipe was originally posted on Food52.com and I changed it a bit. You can doctor up this recipe to fit your taste buds and that's the best part of this easy vegetarian quiche — it's easy to tailor to your taste. I didn't plan on sharing this adapted recipe on ShowShanti, but after I shared the photo on Facebook, friends wanted the recipe. Three busy weeks later, here it is! Enjoy!

What you’ll need: A cast-iron skillet and a 9-inch glass pie dish.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked according to the package instructions
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch fresh kale, cut into ribbons. (I keep the ribs and stems cause fiber is good for us.)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 6 stalks spring onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, cubed
• 5 ounces cream cheese, cubed (That's half a brick of Philly.)
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC) and grease a 9-inch glass pie dish. Don't be shy with the butter or olive oil. 
2. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the spring onions and sauté until fragrant.
3. Remove the onions and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the kale and red bell pepper to the same skillet. Cook until the veggies are softened.
4. Allow the veggies to cool. Drain any excess liquid
5. Add the kale, quinoa, garlic, cream cheese and cheddar to the mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients so that they are evenly distributed.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs then pour over the quinoa-veggie mixture. Stir until the egg coats the veggies completely. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour the veggie-egg mixture into the greased pie dish. Sprinkle the top with smoked paprika. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the quiche has started to pull away from the edge of the dish. Let sit for ten minutes before serving.

Cook's Tip: Try to use fresh veggies. If you use frozen veggies, expect to find a lot of liquid during the sauté. Simply drain the liquid.

Health Tip: I don't typically remove the ribs from my kale because the fiber is GREAT for you. If you don't mind the fiber, keep the ribs and stems in the recipe. It also saves precious time!