Despite being mostly older ladies, my six lovely chickens are laying for all they’re worth at the moment. So, as we do every year, I’m giving away eggs to family and friends and making a lot of egg-based dishes. We’ve had custards and cakes, hard boiled eggs in salads and whole egg mayonnaise.
At the moment, I’m also suffering from a spring glut of salad greens – life is tough (not)! So, I picked a bunch of vegetables this morning and made a rich and luscious pastry-free quiche for lunch. It’s a very easy recipe and I often make it as a vegetarian meal as eggs are a great source of protein. But today, I added a couple of rashers of diced bacon, fried with garlic. It also works really well with cooked and shredded chicken, pork or cooked white haricot beans or chickpeas. I’d also recommend adding chopped fresh Italian parsley or chives, it’s really dependent on what you have on hand.
Deb’s Vegetable & Bacon Quiche (Serves 4)
6-8 free range eggs
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 thick bacon rashers
2 small leeks, washed and chopped (can be substituted with shallots or spring onions)
4-5 cups shredded green vegetables (spinach, silverbeet, kale, collards, rocket, pak choy, mustard greens)
1/2 cup milk (can be substituted with 1/4 cup cream)
1/4 cup plain (all purpose) flour
2 cups of grated Colby cheese (Cheddar would be fine)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
a little grated nutmeg
Method:
Preheat an oven to 160 C (320 F). Dice the bacon and fry gently. Add the minced garlic towards the end, taking care not to burn it. Take off the heat and allow to cool. Whisk the eggs until frothy, grate in nutmeg, mix in the milk (or cream) and flour.
Using a fork or mixing spoon, gradually add the chopped vegetables and grated cheeses. Stir through the cooled cooked bacon, making sure everything is well incorporated and coated in the egg mixture.
Pour into a greased 20 cm (8 inch) souffle dish and bake for 45-55 minutes. This makes a soft-set quiche, but if you want it firmer, I recommend covering with foil and baking a further 10 minutes.
Serve alone as a light lunch or with a salad for dinner.
Let me know if you try this and what you used in your mix – I love your feedback!
Take care and I’ll see you tomorrow ❤
Debra Manskey 