Hey! I’m alive.. just crazy busy with my relocation and whatnot. I’m staying here in Kansas City with my folks for a bit while I transition and of course, that means plenty of gentle nudgings and offhand mentions of how such-and-such dish sounds so good and oh wouldn’t it be nice to have this for dinner. In other words, being home is being my mom’s personal chef, and tonight she suggested quiche so I just happened to make it.

I know this is extremely similar to the goat cheese tart, but I’ve said before how I a) love breakfast for dinner and b) love the ease of dishes like this, especially when you use a prepared pie crust. And, well, I was going nuts not posting anything! So enjoy!

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Caramelized Onion & Sun Dried Tomato Quiche

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 prepared or store bought pie crust, at room temperature
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup half-and-half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 medium yellow onion (not sweet)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 450° F with rack set in lower third. Roll out the pie crust to fit a 10” tart pan, fit into shell, and prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake until golden but not too done, about 7-8 minutes.

2.) Lower the oven to 375° F and let the crust cool while you prepare the filling. Slice the ends off the onion and slice thin. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat and add the oil.

3.) Once it’s warm, add the onions, brown sugar, and a good pinch of salt. Give everything a good stir to coat the onions in the oil and sugar, and then cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Don’t stir too often otherwise you won’t get good color.

4.) Remove the onions from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Once they’re cooled, chop the onions up a bit and sprinkle over the bottom of the prepared pie shell. Add the sun dried tomatoes, and the parmesan cheese.

5.) Beat the eggs in a large bowl, seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half and milk, and beat everything together. Pour into the prepared shell and give it a little jiggle to settle everything. Sprinkle a bit more cheese over the top and pop in the oven.

6.) Bake until cooked through and set, about 30-35 minutes. If the edges start to get too brown, crimp some aluminum foil around them until the filling is baked. Enjoy with a nice salad or fresh fruit.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: breakfast, dough, eggs, savory, tomato

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Okay, okay, I’ll share something healthy. I had a little banter with my friend Cara today about how we tout eating sweets and treats while everyone is tweeting their work-outs, but truthfully, I like to help! I eat healthy most of the time, and this recipe utilizes a few of my favorite substitutes and tricks to make something filling, calorie and fat-friendly, and most importantly – delicious!

You could call this a crustless quiche or frittata or whatever you like, but since the ratio of veggies to eggs is so tilted, I just call it a spinach egg bake. I love throwing dishes like this together using whatever you have in the fridge, and although I make this version for one, you can easily multiply it and bake it in a bigger dish to feed you plus a few others. Just go with the “omelet” method – cook all the filling ingredients before tossing them into the eggs, but top the entire thing with cheese instead of stirring it in.

And for those counting calories – you get the entire bake here for about 375 calories (not kidding!) which I’ve broken down in the recipe below. So enjoy (guilt-free) and celebrate the new you en route!

Eating for one can still be a lovely setting.

Mise en place totally grabbed from my fridge and freezer.

Eggs and whites.

Baked spinach egg cheesy goodness.

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Spinach Egg Bake

Serves 1 (heartily)

I used the entire package of spinach in the pictures above but wished I had only used 2/3, so I’m advising that in the recipe here. There will of course be far less spinach in your version!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg whites, beaten (180 calories)
• 1 low-fat chicken sausage, split lengthwise, then cut into ½” slices (80 calories)
• 2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and wrung of all moisture (60 calories)
• 2 TBL shredded parmesan cheese (40 calories)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (4 calories)
• 2 TBL low-sodium chicken stock (1 calorie)
• non-stick spray
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1.) Place a small (2 to 3 cup) baking dish or casserole in your oven and preheat to 400° F. Prepare the ingredients while the dish and oven heat.

2.) Beat the eggs with about 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Set aside.

3.) Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick spray and add the sausage. Saute a few minutes until lightly browned, then add the spinach, garlic, and chicken stock. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until heated through and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach mixture to the eggs and stir to combine.

4.) Very carefully remove the (piping) hot dish from your oven. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and then pour the egg mixture in. Top with cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes until puffed and firm, but not dry. Serve with a green salad dressed with low-cal dressing and feel no guilt!

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cooking for one, eggs, vegetables

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