Dan Smith
Veggie quiche
Recent cold and wet weather in the Roanoke Valley has created the desire for more substantial main dishes than might be normal for mid-June, and my recent discovery of quiche—because of the Keto diet—seems to fill the need quite nicely.
Although I can do whatever meat I want with the diet, I like to lean toward veggies with dishes like this because eggs and milk create a substantial base. This is a main dish that is satisfyingly full and wholesome. And, as my mom used to classify this kind of dish, “It cures what ails you.”
Keto discourages carbohydrates and most quiche recipes begin with a crust. This one has no crust and, frankly, I don’t miss it. Crust in quiche has always seemed to be an unnecessary calorie addition to an already good dish.
Here’s how you make the quiche:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2-3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2-3/4 cup Half and Half
- 1/4 cup bacon or ham drippings
- 3 cups of cooked, chopped broccoli, asparagus or spinach
- 12 ounces cheddar cheese
Stir all that together (using 2/3 of the cheese) and poured it into a large baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spread the remainder of the cheese on top.
Put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees (oven heat varies depending on the oven). I turn the oven up to broil at the end of that time and brown the top of the quiche for about three minutes before taking it out and letting it cool.
The quiche should not be liquid at the end of this cooking time.
The cheddar will blow up like a balloon while the dish is still in the oven, but will flatten as it cools.
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). His blog, fromtheeditr.com, is widely read and he has authored seven books, including the novel CLOG! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005).