(Re)visiting Old Challenges: Turkey Spinach Crustless Quiche

[moetushie]

I'm not really revisiting, since I wasn't here the first time. :)

But hey! I made this today, and it definitely fits under the umbrella of Challenge # 5, Eggs! I love eggs, they're so delicious, versatile and relatively high in protein. This recipe is basically cobbled together with several health-conscious (high protein, low-carb) recipes on the web and whatever I had on hand. Best of all worlds, really.

Okay, let's get started.



Equipment:
- Frying pan
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Pie plate
- Oven

Ingredients:
- 1 frozen turkey burger, extra lean (or about 6 oz of frozen/fresh of the protein of your choice)
- 1/2 a packet of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1/2 an onion (I used a Vidalia onion, but you can use whatever you have, or 2 scallions if you're fancy.)
- 2 tablespoons of non-fat cottage cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 large eggs
- Cilantro (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon of the fat of your choice (I used extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more for the pie dish.)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 325*F.

2. I like using frozen burgers in place of packets of ground meat because they're already pre-portioned and they're a cinch to take out and toss on the stove/grill. But of course, that means they also cost more per pound... But struggling with frozen meat is a hassle, so for me it's worth the price. So! Chop up one half of an onion -- I live in Atlanta, and so in the summer Vidalia onions are everywhere, and cheap, so that's what I use. They're very sweet and don't have much of a bite to them, which is fine for a mild dish like this. You can also use scallions (fancy!) or regular yellow onions.

Saute onions on medium heat for about two to three minutes (the point is to soften them up, rather than cook them) before adding the turkey.

2. Cook turkey until it is no longer pink, adding the salt and pepper, as well as whatever other seasonings you like to the proceedings. I added my shelf-clearing herb and spice mix -- garlic powder, pepper, groun cumin, dried oregano and basil and other stuff that I've forgotten -- that I keep in an old bottle of Mrs. Dash. When the turkey is browning nicely, add frozen spinach. Stir and then take off the heat, letting cool for a few minutes. (You don't want to scramble your eggs with too-hot meat and veg mixture, after all.)

3. Once sufficiently cool, check the salt & flavor of the mix. The cottage cheese will add more saltiness, but the eggs will dilute the flavor. It's always better to undersalt than over salt -- you can always put more in, but never take it out. Add the cottage cheese and stir. Add eggs, two at a time, to your mix.

Stir enough to combine. Add some chopped cilantro to the mix -- I'm really glad I did this, because it gave a freshness to the dish. If you don't like cilantro, Italian parsley or spring onions will also work.

4. Pour your egg mixture on to a greased pie plate and bake in the oven for forty minutes. Suggested serving size is 1/8 of a quiche.





Baked to eggy perfection. I was excited to finally use the blue Pyrex pie plates I'd bought at Goodwill for something vaguely pie-related. They worked well!



I'm always frustrated at so-called healthy recipes that don't end up showing you the *actual* serving size for the dish you've prepared -- gives the reader a bit of an unrealistic expectation on how much bang they can expect to get for their buck. So here it is. I'm gilding the protein lily by garnishing it with a dollop of cottage cheese (I don't like most cheeses, but it's nice to garnish a dish with what's in the dish) -- but a shave or two of Parmesan wouldn't be too bad either.

Comments

[moetushie]

Thank you! :)