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Crustless Quinoa Quiche

makes one round, about 10-inches diameter; about 6 servings

Ingredients
  • ½ yellow onion, sliced or diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced and mashed with 1 teaspoon salt
  • a few grinds fresh black pepper
  • 5 ounces spinach (or chard, kale, or braising greens)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1½ cups cooked quinoa, see instructions
  • 2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, grated
Serve with greens dressed with either vinaigrette or ranch
Mexican variation: substitute black beans and one 4-ounce can diced green chiles for the spinach; optionally swap the cheese for Cheddar or a Monterey Jack. Serve with lettuce, avocado, sour cream, and a spritz of lime or lemon. 
Mushroom variation: substitute sautéed mushrooms (8-16 ounces before cooking) and some fresh thyme for the spinach; add some Gruyère cheese to gild the lily
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, a few grinds of fresh black pepper, and cook a couple minutes longer. Add the greens and cover for a minute to wilt. Remove from heat and let cool while you proceed.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with the milk to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and cheese. Stir in the cooked greens, onions, and garlic. Grease interior of a glass pie plate (in the ballpark of 10-inches) with butter or olive oil. Pour in quiche mixture and smooth into an even layer.

  3. Put in oven, reduce temperature to 325° F and bake for 50 minutes. Raise temperature back to 350 and bake 5 more minutes to brown the top. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Recipe Notes / Tips
  • Cook quinoa on the stovetop with a ratio of 1:2 to water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, simmer about 15 minutes until liquid is mostly absorbed then cover and steam for 5 additional minutes. Quinoa expands about 3x, so 1 cup uncooked will yield 3 cups cooked. (Don’t worry about yielding the exact 1½ cups quinoa. Cook a pot full and you can use extra for another meal.)
  • When I don't feel like watching a pot, I cook quinoa in my rice cooker, same ratio of water as I use with rice.
  • Be sure to rinse quinoa with water a few times before you start cooking. The seed produces a soapy flavored residue as a deterrent to pests. It is harmless to us, but doesn’t taste very good. So, put the quinoa in a bowl of water, swish, then pour off the water two or three times. The bag I purchased from Costco recently says it is pre-rinsed and does not require this step.
  • Not a dairy person? Substitute unsweetened coconut milk or other non-dairy milk. Sure, you can try swapping out the Pecorino Romano too, but consider giving it a go (it is salty and so delicious!)