It’s a fact!  I know it for sure.  Real men do eat quiche.

How did quiche ever get the reputation for not being “manly”?  This quiche is he-man stuff.  Packed with broccoli, sautéed onions, two kinds of cheese, six eggs, and heavy cream all wrapped into a flaky, tender crust.  Yikes!  It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Fact #2:  You can eat this at any meal.   Call it a weekend breakfast or brunch,  call it lunch, or add a leafy green salad and call it dinner.

Like a favorite guest who is always welcome at your table, this is a dish you will want to make often.  If you must, you can sub out the broccoli and insert asparagus,  or change up the cheeses used,  but please don’t use skim milk instead of heavy cream.  It just won’t be the same;  no way, no how.

A properly prepared quiche has two requirements:  a well-cooked crust, and a properly cooked filling–not rubbery and overcooked, and not watery.  This quiche recipe will deliver perfect results every time.

A key factor that contributes to the deliciousness of this quiche is pre-baking the crust before filling it.  This is called “blind baking ” the crust.  With the crust almost totally cooked before filling it, it doesn’t become soggy when you add the egg custard.   Even leftover pieces will have a crispy, flaky crust.

The key to the filling?  Keep an eye on it and remove from the oven as soon as the center is set.

As we swing into the new year, with thoughts of trying to loose a little weight, this quiche will be seeing some heavy rotation in my meal planning because in spite of its richness, it is quite low in carbs, (only the crust).  When following a low-carb diet, weight loss occurs by using stored fat as your energy source instead of carbohydrates as a ready source of energy.   In that scenario, the amount of fats you eat has no significance.  I know, it sounds counter-intuitive, but it works.

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR QUICHE

Yield:   Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• all-purpose flour for rolling
• 1 homemade or store-bought single-crust pie dough
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 pound broccoli florets, steamed until crisp-tender
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out dough to a 12-inch round.  Place in a 9-inch pie plate, fold overhang under, and crimp the edge.  Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake until edge is dry and light golden, about 20 minutes.  Remove parchment and weights.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, precook the broccoli florets until crisp-tender.

 

3.  In another skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

 

4.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream.  Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

 

5.  Place broccoli florets in bottom of pie dish (crust)…..

spoon on the onions, then the cheese.

Pour the egg/cream mixture over all.

Bake until center of quiche is just set, 40 to 45 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

To store:  refrigerate cooled quiche, tightly covered, up to 3 days.  To reheat, cover with foil and place in a 325 *F. oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

SOURCE:   Everyday Food,  Dec. 2011