The Universal Quiche

This was also from the Frugal book...and I love it just as much!
The complete Tightwad gazette : promoting thrift as a viable alternative lifestyle
by: Amy Dacyczyn.

The Universal Quiche

Crust – use a standard pastry crust. Some recipes suggest prebaking this before filling to prevent sogginess. I don’t. instead, I prepare the crust, then prepare the various components of quiche, and then assemble the quiche all at once just before putting it on a lower shelf in my preheated oven. You can also make a rice crust using 2 cups of cooked rice, 1 ½ oz of grated cheese, and one egg. Combine the ingredients, pat into a pam-sprayed pie tin, and prebake at 425 for 15 minutes or until just firm.

Eggs – Use 3 or 4

Cheese – Most recipes call for 1 to 2 cups (4-8 oz) of a grated hard cheese. I use about 1 cup. You can use swiss, cheddar, Monterey jack. Or use from 2 Tbsp to ½ cup of parmesan or romano. Or use a combination of these. Some softer cheeses, such as mozzarella will not set up well.

Milk or Cream – use 1 to 2 cups of milk, half and half, cream, evaporated milk, or powdered milk made with half the usual water. You may also use part sour cream, cottage cheese, or yogurt.

Filling – Use 1 to 2 cups of a combination of meats and/or vegetables. Meat possibilities include crisply fried and crumbled bacon, or pieces of crab, lobster, shrimp, tuna, chicken, or ham. Use virtually any cooked or steamed vegetables, but squeeze out excess liquid. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Once I made a sauerkraut quiche that was very tasty.

Seasoning- for a basic quiche, use up to 1 tsp of salt, bearing in mind the saltiness of other ingredients, ¼ tsp pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. If you’re a bit more adventurous, experiment with other seasonings such as chives, Tabasco, tarragon, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, sherry, parsley, paprika, dill, garlic, onion powder, lemon juice, basil, and/or oregano.

To make the quiche – Prepare the crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Grate cheese and prepare the filling ingredients (sauté, cook, chop, crumble, etc). beat eggs, milk, and seasonings together until just combined. Spread filling ingredients in crust, top this with grated cheese, and cover with egg/milk mixture. (If you’ve made too little egg/milk mixture, mix up slightly more. If you’ve made too much, toss the surplus in tomorrow morning’s universal muffin recipe). Bake for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 425 degrees. Then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until it’s done. The quiche is done when it’s golden brown and slightly puffed, and when a knife inserted comes out clean.

Fat Reduction Strategies:

1. for filling, use vegetables and little or no meat
2. reduce the total amount of eggs and cheese and increase the amount of filling. For instance, one weight watchers recipe uses just 2 eggs, 1 ½ oz of cheese, 1 cup of cooked spinach, and ¾ cup of onion.
3. choose the nonfat milk options
4. eat just one-eighth slice of quiche and serve it with low-fat foods such as soup, raw vegetables, and/or unbuttered bread.
5. choose the rice crust. Or use a pastry recipe that uses oil instead of shortening. Use bulk purchased olive oil so that you at least use the right kind of fat.