Healthier Veggie Quiche

There are few things I love more than quiche. Eggs and cheese perhaps, but alas! They make quiche! Quiche isn't exactly a light meal however, so the challenge of lightening a rather unhealthy meal was definitely one I feared would compromise the overall taste. Luckily it was a fear that was not realized.


My husband likes to scramble egg whites along with a whole egg in the morning, and from what I can taste, just one yolk is enough to satisfy my craving. About a month ago I also purchased egg substitute from Costco, and since I'm swimming in egg products, I decided that egg whites, egg yolk and egg substitute would make a fantastic lighter version of quiche.


I also tend to use quiche as a way of cleaning out my fridge, often relying on just vegetables to make an appearance in the pies (as opposed to the meat laden versions I often see in restaurants). With some goat cheese and reduced fat feta on their way to the great expiration date in the sky, these pies were not only healthier than the original but full of depth and sharp flavor.



Healthier Vegetarian Quiche

2 prepared pie crusts (someday I'll post a recipe for this...)
4 egg whites
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups egg substitute
1/4 cup fat free half and half
1 tsp. oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used fat free)
1/4 crumbled goat cheese
3 tbl. grated Romano cheese
1 1/2 cups assorted fresh vegetables
Ground flax seed, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly brush olive oil over the prepared pie crusts.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolk and whites together with egg substitute and fat free half and half. Add oregano, fresh ground black pepper, and cheeses. Gently fold in vegetables.
3. Pour half of the quiche mixture into the first pie shell and half into the second pie shell. I sprinkle ground flax on top for a little pseudo crust (it also keeps the eggs from browning for some reason--you could also beat the flax into the eggs in step 2).
4. Bake pies for 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.






Mixing and cleaning out the fridge at the same time...











See the flax??











Eat. Then curl up with a zoo of cuddly animals, if you can fit on the couch with them....