Low-Fat Crustless Spinach and Cheese Quiche

I’m a big fan of quiche. The truth is, I rarely have it… but when I do, I’m always very in the mood, and it’s therefore always very satisfying. I think a lot of people consider it a comfort food, and really, I can’t blame them. With a decent crust, and the egg baked in such a way that the top has just a slight crunch to it, it pretty much has the best kind of texture (for food) in existence. The flavor is also very homey. The mixture of egg, cheese, and at least some other type of staple just screams “comfortable family dinner”- (and bear in mind my family rarely eats dinner at the same time… yet quiche can still conjure up “memories” of a picture-perfect lifestyle).
The problem with quiche is that it’s pretty fattening. The best things in life always are. As I said before, I rarely eat quiche, as much as I love it, and I’d never made it before. I always kind of assumed a food with so much power would take near-mystical abilities to conjure up. I was wrong (at least in this case). This quiche is much healthier than normal quiche, without sacrificing too many of “real” quiche’s virtues. The crust is gone, but really, that bread was just a filler. I promise you’ll hardly notice it’s gone. The eggs are now just egg whites, getting rid of the fat, but adding much more protein. The egg-y flavor is still there, and prominently, too. Quiche recipes are very flexible, especially this one, and you can fiddle with the egg to filler ratios quite a bit. The following ingredient amounts will give you a very high filler (spinach) to low egg (and cheese) ratio. I like it this way… it’s much healthier, and the egg flavor is already very strong. Try it once this way, and if you’d prefer less spinach, more egg, cheese, or anything else you’d like to it, go right ahead and try it.
I like to mix in the salt and pepper near the very end, once it’s in the casserole dish, before popping it in the oven. It gives me a better idea of exactly how much I’m putting in. I then mix it into the upper layers with a spoon or fork. Worcestershire sauce is optional. Keep in mind that if you add it, it’s no longer vegetarian.
The following recipe yields 8 large slices of quiche.

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1 large onion, finely chopped


• 3-4 cups frozen spinach pellets (can use fresh spinach)


• 2 cups assorted cheeses, grated (I use 4 cheeses. Feta and parmesan are strongly recommended, and any others you may have laying around that you think may work. Low-fat ones are better.)


• Salt and pepper (to taste)


• Oil for cooking


• Optional: 1-2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Directions

1. Mix egg whites and cheese in a large bowl. Set aside.


2. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).


3. On medium/high heat, heat up a large skillet. Add a dash of oil, and when this is hot, begin sautéing the minced garlic and chopped onions.


4. When the onions are have almost finished browning (degree of browning is to taste), add the frozen spinach. (If using fresh spinach, add a little bit earlier). Continue heating until all frozen spinach has melted and is hot, or until fresh spinach has wilted. If using frozen spinach, make sure most of the liquid has evaporated, or it’ll pool at the bottom of your casserole dish when the quiche is done (no great fiasco, just doesn’t look as nice). When done, take off heat and let cool for about 30 seconds.


5. Add spinach mixture to the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into a lightly greased glass casserole or similar oven baking dish. Add salt and pepper, mix into the top of the quiche with a fork or spoon.


6. Place dish on middle rack in oven, bake for 40 minutes. When it’s done, it will jiggle slightly in the middle when shaken. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
   When divided into 8 slices, the serving size is very big (in my opinion), but spinach is very filling for me. The nutrition facts are calculated when there are 8 slices, and as if the only cheeses used were parmesan and feta (they’re on the more fattening side, so the calorie/fat count will probably be lower if you use 4 cheeses.)

Enjoy!


Nutrition Facts
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 159.5
Total Fat 8.0 g
Saturated Fat 5.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Cholesterol 26.6 mg
Sodium 546.4 mg
Potassium 339.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 8.8 g
Dietary Fiber 3.2 g
Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 14.9 g