Have you ever found yourself tired of the same old breakfast and lunch fare? Even eggs, whether sunny side up, poached, fried or scrambled, can get old. There is, however, another way to romance an egg that can turn it in to something truly exciting and delicious. Why not bake yourself an elegant egg ... pie?
It may sound difficult, and only tentatively edible, but I am speaking of the lovely quiche, an ingenious invention of the culinary arts.
You may have seen quiches in classy brunch joints, but they can also be made by those of us with less refined kitchen facilities. And if you start off with a pre-made supermarket refrigerated pie shell, the baking of a quiche takes only about half an hour of actual work. The result? Let's just say it's well worth the effort.
The amazing culinary properties of eggs are no secret: eggs have been a staple of many peoples' diets for centuries. When whipped vigorously, egg whites seize up and form frosting-like meringues.
Egg also makes a great emulsifier. Water and oil, in normal circumstances, want nothing to do with one another, but egg yolks suspend both water and oil droplets uniformly, thus mixing them up. This is essential to many recipes, such as Hollandaise sauce. When cooked with milk, eggs puff up to form a fluffy solid - perfect for quiches.
Here is a vegetarian quiche recipe that can also be modified to suit various tastes. I made it last week for brunch and it was quickly devoured. If you are an omnivore, you might experiment with adding shredded bacon. You can also try various types of cheese (we like a combination of sharp cheddar and Swiss).
Whatever you choose to do while you're preparing your quiche, there's only one thing to do once it's ready: lick your lips, take a bite and enjoy!
Easy Broccoli Quiche
Ingredients:
*2 tablespoons butter*1 onion, minced*1 teaspoon minced garlic*2 cups chopped fresh broccoli*1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (from supermarket freezer aisle)*1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese*4 eggs, well beaten*1 1/2 cups milk*1 teaspoon salt*1/2 teaspoon black pepper*1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).2) Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add onions, garlic and broccoli.3) Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. 4) Spoon the vegetables into pie crust, sprinkle cheese on top.5) Combine the eggs and the milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter.6) Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.7) Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.8) Eat! Makes about 5 servings.
