Naked Quiche, Green Goodness
Serves 6
Save time and money by leaving the crust off your quiche, and spend your effort and dollars on yummy fillings. A thin coating of breadcrumbs helps the quiche release easily from the pie plate, and browns to an attractive golden color.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, kale, or collard greens, thawed and drained or 1 pound fresh greens such as spinach, kale, chard, escarole, arugula, chicory, or collard greens
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup finely sliced green onions
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter a 9-inch glass pie plate and coat with the dry breadcrumbs. First, prepare the greens. If using frozen, thaw the greens completely. Place in
a fine strainer and press with a wooden spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. If using fresh, soak the greens in cool water.
- Drain, and trim all tough
stems and less-than-fresh leaves. Chop coarsely. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the greens for 1 minute. Drain in a fine strainer and press with a wooden spoon to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for
3-4 minutes. Stir in greens and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes until any remaining liquid has evaporated.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs and milk. Add cheese, greens, salt, and pepper, and stir to blend. Transfer to prepared pie plate. Bake until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 12 rolls
A mere ½ pound of shrimp is stretched into 12 tasty rolls. The pretty, pink shrimp is visible through the thin rice-paper wrappers, giving you the sensation that you're eating lots of luxurious shrimp, but the roll is really filled out with inexpensive noodles and veggies.
Ingredients:
- ½ pound uncooked, unpeeled shrimp
- 1 6-ounce package rice noodles, broken into 6-inch lengths
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 12 8-inch-diameter round rice-paper wrappers
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 large carrot, julienned or shredded
- 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
- ¼ cup thinly sliced basil (see tip below) or chopped cilantro
- ½ cup Asian fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and boil until bright pink, approximately 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp to a cutting
board.
- Allow to cool, then peel and cut into ¼-inch slices. Add the rice noodles to the boiling water and cook until soft, approximately 3
minutes.
- Place a large bowl in the sink with a sieve set over it. Drain the noodles in the sieve, reserving the hot water in the bowl. Rinse the noodles with cold water and place in a large bowl. Toss the noodles with the sesame oil. To assemble the rolls, soak a rice-paper wrapper in the reserved hot water until
soft, approximately 30 seconds. Lay the softened wrapper on a cutting board.
-
Put slices of shrimp in a single row lengthwise down the center of the wrapper, leaving about 1½ inches at the top and bottom. Layer the noodles, bean sprouts, carrot, and lettuce on top of the shrimp. Sprinkle with the basil or cilantro. Fold the top and bottom of the wrapper over the filling. Then, starting at one side, roll tightly.
- To make the dipping sauce, mix all ingredients in a bowl or lidded jar. Sauce can be made up to three days ahead and stored airtight in the fridge.
These rolls also make a fun, interactive appetizer. Omit the shredded romaine lettuce and rice-paper wrappers. On a platter, make piles each ingredient alongside whole leaves of butter lettuce and a small bowl of the dipping sauce. Let guests fill a leaf of lettuce with the noodles, shrimp and veggies, then drizzle with the sauce, roll up like a burrito, and eat-delish!
About Lara Starr, co-author, "The Frugal Foodie Cookbook"
Cookbook author, cake decorating teacher, radio producer, marketeer, card-carrying cheapskate, wife and mom. Her first cookbook The Party Girl Cookbook was written 1998. Back then I was newly married and kidless, the streets were paved with dot-com gold, and a young Ben Stiller taught us how to laugh. She's had plenty of time and money for parties that included elaborate themes, silly costumes and the inevitable next-day hangovers. Now, in 2009, like most of us she is striving to make ends meet, faced un- and under-employment, and am looking to save a buck wherever she can. She's also added a kid to the equation and is always on the lookout for healthy, nutritious meals that the Young Master Picky, Mr. Meat & Potatoes and Ms. Frugal Foodie will all enjoy and won't break the bank. It's been so fun and satisfying to discover and develop new recipes, find lots of little ways to cut spending without sacrificing a yummy lifestyle, and share it all in The Frugal Foodie Cookbook!
>> Buy The Frugal Foodie Cookbook: Waste-Not Recipes for the Wise Cook on Amazon.
