Asparagus & Goat Cheese Quiche with Caramelized Onions

Confession #1: I have never made quiche.

Confession #2: I have never eaten quiche.

...until now!

It's not that I never wanted to try quiche. It's just that I always assumed it was one of those things that could never be healthy and still taste good. I never indulged in this savory treat before because of the copious amounts of eggs, butter and heavy cream. Eeek! That's a lot of fat. And besides the fact I'm one of those people that would rather save up their treat calories for a sweet dessert ;)

With a bit of experimentation and researching I was able to create this health-ed up recipe. I'm happy to say that a slice of this quiche will not go straight to your hips...and the smell of it in the oven while cooking is intoxicating!

Okay, okay. So how did I do it?

Well the first step was the crust. At first I was stumped. I'm usually good with making pastry but this isn't  pastry, it's more of a short crust, and anyway it needs to be healthy. Instead of all-purpose flour I used whole grain unrefined red fife flour, which works top notch in pie crusts. I used about 4 tbsp of unsalted butter (that's not very much fat when it comes down to a serving size) and my little secret, a pinch of nutmeg.

After making the pastry I put it in the fridge to set. Well I thought I mucked it up because it wouldn't roll out and it kept falling apart. While muttering a few expletives...ahem...I pieced the dough backed together in the dish and it turned out just fine! I realized this was to be expected with the type of crust it was, without all that fat to hold it together. Don't worry if this happens to you while rolling out the dough. If it splits just pinch the seams back together.

You should end up with it looking something like this:

Also note how I perforated the dough with a fork (or "docked" it). Can you see all the little holes? That's because we're going to be backing this crust before we add the filling. 

Now if you can believe it the filling only uses 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites, 1 cup of skim milk, and creamy goat cheese for its lower fat content.

Asparagus, onions, and spinach are sautéd and caramelized in a bit of olive oil for extra flavour.

Fill-er-up and bake!

Asparagus & Goat Cheese Quiche with Caramelized Onions

(serves 6)

Print the recipe here!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 cup of red fife flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 3 tbsp ice cold water

For the filling:

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup asparagus, ends removed + chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups of spinach, lightly packed
• 3 eggs
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• goat cheese

Directions:

1. Begin by combining the flour, salt and nutmeg in a food processor or mixing bowl. Mix the butter into the flour mixture until there are pea-sized pieces of butter. Gradually pour the water in, one tablespoon at a time with the mixer running. The dough should form into a dense ball. Place dough on lightly floured surface, and flour your rolling pin. Roll it out gently until it's about 1/4 inch thick and large enough for you pie pan. Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up while it's cooking. Bake in a 400*F oven for 10 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and season with a pinch of pepper. Stir and spread out to cook until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli, stir and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and cook over medium heat until the asparagus is fork tender. Toss in the spinach and stir until slightly wilted. Remove pan from heat.
3. Whisk together eggs, egg white, milk, chives and nutmeg. Spread the vegetable mixture in the bottom of the prepared crust. Sprinkle goat cheese to taste. Pour egg mixture over top.
4. Bake at 350*F, uncovered until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let quiche rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to settle; then serve.

Healthy, simple, and low in fat.

We enjoyed this for dinner with steamed broccoli on the side. It reheats really well for leftovers too!

Stress Buster Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie

Mint+Chocolate = quite possibly the best combination ever.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Healthy Eating doesn't have to be boring.

So when your under stress there should be no excuses to reach for the junk food right?

Stress and anxiety increase levels of cortisol (the number one chemical released during stressful times) in your body and overtime can contribute to weight gain. So when the going gets tough what do you do?

Here's a few tips that I find helpful:

• Always make sure you get a good breakfast. Skipping meals will cause your blood sugar to drop along with your metabolism and will only make you more irritable.
• Get some exercise and make sure its something you like to do. It's really amazing how even just a little exercise can help you blow off steam. Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise you can do. Personally I love to lift weights, golf, bike and I can't even tell you how excited I am to hit the hills this winter and get back to snowboarding.
• Keep a food journal so you can account for everything you've eaten. At the same time you can plan your meals ahead of time. This way you're less likely to go rummaging through the cupboards.
• Get some shut eye. Face it. You can't accomplish anything as a zombie. Listen to your body's signals and you'll do just fine. A 10 or 20 minute nap can improve muscle memory and clear the brain of useless built-up information.
• Eat your greens. Spinach in particular is high in magnesium which improves your body's response to stress and stops your blood pressure from rising.

This smoothie is made up of healthy foods that will actually tame your feelings of anxiety and can be whizzed up in no time. It contains raspberries which are highly potent with antioxidants that actually counteract the production of cortisol.

Magnesium rich spinach also helps to regulate cortisol levels and promote a feeling of well being by producing serotonin. You know, that feel good brain chemical that maintains your emotional balance. Just a cup has 40% of your RDA.

Pure 100% alkalized Cocoa powder; yes chocolate! And the darker the chocolate the better. That's because it contains flavonoids and phenethylamine, an organic compound found in plants that enhances your mood. The addition of mint in this smoothie will also promote healthy digestion and a calm tummy.

So take a step back from your day, take a deep breath, and the make this replenishing smoothie. Go ahead, it tastes like dessert! And my favourite part about it; you can enjoy it anytime of day.

Stress Buster Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie  (serves 1)

Print, Email or Text this Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 tbsp 100% pure cocoa powder
• 1 generous handful of spinach
• 3 large leaves of fresh mint
• 1/2 scoop of vanilla SUNWARRIOR protein powder or protein powder of your choice
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend away until well combined, thick and creamy.
2. Serve immediately and top with a sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut.

There's snow in the forcast next week!

Wishful thinking? ;)