Healthy Quiche Recipe:
Leek and Swiss Chard Quiche
Photo: Jennifer Maiser
This healthy quiche recipe does not use cheese, but is nevertheless remarkably creamy and flavorful. This wonderful French invention containing cream (or milk), eggs and other ingredients is easy to make. Quiche is not only nutritious, but gives you the feeling of having made something very lovely and impressive.
Swiss chard, also known as spinach beet, originated in the Mediterranean region and has a taste reminiscent of both beets and spinach. It is good both raw and cooked and, although the leaves need to be cooked slightly longer than those of the more tender spinach, overcooking removes its excellent vitamin content. Perfect for a healthy quiche recipe, Swiss chard contains high levels of beta-carotene (vitamin A), as well as considerable amounts of magnesium. It is also known to be beneficial to the human digestive system.
Leeks are a member of the onion family, and one of the most subtle-tasting of those plants, taking on an almost buttery flavor when cooked. Here they complement the more robust taste of the Swiss chard perfectly. Leeks contain large amounts of dietary fiber, as well as vitamin C, folic acid (B9), calcium and potassium. Similar to most onions and related plants, they are antiseptic and mildly laxative and diuretic, helping to eliminate toxins from the body. Leeks are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties, which make them a beneficial food for anyone with arthritis.
Thyme is a wonderful herb that manages to combine beauty, flavor and many medicinal benefits all in one low-growing plant. A member of the mint family, which includes other species that are commonly used as both culinary and medicinal herbs (e.g. rosemary, mint, sage and lavender), thyme grows wild in meadows and hillsides all over Europe and North America.
In addition to adding a lovely flavor to meals containing potatoes, leeks, tomatoes, and cabbages, thyme works to stimulate the production of gastric juices, aiding the digestive process, and also helps to fight off colds, makes coughs more productive, and has a reputation for killing internal parasites. There is also the possibility that eating thyme may help reduce hair loss as it improves the blood vessels just underneath the surface of the scalp.
So, if the delicious flavor of this healthy quiche recipe is not sufficient to get you moving (and it certainly should be!), then hopefully the discussion of its health benefits should have you already reaching for the pie dish and a box of eggs. Once you have done the preparation needed for this dish, it can be put safely in the oven for you to enjoy 45 minutes later, piping hot and fresh from the stove. It is also good served at room temperature with a salad.
Leek and Swiss Chard Quiche
| Yield | 6 |
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| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
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| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
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Ingredients
- 3 large leeks
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 1/2 cups chopped Swiss chard, ribs removed
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Unbaked pie shell
Instructions
- Prepare the leeks by cutting off the dark green tops, leaving only the pale green and white. Make one slice lengthwise, from the top to a couple of inches from the root, and hold the leek under cold running water, fanning the layers, allowing the dirt and grit to be removed. Then chop coarsely.
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and thyme, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chard and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Position rack in bottom third of oven, preheated to 425°F (220°C). Separate two of the eggs and discard the whites. Put the yolks in a large bowl and add the remaining eggs. Add the milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and whisk until blended. Mix in the cooled leek mixture and pour the filling into your prepared pie shell. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake until filling is puffed and just set in center, about 30-40 minutes longer. Transfer to rack and cool 10 minutes before serving.
