Crustless Quiche

I am really excited over these low carb crustless quiches because they have received the fussy teenager tick of approval, hold together very similar to traditional wheat flour based recipes, don’t get “wet” in the fridge, are super versatile to adjust to family tastebuds, are good to eat warm or cold, reheat well in the microwave and last refrigerated for up to 5 days.

They haven proven themselves to be the perfect “take with you” lunch to have at school or work. 1 mini loaf is the perfect size for a decent snack and 2 make a great lunch.

I have struggled to find a really good quiche or vegetable slice recipe that I could make whilst still sticking to my low carb diet… the family didn’t enjoy savoury slices made with nut meal and I was sick of really eggy tasting dishes. So after some experimentation, these nuggets of yumminess were born.

Ingredients

12 large eggs 1/2 cup cream 1 tsp onion flakes 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp favourite spice mix * Italian and Mexican both work well Salt & Pepper 3-4 tbs psyllium husks (not powder) * use 3 for a lighter quiche texture, 4 for a more dense slice texture 1-2 large handfuls of grated cheese

Optional (but I think they make the dish) :

* Veggies as many as desired sautéed until just cooked – onion, garlic, capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, baby spinach, corn, etc. Left over steamed or roast veggies from last nights dinner make great additions!

* Extra cheese to keep as chunks through the slices such cream cheese or feta.

* Meat sautéed until cooked through such as bacon, ham, prosciutto, chorizo, chicken, etc

* Fresh herbs to compliment your flavours

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees fan forced. If needed, prepare your mini loaf pans by lightly greasing. This recipe makes 12 mini loaf size crustless quiches.

Finely chop and cook any optional vegetables and meat. Add them to your mini loaf pan along with any optional chunks of cheese or fresh herbs and about half of the grated cheese.

Whisk the eggs, cream and seasoning together until well combined.

Add the psyllium husks and continue whisking until all the lumps are gone.

Immediately pour the egg mixture into your mini loaf moulds and gently stir each one to ensure that the egg mixture gets right to the bottom of each mould.

Top the quiches with the remaining grated cheese.

Cook in the oven for 30 minutes. They should look and feel cooked at this point.

If eating fresh and warm, allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before serving.

If eating cold, allow to cool to room temperature in the pan then remove to a cooling rack to allow any moisture to evaporate from the bottom of the quiches. Place in an airtight container in the fridge.

To reheat, simply microwave 1-2 quiches for 1 minute on high.

Delicious served with a nice chutney or relish and a side salad! Enjoy!

A note from Gracious Goodness :

With the addition of psyllium husks (don’t judge it till you’ve tried it) you get a great texture that distracts from the egg with no net carbohydrates and you actually feel as though you’ve eaten something!

Make sure you don't wait too long after adding the psyllium husks to the egg mix before you pour it, otherwise the mixture will start to thicken and become gloopy.

You will see that I have purposefully kept some ingredient quantities generalised, that way you can customise to your own taste. This recipe has proven to be very forgiving… which is perfect for me because I am terrible at following recipes exactly!

You can make these crustless quiches very plain and simple or pack them full of your favourite veggies, herbs and spices. Our favourite variations are pictured below: spinach and feta, zucchini and bacon & broccoli, bacon and corn. Use your imagination and whatever you can find in the fridge to create some wild and wonderful taste sensations!

I have used Kmart brand silicon mini loaf trays to make this recipe which cost me all of about $5. I love them and find them a great size for this and many other recipes.

With each mini loaf containing 1 egg, 1 tsp of psyllium, some cheese and as many vegetables as you choose they are packed full of good protein, healthy fats, fibre, dairy and veggies…. awesome! My kids eat them willingly not once suspecting that they are good for them!!

I hope you enjoy.

Sandra xo