Broccoli Quiche

Please welcome Michele Laikowski, actress, voiceover artist, mom to the cutest boy in the Tri-State, and forever friend of CHG. And today on Serious Eats: Shredded Beet, Apple, and Currant Salad with Apple Vinaigrette. I made, ate, and loved dried fruit in a salad. Is that a horseman, I see?

Hi CHG readers! The last time I was here, my son was 7 months old and I was discovering ways to make baby food. Actually, I discussed making pureed peas and lamented the lack of space in my Brooklyn apartment.

Well, now, we’re at the stage in his life where he eats big-people food, and he wants to eat it NOW. That leaves a working mom, who picks up her kid at 6 pm, trying to figure out how to distract him for as long as possible while cooking a nutritious and healthy meal. (Thirty minutes is the longest I’ve ever distracted him. It’s in shame I tell you that I use The Wiggles.) What’s a Working Girl to do?

If you said, Harrison Ford, you are only partially correct. OK, you aren’t correct at all! But you guys, remember in the movie when he explains how he got the cut on his chin*? How cute was he? Well, dreamy, actually. Kris, I’m sorry but Harrison Ford showed George Clooney how to be a great big sexy star! Now, I know what I’m doing this weekend. I am watching Working Girl. I’m cooking ahead.

During the week, while I slave for The Man, I think about what my kiddo will eat and what my husband and I will also enjoy. Many times, its pork chops, rice, and frozen spinach (I mean, I totally heat it). That takes almost exactly 20 minutes with prep and everything. So, that’s good—but it’s also labor intensive. Please don’t laugh, but when you’ve got an almost-2-year-old pulling on your leg not wanting to just watch The Wiggles but actually interact with you, you really want to comply. And you especially do not want your kid with you while you’re near a stove. (TODDLERS ARE CRAZY AND WANT TO TOUCH EVERYTHING.)

So, here’s a meal that is toddler- and daddy-approved: Broccoli Quiche. You can make it on Saturday, and it will hang out in your fridge for about four days. Or you can make two and freeze one for the future.

I’ve adapted Mark Bittman’s recipe from How to Cook Everything; and by adapted, I mean I added broccoli. I make it while the kiddo is napping or when the other working person in my house and life, the daddy, has taken him outside to chalk up the sidewalk. Then on Monday, Tuesday, and/or Wednesday I can pull it out of the fridge and reheat it in my oven for 20 minutes.

This is probably not your go-to for really healthy, but for a toddler, it’s pretty darn good. And for your *ahem*-year-old mom and dad, it’s something you want to eat occasionally. That being said, you can totally healthy this up by using low-fat cheese, 2% milk, and/or cutting out a few of the egg yolks.

My husband, a real man, fought against this quiche. Now, he asks for it.


* Interesting (to me) fact: they also explain that scar in Indiana Jones.

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If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy:
Mark Bittman’s Baked Eggs in a Dish
Crustless Spinach Quiche
Tofu Veggie Scramble

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Broccoli Quiche

Photo: Melissa Sanders via Flickr

Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Yields 8 servings

Ingredients
6 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup broccoli (frozen and defrosted or fresh)
1 1/2 cups milk, heated gently until just warm
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
frozen pie shell (or homemade, if you’re ambitious)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325º and set the rack in the middle. Set out the frozen pie crust that you bought because you’re me and can only really tackle pie crusts on holidays. If you make your own pie crust, I bow to you—just remember to leave out sugar.

2. Beat the eggs with a fork or whisk. Stir in the milk, and add the cheese, broccoli, salt, and cayenne. Stir until well blended.

3. Put the pie crust on a baking sheet and pour in the egg mixture. When you put it in, you MAY have a little left over. I’m sorry, I add broccoli and Mark doesn’t. Scramble up the remainder in a pan to hold the kiddo tight until the quiche is ready.

4. Bake for 30 to 40 min, or until almost firm (it should still jiggle just a little in the middle) and lightly browned on top; reduce the oven heat if the shell’s edges are darkening too quickly. Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before wrapping it in plastic wrap, or it will get wet on top. (It may anyway, but the cooler the better.) Put quiche in fridge.

5. When you’re ready to eat it, take it out of the fridge and reheat at 325 for 20 – 30 min. If you guys are making it in the next couple weeks and live in the Northeast, serve with a honey crisp apple. They are the bomb right now.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
251 calories, 17.3g fat, .6g fiber, 12.4g protein, $2.07

Calculations
6 eggs: 426 calories, 30g fat, 0g fiber, 36g protein, $1.25
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese cheese: 682.5 calories, 55.5g fat, 0g fiber, 42g protein, $1.39
3/4 cup broccoli: 30.75 calories, 0g fat, 3.75g fiber, 3g protein, $0.25
1 1/2 cups milk: 219 calories, 12g fat, 0g fiber, 12g protein, $0.43
1/2 tsp salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1/4 tsp cayenne: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
frozen pie shell: 649 calories, 41g fat, 1g fiber, 6g protein, $2.48
TOTALS: 2007 calories, 138.5g fat, 4.75g fiber, 99 protein, $12.46
PER SERVING (totals/8): 251 calories, 17.3g fat, .6g fiber, 12.4g protein, $2.07

In Praise of the Breakfast Burrito

Today on Serious Eats: West African Veggie Stew. Delicious, easy, and way out of the box. Definitely worth checking out.

It’s Monday morning. You know it’s gonna be a pretty rough week at work. There are at least three … no, four … no, 22 meetings scheduled, all during your lunch breaks. You want a breakfast that will brighten your mood and give you hope for future.

What will you do?

It’s Friday morning. You are scrambling to get the family out the door. The Frosted Flakes have run out, and your triplets are clawing at your blouse for something portable and filling to keep them alive through ninth grade math.

What will you DO?

It’s Saturday morning. You stayed out until 3am last night, for no apparent reason other than trying to bowl above a 60. (What? It seemed like a good idea at the time.) You want a hangover breakfast requiring minimal effort and maximum cheese.

NO SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE CRAP WILL YOU DO?

You’ll make breakfast burritos.

Yay! Breakfast burritos! Beloved by food bloggers and personal finance folks the world over, these compact pockets of healthy (no, really) scrumptiousness have two basic ingredients: tortillas and eggs. The rest (beans, salsa, lettuce, rice, bell peppers, onions, scallions, dill, tomatoes, mushrooms, blue cheese, cheddar, goat cheese, Monterey Jack, Colby, turkey sausage, ham, bacon, etc.) are up to you.

The last few weeks, Husband-Elect and I have been on a breakfast burrito kick of epic proportions. (Meaning: Odysseus would go wild for these.) While the add-ons vary a little, our version is basically: medium salsa, 2% sharp cheddar, pinto beans, eggs, egg whites, a tortilla, and a few field greens. It is more delightful than a walk in the park, but not quite as delightful as Betty White doing CSI: Sarasota. Still, it gets the job done. Deliciously so.

A few things to know, should you decide to try it yourself:

1) We use crazypants, humanely raised eggs now, which are a tad pricier than the ones at the grocery store. If you use supermarket eggs, your burritos will cost less (though the odds of double double yolks are probably much lower).

2) Burrito-sized tortillas can be astoundingly high in fat and calories, so you have to look around for leaner ones. We use Tropical brand burritos, which clock in at 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, and about $0.18 each. I think Pepito comes close. Do you guys know of any others?

3) These drip. It’s the salsa. It’s not bad, but make sure you have napkins handy.

If you’d like to learn more about the wonderful world of Disney breakfast burritos, The Simple Dollar has a few tricks for assembling them in bulk, then freezing them. Recipe Zaar has a well-reviewed … wait for it … recipe. And The Kitchn has a basic set of directions. With pretty pictures, of course.

Sweet readers, what are your favorite breakfast burrito combos? Is it possible to keep them non-messy? Have you ever made them en masse? How’d that go? Do tell.

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If you find this recipe quite dreamy, you might also lose yourself in:

• Baked Eggs in a Big Dish
• Egg McMuffins
• Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese

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Breakfast Burritos with Beans, Cheddar and Salsa
Serves 2.

2 burrito-sized tortillas
A few leaves o’ greens (optional)
1 ounce 2% cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs (any size)
2 egg whites (any size)
1-1/2 tablespoons skim milk
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup beans, drained and rinsed (pinto seen here)
2 tablespoons medium salsa

1) Place burritos on plates. Add greens if desired. Grate cheddar on top of greens.

2) In a medium bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, skim milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk thoroughly to combine.

3) Heat butter in a small nonstick pan over medium. When melted and a little bubbly, pour in egg mixture. Wait for it to set a few minutes, then begin to slowly scramble, using long, uninterrupted strokes. When eggs are thoroughly cooked (not wet), divide them between plated tortillas.

4) Using the egg pan, heat the beans through. (Or just pop ‘em in the microwave for a few seconds.) Divide between tortillas.

5) Top beans and eggs with salsa. Salt and pepper to taste. Wrap as you would any burrito and go to friggin’ town.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
288 calories, 14.8 g fat, 3.2 g fiber, 20 g protein, $0.92

Calculations
Note: calculations here are for large eggs and pinto beans
2 burrito-sized tortillas: 200 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein, $0.36
A few leaves o’ greens (optional): 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.05
1 ounce 2% cheddar cheese, grated: 90 calories, 9 g fat, 0 g fiber, 7 g protein, $0.25
2 eggs: 147 calories, 9.9 g fat, 0 g fiber, 12.6 g protein, $0.42
2 egg whites: 34 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0 g fiber, 7.2 g protein, $0.42
1-1/2 tablespoons skim milk: 8 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0.8 g protein, $0.02
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
1 teaspoon butter: 34 calories, 3.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.03
1/4 cup beans, drained and rinsed: 52 calories, 0.5 g fat, 2.8 g fiber, 2.9 g protein, $0.09
2 tablespoons medium salsa: 9 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, 0.5 g protein, $0.17
TOTALS: 576 calories, 29.5 g fat, 6.4 g fiber, 40 g protein, $1.83
PER SERVING (TOTALS/2): 288 calories, 14.8 g fat, 3.2 g fiber, 20 g protein, $0.92

Double Yolk Happiness

Yesterday, Husband-Elect and I made breakfast burritos. Our first two eggs were normal, everyday kinds of eggs. But the next two?

Two double yolks! In a ROW! Gah! What are the odds?!? (Please don't tell me if they're actually very high.)

Anyway, we played the lottery (and lost), but Betty White was incredible on SNL, and I like to think that pair of double yolks had something to do with it. Or not. Happy Mother's Day!