Crustless Quiche with Quinoa, Kale, and Peppers

My mom sent me an email last week which included a recipe for this dish with quinoa and kale. When I looked over the recipe, I thought that the crust was made with quinoa,  but then I realized that it was stirred into the mixture and there was no crust. I made it for dinner one night, and I thought it was pretty good. I used mushrooms, spinach, and sharp white cheese (actually it was "Seriously Sharp" cheese). Greg, however, was not crazy about the meal. He said it needed something crunchy, like peppers. He also said it needed meat. I agreed with him on the peppers part, but I did NOT agree with him on the meat. I decided to remake the recipe a couple days later, using baby kale leaves, tri-colored baby bell peppers, and pepper jack cheese. I also upped the seasoning and spice in the recipe. It was pretty delicious, and it won Greg over too (without the meat)! This meal is great for dinner, but it also can be served for breakfast. It's versatile - you can use different vegetables and cheeses in the recipe to make it to your liking. The crustless quiche with quinoa, kale, and peppers is also nutritious, as eggs have lots of protein (eggs are healthy now, eat them before they become unhealthy again) and quinoa and kale are both super foods. The flavor of this crustless quiche is delicious, with just the right amount of spiciness. Greg wanted me to add that if you need to fulfill your cravings for meat, that a spicy sausage  would work well in the recipe. Enjoy!

Recipe for Crustless Quiche with Quinoa, Kale, and Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup of red quinoa, rinsed

1 cup of water (for cooking the quinoa)

Crustless Quiche with quinoa, kale, and peppers

2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup of baby kale leaves

1 cup of chopped baby bell peppers (yellow, red, orange)

1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp. of dried onion flakes

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. of kosher salt

1 cup of grated jalapeno jack cheese

3 ounces of cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 eggs, beaten

Extra salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

Butter a 9-inch pie pan. 

Cook quinoa. Place the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all of the water is cooked off. Set aside to cool.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat the 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large pan set over medium heat. Add the kale leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until leaves are bright green (about 2 - 3 minutes). Remove kale leaves and set on a plate. Set aside. Return the pan to the heat and stir in the peppers. Add more oil, if needed. Cook the peppers for about 4 minutes, or until they have slightly softened. Remove peppers and put them on the plate with the kale.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Add the dried onion flakes, pressed garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, pepper jack cheese, and cream cheese to a large bowl. Drain the cooked kale and peppers of any excess moisture, and then add them into the bowl. Add in the slightly cooled quinoa, and then mix all of the ingredients together. Stir until they are well incorporated. Pour the eggs on top, then stir until the eggs are combined into the mixture. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread about so it is evenly distributed. Put the pan in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely. Sprinkle each piece with extra salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe makes 8 servings. Each serving has approximately 250 calories. 

Recipe Adapted from: Food52, by Hilarybee of Thistle Confections