Crustless Mushroom and Greens Quiche

As I mentioned Friday, the knob to control the oven temperature here isn’t labeled with actual temperatures or even gas marks. So I wanted to try cooking something fairly forgiving to test out the oven. I thought a simple crustless quiche would be a great option – easy, tasty, and healthy. I didn’t have anything to bake it in, but then I realized that the oven-safe sautee pan that we’d brought along (yes, I didn’t just bring a whole lot of spices for my kitchen) was perfect for the task. I like my quiches to be absolutely packed with vegetables, so I put as many mushrooms and greens as I could in here, as well as some chopped walnuts on top for a nice crunch. I also had some leftover black garlic which I tossed in as well – but, of course, this quiche will still be quite tasty without it. It cooked up perfectly fine on medium-high heat in my oven (with some adjustment as it cooked as I tried to guess at what would be closest to the 425 degrees called for in the recipe), and it’s hearty and filling, great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Crustless Mushroom and Greens Quiche (adapted from Under the Influence of Food)
Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cloves black garlic, minced (optional)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch collard greens, roughly chopped*
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk**
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 ounces + 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

*Or feel free to substitute your favorite hearty greens, like swiss chard, kale, or spinach.
**Or use cream or half-and-half for a richer quiche.

Method:

1. In a large sautee pan (approx. 10 1/2″), heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat, then sautee 1 onion, thinly sliced until translucent and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
2. Add 6 cloves garlic, minced, 2 cloves black garlic, minced, if using, and 1 tsp crushed red pepper, and sautee until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add 1 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced and 1 large bunch collard greens, roughly chopped, and cook until all the liquid they release cooks off, and the greens are softened, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 eggs, 1 1/2 cups whole milk,and salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Once the mushrooms and greens have cooled, pour in the egg mixture, add 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated, and stir to combine.
8. If your sautee pan is oven-safe, you can bake this right in the pan, but if not, transfer to an approximately 10″ round pan (you may have a little batter left over, depending on the pan’s depth). Sprinkle the top with 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated and 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts.
9. Bake the quiche until set (with no wiggling in the middle when you shake the pan) with the top starting to brown, about 30 minutes.