Quiche sticklers will ask “What is a quiche without a lovely, flaky crust?” True, the joy of the crust is absent here. So call it “Cheesy Pie.” It saves you approximately 100 calories per piece, and the hassle of making the pastry. And it’s still delicious.
Quiche with kale and vegan “chicken” chunks.
I have been pondering: what are the dishes I make so often that I can do them by instinct, without a recipe, when I’m tired after a day’s work? In no particular order, they are:
- Quiche or Cheesy Pie. (Find the recipe here and simply leave off the bread crumbs, as I often do. You can also increase the number of eggs). I only make egg dishes when I have a supply from the local Happy Chickens. No supermarket eggs, ever.
- Vegetable soup (usually asparagus, cauliflower, or kale). One of my favorite meals is soup with bread and cheese and a glass of wine.
- Vegetarian chili. I have been making this for 25 years. It’s for desperate nights when you have nothing fresh in the fridge and have to use canned goods.
- Sautéed greens with savory proteins. This is the one I turn to most often, because I have a huge craving for greens. It evolved from the pastas I used to make, but now I either leave out the pasta, or toss in just a handful. The proteins can be beans, meat analogs, or cheese.
- Mediterranean mostaccioli. This is pasta with a sauce of good canned tomatoes (or oven-roasted garden tomatoes, if I have them), garlic, olives, herbes de Provence, and red pepper flakes.
- “Mexican” beans and rice. This is rice cooked with tomato/pepper salsa so it’s tangy, plus refried beans, plus chopped sweet bell peppers, cilantro, scallions, and whatever other fixings I have around (avocado!!).
- Frittata. It’s faster than the quiche. The ingredients are similar, but I cook the eggs on the stovetop in a non-stick pan and garnish with cheese at the end. I don’t fuss with turning a frittata in one piece–I simply cut it in wedges and flop them over.
I can have any of these ready in 30-45 minutes. Numbers 2-6 are potentially vegan, but I usually have them with cheese, turophile that I am.
What are the everyday dishes you could make in your sleep?
Linnet Moss 
isn’t a quiche without pastry more a souffle? i like both 🙂 Quiche is one of the few ready made things i buy, always in freezer to pop out and have with veg when i am feeling lazy/tired 🙂 Your favourites are very much my favourites too! Exept the chilli which i don’t make nearly as often as it takes me much longer to cook, it’s why i don’t tend to make bolognese sauce. But that’s because of the meat.
But i’ve used Quorn and lentils as very nice replacers, though lentils need quite a bit of cooking too.
The laziest i like and make very often is just blanched or steamed veg with some salad dressing poured onto them when hot, or with a side of couscous or a bit of grated cheese or toasted bread with some spread/cheese and such. I don’t eat nearly enough eggs, not sure why not as i do like them.. Do your supermarkets not have organic and free range eggs? Round here they do and most everyone only buys at least free range 🙂
I tend to finish the fritatta in the oven , ie under the grill, saves me having to faff about and split it in pieces when trying to turn it as i am terribly clumsy and most of it will end up out of the pan 😉
Our supermarkets mostly have eggs from “battery hens” which endure unbelievable cruelty, and I refuse to use them. What they do here is probably illegal in Europe. One can buy so -called “cage free” eggs here, but they usually come from hens kept in very crowded conditions, indoors. I only use eggs from a little farm near here, where I can see the chickens walking about. And if they aren’t laying, as sometimes happens in winter, I just go without.
As to the quiche/soufflé distinction, my “quiches” are more veg and cheese than egg, the egg just holds them together. And I don’t separate the egg whites and beat them in order to achieve a light texture as in a soufflé. I make more of a custard, but made with yogurt.
Your hot veg and salad dressing sounds good. Add that toast with cheese and a glass of wine, and you’re all set 🙂
oh, that is sad about the eggs and hens 😦 There have been thankfully quite a few campaigns here a few years back to draw attention to it and while we still have cage hen eggs bec of price most everyone tries to use either organic or free range, ie where they have been allowed to roam freely. Most of products sold which contain eggs also have only free range eggs i them.
Sounds easy when you say it, i somehow always have been afraid of mixtures with egg thinking they will either take ages to cook or ill split but i will try home-made quiche next 🙂 Need to try yogurt in it as that is always about the house at my place. Have eggs and plenty of veg at home. I always say anything tastes great with a bit of good extra virgin olive oil, balsamico or lemon and a tiny bit of dry spices or whole-grain mustard 🙂
The yogurt works well as long as it is the thick Greek type. Just stir in a big heaping spoonful and beat it until it’s smooth. It sets up better than a traditional custard with milk.
On a recent trip to Victoria BC in Canada, I had the most gorgeous free-range eggs in a hotel restaurant, just a modest place. The eggs had brilliant orange yolks so I could tell they were eating well with plenty of outdoor bugs. Here, a hotel would serve regular caged hen eggs. It’s very hard to find good eggs except in fancy restaurants.
what a shame for the eggs and yogurt is brilliant tip!! will def try that soon 😉
What a good idea !
Thanks, Sylvie 🙂
I could pop in and share your food any day my fine, fellow turophile.
And I could pop in and share yours 🙂
Hm. Now I’m curious about the difference between a crustless quiche and a frittata. Maybe the way it’s cooked?
As for what I could make without a recipe. Hm. Anything involving the grill. Well, anything involving my grill, which I’m pretty well acquainted with now. I love not having to wash pots and pans. The grill is my best friend year round.
Appetizers are fairly easy if you have puff pastry. I can play iron chef with puff pastry.
Pain Rustique, but that’s not quite fair since I have that recipe memorized. (Jeffrey Hammelman’s recipe is awesome.)
I would say that a crustless quiche is baked and a frittata is fried on the stovetop and then finished in the oven to get the top brown. Probably that’s the only real distinction.
I would like to use my grill pan more, but I don’t have a hood over my stove, so it tends to set off the fire alarm! And my back porch is a floor down, so it’s not convenient to grill outside. But there is nothing like the taste of grilled veggies, especially asparagus.
I am fond of puff pastry too. It’s magic!
Which do you think is easier to make, a crustless quiche or a frittata? I’m getting hungry. 🙂
The frittata is easier because you just put everything in the frying pan on the stovetop. And it’s quicker, especially if you don’t bother browning the top but just turn it over in the pan.
Thanks! I’ll have to give it a shot. Maybe when my guests arrive for Christmas.