Mini Quiches

This post may come as a surprise given my recent announcement that (in part) due to my Whole Foods Plant-strong challenge as well as watching the documentary Forks Over Knives, I have decided to maintain a primarily vegan diet. I want to make clear that I have taken on a moderation or “flexitarian” approach to my diet. I concentrate on incorporating mostly plant-based foods but I will eat what I want in small doses. I find that deprivation never works and that over time, you start to lose the taste for things like meat, candy, dairy, etc. I will always have a little bit of cheese in my life, that is just a fact.

Moving on. This is a great recipe because you can adapt it in so many ways. Not to mention, as all of my recipes are, it is easy to make. If you eat meat, add some bits of ham, bacon or sausage. You can mix and match different veggies and cheese. You can also choose to make this crustless by simply leaving out the phyllo dough.

Mini Veggie Quiches – yields 6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup of sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 cup of red pepper
• 1/3 cup of chopped spinach
• 1/4 cup of almond milk (you can also use skim, whole, 2%, etc.)
• 1 Tablespoon of whole wheat flour (or other type of flour)
• Phyllo dough
• 1/4 cup of diced grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese (or cheese of your liking, Parmesan works well too)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika from The Spice House – aaaaamazing!)
• S&P to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside. Set one roll of phyllo dough out on the counter.

2. Crack eggs into large mixing bowl and wisk.

3. Add veggies, flour, cheese and spices to egg mixture and stir until combined.

4. When dough is soft cut or pull apart into squares and press a few sheets into each muffin mold. Pour mixture into muffin tins. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a childhood favorite of mine and a staple at our annual 4th of July party. They are a fun, easy to make, and make a great finger food appetizer to bring to a party or have handy as a mid-day snack!

Ingredients

• 12 large egg(s)
• 2-3 wedges of Laughing cow light swiss cheese (or 1/2 cup(s) cottage cheese, low-fat)
• 2 tablespoon relish or pickle juice
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 3 tablespoon light mayonnaise (or substitute 0% Greek yogurt)
• Paprika

Preparation

1. Place the eggs in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer (do not boil!) and cook about 10 minutes. Drain and set the pan under cold running water for about 2 minutes. Peel the eggs (its easier to do under the running water) and slice them in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, carefully remove the yolks, and put them in a medium bowl.

2. If you are using cottage cheese, put in a blender puree until smooth.

3. Mix the egg yolks with the cottage cheese mixture (or cheese wedges), mayonnaise (or yogurt), relish (or pickle juice), and mustard until thoroughly mixed

4. Spoon the mixture back into the hollowed-out egg whites. Arrange the eggs on a platter and sprinkle with paprika.

I served mine with other healthy appetizers – Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Salmon Cakes, and Chinese Dumplings.