Swiss Chard & Mushroom Quiche

This is my Meatless Monday one-night stand. My heart quickened when I saw a quiche recipe in the Meatless Monday’s Eater Digest. I decided that a quiche would be the perfect vehicle for the bunch of Swiss chard sitting in my crisper. I ran to Whole Foods during my lunch hour to pick up a couple of the necessary ingredients and I was ready for my next Meatless Monday revolution. I kept thinking to myself, why haven’t I tried making quiche before. It is so easy and the perfect meatless meal.

For those of you who have read earlier blogs, you may remember that Andy doesn’t like quiche. I think I just wrote about it a few weeks ago. I don’t know how I forgot. It was all the excitement over the chard. Zoë and I picked it together at the Noe Valley farmers’ market on Saturday. She wanted the bunch with all the colors; she thought the red was the prettiest. Besides, Zoë loved quiche between the ages of one and two. She would eat quiche every day if given the option and it didn’t matter what was in it. Who knew it would make its way to the three-year-old-top-hated list.

So there I was rushing home from work to chop, sauté, mix and pour. I couldn’t wait. I put it in the oven and it browned perfectly with just a little overflowing custard, creating that divine smell of browning crust and baking egg. My mouth was watering. The chard was ribboned throughout the custard and cheese giving it a hearty and substantial look. This was going to be one satisfying meal. It comes out of the oven and I stick it in the freezer to speed the cooling. I can barely stop myself from to cutting right into it. Well, I didn’t stop myself and had a flashback to the soufflé disaster and knew it had to be cooled. Ten minutes in the freezer and it was out and I was serving it up. I could hardly contain myself and I couldn’t wait to share the LOVE!!!!

Then it is here, the moment we were waiting for because it did take some time to prepare, cook and cool this quiche. It was 6:45 pm and we were all hungry, having pacified the gnawing in our tummies with bread and salad. I proudly, and with a flourish, placed a slice in front of Zoë and she whipped around so quickly that to say she turned her back to it, wouldn’t do it justice. We made her turn back around and face the table but she would only do it with her hands plastered to the front of her mouth. The look in her eyes said she would die before eating that quiche. It was only with the threat of losing her new princess dress that she even tried the crust. Then I served Andy and he literally gagged. In all of my years cooking for him, I have never seen him gag at anything I’ve cooked. He refused to touch it and couldn’t believe I would make quiche; which to him is the most hated food in the world behind egg salad. Oh yeah, the egg thing. He hates soft eggs. I can’t be expected remember everything. Well, I had three very delicious slices of quiche for dinner and thought I would share the recipe for those of you who don’t live with haters.

Swiss chard and Mushroom Quiche
This recipe was adapted from a Meatless Monday recipe submitted by Colleen of Foodie Tots.

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound cremini mushrooms
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, finely chopped with tough stems removed
4 large eggs
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup Gruyère Cheese, grated
Salt & pepper
1 9-inch whole wheat pie shell

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and the juices evaporate, about 7 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender and mushrooms are golden, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the Swiss chard. Cook vegetable mixture, stirring often, until chard is wilted; about 10 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs and milk in a mixing bowl. Fold in the ricotta and Gruyère cheese and stir until combined. Add the sautéed vegetables and stir until well combined. Place the empty pie shell on a cookie sheet and pour the mixture into to the shell. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until eggs are set in the middle. Let cool before serving. Makes 6 – 8 servings.