RECIPE 8.9.17 Crustless QuiStrata – Your Health Detective

Okay, before you think this doctor’s cheese has slipped off her emotional cracker, the name for this recipe came from combining two of my favorite recipes – Quiche and Strata. Sometimes the old tried and true recipes and names just don’t work when we’re creating healthy nightshade-free options in our test kitchens, there you have it…it’s not misspelled, it’s intentional!

It’s summer, the last thing I choose to do is turn on the oven or stove and heat-up my kitchen and my home. One of the cooking appliances I would not want to be without is my large convection toaster oven!

This healthy, easy, tasty and satisfying one-dish meal is good anytime, don’t delegate it to simply breakfast – this is a life-saver since I’m not fond of baking because my passion is cooking, the baker in me is just now slowly developing.

I use whatever greens* I have on hand like chopped spinach, chard, broccoli, zucchini or yellow squash like crookneck.

Serve it with a side of fruit and, if you choose, something sweet like preferably gluten-free muffins or scones.

CRUSTLESS QuiStrata

INGREDIENTS:

6 large eggs (make sure to test according to my “egg freshness test” (the link is: Download EggFreshnessTest rev ’17 )

¾ cup half and half, whole milk or milk alternative like almond or coconut

2 cups shredded Gruyere, Goat or Sheep cheese

½ tsp. salt or to taste

1 TB. Braggs Aminos (or to taste)

1 TB. dried or fresh finely chopped basil

8 slices bacon (non-cured no nitrates added) cooked and crumbled – you can use turkey bacon or a nightshade-free chicken sausage sliced thin and fried in coconut oil

¼ cup sliced green onions

1 yellow Spanish onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

* Greens all finely chopped or cut into small pieces: Spinach, broccoli, chard, zucchini, yellow squash, etc.

** Topping Options – thin slices avocado, slices of black or green olives (be sure they don’t contain the nightshade pimento), dash of crème fraiche if you can have dairy and/or shredded cheese. Get creative, presentation has so much to do with cooking, top with a sprig of rosemary or your favorite herb.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine eggs and half & half (or milk alternative) in a medium bowl; whisk until well blended. Add the cheese, salt, chopped vegetables, basil; mix and set aside.

In a skillet, fry the bacon or sausage; remove from the pan on paper towels and allow to drain and cool. Crumble the bacon or slice sausage into thin pieces and set aside. In the same pan, drain excess grease, leaving 2 TB; sauté onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes.

Add the bacon/sausage and onion mixture to egg mixture; gently mix together. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with organic coconut oil cooking spray. Pour mixture into pie plate or baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.