Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine January 2016

BY ROSS MAVIS
Quiche Without
a Crust?
JANUARY 2016 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 44
“Quiche without a crust? Come on, give me a break!” a friend said. He felt that after
my recent bout in hospital for surgery I must also be a little touched in the head. On
the contrary, my recovery and food adventures continue, and good food is even more
important to me.
This delicious quiche recipe truly has no crust. Not only will the gluten-free folks
love it, but so will anyone else who enjoys delicious vegetarian quiche. The secret is
in the use of fresh vegetables, eggs, herbs and Mozzarella cheese. And, in addition
to the elimination of crust, this recipe calls for zucchini!
Zucchini is one of those vegetables that North Americans grow in profusion and
then delight in trucking them to any neighbour willing to take them. This squash is
very low in calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. In the Caribbean,
however, christophene (chayote) is often more readily available than zucchini and
makes a suitable substitute for this delicious, easy recipe. Furthermore, christophene
contains small levels of aglycone flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants. These
compounds help scavenge from the body harmful oxygen-derived free radicals and
reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in cancer, aging and various disease
processes. That’s probably more than you wanted to know about a simple squash,
but there you have it.
I encourage you to try this very easily made crustless quiche. It really is good and
has become one of our favorites. Should you not be a fan of squash, either zucchini
or christophene, use sliced mushrooms as a substitute. Either way, this versatile
recipe is easy and could become your favorite lunch or finger-food snack.
Quiche Without a Crust
1/4 Cup vegetable or olive oil
4 Cups (1 litre) sliced christophene
1 Cup (250 ml) finely chopped onions
2 eggs, well beaten
2 Cups (500 ml) grated Mozzarella cheese
1/4 Cup (50 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried basil
1/2 (2 ml) teaspoon oregano
1/2 (2 ml) teaspoon salt
1/2 (2 ml) teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic powder
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
Peel, de-seed and slice christophene.
In a large fry pan over medium heat, sauté sliced christophene and onions until
soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl, blend beaten eggs and
cheese with all the spices, mixing well. Add the sautéed christophene and onions and
mix well. Turn mixture into an oiled or lightly buttered non-stick pizza pan or quiche
pan. Place in the preheated oven and bake 20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove
from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Delicious hot or serve any leftovers (I doubt you’ll have any) warmed the next day.