I think one of the most challenging aspects of cooking is what to do with leftovers. We've all been faced with that giant mound of something from cooking the night before--a daunting task, to be sure. But, if you use your imagination and cooking skills, I think you'll begin to truly relish the idea of making something new and different out of yesterday's fare. Just about anything can be converted into a salad or soup, and lots of leftovers make perfect sandwiches. Sometimes, the leftovers are better in their reincarnated form than they were originally.
Last weekend I returned to the farmer's market and was thrilled to find all kinds of great veggies that hadn't been there the week before: broccoli, tiny new potatoes, baby zucchini and orange tomatoes. I made what was described as a "crustless quiche" (I believe that's called a frittata?) in a cooking magazine with the broccoli and it was so amazing: sweet, tender and delicious. Last night, I took a couple of leftover pieces and thought, "Hmmm. What should you be tonight?" I decided to add the crust back to the dish by wrapping it in puff pastry and baking it in the oven--served with a tomato salad it was a crispy, savory mid-week meal.
Recipe: "Crustless" Broccoli Quiche
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion (yellow or white) thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. broccoli, cut into florets
12 eggs (or 6 eggs and Eggbeaters to equal 6 more--if you're being good)
2 cups low-fat milk
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. brown mustard
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
3-4 tbsp. grated Parmesan
Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high and add the garlic. When it starts to sizzle, add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until it is bright green and is crisp tender, another 5 minutes, then place the mixture in a 9x13 pan that has been lightly oiled.
Meanwhile, place the egg (and egg substitute if using) in a big yellow bowl and whisk until well blended. Add the milk and whisk again until combined. Add the Swiss cheese, parsley, brown mustard, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Pour over the broccoli mixture and top with the Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the quiche is puffed and begins to turn a light, golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.
Serves 10-12, depending on how big you cut the squares.
Recipe: Crustified Broccoli Quiche
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed at room temperature for 30-40 minutes
2 piece Crustless Broccoli Quiche
Parmesan cheese grated
1 egg
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Roll out puff pastry until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cut down the middle so that you have two long pieces of pastry. Sprinkle the middle of one with 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese and top with one piece of the quiche. Fold the pastry over and trip excess, using a fork to crimp the sides. Repeat with second piece of quiche and pastry. Beat egg with a fork and brush the top of the pastry.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Cool slightly, then enjoy.
Mangez!