Leek Quiche

I recently started following this fabulous gourmet blog called C’est la Vie Cuisine. On the day I found out I would be receiving leeks in my next produce box Lucie posted a recipe for leek quiche. I knew it was meant to be! I adapted her recipe (see the original here) based on what I had on hand and by adding in some extra eggs and cheese to accommodate a deeper pie dish. This recipe turned out great! I served it for dinner with some breakfast sausage and toast but it can be enjoyed for any meal. One of the many fabulous reasons I love quiche! This recipe was so easy and really tasty! The caramelized leeks and onions take on a nice sweet flavor making it a fabulous complement to salty breakfast meat like sausage or bacon.

Leeks are a part of the onion family and are very mild and sweet in flavor. The leek basically looks like a HUGE green onion. Leeks are known for being very low in calories and having wonderful health benefits. They are high in dietary fiber, potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, folic acid, and vitamins A, B, C, and K.

Notes: Leeks can have a large amount of soil and dirt between the layers so after you slice them make sure to wash them thoroughly. I submerge them in water and use my hand to swish them around. The leeks float to the top and the dirt sinks to the bottom. I then use a salad spinner to help remove all the excess water.

You can omit the piecrust all together to create a low-carb version of this recipe. To do this, grease your pie dish and whisk the mozzarella in with the egg mixture. Bake time will be the same.

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (see above note about washing)
1 tbsp garlic
1 sheet of refrigerated piecrust at room temperature
salt and pepper
9 eggs
1/2 c half and half
1 c mozzarella

STEPS

Preheat oven to 400º.
In a larger skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, leeks, and garlic to the skillet.
Cook stirring frequently until the onions begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
While the leeks and onions cook gently press the crust into your pie dish.
In a medium-mixing bowl whisk together your eggs and half and half until well incorporated.
When the leeks are done cooking season with salt and pepper and gently fold the cooked veggies into the egg mixture.
Sprinkle half of the mozzarella into the bottom of your pie dish.
Add the egg mixture to your pie dish and top with remaining mozzarella.
Bake the quiche in the oven for 30–35 minutes or until the middle is firm.
Allow quiche to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.