​People have been making quiche for hundreds of years. You can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is served for take-out, in fine restaurants, and with a little time is relatively easy to make at home. It is loaded with dairy, so please choose organic dairy options. The biggest health concern with traditional quiche is the crust, loaded with white wheat flour—full of sugar and inflammatory compounds. In this recipe, the egg provides a hint of protein, normally provided by the gluten protein, to hold the flour together. And this flour combination manages to provide a flaky crust—I have used this same pie crust to make dessert pies, too.

Prep Time: 50 Minutes

Refrigeration Time: 1 Hour 

Baking Time: 30 Minutes

Crust:

1.5 cups almond flour (blanched, super finely ground almond meal)

½ cup oat flour

½ cup organic rolled oats

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cage-free organic-raised egg, whisked

¾ cup organic, unsalted, cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

Filling:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium-large white onion, chopped finely

2 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 ounces fresh baby spinach

1 tablespoon almond flour

4 large organically-fed, free-range chicken eggs

½ cup half and half

4 ounces Conté cheese, grated (or grated Gruyère), divided

Directions:

In a food processor, pulse almond flour, oat flour, rolled oats, and salt until well mixed. Whisk the egg in a bowl, then pulse egg with the dried ingredients. Next, add cubed butter and pulse until pea-size pieces of butter and dough form. Press the dough into a ball and refrigerator for 45-60 minutes (or up to 3 days covered).

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with parchment paper. Flatten dough in the pie plate, press into the bottom, and up along the sides. Indent the edges if desired. Poke holes in the bottom and sides using a fork to prevent bubbling. Trim any lose edges of the parchment paper.

Bake in the oven on a middle shelf for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan to medium heat, add olive oil, then onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes with an occasional stir until onions soften. (Don’t let the onions brown, reduce heat to low if needed.) Add mushrooms, salt, black pepper, thyme and heat at medium to low heat with an occasional stir for 5-6 minutes, until mushrooms have softened. Add spinach, stir, and heat until the spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in almond flour, reduce heat to simmer, and heat for an additional 5 minutes with an occasional stir. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk eggs, half and half, and half the grated cheese. Combine with sauteed onions and mushroom mixture.

When pie crust has baked for 15 minutes, remove from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Next pour onion, mushroom, egg, and half and half contents into the pie crust, then sprinkle the remaining half of the grated cheese on top.

Place pie plate on a middle shelf in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserts and comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy,

Steven Masley, MD