I am not a calorie-counter, but given my hormone imbalance condition, I have to be careful what I eat and when. I always look for smart food combinations and try not to eat after 7 pm to allow my body the time to prepare for nighttime regeneration and not turn its focus on digestion. And, if I see an opportunity to reduce calories and preserve the quality of my food, I’ll definitely do it!
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and while I love to play with whole cereals and prepare fiber-rich nourishing bowls, every now and then (especially when my father sends me organic produce from the countryside) I have free-range pastured eggs. Having them soft-boiled on top of a seed-rich bread with avocado is my most frequent choice, but it’s always a joy to play with fresh veggies and herbs and create lovely looking and nourishing quiches.
I used to bake a lot of tarts and quiches at some point, but like everything good, I learned that it’s best to enjoy them at occasions to really appreciate the taste. It was a sunny Saturday morning in spring when I decided it was time for a lovely quiche. So many fresh herbs at the farmers’ market, asparagus in season, fresh pasture-raised eggs from my father’s—it was the right moment.
My diet is mostly vegan, but I sometimes eat eggs because of their amazing nutritional profile. The omega-3 essential fatty acid, selenium, iodine and a whole range of vitamins, especially vitamin B12 are the main reasons why I stick with eggs and not eliminate them from my diet. A hormone imbalance is often caused by a lack of nutrients, and while taking the rest of the nutrients from plant-based sources, I like to nourish my body every now and then with iodine, selenium and vitamins from a quality source.
Remember that a diverse diet is the best thing you can offer to your body, and quality products have a huge impact on our health. For instance, a free-range, pasture-raised egg contains about three times more omega-3 fatty acid than a conventional egg. Plus, it comes from happy hens, which feed themselves naturally with grass and insects.
I added value to this amazing product by cooking it with love and combining it with nourishing ingredients. Every step of making this quiche brought me joy because I respected every ingredient I had in my kitchen. The result—a delicious taste, a nourishing meal, quality time and nice memories about a nice breakfast on a sunny Saturday morning.
Crustless Quiche with Asparagus and Mint Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 free range eggs
- 4 tbsp almond milk
- 6 fresh asparagus spares trimmed and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp olive oil plus extra for greasing the baking pans
- 1/4 cup silken tofu crumbled
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the mint pesto
- 1 handful fresh mint roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted cashews
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- A pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 176°C/350°F.
- Heat the olive oil into a medium skillet, and add the crushed garlic, turmeric and chopped asparagus.
- Cook for two or three minutes over low heat, tossing frequently, then add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, cook for one more minute then turn of the heat. (the asparagus should be green and still crunchy).
- In a large bowl beat the eggs with the milk.
- Add the silken tofu and cooked asparagus and season with salt and pepper.
- Grease the baking pans with olive oil (or line them with parchment paper), and distribute evenly the egg mixture.
- Bake for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside for five minutes before removing from the baking pans.
- While quiche is baking, prepare the mint pesto.
- Add the garlic clove, mint, cashews and salt into a mortar and crush them with a pestle.
- Add gradually the olive oil to obtain a paste, then add the lemon juice and mix to incorporate.
- Serve the quiche warm, drizzled with mint pesto and with a fresh salad.
Notes
Aysegul D Sanford says
Great recipe! I love the addition of cashews and silken tofu.
gorgeous photos, as always…
Ana says
Thank you so much, you’re always an inspiration too 🙂
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Such gorgeous photos! I really want a slice of this quiche right now, it looks incredibly delicious.
Ana says
Thank you so much Thalia, it really was tasteful! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Did I miss it? Not sure what size/shape of the baking pans? Thanks so much! Love this site!
Ana says
I used two small 4” pans – let me know how the quiche turns out! 🙂
Elaine says
Can I use 3 flax egg in place of eggs?
Ana says
Never tried with flax eggs, I’m not really sure about the result