Greens & Goat’s Cheese Quiche (an easy make-ahead lunch)
Hands up if you have time to make a from-scratch exciting lunch everyday? Yeah, me neither. Instead, in order to make sure we have healthy food as often as possible throughout the day, I rely heavily on leftovers and make-ahead meals.
This is one of them. A delicious, creamy, soft quiche that keeps really well in the fridge for a good few days, meaning I can just cut a slice after breakfast and stick it in a lunchbox with a cool pack and voila, my job is done.
Thank God for meal prep.
Seriously though, it takes a little planning ahead to make some time at the weekend to batch cook a few meals like this one, but the amount of stress and time it saves me in the week is 100% worth it.
This is a family favourite crowd-pleasing recipe that everyone can enjoy and that will fill up bellies with goodness and greens without having the last minute panicked scramble to assemble something that is both edible and healthy!
A delicious make-ahead lunch that is perfect for batch-baking at the weekend to slice up during the week for quick healthy lunches. Packed with green veg, this quiche is a yummy way to eat more veg.
- 1 batch wholemeal or gluten free pastry*
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 200 g (4 cups) bag of fresh spinach, chard, kale or similar fresh leafy greens
- 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas or broad (fava) beans (you could use edamame beans or even roughly chopped asparagus in its place here)
- 3 medium eggs
- 150 ml (1/2 cup) single (pouring) cream
- 150 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk
- 100 g goat’s cheese (ideally in log form)
- a few fresh basil leaves
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Preheat your oven to 190C/375F/gas 5. Roll out your pastry on a floured surface so it is thin and fits a 23cm tart tin. Gently press it into the tin, lightly prick the base with a fork, and cover with a layer of tin foil. Pour in some baking beans (or uncooked beans/rice you aren't going to use). Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is cooked but not too dark.
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While the pastry cooks, gently fry the oven in olive oil or butter over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden and softened. Add garlic, greens and peas, and fry for a further couple of minutes, until the greens are wilted. Layer the veg in the pastry case. In a bowl or jug, beat together the eggs, cream and milk. Season generously with salt & pepper (some dried or fresh oregano or basil goes really well here, too). Pour over the greens in the pastry. Slice the goat's cheese thickly and lay over the top of the quiche. Sprinkle over some fresh basil leaves. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the top is golden and the quiche is firm (if you shake it lightly, a small wobble in the middle is fine, but if it's still wobbling a lot or looking liquid, return it to the oven until cooked. Allow to cool until the quiche is set (it will keep cooking while cooling) – ideally completely. Serve slightly warm or cold.
