Quicker than Quiche

A quiche presents an appealing appearance, aroma, and taste for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s equally delicious and nutritious served hot or cold. But when the weather turns hot and you don’t care to turn on your oven, you can forget the crust, and make an augmented Danish omelet instead. Omelets can vary as much as quiches. (By the way, real men do like quiche--and omelets.) One difference is that an omelet may or may or may not contain cheese, but I never met a quiche without it. The chief difference, though, is that a conventional quiche is like a custard pie without the sugar.
I happened to have a head of broccoli that really needed to be used up before all its tiny buds became tiny blossoms and it lost it’s rich green color. So I made this augmented Danish omelet. With a crust, it could have been a quiche, so I call it a crustless quiche.

 Broccoli Crustless Quiche                                                4 to 6 servings
2 large or 3 skinnier green onions, washed and sliced
1/4 cup diced bell pepper, any color
1 1/2 to 2 cups steamed broccoli florets, chopped
3 ounces diced Mozzarella cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk or half-n-half cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon minced parsley, optional
2 Tablespoons butter

Prepare all the vegetables. Beat the eggs, milk salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a 9-inch skillet, iron one preferred. Sauté the raw vegetables but don’t let them brown much. Stir in the cooked, chopped broccoli. Pour the egg-milk mixture in, making sure the vegetables are well distributed. Scatter the diced cheese. Sprinkle the parsley on top if using. Cover the pan. Reduce heat to low. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, until the eggs are solid. Serve hot with toast.
Leftover omelet may be eaten cold, or briefly reheated, but keep it in the refrigerator until ready to eat it.             If the weather turns cool enough for baking, and you would like a conventional quiche as a pie but you must avoid gluten, choose this pie shell:

   Gluten Free Crust
 Preheat oven to 425 degrees
 9-inch glass pie pan
1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch
1/2 cube soft butter
2/3 cup water
Optional garnish:  2 large pitted black olives, thinly sliced, 1 pimento cut in strips.
Stir dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Work in butter. Pour enough water while stirring dry ingredient with a fork to form a soft ball. Let rest 15 minutes for the flours to absorb the moisture.
Grease  the glass pie pan. With clean fingers sore knuckles, press the soft dough evenly on the bottom and sides of the pie pan  and 1/2 in or so beyond the top of the rim. Hold the pan up to the light to check that the dough is of even thickness. Create a fluted edge, folding the extra dough under as you go. Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven to firm up the crust. Add the custard mixture above. Place in center of oven. Reduce heat to 375 degrees.
Bake 40 minutes. Test with a sharp knife inserted near the center. When the knife comes out clean, the top of the quiche should be brown and slightly puffed. Remove to a wire rack for 10 minutes to let the custard set. Garnish and serve hot, or chill, garnish and serve cold.