Breakfast

Quiche with Red Pepper and Bacon

Crust:

1 cup (250 mL) shortening
2 cups (500 mL) flour
¾ tsp (4 mL) salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp (30 mL) ice water
1 Tbsp (15 mL) vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), with a rack in the middle of the oven.

Cut together shortening, flour and salt with a pastry blender or a fork. You want to make sure the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some large pea-sized pieces.

Combine egg with ice water and vinegar. Beat together.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until it just comes together. It’s okay if some pieces are a bit loose.

Turn mixture out onto floured surface and bring the rest of the pie crust together with your hands. Flour your rolling pin well and roll the dough out to fit your pie plate.

When placing the dough in your pie plate, don’t trim the dough around the edges. Line the dough with wax paper or aluminum foil. Place dried beans or uncooked rice on the wax paper/foil to prevent the dough from shrinking.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool before adding the filling.

Filling:

6 slices bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced and caramelized in 3 Tbsp canola oil
½ cup (125 mL) grated Cheddar cheese
½ cup (125 mL) grated Swiss cheese
½ red pepper, diced
5 eggs
1 ¼ cup (310 mL) milk
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
½ tsp (2 mL) ground pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Cut bacon and brown until barely crisp in non-stick pan over medium heat. This should take about 8 minutes. Once done, place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Heat non-stick pan, with three tablespoons of canola oil, over medium-low heat. Once hot, add onion and cook slowly until softened and golden brown. This could take up to 10 min.

In medium bowl, whisk eggs. Add milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk until fully combined.

In your cooled quiche crust, layer the filling starting with the bacon, onions and peppers. Add the cheeses and carefully pour the egg mixture into the crust.

Now you can trim any big or hanging pieces of pastry from the crust. Place the quiche on a cookie sheet to catch any liquid that may bubble over, and slide into the oven.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. The top should be set, and if the centre jiggles a bit once it’s done, that’s ok. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Servings: 8 pieces

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 637
Carbohydrate 29 g
Protein 17 g
Fat 50 g
Sodium 708 mg
Fibre 1 g