Egg Pie and Renewed Resolutions

This is the time of year when those bold resolutions we all made start to fade into the past. Regular life takes over and the urge to be better, stronger, healthier slowly recedes. Suddenly, often around the end of January or the beginning of February, we notice that the lists we made have been neglected and we are no closer to where we had been so resolved to reach.

This just happened to me this week, when I went back and looked at my list and realized that I can do better. I think part of doing better can start with this blog.

When I started this blog, over five years ago, I decided that I did not want it to be a diet blog. I had just lost 42 pounds and I was incredibly proud of that accomplishment, but I wanted an outlet where I could write about "regular" food, things that I would not normally have in my recipe rotation. This decision, as good as it was for me at the time, has actually made it very difficult to maintain the blog and also very difficult to maintain my weight loss.

I have no intention of turning this into a diet blog, but I do plan to post a bit more frequently about what my family and I really eat on a regular basis. A lot of this will look much like my recipes and writing in the past. I do not cook with fake ingredients. No sweeteners, fillers, or crap in my food. That is not good nutrition and really not good eating. I make an effort to get as many fruits and veggies in my diet as I can. Not only do I get all the good vitamins, minerals and fiber that come from fresh produce, but I also get to eat a whole lot more, which makes my tummy happy.

I eat better, healthier food when we cook at home. Others may be able to make great decisions at restaurants, but I have difficulty with both choices and portion. Instead, I can cook up great meals (for a whole lot less money) at home and thoroughly enjoy them. Then, when we do go out, I order what I want. And I thoroughly enjoy that too.

I thought I would start with the beginning of my day. Mornings around these parts have become more difficult and fast-paced recently. Trying to get all the people out of the house at the times they need to leave (especially on mornings when Ned wakes up early and takes our eyes off the ball) is nearly impossible. Actually, the problem is mostly me. I will spend as much time as I have plus an additional 15 minutes getting ready every day. I used to be able to get places on time, but not anymore. I often do not have time to make breakfast at home. Egg Pie is a great solution for those days (weeks) that get the better of me. I can bring my slice of Egg Pie to work with me and eat at my desk, it usually keeps me full until lunch, and it starts my day out with vegetables, which does not otherwise happen.

This could be called a quiche or a frittata, but I like to call it Egg Pie. It has no crust (like a frittata) but is cooked completely in the oven (like a quiche) and has so many possible variations that it can be a satisfying breakfast that you will not tire of for a long time. I like to make an egg pie on Sunday night and cut it into six pieces so it lasts me most of the next week.



Egg Pie with Swiss Chard, Zucchini, and Goat Cheese

This is an incredibly versatile recipe. The version that I prefer to make has 3 whole eggs and 3/4 cup of Egg Beaters. You could also use egg whites instead of Egg Beaters if you prefer. It could be made with all real eggs or all substitute also, depending on your calorie needs. Likewise, you can play around with fillings. Spinach, kale, swiss chard, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, onions, whatever you feel like and have available in your fridge will probably do. Different cheeses can shake things up too. Just be aware that some cheeses have more salt than others (ahem, feta), so you will need to adjust the recipe a bit.


1 large bunch swiss chard, cleaned well
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
olive oil or cooking spray
salt

4 oz soft goat cheese with herbs (one small log)

3 eggs
3/4 cup Egg Beaters
1-1/2 cups milk*
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Prepare a 9 inch pie plate by greasing with butter or spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Remove the large ribs from the chard and cut into about 1 inch ribbons. In a large skillet, add the chard, sprinkle with salt and saute over medium heat in cooking spray or about 1 tsp olive oil until fully wilted and all moisture has evaporated from the pan, about 8 minutes. Spread the chard evenly in the pie plate. Repeat with the onions, salting generously, cooking until they are translucent, but not browned. Repeat with the zucchini, but turn the heat up slightly to brown them. Spread all the vegetables evenly in the pie plate.

Crumble to goat cheese over the vegetables.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, egg beaters, and milk. Whisk well until completely combined. Add the nutmeg, pepper and salt and whisk to incorporate. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. It should cover the vegetables completely.**

Bake in the middle of the oven until the egg mixture is completely set, about 45 minutes. Shake the pie plate gently to make sure the middle is set. There may be a bit of liquid from the vegetables, but it would be clear; uncooked egg will be cloudy.

Allow to cool a bit before cutting.

Makes 6 servings.


*I have been using 1% milk, but I have had good results with everything from skim to whole.
** If you need more egg mixture, just keep the ratio of egg to milk the same: 1/4 cup egg (one egg) to 1/4 cup milk.