crumbly oatmeal and herb quiche crust

You know when you get to the end of a loaf of sandwich bread? Those two end pieces that are left in the bag, that no one wants to eat? Make bread crumbs out of them. In fact, if you're like me, and you keep your bread in the freezer, just keep a bag for the butt ends of loaves, then toast them all up at once every few months.

Toast them, tear them up, and throw them in the food processor. Voila, bread crumbs.

Here's my favourite quiche recipe. This is from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, a vegetarian cookbook classic by Mollie Katzen. Quiche is amazing, because you can use any combination of cheese, vegetables and crust. I've made pastry crusts, mashed potato crusts, and nut crusts. But this one is by far the easiest and tastiest.

You know what else? Quiche is good anytime of the day - it's eggy, so you can eat if for breakfast, it's awesome for lunch, cold with a salad, and it's definitely acceptable as a dinner, with a side of vegetables and grains.

And although I have never tried it, I hear vegan quiche can be delicious. Here's a Vegan quiche from Oprah, or 101 Cookbooks Spinach Mushroom Quiche, both made with tofu instead of eggs.

crumbly oatmeal and herb crust
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 rolled oats
pinch salt
a few tsp of dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, oregano)
1/2 cup melted butter or grape seed oil

Mix all dry ingredients. Drizzle butter or oil over top, and stir to combine. Press into a pie plate, and pre-bake for 10 minutes at 350. When it's done, turn the oven up to 375 for the quiche

the quiche formula
1 cup cheese, grated or crumbled
3 eggs
1 cup milk (unsweetened almond or soy will work fine)

Take your cooked crust, and spread your cheese around the bottom of the crust. The fat in the cheese will help create a barrier between the crust and veggies that will prevent the crust from getting soggy. Now, get creative - you have your crust and cheese, now you need some veggies. Here's some ideas:

Sautéed spinach, nutmeg, and caramelized onions
Grated carrots and parsnips, sautéed with leeks
Roasted peppers and garlic
Steamed asparagus with fresh herbs

Whatever vegetable filling you choose, you don't want a lot of moisture. Spread you vegetables on top of the cheese.

Finally, the custard. Beat together egg and milk, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the custard over the vegetables. Finally, sprinkle some paprika over the custard. Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes, until egg is set. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.