The Cabot Creamery, up in one of my all-time favorite states, Vermont, threw the gauntlet at the Recipe Reduxers. They asked us to take a whole grain, fruit, or vegetable we’ve never tried before, and develop a rockstar recipe that includes their reduced fat cheddar cheese. I selected not one, but two whole grains that have never graced my kitchen cabinets, and got to work. I developed a delicious quiche crust out of these two unusual (but available!) whole grains that’s soft like a nutty polenta on the bottom and crispy and delicious on the top. You know how good cheesy polenta is? Then you’ll start to understand how great this crust is with the quiche.
Let’s talk about these new grains first :
- 1 cup amaranth
- ½ cup bulgur wheat
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons reduced fat (2%) milk
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups grated Cabot Sharp Light Cheddar or Cabot Sharp Extra Light Cheddar
- ½ cup reduced fat (2%) milk
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup chopped white mushrooms
- ¾ cup asparagus, sliced into small pieces on the diagonal
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- Boil 1 cup of water in a non-stick saucepan. When boiling, add 1 cup rinsed amaranth, and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, until water is absorbed. Pour amaranth into a medium bowl.
- Mix bulgur wheat with 1 ½ cups water and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.Add bulgur to amaranth and mix to combine.
- Stir butter and salt into the grain mixture and refrigerate about 1 hour until cool.
- When cool, mix in 2 tablespoons of milk and stir until combined.
- Press a thin layer of dough into a greased 9-inch pie or quiche plate. You will not use all of the dough. (see note)
- Bake the crust in a 425 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, until it’s golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, brush with a beaten egg yolk and bake for 3 more minutes to harden.
Quiche:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté chopped asparagus and mushrooms for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Whisk together egg, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (optional) in a medium bowl.
- Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus, and chives.
- Sprinkle ½ the cheese on the crust.
- Pour the custard on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
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Deanna - Teaspoon of Spice says
Oooh, does this sound and look delish (just in time for spring!) I’ve only ever have popped amaranth but love your use of it here (and great tip on how to use the leftover grains.)
Regan - The Professional Palate says
veggie frittata on cheesy polenta crust. yup. i’m sold 😉
Sweet Foodie says
Thanks Deanna! I’ve never popped it before, but I’m definitely going to try now that I have a whole box left over 🙂
Regan – Thanks – glad to hear it 🙂
Kristen (swanky dietitian) says
This looks fabulous!
I love quiches but on a polenta crust!? Sounds just delicious!
Danielle Omar says
Yum! I love an interesting quiche…this looks amazing!
Sweet Foodie says
Thank you Kristen and Danielle!