I may not understand the intricacies of gluten, but I am definitely a fan. Excluding allergies and serious health issues, I cannot imagine how anyone could resist a warm and crusty loaf of bread – the crumbs sticking to your lips as you take a bite, the spongy dough dissolving as you chew…dreamy. But in 2015, the age of juice cleanses and paleo diets, it’s hard to ignore the hype around a gluten-free lifestyle – so I try to avoid grains here and there (I like to think I make up for it in french-fry intake).
AND in case you got sidetracked with pastel eggs and pink bunnies, Passover is t-5 days away. Yes, that’s right – another Jewish holiday full of depressing themes and dietary restrictions! They may not have been making flour-less chocolate cakes during biblical times (I also hear they couldn’t drive on the Sabbath), but that shouldn’t stop us from experimenting in the kitchen! This recipe is Passover-friendly, gluten-free, and damn delicious! The sweetness of the squash mixes perfectly with the salty cheese – stop reading and go make this!
Ingredients for 6 servings:
1 spaghetti squash
1 7oz container of Fage Total plain Greek yogurt
2 medium crowns of broccoli, sliced into chunks and florets and steamed
2 cups of kale, chopped
1 large shallot
1 12 oz container of white mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 cup of feta crumbles
2 eggs (1 egg and 1 egg white)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a large chopping knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Line a baking sheet with foil and place both halves face down. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. I like to pour in a cup of water for the last 5 minutes to make things easier to loosen (pour the water into the baking sheet evenly). Set aside and let cool. Keep the oven on at 375.
Meanwhile, chop the shallot finely and add a drop of oil to a saute pan on medium heat. Add in the shallots and the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the pan and place in a small bowl. Using the same saute pan, quickly cook the kale until it softens a bit, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and extra loose flesh from the top of each half of the squash. Once all of the seeds have been removed and discarded, use a fork to scrape at the flesh, loosening up the natural noodle-like strings and collecting all of the squash flesh in a large bowl. Discard the skins and add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the squash flesh. Mix thoroughly.
In a mixing bowl, crack 1 of the eggs and discard the shell. For the other egg, carefully crack it and empty only the egg white into the bowl. Whisk the egg and egg white together, then add in all of the Greek yogurt and whisk thoroughly once more. Add in the feta and a big of salt and pepper and stir.
Add in all of your vegetables: broccoli, kale, and mushrooms, and mix everything together until fully coated.
Spray an oven-safe dish (I used a spring-form pan) with Pam or oil and dump in all of the squash noodly flesh. Use your fingers and a spatula to firmly press the flesh into the dish, making the middle area slightly deeper than the outside to create a sort of “crust”. Pour the vegetable and yogurt mixture into the middle of the dish, spreading evenly and filling it to the top.
Sprinkle some extra cracked pepper on before popping into the oven and baking on 375 for a full 50 minutes. I wanted to ensure my quiche was fully set so I let it sit in the turned-off oven for about one hour – however you can simply remove it and let it cool on the counter-top.
Use a serrated knife to carefully slice the quiche and serve!
