Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Saffron======================================================================Eat for life: Quiche goes on a diet 10:33 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 10, 2006By JILL WENDHOLT SILVA Eat for life: Quiche goes on a diet 10:33 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 10, 2006By JILL WENDHOLT SILVA Phyllo dough replaces the traditional pie crust to reduce the fat in this quiche recipe. " width="175" alt="TAMMY LJUNGBLAD/Kansas City Star" onclick="return clickedImage(this);" onmouseover=" this.style.cursor='hand'" height="135"> TAMMY LJUNGBLAD/Kansas City Star Phyllo dough replaces the traditional pie crust to reduce the fat in this quiche recipe. Like skirt lengths, quiche has had its ups and downs. The classic French tart was riding high in the '60s when Julia Child cheered it onto American menus, but by the health-conscious '80s, quiche had been declared a dieter's nightmare. Quiche Lorraine -- a sublime blend of cream, eggs, bacon and cheese -- contains 40 grams of fat per slice, nearly half of that saturated fat. If you eat an average 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, you've just eaten your recommended saturated fat intake for the day. The typical pie crust made with vegetable shortening has 949 calories and 62 grams of fat, according to The Nutrition Bible by Jean Anderson. This recipe for Vegetable Quiche uses phyllo dough, a traditional Greek pastry, to produce a lighter, flakier crust. Another pitfall is a filling made from cream and whole eggs. Instead, use nonfat milk and pasteurized egg substitute made with egg whites only, which, unlike the yolks, contains no fat or cholesterol. Skip the bacon and pump up the vegetables. Then try a combination of reduced-fat cheddar cheese and parmesan, a cheese naturally low in fat. Even if you're not a big fan of reduced-fat cheeses, they work well in casseroles and egg dishes, where they are used as a sidekick, not a star. Shopping tip: Look for phyllo (also fillo or filo) in your grocer's freezer case. Pasteurized egg substitute is available in the dairy case or freezer case. Storage tip: Thaw phyllo in the refrigerator. (For this recipe, remove one 8-ounce package; freeze the other for future use.) An unopened package can be refrigerated up to a month; once opened, use within two to three days. Cartons of egg substitute can be refrigerated up to 12 weeks from the date stamped on the container.VEGETABLE QUICHE 1 teaspoon olive oil ½ cup chopped onion 1 cup sliced mushrooms 2 tablespoons water 2 cups chopped broccoli 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves ½ teaspoon dry mustard ¼ teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper, to taste 1 cup nonfat milk 1 (4-ounce) carton egg substitute 1 egg white ½ cup shredded, reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese 4 sheets phyllo dough 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 medium, firm, ripe tomato, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat oil in small saucepan. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add water and heat to boiling. Add broccoli, cover and allow to steam 3 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain well and set aside. Stir together flour, basil, mustard, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in milk, egg substitute and egg white. Stir in vegetable mixture and shredded cheddar; set aside. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in pan, fitting to cover bottom of plate smoothly and folding corners down evenly with top edge of pan. Brush entire sheet very lightly with melted butter. Place a second sheet of phyllo in pan, crisscrossing over the first sheet and folding corners down evenly with edge of pan. Brush entire sheet very lightly with butter. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of phyllo, adjusting the position of the sheets so they completely cover the pan, folding corners down evenly with pan and brushing lightly with butter. Spoon filling into phyllo crust. Overlap tomato slices in a decorative circle on top of filling. Very lightly brush the tomatoes and edges of the quiche with any remaining butter. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until almost set and lightly golden. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake 5 to 8 minutes longer, or until set. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes six servings. PER SERVING: Calories 228 (39% fat)Fat 10 g (4 g sat) Cholesterol 15 mg Sodium 436 mg Fiber 2 g Carbohydrates 25 g Protein 10 g SOURCE: Kansas City Star Phyllo dough replaces the traditional pie crust to reduce the fat in this quiche recipe. ">TAMMY LJUNGBLAD/Kansas City StarPhyllo dough replaces the traditional pie crust to reduce the fat in this quiche recipe. // Image1 end -->