Quinoa quiche

Quinoa is a kind of cereal that's been the core food of Andean countries in South America for hundreds of years. In the last 15 years, it was discovered that the nutrient composition of quinoa is better than common cereals. This is because the seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine, as well as acceptable quantities of calcium, phosphorus and iron. With its great texture, quinoa is the perfect healthy base for both savoury and sweet dishes, and the quinoa quiche is one of these inventions.

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1:10 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• ½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked quinoa)
• 1 cup (250 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 large bunch English spinach, stems trimmed, washed (or 4 cups of fresh baby spinach, or 125 g frozen spinach, defrosted, excess moisture squeezed out)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small leek, thinly sliced (green onions are great substitutes)
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup tasty cheese
• salad, to serve (roasted capsicum, feta, peas, corn, baby spinach with a lemon and olive oil dressing)

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200˚C. Place quinoa in small saucepan and toast over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and salt to taste, cover and bring to a boil. Leave covered, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Place a steamer with water in the base over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add the spinach to the steamer basket and toss occasionally with tongs for 3-5 minutes, or until wilted. Allow the spinach to cool, then squeeze out all excess water. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small pieces.

Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a frying pan, place over medium heat, add onion and leek, and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow the onions to caramelise, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, mix together the quinoa, spinach, dill and feta. Add the caramelised onions.

Beat the eggs and stir them into the quinoa mixture. Transfer to a 23 cm pie pan, lightly coated with cooking spray.

Scatter quiche with tasty cheese and bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve with salad.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Michelle Noerianto. Food preparation by Nick Banbury.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.