easy weeknight dinner: asparagus, leek, and grueyere quiche

Eggs + Pie = Delicious. I'm officially protesting the recent popularity of the "crustless quiche". There are two major reasons that the idea offends me: 1. It's an oxymoron. If there is no crust, it is not a quiche. Perhaps it is a frittata. 2. The crust is the best part. No crust means that I am no longer half as interested.



I have tried to figure out why one would want to make a crustless quiche, and I'm guessing there are two major motivations: 1. People believe crust is a pain to make, or 2. Crust is not good for you. To that I say, get over it. Crust is pretty simple, but if you really don't want to bother, just buy a pre-made crust. It's still better than no crust. And as for it's relative unhealthiness, you can just pack your quiche full of healthy vegetables to counteract it. And as a wise friend just told me, if you drink tea after you eat, it doesn't count. Recipe after the jump:

ASPARAGUS, LEEK, AND GRUYERE QUICHE

1 tbsp butter
1 large leek, cut in quarters lengthwise, rinsed thoroughly, and thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 pie crust for a 9"-inch single crust pie, or storebought crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Saute the shallot and leeks in the butter until just softened. Add the asparagus and saute until bright green and tender, about 6-7 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

Place pie crust on a baking sheet. Spread the vegetables on the bottom of the crust, then top with the cheese. Pour in the egg mixture evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until the center is just set, rotating once during baking. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.