I have read many a kale recipe over the last few years, and many an article in a food publication touting kale as not only a superfood but one that any proper food lover should embrace. In my house, however, we simply call this dish "no-crust quiche," because, really, despite all its hype and hoopla, most people still turn their noses up and their taste buds off at the sound of the dreaded "K word." My husband is a perfect example of such a person. I have served kale in all its varieties and all its splendor and blogged about it several times. However, my unscientific tests have shown that if I say a dish has kale in it, it receives a much frostier response than it would if the taster thought the green bits were something other... say, spinach, maybe. Not that anyone is actually fooled, but at least I don't have to see sad faces at the beginning of dinner.
So, in order to ensure that this dish got its fair shot (I won't even address the quinoa issue), I renamed it for my family's purposes. In actuality, this is Hilarybee's famous Quinoa and Kale Crustless Quiche from food52, and there is a reason that so many love it.
I recommend it highly, for those times when you think you'd like a quiche-y kind of eggy thing without all the fat. Don't get me wrong, this is not completely virtuous, what with some cream cheese and cheddar, but it's got all the satisfaction of a full-on quiche without the crust, many fewer eggs, and no cream.
I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese with no loss of creaminess and I also like to grate a little cheddar over top to brown. Last time I made this, I used Cotswold cheddar, the one with the bits of chives in it, and it was delicious. I like to use lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan kale) for this. You can even use frozen kale, just thaw it in a strainer and then press out all the water.
A couple of other tips: first, don't skimp on the onions (in fact, add more if you like them); and, second, make extra quinoa to keep in your refrigerator for a quick salad later in the week. Although Hilarybee recommends this be served hot or room temperature, I much prefer it hot out of the oven, when the cream cheese is oozy and, well, creamy. Leftovers are delicious microwaved to that same state of creaminess.
Many thanks, Maddy, for the beautiful photos!
