Healthy Veggie Quiche with Roasted Garlic & Thyme Tomatoes

To celebrate World Diabetes Day I created this diabetic friendly dish. It is a take on a healthier version of a quiche. It is lower in carbohydrates and saturated fats making it a great choice for a diabetic meal.

Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli are a great vegetable choice for a diabetic as they are high in fiber and low in carbohydrates. Broccoli is also very high in the phytochemical, sulforaphane, which may help to reduce cancer risk. Studies are looking at how it stimulates the body’s cancer protecting enzymes. I used both broccoli and purple and white cauliflower in this veggie quiche which gave it a beautiful color. However, any color of cauliflower can be used in this recipe. The cauliflower was used to help thicken the quiche and provide moisture so the amount of eggs and cheese could be reduced, helping to keep the saturated fat level down in this recipe.

People with diabetes have a higher risk at developing heart disease and a diet lower in saturated fats can help to lower your risk. Research shows that the higher your intake of saturated fats the higher your total serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels are. The risk for coronary heart disease and the risk for mortality from coronary heart disease go up with higher levels of total and LDL cholesterol levels.

To prevent your quiche from getting too watery make sure to do this step. Above I placed 3 cups of steamed cauliflower into a tea towel to squeeze out its moisture. A cheese cloth will also work well for this. This process will make for a better textured quiche.

This dish is beautiful, delicious and a great healthy diabetic dish to try.

A perfect pairing with this quiche are my easy roasted garlic and thyme tomatoes. Just simply slice cherry or Roma tomatoes and place in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh thyme and garlic and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until caramelized.

Tomatoes are another vegetable that is great for a diabetic. They are low in carbohydrates and rich in nutrients. Tomatoes are a good source of fiber, thiamine, potassium, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C.

Healthy Veggie Quiche with Roasted Garlic & Thyme Tomatoes

Author: Brittany Sparks

Serves 8

Prep Time 20 min

Cook Time 40 min

Total Time 60 min

Ingredients

Veggie Quiche

• 2 Cups Broccoli, Finely Chopped

• 1 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped

• 3 Cups Cauliflower, Cut into Florets

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

• 2 Whole Eggs

• 4 Egg Whites

• 1 Cup Shredded Low Fat Cheddar Cheese

• ½ Cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

• ½ Tsp Salt

• ¼ Tsp Pepper

• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder

• ¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic & Thyme

• 4 Cups Cherry or Roma Tomatoes, Sliced

• 5 to 6 Garlic Cloves, Minced

• 12 Sprigs Fresh Thyme (~1 ½ Tbsp)

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions for Veggie Quiche

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a steamer basket, steam the cauliflower until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. While the cauliflower is cooking using a large skillet add the finely diced onion and olive oil and sauté over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until translucent. Add the finely chopped broccoli and cook an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. In a large bowl add the whole eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, shredded cheese and ricotta cheese. Whisk ingredients together until combined.

5. Finely chop the cauliflower into small pieces. Once the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, place it in a tea towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out all the liquid. You should end up with about a cup of cauliflower.

6. Add the cauliflower and broccoli and onion mixture to the large bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine.

7. Spray a 9 inch cake pan with cooking spray and pour mixture into the pan.

8. Bake for 40 minutes or until the center feels firm.

Directions for Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic & Thyme

1. Slice the tomatoes and add to a baking dish.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the fresh thyme and minced garlic.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until the tomatoes have caramelized and wilted.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Slice of Quiche

Calories 112, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 2.1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2.4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g, Sodium 350 mg, Total Carbohydrate 6.5 g, Dietary Fiber 1.9 g, Protein 10.2 g, Potassium 306 mg, Phosphorous 165 mg

Serving Size: 1/8th of tomato recipe (~14 tomato slices)

Calories 47, Total Fat 3.5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2.5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g, Sodium 4 mg, Total Carbohydrate 3.6 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Protein 0.8 g, Potassium 188 mg, Phosphorous 21 mg