Caramelized Onion and Fennel Pie - a wonderful brunch with friends
I adore my friends. When they come to visit, I want them to feel well taken care of.... almost like they are in a boutique hotel that knows what they want, but they don't have to deal with pretenses. My wonderful friend Richa came to visit me yesterday to go to a concert. I knew we would be out late, and I had a feeling we would NOT want to get up and get pretty to go to a fancy, on-the-town brunch. I was so right. It's a good thing I thought ahead and had tea, those new instant Starbucks thingys (I'm not a coffee drinker but she is), and my version of quiche. Instead of scrambling as hostess I was able to sit back and enjoy the morning with one of my dearest gal-pals. I am a very fortunate woman! Besides, her presence gave me a reason to quit eating frozen pizzas like I have for the past month and GET BACK IN THE KITCHEN!!!!
Now anyone who reads this knows I don't do gluten, and that can make a quiche tricky. What do you do for the crust? Well this one, that I found in The Healing Cookbook, features hash browns as the base. Even with potatoes, it's only 208 calories per serving. I love the way the fennel adds to the sweet onions, so I only do this in season. Luckily, it's fall and we have fennel in stock at Earthfare. It makes for a variation of a Spanish omelette in my opinion, thanks to the potatoes and onions. Best yet, you don't have to refridgerate it if you make it the day before. It will keep. So go make this for your next family event or church group or whatever you do in the mornings.
Caramelized Onion and Fennel Pie
the Grocery List
--------- For the crust ---------
- 3 cups peeled, shredded Russet potato (I use defrosted frozen hash browns to be honest)
- 1/3 c. chopped sweet onion
- Dash of salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Non-stick cooking spray
--------- For the filling ---------
- 1 tsp. oil (I use olive)
- 2 cups sliced onions (from a texture standpoint please slice, not chop)
- 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced (this is the bottom, not where it splits and the frondy part)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 c. skim milk
- 1/2 c. coarsely grated parmesan (the fresher the betteR)
- 2 Tbs. nonfat sour cream
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4. tsp. pepper
Prepping & Cooking
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and get started on the crust. Mix your hash browns, egg, salt, and onion up in a bowl. Spray your 10" deep pie pan or your square brownie pan, which is what I use because I have a lid for it, with your non-stick stuff. Press your potato mix into the the pan, going up the sides, and then mist it lightly with more Pam or whatever you use. Bake it for 40 minutes - until a little golden - and then remove. Reduce the over to 350.
While the crust is baking, heat the oil on medium heat in a large pan. Add all the sliced onion and fennel, and cook it down for 20-30 minutes until it's golden and soft. In a bowl (I use the one from above after rinsing it out... why have lots of dirty dishes?), whisk your eggs and add in the milk, parm, sour cream, salt and pepper. Whisk until well blended, and then fold in your onion mixture. By the time you have all this done, your crust should be ready. Perfecto!
Bake your quiche / pie for 45 minutes or until set. Be careful to not overcook it. If you are eating right away, let it stand for 10 minutes first. Like I said though, this baby can sit out all night and is great at room temp. I set up a little buffet by the coffee pot for my guest so she could have her routine and not have to hunt! And yes, we did enjoy it and yes, we did have a great morning. Hope you do too!
L
Posted by Lindsey Ann Waldrep at 11/14/2010 6:28 PM 
Categories: Breakfast
Tags: Eggs Onion Fennel Potato
Categories: Breakfast
Tags: Eggs Onion Fennel Potato
Wow, just opened this and haven't had dinner yet -- can you deliver?
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wow! I'm not sure I even like fennel but this would make me try it! :p
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