Yesterday I enjoyed a very relaxing 4 hours at the house of my friend Jo. We always have so much to talk about with topics ranging from grandchildren, health and wellbeing, state of the nation etc. but we always come back to our passion, preparing nutritious food. Jo is an expert on this subject and her latest book “How to Eat Well for Next to Nothing” by Jo Marty, is available on Amazon.

Jo served the most delicious quiche for lunch and has kindly given me permission to reproduce her recipe here for you all to enjoy. Instead of pastry she has used breadcrumbs as the base thereby reducing calorie/fat content.

PUMPKIN AND SPINACH QUICHE

Ingredients:
1/3 cup bread crumbs
Cooking oil spray
125g frozen spinach, (1/2 box), thawed
1 onions, chopped
500g pumpkin, ½ small pumpkin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil for baking and frying
150g cheddar cheese, grated
4 eggs
300ml buttermilk or skim yoghurt (can substitute cream)*
2 tablespoons plain flour

Preheat oven 200 degrees. Peel and seed pumpkin then chop into cubes. Place pumpkin on a roasting tin. Drizzle oil over and toss through. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
While pumpkin is baking prepare the remaining ingredients. Heat frypan with 1 tablespoon of oil, add onion and stir until just browned about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
Whisk eggs, add buttermilk* then whisk in flour until smooth.
Grease a large pie dish then pour the breadcrumbs into the dish. Move dish around so that breadcrumbs coat the base and sides like a crust. Layer 1/3 the spinach, 1/3 pumpkin, 1/3 onions, 1/3 egg/buttermilk* mixture and 1/3 cheese. Repeat twice ending with the cheese.
Reduce oven to 180 degrees and bake for 35 minutes. Allow to cool in pie dish for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6

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I hope to catch up with Jo again very soon as I always come away from her house enthusiastic about our respective ideas.