Chard-Filled Quiche Cups

Everyone couldn't stop talking about how HOT it's been, and then the sweltering weather stopped. Just like that, yesterday was warm with a breeze, but not so hot that you couldn't walk around, wear something more than a swimsuit, or bake.

I'd recently become a big fan of Muffin Tin Mania, a clever blog devoted to creative cooking with, you guessed it, a muffin tin. But of course, many of the delicious recipes involve turning on the oven--a big no-no in our AC-free apartment. The Swiss Chard Quiche especially called to me, since our CSA drops a pile of chard in our lap each week and eggs are a favorite inexpensive protein around here. And as Matthew at Muffin Tin Mania points out, muffin-sized food is diet-friendly because it's automatic portion-control. Half the size, double the fun. Count me in.

Since it wasn't too hot to bake, I made these quiches last night but subbed in Parmesan since cooked goat cheese usually doesn't agree with my stomach. Along with a German apple wine (on sale), the last of our CSA salad and some cooked carrots with parsley, we gave ourselves a taste of fall on a cool summer night.

Chard Quiche Cups

Adapted from Muffin Tin Mania

5 eggs

1/3 cup 1 % milk

2 cups chard, washed, trimmed of larger stems and chopped

2 Tablespoons basil, cut in a chiffonade

2 Tablespoons Parmesan, grated

Olive Oil

Grease a silicon muffin pan with olive oil. The original recipe recommends silicon pans and I have to second that. These would not have neatly come out of a regular pan.

Place the chard in a bowl of cold water and let the dirt/sediment fall to the bottom. In the meantime, cut basil in a chiffonade, whisk together eggs and milk. Dry and remove the thicker part of the chard stem, then chop into pieces about 1/2-inch squared. Mix the chard, basil and Parmesan with the egg and milk. Salt.

Distribute evenly in greased muffin pan cups. My silicon pan has 6 cups and it worked out perfectly. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

The chard and basil offer a nice herby flavor alongside the egg in this easy, satisfying and cute main dish.

Tally:

Chard finds a new and tasty medium

Quiche that's crustless and portion-control friendly

Eggs offer protein at a low price