A Whole Lotta Frittata (I Mean Quiche)

First of all, it's been far too long (nearly two weeks!) since I've posted and I've dearly missed LoV Bites and all (dozen or so) of my LoV Bitten fans! I took a week-long vacay to New York and had a deliciously awesome time. And while I was able to cook in the kitchen of our rented beach house, it just wasn't the same as stirring things up in my own kitchen.

I have so much to say about my food finds in NY, but given how anxious I was to get back in the kitchen I thought it was only appropriate to serve up a new recipe first.

Because we had such a good time last week, Bill and I are now on a post-vacation diet (which is estimated to last approximately four days, given past attempts at similar feats). To get us started off on the right foot, I busted out my Best of Cooking Light cookbook and arranged a few recipes for the week.

In Hampton Bays I had an absolutely amazing lobster quiche, so this lightened-up frittata recipe caught my eye. No, it doesn't have the delectable chunks of sweet lobster meat that dish had. And no, it doesn't have the buttery, flaky pie crust that dish had. And it's not laced with the creamy cheese that dish had. But trust me, really, it was good.

I might note, however, that frozen breadstick dough is a somewhat poor substitute for pie crust. Perhaps if my oven was calibrated correctly and it hadn't ended up slightly overcooked, it would have been better. But there's something about the yummy, crumbly texture of pie crust that makes quiche so good ... but that's why this is Cooking Light. Luckily, the filling was amazing enough to make up for what the crust lacked.

Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Feta Quiche
Note: I altered proportions because I was afraid of my crust overflowing.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
1 tube refrigerated breadstick dough (such as Pilsbury)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat oil in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, and sugar. Cook until onions are soft, deep brown, and completely caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes. (Adjust heat accordingly during cooking so as not to burn onions. Those pictured at right are just minutes away from caramelization.) Add hash browns to skillet and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle a light dusting of flour over a clean, dry surface and unroll breadstick dough, separating each strip. Coil one strip around itself, like a snake. (My apologies for the unappetizing simile, but it's the easiest way to explain it! Luckily, I also have a picture for you to follow below.) Add another strip to the end of that strip, pressing the edges together, and continue coiling. Repeat with remaining breadstick strips. Cover dough and let rest 10 minutes.

Sprinkle coiled dough with a light dusting of flour and roll into a 10-inch circle. Place dough in a greased deep-dish pie plate. Spread onion-potato mixture over bottom of dough. Spread spinach over onion-potato mixture.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and milk. Stir in feta and season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture into crust. Carefully move quiche to oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until crust is brown. Protect crust with a ring of foil and continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes or until filling is set (meaning it doesn't jiggle when you tap the pan). Cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.