When Josie was a baby, she ate a lot of kale. Most of the time she ate it with cheese-y grits. Perfect food for feeding a 9 month old: soft, green, delicious. No worries about choking, but still real food.
Then one day she said, no thank you and stopped eating kale. I kept putting it on her plate, but she would just work around it. Not long after, she proclaimed it yucky. Sigh.
This dish is my last chance kale. I thought, kids like little pies so why not give it a try? And, guess what, she ate it. She actually picked off the sides of the phyllo crust and just ate the green parts. For real. So much for my little pie theory.
Last chance kale.
Get it while you can.
Mini Kale and Parmesan Quiche
from How to Feed a Family
{Notes: I doubled this recipe, but didn't double the eggs. I used about eight eggs because that's what I had on hand. This gave me enough to fill 10 muffin slots in a muffin tin (see above). The original recipe, below, makes enough for four ramekins, which are slightly bigger than muffin tin slots.}
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 lb kale (I used culry kale, but any kale will do)
4 sheets phyllo pastry
5 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Kale Pesto: In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add kale and coat with oil mixture. Cover and let kale wilt until tough stems are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove kale from pan and place in a food processor. Process until it has the texture of a fine pesto.
Quiche: Cut 4 sheets of phyllo into 4 equal-size squares. Layer phyllo squares one by one into 4 large ramekins, brushing each layer of pastry lightly with oil. (Keep phyllo sheets between two moist dish towels to prevent them from drying out when you're not working with them.)
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, then Parmesan and mix until blended. Add kale pesto and stir to combine well. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour egg mixture into ramekins, leaving about 5 mm (1/4 inch) at the top. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and then place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm. Remove from baking sheet and let ramekins cool before serving to little hands.
Makes 4 servings.
