Tomorrow morning Denny and I are going to have an off-schedule Christmas morning, the first one in our new house. I think I’m going to make a quiche for the occasion. That will be pretty easy but still relatively fancy-schmancy to celebrate.

Asparagus quiche

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 10 slices bacon
• 2 (8 inch) unbaked pie shells
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or buttermilk (depending on if you want to make it reduced-fat or not–half-and-half is fattier than lowfat buttermilk)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Steam asparagus until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. Place bacon in a big pan. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
3. Brush pie shells with beaten egg white. Sprinkle crumbled bacon and chopped asparagus into pie shell.
4. In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Sprinkle Swiss cheese over bacon and asparagus. Pour egg mixture on top of cheese.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven until firm, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

I’m excited for Denny to open his presents. I hope he likes them. I’d post a link to the main thing I got him, but knowing that sneaky little weasel, he’d probably go and click it.