To me, there is no more perfect café lunch than a slice of quiche with a side salad. Yet when I order one out I always feel a twinge of guilt knowing the amount of butter, heavy cream, eggs, and cheese that were certainly thrown into the recipe. My at home version is lighter thanks to a canola oil crust (which I use for everything from mini-quiches to dessert pies, it's fabulous) and part skim-dairy. I still think of it as a treat though and savor every last bite of filling and crumb of crust.

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2-2/3 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup canola oil

6 tablespoons skim milk

 

1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

2. Put the oil in a measuring cup then add the milk WITHOUT stirring. Quickly pour mixture into the flour and mix briefly. Do NOT refrigerate.

3. Flatten dough by rolling on floured surface or between two sheets of wax paper (the crust is easily repairable). Place in pan.

 

For the filling:

5 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 pound)

3/4 teaspoons salt, divided

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

 

1. Place grated zucchini in colander set over large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let drain 30 minutes. Working in batches, squeeze zucchini in towel to remove as much liquid as possible.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

3. Add zucchini and lemon juice; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until zucchini is tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

4. Whisk ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, egg, lemon zest, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Stir in cooled zucchini mixture.

5. Pour into pie crust.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is set. Serve warm or at room temperature.