Tuna and Spinach Quiche

I’ve slowly been moving towards amping up my fitness, which means looking at the food that I eat as well as the exercises I do. I’m currently training for a 100km (62 mile) trek through a National Rainforest here in Brisbane, which will see me hiking in the dark as well, as we attempt to hike through the forest in under 48 hours.

I’m actually doing this for a few reasons. Obvious reason is it’s to raise money for the charity Oxfam (the event is “Oxfam Trailwalk” and it’s held in various countries around the world, raising money for poverty stricken countries and communities). My ‘personal’ reason – which is what will keep me motivated – is to prove to myself that I CAN do this!

I’ve always been a relatively healthy individual, not ripped, but healthy and had sick leave in weeks accrued at work, when I was suddenly struck down with a virus that had me bedridden for 3 weeks (and quickly zapped me of my sick leave, holiday pay etc as I tried to recover).

Years on, I’ve been diagnosed with two separate auto-immune disorders – illnesses are something I struggle with often, some are ok – others not so much fun… but I’m on a mission to not only improve my health but my fitness levels as well – to change the current quality of life that I have, and move towards a better, more improved version of myself!

Which is what actually led me to this little discovery… Tuna & Spinach Quiche! Whilst searching google for some ideas on healthy recipes, I came across the blog Cake, Batter and Bowl – she had some wonderful recipe ideas on her blog, but I was drawn to her Protein-Packed Quiche with a Chickpea Crust recipe.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of chickpeas – I have cans of the stuff in my pantry at all times – it’s great for filling out meals, for those vegetarian/vegan meals (which I like to include in my diet from time to time), or simply roasted or pan fried on their own to snack on. I had never considered a chickpea crust before – since trying out this recipe (with a few of my own tweaks), I’ll be looking to use them in other style of crusty dishes too – meat pies etc!

I’ve also gotten into the craze of protein powders – I have them in shakes and smoothies, but sometimes you’re looking for other ways to use them as well which is where this recipe comes in handy. The protein powder is added to the crust for this quiche (and honestly – this crust tastes divine!)

Excuse the photos and lack of presentation too… I’ve recently moved into a new unit and not fully unpacked, so somewhat limited for space… smaller kitchen too eeep!

 

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Prepping the Ingredients

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 & 1/2-2 cans of Chickpeas
1/4 cup of Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup of Protein Powder
2 tablespoons of olive oil (you could use coconut oil as well)

For the filling:
1 180g can of tuna (I love my tuna, so I used more – added protein right there!)
2 & 1/4 cups of egg whites (if you’re on a no dairy diet try using Orgran’s “No Egg” substitute – or if you prefer egg yolks, approx 6 eggs)
1 cup of milk (or non-dairy version)
1 packet of frozen spinach, thawed and well drained (I actually used fresh spinach leaves and chopped them up finely)
Tomatoes, chopped (I used cherry tomatoes – I prefer their sweetness in dishes like this)
Fetta Cheese, crumbled (this is more of a play by feel approach – I didn’t actually take any measurements here – blue cheese will work too)
1/2 teaspoon of salt (I actually omitted this, and replaced with a sprinkling of a few of my fave YIAH products)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the ingredients for the crust into a food processor and pulse until it forms a dough like substance. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan. Spread the dough over the pan evenly and place in the oven for 15-20 mins until it has a golden colour.

Whisk the filling in a medium size bowl until it has a smooth like texture. Pour into the pie pan and cook for a further 40 mins or until it has set.

Makes 8 servings – enjoy hot or cold with a salad or veggies or simply on it’s own!

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Straight out of the oven

This recipe is so easy to make and is packed full of protein! It’s a delicious change from the usual protein shakes and makes a great post workout meal (or family meal in general). It’s been very hard not to keep going back for more, the crust is surprisingly sweet – I could see myself using the crust recipe for desserts as well as mains in the future.

Tuna and Spinach Quiche
Served hot or cold it’s a real treat – you’ll forget how good it is for you!

If you try the recipe, let me know what you think.

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