Real men don't eat quiche? Try some of these imaginative

Real men don't eat quiche? Try some of these imaginative quiche recipes to debunk that myth!

Quiche recipes are made for the non-cook. The French version of the Italian Frittata, quiche is a dish that allows you to roll up your sleeves and let your creativity flow! If you can beat eggs, you can make any number of delightful quiche recipes. As a matter of fact, once you've followed a couple of quiche recipes, from a website or cook book, you'll see that making quiche is like falling off a log ... you don't even need a formal recipe! Follow the basic process, using your favorite foods, and become a quiche expert.

The only difference between a Frittata and quiche is that quiche is made with a crust, while a Frittata is like an omelet, but baked in the oven in a baking dish. When you make an omelet, it's simply a matter of beating a quantity of eggs, pouring them into a frying pan and adding the goodies. You fold the omelet, turn and serve.

Most men love a well put together omelet. The elegant quiche has just gotten a bad rap. Some men hear quiche and automatically relegate this culinary delight to the sissy bin! Well, it's up to you to make a quiche to die for and let your man have a taste. Just don't say, Look, honey, I made quiche! Serve it up and let them guess. Quiche recipes will prove to be a successful addition to your menus, with encore calls.

Just think of quiche as an elegant omelet. Just about anything goes. Quiche can be a stand alone breakfast, lunch or dinner meal. Served with a crisp salad, you've got a quick, tasty, nutritious and economical meal. Let's take a look at some quiche recipes you can invent on the fly. Let your taste buds be your guide.

Begin with a ready-made pie crust from the supermarket. Choose a deep-dish size, to accommodate plenty of flavorful goodies. Gently unfold the pie crust and lay it in a deep dish Pyrex baking pan. Let the crust 'relax' for 10-15 minutes. Use the tines of an ordinary table fork, dipped in ice water, to fix the edges of the crust in place on the rim of the pan.

Beat 6-8 eggs well. Set the bowl of eggs aside, while you check out the frig for any leftovers, such as mushrooms, sliced olives, bits of ham, or a chunk of cheese which might be tasty additions to your quiche recipe. If something is past its prime, toss it. Include only fresh leftovers!

Good candidates in produce include spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and potatoes. Got a few slices of cooked bacon left over from breakfast? How about that leg of chicken sitting there looking lonesome? Dice a few slices of ham to toss in the mix. Do you have a can of clams in the pantry? A package of frozen salad shrimp in the freezer? Live it up and get a couple of ounces of Prosciutto from the deli.

Naturally, you won't want to put all of these ingredients in the same quiche recipe. The secret to a successful quiche is combining ingredients using common sense. Develop a main 'theme' for your quiche. Poultry, beef or seafood. Cheese only makes your quiche better. Go out on a limb and try something new. A spinach, ham, bacon and smoked cheddar combination dishes up rich flavor and good nutrition. Shrimp and crab, combined with fresh parsley, mushrooms and dill Havarti or pepper jack cheese is a tasty mouthful.

Combine your goodies of choice in a small bowl and beat into the eggs. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the eggs are just firm. Serve with a garden salad and warm, buttered bread. You enjoy a new reputation as a gourmet cook and that man has no complaints!