Recipe-Chaya and Cheese Quiche
Chaya or tree spinach, as some locals call it, is native to the Mexico’s Yucatan and Belize. It is fast growing and makes a nice hedge. It transplants well from cuttings and I highly recommend that one keep it in their garden or yard to have a ready supply of something green and healthy to eat. It thrives being harvested. By the way, when harvesting, just trim the leaves as that will save you from having to remove the long stems for cooking. Keep in mind, the raw leaves are toxic but safe to eat when cooked. As an added benefit, it is considered a “super food.” Chaya goes well in eggs, soups, and stir fries.
One of the first recipes I experimented with is with this quiche. I simplified things by making the quiche crustless. I serve with mixed greens drizzled with home-made balsamic dressing and slices of fresh tropical fruit.
Crustless Chaya & Cheese Quiche
Ingredients:
3 cups of chaya, chopped into strips
5 eggs
1 cup of hard cheese of your choice roughly chopped (In Belize, both Edam and Gouda are the most consistent to find in Belize stores.)
1 TBSP of coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 shakes of Marie Sharp’s
Directions:
Preheat oven 350. Wash chaya leaves and pat dry. Saute chaya leaves in coconut oil until wilted. In mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Add remaining ingredients and wilted chaya. Pour into greased 9-inch pan and bake for 30 minutes or until set. Let cool and cut into squares. Makes 6 servings. Freezes well.
Chaya leaves.
