We are all guilty of making choices influenced on how easy they are. I was guilty of making inexpensive and easy to make meal choices while risking my health. The cheaper and easier something was to make, the more likely I was to buy it. For a student, time and money is of the essence.

However, my outlook towards the relationship between time, money, and healthy foods changed when I discovered a quiche recipe. It suddenly became easier to eat healthy while also saving money. What is a quiche you might ask? Well, it is a fluffy omelette styled pastry dish. A quiche contains all the necessary elements to make students happy. The ingredients are inexpensive and interchangeable, the cook time and preparation time are minimal, the quiche lasts for multiple meals or can be frozen, and the meal itself is nutritionally satisfying.

A quiche is very forgiving to experimenting first time cooks. I constantly try new ingredient combinations with the same egg and milk base. I am someone who only buys foods that are on sale at the grocery store. Usually, I end up with a bunch of healthy vegetables in my grocery cart without any idea on how I am going to bring them together for a meal. The beauty of the quiche is that it can bring those random ingredients together. Sometimes vegetable sales are too good to pass up and when you end up with five stalks of leek in your cart (like I did), you have to find out what you are going to do with them. I made quiches. Those five stalks of leek ended up in multiple quiches that I froze for the times studying, instead of eating healthy, was a priority. Ending up with five leeks led me to a quiche experiment. Out of this experiment came my own leek, mushroom, and cheese quiche.

Save some money and help your body out by eating healthy while also sticking to a friendly student budget. I do not want you to fall into the same unhealthy dark abyss, that I did, eating only Kraft Dinner and Ramen noodles. A quiche is experimental and fun to make. I always enjoy trying new flavours and seeing what I can create with the ingredients in my fridge. The quiche is all about experimenting.

Cheese, Mushroom, and Leek Quiche

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serving: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

The ingredients you will need to make this quiche include:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup (250 ml) of milk or cream (Cream will make the quiche richer, but milk is the healthier choice)
• A deep dish pie shell (found in the frozen aisle at the grocery store)
• One leek (only the white and light green part)
• 1½ cup (375 ml) of sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup (250 ml) of Cheddar cheese (Mozzarella cheese is another good substitute, or use half of each. Don't be afraid to experiment)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Must Have Preparation Items:

The must have items to carry out this recipe are:

• A large frying pan
• A cutting board
• Measuring cups
• A medium or large bowl
• A whisk
• A baking pan
• A Table spoon
• A Cheese grater

Preparation:

1. Wash the mushrooms and leek.
   Note: Wash in between the layers of the leek. Dirt tends to hide there.
   
   
2. On the cutting board, slice the mushrooms to a desired size.
   
   
3. On the cutting board, slice the leek to a desired size.
   Note: Use the light green and white part of the quiche. The dark green part is bitter.
   
4. On the cutting board, mince the two cloves of garlic.
   
   
5. Grate 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
   
   

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
2. In a frying pan, on medium heat, add a table spoon of olive oil, the sliced mushrooms and leek, and the minced garlic.
   
3. Cook until the mushrooms and the leek soften.
   
4. In a large bowl, add the eggs and milk.
   
5. Whisk the eggs and milk together.
   
6. Add pepper.
   Note: Add chili pepper flakes instead for a kick of spice.
   
7. Whisk until the mixture is frothy.
   
8. In the frozen pie shell, spread out the mushroom, leek, and garlic mixture equally.
   
9. Distribute the cheese equally on top of the mushroom, leek, and garlic mixture.
   
10. Add the egg and milk mixture.
    Caution: Try not to overflow the pie shell.
    
11. Place the quiche into the oven. Let it cook for 45 minutes.
    Note: It is easier to transport the quiche in and out of the oven if it is on a baking pan. There is less chance of spilling the liquefied eggs everywhere.
    
    Caution: Careful! You can burn yourself when placing the quiche into the oven. Wear oven mitts for protection.
    Optional: After 40 minutes, add another layer of cheese on the top of the quiche. The quiche's top layer becomes crispy.
12. Take the quiche out of the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes.
    Note: To check if the quiche is completely cooked, pierce the middle of it with a fork. No liquid should come out. The crust and top of the quiche should be a golden brown colour.
    Note: Quiche tastes best at a warm temperature.
    

Making a quiche is beginner friendly. Almost anything can be added into a quiche. The quiche is an ideal student recipe that is healthy, delicious, and economical.

Quiches can be redefined every time you make one. I think that is what makes the quiche perfect for students. Not being constrained to specific ingredients makes it that much easier.

Other quiche combos that you might enjoy are:

• Spinach, onion, and cheese
• Bacon, broccoli, and cheese
• Spinach, leek, and cheese

The combos are endless. And I guarantee your quiche will taste good every time. Start experimenting!