Spinach and Red Pepper Quiche with Sausage and a nutty Quinoa Crust (wheat free!)

I really think that quinoa makes a superior crust. Really. So if you have never tried it, now is the time! Quinoa is very high in protein, especially for a grain. For the crust I use quinoa flakes (a quick cereal) not the flour. I like the flakes because they give the crust a nuttier texture. Sometimes flour crusts taste, well, flour-y to me. Checkout the Quinoa corporation's website at: http://www.quinoa.net/145/index.html

Crust Recipe, for 1 crust:
1/2 package of Ancient Harvest Quinoa flakes (6 oz), see above picture
3/4 stick of butter-- if the crust isn't sticking together with this amount of butter, add a tsp at a time until it does.
1-2 TBS water, if needed to hold crust together

Cut butter into small pieces and mix into quinoa flakes, blend together in a food processor and add water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms into a ball, or can be pressed into a pie pan. You may need a little more or less butter than the recipe calls for.

Grease pie pan with butter then press quinoa mixture into the pie pan, starting from the middle and working out until you have a uniformly thick pie crust. I make mine quite thin, as I like it that way.

The Egg Mixture:
For one pie mix 3-4 eggs with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of milk (use the greater number if your pie pan is a deeper dish).

The Goodies: (Preheat oven to 375 F, for the quiche)
1 cup grated yellow cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 red pepper, chop into thin 1 inch size
1/2 bag baby spinach, or about 3 cups worth, chop small
1 package of Italian sausage (about 3/4 pound)
butter for stir fry

1. Heat pan to medium heat and add butter, red pepper, and sausage. Break sausage into small bite size pieces as it cooks. Remove from heat when meat is done. Below is picture of meat and red peppers; I was making 2 quiches, so there are more ingredients pictured than is called for in this recipe:
2. Place grated yellow cheese as the bottom layer on the quinoa crust, leave a 3-inch circle in the middle and crumble the feta cheese in it. Aim to cover the crust with a layer of cheese, this will provide a yummy moisture barrier.

3. Next place chopped spinach over the cheese

4. On top of the spinach put the sausage-red pepper stir fry, use a slotted spoon to avoid adding all the juices. Here is what it looks like now:
5. Lastly pour the egg-milk mixture slowly over the "Goodies". You should now have a full pie dish, ready to cook. Hopefully you preheated the oven to 375 F.

Cover quiche with aluminum foil or an oven proof lid. The lid keeps the quiche moist and cooks it more thoroughly and quickly. Cook the quiche on a middle rack at 375 F for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 F. Cook until the pie insides are not "jiggly" when you lightly shake the pie. In other words, the middle of the quiche should feel dry to your touch. Overall it will probably take about 30-40 minutes of baking, less time if you are using a lid.