« Oyster Mushroom Calamari | Home | Ethos Vegan Kitchen »
Mushroom Asparagus Quiche
By jen | April 10, 2009
Yeah, that’s right, folks. Vegan quiche. People who assume being vegan means subsisting on iceberg lettuce simply lack imagination. Or maybe it’s lack of exposure to the the wonders of tofu. Unless you hate tofu (and/or foods made in tart pans), this quiche is guaranteed to please you with its deliciousness.
Quiche Dough
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (you can substitute with all purpose flour if you prefer)
1 Tb granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tb Earth Balance (vegan butter), cut into small pieces
3 Tb non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (such as Spectrum)
4-5 Tb ice water
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork*, cut the shortening and butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with butter/shortening bits no larger than small peas. Gradually add four tablespoons of the ice water to the mixture, folding the dough until it comes together. You only want to use as much water as necessary for the dough to stick together, so only add the remaining tablespoon of water if the dough is crumbly or dry. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disk. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for an hour before rolling. The dough needs to rest so be patient!
Some tips: Keeping the fats and the dough cold are key so after you measure out the ingredients, put the shortening and vegan butter in the freezer for a couple minutes. If you don’t have ice, keep some cold water in the freezer until you’re done mixing the shortening and butter in the dough.
*Note: You can use a food processor to make the dough if you prefer, but I think it’s just as easy to do it by hand. And there’s less clean up, too!
Use the scraps from the large tart to make a mini tart!
Rolling out the dough
I used a 9″ tart pan, but if you don’t have a tart pan, a pie tin works too. Or if you have small tart tins, you can make several mini quiches!
So you have a couple options here. You can either roll out the dough directly onto your work surface, or you can line both sides of the dough with plastic wrap and roll it through the plastic for easier transfer to the pan. If you’re rolling directly onto your work surface, be sure to lightly flour the surface, your rolling pin, and the top of your dough to prevent sticking. From the middle, roll your rolling pin out in each direction (center to north, center to northeast, center to north west, center to south, center to southeast, etc.). Rotate your dough clockwise 45 degrees and continue again and again and again. You want as round a shape as possible, so with every few turns, use your hand to shape the edges back into a circular shape. Continue rolling until your dough covers the width of the pan with one inch to spare around the edge.
Transfer the dough and center it on the pan. Gently press the dough into the pan, pushing it against the bottom, bottom edges and sides. Trim the edges to remove any excess dough. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. This will help reduce the shrinking of the crust while it’s baking. While the dough is in the freezer, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Are you still there??
We’re almost done, I promise! OK, so the next step is to blind bake (pre-bake) the crust. When you remove the tart from the freezer, poke some holes in the dough with a fork so it won’t blister while baking. Press a piece of aluminum foil inside the tart shell and cover the edges of the pan. Fill the pan with pie weights or dry beans (dry rice also works) and place the pan on a sheet pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake for an additional 5-6 minutes. The crust should be dry and lightly golden. Set aside on a cooling rack and leave the oven on while you make the filling.
Quiche Filling
2 Tb olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium-sized leek coarsely chopped
4 ounces asparagus, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound firm tofu (regular, not silken tofu!) with all the water pressed out, chopped
1/2 - 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
4 Tb nutritional yeast
2 Tb miso paste
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
In the olive oil, sauté the garlic, leek, mushrooms and asparagus until just tender (do not overcook!). Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain any water and set the ingredients aside in a medium-sized bowl. In a blender or food processor, blend the tofu with 1/2 cup of soy milk until there are no chunks left. Add the nutritional yeast, miso, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, nutmeg and chili powder to the mixture and blend. Add an additional 1/4 cup of soy milk if the mixture seems too thick or doesn’t blend properly. The end result should be a mixture that resembles smooth hummus. Combine the tofu mixture with the sauteed vegetables and scoop the mixed filling into the tart or pie pan. Fill it to the top and smooth out the surface with a butter knife. You may have some filling left over, which I found works great as a sandwich spread!
Bake the tart for 35-40 minutes. When you see a yellow crust form on the top, it’s done! Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut and devour!
Topics: Meals |
April 14th, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Wow this was so amazing!
I made it last night and ended up substituting red and green peppers for the mushrooms upon Chris’s request.
I used 8″ and 5″ tart pans and they hey came out perfectly well cooked with a flaky crust. We ate all of it in one go!
I still have enough filling for at least another round of big and small quiche so I’ll have to make some more dough tonight!
Thanks for the fantastic recipe Jen!
April 14th, 2009 at 8:10 PM
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for commenting.