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 | 2 Comments »
Oyster Mushroom Calamari
By jen | April 6, 2009
My partner got me The Artful Vegan cookbook from Millenium for Valentine’s Day and I absolutely love it. The recipes intimidate the hell out of me, but I like to flip through the pages over and over, fantasizing about the kinds of dinner parties I’ll throw one day. Since I got through the Cajun crispy tofu recipe without burning down the kitchen, I decided to attempt the sesame-crusted oyster mushroom calamari recipe for a housewarming party I was attending. Though mine didn’t turn out as tasty as what you’d get at the restaurant, I was fairly satisfied with the results and the omnivores at the party seemed to enjoy them, too.
Topics: Appetizers | No Comments »
Crispy Cajun Tofu, Swiss Chard and Mac and Cheeze
By jen | April 3, 2009
Since Souley Vegan is still closed, I’ve had to satisfy my cravings for vegan soul food by making my own crispy tofu and mac and cheeze.
The crispy tofu recipe comes from The Artful Vegan cookbook from Millenium Restaurant. The balance of flavors in the batter and spices were delicious and I will definitely be making this again! I sautéed the swiss chard in olive oil, garlic, onion and a little balsamic vinegar. For the mac and cheeze, I used large shell pasta, which I highly recommend because it holds the sauce really well. I adapted Fat Free Vegan’s mac and cheeze recipe because I didn’t have miso, tahini, or dry mustard and I like a little kick in my mac and cheeze. If you are sensitive to spice, you can cut the amount of garlic powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper. If you like spicy, this mac and cheeze is delicious with a few shakes of hot sauce on top! Continue reading “Crispy Cajun Tofu, Swiss Chard and Mac and Cheeze” »
Topics: Meals | No Comments »
Hello!
By jen | April 1, 2009
Welcome to my new food blog where I share with you my (mis)adventures in vegan cooking and baking!
I became a vegan permanently in January 2007 (after a few unsuccessful attempts) and have come a long way in my culinary abilities since then. As much as I enjoyed food, I was never particularly interested in cooking when I was an omnivore or vegetarian. When I became vegan, I was essentially forced to learn to cook for myself and boy were the first six months rough! I felt helpless, even with all of my newly purchased vegan cookbooks. I didn’t have any staple ingredients, hadn’t worked with most of them and I lacked the patience to even try. My diet mostly consisted of salads, Tofurky, rice and tofu and veggie stir fries. B-o-r-i-n-g!! And as much as I loved to bake, vegan baking seemed intimidating.
Since those first few months, something incredible has happened. I cook and bake nearly every day and I absolutely love it! I feel that veganism has opened a new outlet for my creativity and awakened my appreciation for food and food preparation. I love trying new recipes, experimenting with ingredients and sharing the results with my partner and friends. A domestic side of me surfaced that had never existed before age 26. (Anyone who has known me since before 2007 can attest to this.)
I read dozens of vegan food blogs every week and am in awe of all amazing recipes and photos – there is some serious talent out there! I hope to one day reach the level of all of my vegan blogger heroes, but in the meantime, I’ll be sharing many of my mistakes along with my successes as I continue to learn the art of vegan cooking and baking. I hope you enjoy the blog!
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »