Make No Bones About It We're Vegan


Monday, November 5, 2012

A Cooler Quiche

I must have ordered a custardy quiche at least once when I was a young veg. Quiche, lentil loaf, sprouts, carob almonds from a bin, and fresh squeezed carrot juice were the kind of foods I could find in a Venice, California hippie store in the late 70's early 80's.
I know I had a dog eared copy of Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook which featured a Swiss and mushroom quiche. I bought Molly's follow up book the Enchanted Broccoli Forest and that had a spinach and broccoli quiche in it's contents. I don't remember making either quiche. I do remember an ex-fiance creating a cheezy eggy delight he paired with a green goddess salad and served up with too many bottles of wine. Years later a kind boyfriend's mom cooked a veg version of her quiche Lorraine just for me. Still I don't remember ordering or particularly caring if a quiche was part of my culinary arsenal or not. Truth be told, I appreciated everyone's efforts but quiche reminded me a little of dust.

I had one spelt pie crust left from the pie shell two pack, (sounds like a rapper), after I used one for the apple pie ice creme fiasco. As you know I eventually triumphed. You can read about the victory here. I just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand for a quiche from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch. If Isa thought a quiche was cool, then what the heck.

Based on Isa's Classic Broccoli Quiche

canola spray
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
3 C broccoli finely chopped
1 tsp thyme
TJ's 24 salute spice
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 C raw cashews
1 lb extra firm tofu
3 tsp mustard
2 vine ripened tomatoes
9 inch pie crust


 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Poke bottom of pie shell with fork about 5 times to prevent it to puffing up. Bake for ten minutes. Preheat skillet and spray. Saute onion and garlic for a bout 3 minutes, add broccoli and seasonings and cook for about ten minutes until soft. Add water if it gets dry.

Meanwhile in food processor pulse cashew into fine crumbs, give tofu a squeeze to remove some excess water and crumble into food processor with the mustard. Process until relatively smooth. When the broccoli is done cooking add one cup to food processor and pulse to combine. Transfer cashew mix to mixing bowl and add remainder of broccoli mixture and combine. Taste for salt. Use a spatula to get everything into the crust and smooth top. Place tomatoes around pie and bake for about 40 minutes until edges of the crust are slightly brown. Let sit for twenty minutes before digging in.
As you can see I did not cook the tomatoes and still it was quite good and not at all dusty.

Love and quiches, (so 80's I know).

GiGi

24 comments:

  1. I never made egg quiches either, but the ones I've made with tofu or chickpea flour have been delicious so who needs eggs? Your version of Isa's quiche sounds really good. I love broccoli in my quiche.

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    1. Ah, so I am not alone with my non quiche making veg days. I am anxious to try a chickpea omelette. Nobody needs eggs!!
      Thank you, Andrea. Broccoli is one of my faves.

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  2. I haven't attempted any quiches yet since I figured it'd be hard to replicate without the eggs. Yours looks really great!

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  3. Real vegans eat quiche. You can't go wrong with quiches--plus they are great leftover veggie receptacles. I'm also including a quiche recipe in my upcoming pie book.

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    1. Hahaha. They are great leftover baskets!

      Congrats on your upcoming pie book!

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  4. i like the looks of this quiche. all the broccoli and tomato in the soft custary filling

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  5. Thanx, Richa! You are now the reigning pizza pie queen.

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  6. Yes, this is definitely cooler than a normal quiche. I like that you topped it with raw tomatoes, you know so that it tastes all non-dusty.

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  7. Quiche definitely seemed to have its era (including the whole "real men don't..."). The old Moosewood books are loaded w/ eggs and cheese. Anywho - well done on the non-eggy, non-cheesey quiche!

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  8. I haven't spent much time looking at the old Moosewood cookbooks, but a former co-worker made the olive tapenade from one of the books for a party, and it was amazing. That's a very pretty quiche from VB. I have that cookbook, but I haven't tried that recipe. I like that you added fresh tomatoes at the end instead of cooked.

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  9. Hey Vedged out thanx for the coolness stamp of approval. No dust of yore ;)

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  10. AR the quiche of yesteryear, defi had it's place. Thank you.

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  11. hey Cadry-I no longer have those books :( I remember making that tapenade. Indeed delicious. Raw tomatoes for the win.

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  12. Um, that crust is AMAZING! I cannot take my eyes off of it. Teach me, oh wise one, how do I get my crust to look like that???

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  13. hehe, YUMMO! You had me giggling too. Rap on, girlfriend!

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  14. Thank you, the taste buds were happy, Claire.

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