East-West Quiche

When I think of quiche, I think of France. And when I think of tofu, I think of a few different countries in the East. That is why I call this my East-West Quiche, which, by the way, happens to be my new favorite way to make quiche. I'll get back to the deliciousness of East-West Quiche in reference to typically made quiche in a moment though.

First, I want to address all of you out there who are grumbling and staring at this creation with a heart full of doubtful negativity. I can read some of your minds now 'Oh, these vegans and vegetarians with their bland tofu and other odd foods'. I know. I know. It does sound a bit strange to make quiche from tofu. For any of you with the aforementioned feelings, I understand at least some of your sentiment.

However, tofu is a good food product in that it has no cholesterol or trans fats along with only a bit of healthy fat and things like soy isoflavones, B vitamins, & protein. It's also one of those foods like cream cheese, for example, in that it can take on sweet or savory flavors. This is nice when it comes to having a healthful and versatile product in your kitchen. And, yes, it's up to you to make the tofu taste good or excellent.

Well, this quiche is very good. I would wager that some of you would call it excellent considering that it's made with tofu, not delicious cheese or rich eggs. My Cauldron Boy took a bite out of it yesterday and, with a mouth full of steaming hot quiche, mumbled 'Yum, what kind of cheese did you use?' He also mentioned that it tasted like chicken was in there.

At that moment, I was pretty content with myself (smile)...

p.s. I know I need to come up with a more healthful crust. This one is super delicious though.

East-West Quiche

1 1/2 Packages Extra Firm, Organic Tofu (21 0z.)*

1 Large Garlic Clove

2 Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast

1 1/2 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp. Yellow Mustard

1 1/2 Cups Sliced Zucchini

1 Small Carrot (thin sliced)

1/2 of a Medium Red Onion or 1 tiny red onion (chopped fine)

1/2 Tsp. Herbes de Provence (or your favorite dry herb blend)

1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt

Paprika and spices for sprinkling quiche

*I pressed the outside of my tofu block with paper towels just to dry them a bit and remove excess water (Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu is best for this application in my experience)!

Crust:

1 Cup A.P. Flour (Arrowhead Mills is excellent)

1/2 Cup (8 Tbsps.) Earth Balance or Smart Balance Buttery Spread

About 3 Tbsp. Cold Water

In a bowl, place the flour and butter. With your hands or a pastry cutter, push the butter into the flour till you see mostly pea sized pieces of floury butter. Add the water, and form the dough into a ball. If your ball is a bit sticky, just add a bit more flour to it.

On a very floury surface, roll out your dough into a flat round that is about 1/8 -1/4 inch thick. Carefully lift it and place it into a 9 inch pie or tart pan. Place in the fridge to set.

Quiche:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Now, sauté your onion zucchini, and carrots in about 3/4-1 Tbsp. of olive oil on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. About 2 minutes into this process, add 1/2 Tsp. of herbs de Provence and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt. Pepper as you like. Set aside to cool on a plate when done.

In the food processor, place the tofu, garlic, soy sauce, & nutritional yeast. Blend till smooth. I blended mine for about 30 seconds, but time can vary from processor to processor. Once smooth, add a pinch of sea salt and the tbsp. of mustard. Stir with a spoon till combined. Now, stir in the vegetables.

Pull the crust out of the fridge, and smooth the tofu mix into the pan. Sprinkle with paprika, onion & garlic powder, & black pepper. Bake for about 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!