There's a reason you don't see many (or any) recipe posts flying around on this blog. It's because I'm not a very precise cook. Don't get me wrong, I can hold my own better than most in the kitchen but cooking, to me, has always just been an "okay, let's see what I can make with this then" sort of affair, and throwing in a bit of this and a bit of that to see how it turns out really doesn't translate well into a blog post.
Recently, I was sent over some silken tofu to play with by the lovely folks over at Mori-nu UK. One of my go to uses for silken tofu has always been as a filling for quiche. I've made many many tofu quiches over the last 3 years and none of them have come out quite like the last. I do tend to use the same method each time, just with a slightly different brand or equipment. This is my attempt to share my method with you. This quiche can be made with any veggies or toppings you like. I tend to just use whatever I have in the fridge on any given day.
I wouldn't say that I'm a lazy cook, but my favourite recipes are the ones where you can do a big part of the work quickly and simply. This recipe hinges on the humble blender. The quiche mixture itself is just a case of throwing ingredients into a blender and whizzing it up to the desired texture - which is considerably thicker than a regular egg quiche mixture. I tend to eyeball this, but I will attempt to quantify things in the recipe below.
NOTE: I used a very shallow flan tin on this occasion, but the batter recipe below would easily fill a deeper tin (with adjusted cooking time), or even make 2 quiches! I had leftovers.
Ingredients
Quiche batter
1 pack - Mori-nu firm silken tofu
Heaped teaspoon - dijon mustard
A handful of your favourite shredded vegan cheese - with extra for topping
(I used Follow Your Heart Cheddar Shreds)
A pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp ground arrowroot (for setting - you could also use cornflour or chickpea flour, this was just what I had on hand)
1/2 tsp turmeric
Approx half cup of unsweetened non-dairy milk - or enough to get a thick batter-like consistency without blowing up your blender
(I would also add in 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast, but I was all out on this occasion)
Everything else...
Jus-rol shortcrust pastry sheet
Medium onion - diced
Sliced tomatoes and mushrooms
Generous handful of spinach
Method
Place shortcrust pastry into your chosen dish/tin and part bake, as per pack instructions, for about 5mins - remove from oven and set aside.
Place all batter ingredients into a blender and blend to a thick, smooth consistency - add more seasonings to your own taste if desired.
Saute the onion and spinach until onion is translucent and spinach is wilted.
Place onion/spinach into pastry base and spread out.
Pour batter mixture over onion/spinach and mix well (a better way to do this would be to mix together in a bowl first and then pour into base, but I didn't have a bowl)
Top with sliced tomato and mushroom and sprinkle with more shredded cheese.
Bake in the oven at around 175 celsius, for 30mins - or until quiche is set
Trim crust (just for the sake of neatness, although I never bother doing this to be honest)
Allow to chill and set further before serving.
I am aware that this is at risk of sounding like the vaguest internet recipe in history, but I've always trusted my eyes when it comes to cooking, and I don't think this recipe needs to be over-complicated - because it just isn't! My tofu quiche has been lapped up in the past at family parties without me even getting the chance to mention that it is vegan.
Silken tofu is a really great ingredient for egg replacement and handy to keep as a store-cupboard staple. You can also use it to add protein to smoothies or to create a thick, luxurious chocolate pudding.
Not sure if this blog will be turning into a recipe blog any time soon, but I've got a few recipes that I'm working on with my new Instant Pot that I feel like I want to share very soon.
