I’ve been away from the blog for a while now. I have made some pretty huge life decisions that have taken some time to sort out and plan for, but I have still been cooking and have some posts lined up for you.
Here is my recipe for Vegan Quiche, which was inspired by my sister-in-law. She made this delicious spinach quiche when I was visiting a few weeks ago, and I’ve been thinking of making it ever since. Easter Sunday seemed like the right time to get on it.
Vegan Mushroom and Asparagus Quiche
- 1 lb. firm or extra-firm tofu
- 1/3 cup soymilk
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tsp. water
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped asparagus, tips reserved for garnish if desired
- 1 cup sliced button mushrooms
- 3 strips cooked vegan bacon, crumbled (optional)
- 1/4 cup vegan cheddar cheese (optional)
- Salt, pepper
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- 1 pie crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Add a few tsp of olive oil and add the onions. Season with a bit of salt then put a lid on them and let them cook very slowly, for about 15 minutes. They should not be “frying” but rather “caramelizing.”
Meanwhile, squeeze the tofu to drain the water. Crumble it into a large mixing bowl. Add the nutritional yeast, soymilk, lemon juice, and flax mixture. Mash really well with a wooden spoon until there are no large pieces of tofu. At this point it will look a bit like ricotta cheese. Season with salt, pepper, dried oregano and dried rosemary. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Add the asparagus and mushrooms to the pan with the onions, adding additional oil if necessary. Season with additional salt and pepper. Saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and the asparagus is tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Drain off any excess liquid. Combine the vegetable mixture and the tofu mixture.
To Assemble:
Add the crumbled bacon to the bottom of the pie crust and top with the vegan cheese, if using. Then fill the crust with the tofu mixture. Press it down a bit with a spoon and smooth out the top. Arrange the asparagus tips on the top in a starburst pattern if you like.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the edges are a bit brown and the tofu is set. Let cool for 30 minutes or so before slicing.
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Thank you for posting these recipes! I’m a new vegan and am on the lookout for new ideas. I’m having such a difficult time. I keep getting cravings for meat. I miss bacon so much
Do you have any suggestions or fake meat recommendations? I’ve tried Quorn products, but didn’t really care for it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Although I gave the “beef tips” and “chicken wings” a pretty medicore rating, I’m loving the Gardein brand Chick’n Scallopini (use like you would a chicken breast) and the Chick’n tenders. In general, the Gardein brand products seem the most realistic to me, so if you’re new to eating a plant-based diet, these are probably a great place to start.
For vegetarian bacon, there really isn’t a great substitute, but I like the taste of tempeh bacon (lightlife brand) but the texture is all wrong. The frozen veggie burger brands have veggie bacon that is a bit more realistic in terms of texture. You can also find vegetarian bacon bits (i think Baco’s are actually vegan!) Also, you can buy liquid smoke to add to things you make that gives it a very bacon-y flavor (use very sparingly)
Freezing and thawing firm tofu gives it a chewy, meaty texture that is great for marinating and baking (or coating with flour, frying, and smothering with hot sauce-my favorite!). Portobello mushrooms are a good sub if you’re craving meat as well. You can do a search on my blog (and other blogs as well) for seitan and will come up with recipes for homemade meaty-textured and flavored vegan alternatives.
Don’t be too hard on yourself! It’s great that you are going vegan! Let me know if you have any more questions!
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