Thursday, February 20, 2014

Vegan Recipe - “Can’t tell the difference” Quiche

I would like to introduce you to Danny and his fabulous site, The Gourmet Vegan. While living in Spain and Tenerife, he began experimenting with food, creating vegetarian essentials which he was used to getting in the UK but could no longer find. At the same time, he tried out new cooking techniques and flavor combinations. The result is a site full of diverse dishes from cultures around the world.

There's more to The Gourmet Vegan than just delicious recipes, though. For those new to plant-based cooking, the Basic Recipes section will be of interest. It is like a course, teaching techniques to make every dish a success. The Forum includes helpful discussions ... I especially liked the section on nutrition.

Danny has very graciously given me permission to share one of his recipes with you. It is delicious ... I hope you'll give it a try!



“Can’t tell the difference” Quiche


INGREDIENTS

“Can’t tell the difference” Quiche
  • 1 batch Shortcrust pastry, enough to line a quiche dish. Can be home made but I used Jus-Rol
  • 300 g ( 10 oz ) cauliflower, chopped into small florets
  • 2 teaspoons groundnut oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 medium onion, finely sliced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced

For the quiche mixture

  • 1 cup ( 105 g ) chickpea flour
  • 2.5 cups ( 600 ml ) water
  • 1 vegetable stock cube ( A cube that makes 500 ml stock ~ I used Kallo )
  • 1/2 teaspoon sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons ( 10 g ) nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon black salt ( Kala Namak ), this is optional but it will give more of a taste of egg if used or 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

Other Ingredients

  • 4-5 slices of tomato for garnishing
  • Melted vegan margarine for brushing.

METHOD

Note : Please read through this recipe before making the quiche to be sure the directions are followed correctly.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius ( 400 F ) Gas Mark 6.

Begin by roasting the cauliflower. Place in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of the oil and the 1/4 teaspoon salt and coat well. Place on a foiled baking tray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until softened and slightly charred. Remove and put to one side.

Whilst the cauliflower is roasting, add the other teaspoon of oil to a frying pan and fry the onions, with a pinch of salt, for 3-4 minutes until they start to caramelise. Add the peppers and continue to cook on a low heat for 7-8 minutes until the onions are very caramelised and the peppers have softened. Put to one side.

Line an oiled quiche dish with the pastry, prick the bottom with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and put to one side as you prepare the filling.

Now prepare the quiche filling.

In a bowl add the chickpea flour and one of the cups of water. Whisk this together well and put this to one side.

In a wide bottomed saucepan, add the final 1.5 cups of water and the stock cube, nutritional yeast, turmeric, sage and black salt (or the sea salt). Bring to the boil.

When the water comes to the boil, slowly pour in the chickpea mixture and stir continuously. Once all the mixture has been combined, lower the heat and continue to stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes quite thick and glossy.

Add in the cauliflower and the vegetables and combine everything well. This will be a very solid mixture.

Pour into the prepared pastry case, leveling with a spatula, and top with the sliced tomatoes.

Put into the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the top with some melted vegan margarine and place back into the oven for a further 5 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool completely before serving. Can be served warm or cold. If you are serving warm, then allow to cool and reheat in the oven for 5 minutes.

Find the original recipe, along with step-by-step photos, HERE.

If you have a vegan recipe which you'd like to share, please contact me HERE. And for all the recipes we've shared so far, be sure to visit our recipe page using the tabs at the top of this blog ... or by clicking HERE.


Sneak Peek: Do you love mayonnaise on your sandwich but don't want the eggs? Join us tomorrow for something special.


Image and recipe courtesy of The Gourmet Vegan