Thursday, April 23, 2009

Spinach and Leek Quiche




This recipe is very loosely based on Bryanna's Vegan Bell Pepper and Mushroom Quiche. Obviously one difference is the vegetables, but I also substituted EnerG egg replacer for the cornstarch and agar, as well as increased the tofu and vegan parmesan and decreased the soymilk. I did try Bryanna's recipe as written, but I found that the blended mixture sat on top of the vegetables and was a little too pudding-like for my taste. I also lowered the temperature to allow the filling time to become dense before the outer surface forms a crust. The changes I made produce a pie that is closer in consistency to the quiches I remember from my pre-vegan days.

ingredients:
1 9" pie shell
1 Tbs olive oil
1 leek, cleaned and sliced thinly
1 lb frozen chopped spinach
2 Tbs EnerG egg Replacer powder
1-1/4 cup soymilk
1 tsp vegetarian chicken bouillon (amount needed to make 1 cup broth)
1 dash of turmeric
1 dash nutmeg
a pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup firm tofu
1/2 cup Galaxy Foods Vegan Soy Parmesan
a dash of paprika

1. Bake the pie shell at the temperature indicated for a no-bake pie filling. Err on the side of undercooked. My pie crusts called for 425 F for 11-16 minutes, so I baked mine at 425 F for 10 mins. Once the shell is baked, cool completely and set the oven to 350 F.

2. Sweat the leeks in the olive oil until translucent (I used a covered cast-iron skillet).

3. Add spinach to the softened leeks and stir uncovered until most of the moisture is gone and the spinach is almost dry. Patience and a med-low heat are needed here.

4. Once the spinach is almost dry, remove from the heat and let the mixture cool while you blend the rest of the ingredients.

5. Add the EnerG powder to a medium-sized bowl, and slowly whisk in the soymilk until it is a smooth but thick liquid. Whisk in the bouillon (pulverize with a fork first if you're using a cube instead of a powder or paste), turmeric, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Use enough turmeric to give the mixture a nice egg-y color.

6. Whir the tofu in a food processor or blender before adding the EnerG-soymilk mixture and blending the entire thing a few seconds until smooth.

7. Stir together the blended mixture, the soy parmesan, and the cooled spinach mixture before filling the cooled pie shell.

8. Smooth the top of the unbaked quiche with a spoon or spatula and lightly sprinkle with paprika before baking in a 350 F preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the filling is firm and has started to crack.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Cornstarch: Good or Evil?

I just finished off my first ever box of cornstarch. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I bought it years ago before I was married. There's a picture of Martin Yan on the back from his Yan Can Cook! days. I have a feeling that he was probably a large part of why I bought it in the first place. I gave up on Cantonese-style stir-fries a long time ago. I've since used it in a few desserts and most recently in experimenting with vegan quiche.

The question is should I buy a new box? There has been a lot of media attention on corn in the past year or two: corn syrup, corn starch, GMO's. Now granted my corn starch is so old it was probably pre-GMO, but it's not exactly health food. There are supposedly healthier starches out there, and then there's the crowd of people eating to live beyond 100 who are eschewing starches and processed foods altogether. I, personally have a dear friend who has a sensitivity to many things, corn starch among them. Am I better off not replacing my box? What should I use instead? Kuzu? Potato? Tapioca? Arrowroot? Rice flour?