Vegan Mushroom - Leek Quiche
Leek-Tofu Quiche is one of my favourite quiches that I have made it many times now. Its tasty, healthy and best of all, versatile. Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe agrees with me on that. If there is anything I would want to change in this recipe, it is the egg. Since Radhika chose the Allium family for this month’s JFI, I took this opportunity to do just that.
I was aware that flax seeds can be used as an egg-replacer, but never tried it myself. A tbsp to muffins and cakes for a little crunch, was all I used them for. To my surprise, the flax mixture was as glutinous as eggs. Not to mention the nutty flavour it lent the crust. I am going to try this technique in few other recipes that I normally make with eggs. This is a formula to remember.
One egg = 1 tbsp of ground flax + 3 tbsp of hot water.
Amongst the Allium family, leeks are the most fragrant, in my opinion. They are mild, sweet and don’t overwhelm other ingredients. This time I paired leeks with mushrooms and red bell peppers. Otherwise, the filing remains the same as the original version.
Ground flax seeds – 1 tbsp
Hot water – 3 tbsp
Soymilk – ¼ cup
Rosemary – 1 tsp, chopped
Baking powder – ¼ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Pepper
Olive oil – 2 tbspFillingLeek – 2, cleaned and sliced
Mushrooms – 1 cup, sliced
Red bell pepper – ½, diced
Garlic – 2 cloves
Green chillies - 2
Sun-dried tomato – 6, reconstituted in hot water and chopped
Walnuts halves –1/3 cup, roasted and chopped
Lemon - 1
Cilantro – 2 tbsp, chopped
Parsley – 2 tbsp, chopped
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
SaltMethod
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 4.5 inch springform pans or one 9 inch pan with olive oil.
To make the crust, mix ground flax and 3 tbsp of hot water in a big bowl. Whisk vigorously for a minute. Microwave for 30 seconds and whisk again. Microwave for another 30 seconds and whisk again. The mixture should now be thick and gelatinous like egg. If you don’t have a microwave oven, do this on a stove-top. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes for the desired result.
To this, add rest of the ingredients to make the crust. Press the dough on the bottom and sides of the pans. Prick the top few times with a fork and bake the crust for 8 minutes.
Make the filling by sautéing mushrooms in olive oil. When they are lightly browned, add leeks, red bell pepper, garlic, green chillies and salt, and sauté for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, cilantro, parsley and lemon juice. Spoon filling onto the crust and bake for 40 mins. Serve warm with a side salad.
Check out Nupur’s Vegan Cornbread made with flax seeds.
