I’ve been working on this recipe for weeks now (which is one reason why I haven’t blogged lately) and I think I have finally nailed it. Quiche Lorraine (made with eggs and milk and bacon or ham) was one of my go-to dishes many years ago. We always had it for Christmas breakfast, and on many other occasions. It was great warm or cold and you could easily take it for a packed lunch.
I have made many vegan quiches over the years that we have enjoyed, some my own inventions, some from others, but I still have a hankering for Quiche Lorraine. It’s French, of course. North Americans often add cheese and/or onions to his quiche, but the classic version does not contain either, and that’s what I was after. In any case, I found that adding vegan cheese to the filling mix didn’t really add much in the way of flavor and it stiffened up the filling too much. I have also found that in many vegan quiche recipes result in a filling that is too thick, grainy or paste-y, so I was going for a more silky, delicate texture.
I tried several times with my own homemade Tofu Bacon, which we love, but the flavor was just too overwhelming for this quiche. That is why I recommend a commercial vegan “bacon” or “ham” (or a homemade seitan “ham”), lightly sauteed in a little dark sesame oil, instead.
**I may cut down the amount of agar powder next time I make it (I added that option to the ingredient list) just to make the filling a bit more delicate, and I’ll see which we prefer.**
BRYANNA’S VEGAN QUICHE LORRAINE
Makes one 9″ quiche Serves 4 to 6
9″ pie shell (recipe below)
3 oz. thinly-sliced vegan “ham” or commercial vegan “bacon” product
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 1/4 cups creamy non-dairy milk (I prefer soymilk)
1 cup medium-firm tofu or extra-firm Silken tofu (2/3 of a 12 oz. tetra pak)
2 T. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. “chicken-style” vegan broth powder or paste
1 1/2 T. Bird’s custard powder (no vanilla!) OR 1 1/2 T. cornstarch plus a pinch of turmeric for color
1/2 tsp. agar powder (If the quiche is too firm for your liking, use a little less agar next time.)
1/2 tsp. salt or Indian “black salt” (which has an egg-y flavor)
a pinch of ground nutmeg
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Pre-bake the crust (prick the dough all over with a fork) for 5 minutes. Remove from oven to a cooling rack.
Bake for 10 minutes, then cover the whole pie with a piece of baking parchment cut to fit (this keeps the top of the quiche from getting too brown and prevents the crust from burning) and bake 25 minutes more. Remove the quiche from the oven to a cooling rack and remove the baking parchment.
The quiche needs to be cooled down a bit before slicing– we prefer it at room temperature. It can be refrigerated for several days, if necessary.
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BRYANNA’S LOW-FAT OIL PASTRY
Makes one 9″ crust
Although this crust does contain fat, it has about half that of ordinary pastry, and it uses oil rather than hard fat. Divided into 8 servings, each piece with either a bottom OR a top crust (not both) and a fat-free filling will contain 5 g of fat.
The pastry flour and soured non-dairy milk make a tender crust that no one will guess is low-fat.
1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 c. MINUS 1 T. (7 T.) whole wheat pastry flour
3 T. oil (I like olive oil)— if you have time, measure it & freeze for an hour or so.
3 T. plain soy, nut or hemp milk (or a plain vegan creamer) with 1/2 tsp. lemon juice added
3/8 tsp. salt
3/8 tsp. baking powder
3/8 tsp. sugar
Mix the flours in a medium bowl with the salt, baking powder and sugar. Drizzle the oil into the flour mixture and cut the oil in gently with a fork so that it “beads up” with the flour (see photo).
Add the milk/lemon juice mixture:
If you have time, place the dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate it for an hour before rolling out, but it works fine without chilling. Roll out on a silicone mat, using as little flour as possible, and bake as you would an ordinary crust.
Enjoy!
