Eggless Spinach Quiche

Without getting too preachy, I will admit I have had a personal struggle with eating eggs the past few years. On one hand, they are a wonderful cooking staple which are hard to replace, but on the other hand, my ethics are tugging. One of the problems with swapping eggs, especially in egg-based dishes like quiche, is the binding issue. However, I have made this eggless variety numerous times over the past months, tweaking the recipe each time, and have come up with a result definitely worth sharing.

By pressing the excess moisture from the tofu and packing the quiche full of vegetables into an 11” tart pan (versus a smaller width pie pan), binding is no longer an issue. Although this is eggless, it is not vegan. Though, I think a similar result can be achieved by omitting the cheese and upping the vegi content. If you try this, please share! I really believe that delicious food is accessible, without sacrificing your beliefs.

Eggless Spinach Quiche
crust adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini . serves 4-6

Crust
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 t dried rosemary*
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c, plus 2 t cold water

Filling
2 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
5 oz chopped packed fresh spinach (about 2 1/2 c)
2 c grated cheese (I used Cheddar & Colby Jack)
14 oz extra-firm tofu, pressed for 20 min to remove excess moisture
1/2 c soy milk (or skim milk)
3 t white (cooking) wine
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and rosemary. Add oil, and mix well with a fork. Add 1/2 c water, and mix well with a fork. Lightly knead, until dough comes together into a ball, adding 1-2 t additional water if needed. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, sprinkling a bit of flour on top. Roll into a circle, large enough to fit an 11” tart pan, turning 45 degrees each time you roll the pin and back, sprinkling dough with more flour if it becomes too sticky. Transfer to a non-stick 11” tart pan, pressing dough into sides. Trim excess dough, and prick bottom 3-4 times with a fork. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F. In a small pan, add olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and sauté 5-7 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Transfer to a large bowl. Add spinach and cheese. In a blender, combine tofu, milk, white wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Transfer to bowl with spinach, and mix well. Spoon filling into the refrigerated crust, pressing evenly to all sides. Transfer to oven, and bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and let sit 8-10 minutes before cutting, so filling may set.

*If you decide to forgo this crust and use your own favorite recipe, I would recommend adding rosemary or another herb to the filling, as it really adds something special to the end result.

Market Basket: Spanish Tortilla with Kale

Saturday is the sixth week of the Harvard Farmers’ Market and although I am out of town (Alaska!), I can assure you the market is loaded with greens right now. Kale, Swiss chard and mustard greens are all in season, and although they don’t look like much fun, I beg you to add them to your list this week. They are packed with nutrients and can be thrown into so many delicious dishes (Think: soups, stir fry, pasta, risotto...). This tortilla is one of my favorites and is a great weeknight or brunch meal. Just a few simple ingredients and you have yourself a healthy dinner.

Have a great weekend, I’ll be back next week. And If I know myself, there will be no lack of Alaska photos to share!

If you are in the Boston-area stop by the Harvard Farmers’ Market, Saturday from 9-1, for local produce, breads, cheese, meats and handmade goodies. Previous Harvard Farmers’ Market recipes can be found here or via the link on the right nav.



Spanish Tortilla with Kale
serves 4

4 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, sliced very thin
6-8 stems kale, stalk discarded and leaves chopped
2 t salt
1 t pepper
6 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large sauce pan, heat 3 T olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and potatoes, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kale, salt and pepper, and cook 7-10 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with a fork. Add potato mixture, scraping the sauce pan clean, and stir to coat.

Add 1 T olive oil to the sauce pan, swirling to coat. Pour in potato-egg mixture, and transfer to the oven. Bake 20-25 minutes, until tortilla has puffed, and a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool, and cut into slices to serve.

Dark Chocolate & Cherry Zucchini Bread

I’m suckered into buying baby clothes just as much as the next gal. I just adore the tiny shoes and mini ruffled dresses. But I’ve been told by quite a few friends that their newborns have more than their share of clothes. And since I am admittedly clueless about any “practical” gifts, I have decided to offer what I know best. Food! So when my friend Kelly gave birth to her second adorable boy, I promised to visit bearing gifts of the edible variety (plus I’m not sure how Ryder would look in a ruffled dress). While edible gifts are always welcome, edible gifts containing chocolate definitely have the edge.

So Dark Chocolate & Cherry Zucchini Bread was born out of my enormous stash of zucchini and overwhelming desire to make sure the new mom was getting enough chocolate. It’s a post-delivery requisite, no? And while I have had my struggles with zucchini this past month, the fabulous thing about this recipe is that my inability to remove water from zucchini yields a perfectly moist bread.

Dark Chocolate & Cherry Zucchini Bread
makes two 1-lb loaves

3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
3 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1 t salt
2 t vanilla extract
1 c vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
3 c grated zucchini
3-4 oz dark chocolate, shaved into chunks
1 c chopped pitted cherries

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine flour sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Stir together and add vanilla, vegetable oil and eggs. Mix well. Stir in zucchini, and mix until well combined. Carefully fold in chocolate and cherries until dispersed throughout batter. Pour into two 1-lb loaf pans, dispersing evenly. Bake 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Fig & Red Currant Bars

July has really been flying by for me. I have mile long list of recipes to try and a never-ending fridge full of vegis, but I am not getting much accomplished. The friend who I split my CSA with has been in Europe the last two weeks (ya, I know!), so I have been attempting to eat my way through the full share. This, along with the fact that I have been spending what’s left of my few free summer weekends lounging at the Cape leaves me only five days (if I’m optimistic) to work my way through a mess of vegis before the next round comes in. So, ya I’m behind.

But instead of concentrating on what I have on hand like a normal person, I decided to do something totally practical like buy a big box of figs. Oh, and red currants. In my defense, the season for both is limited and the red currants are oh so pretty I just couldn’t pass them up. Because apparently pretty is now a criteria for buying produce.

So I present to you Fig & Red Currant Bars, an oatmealy-fig-newton-esque bar (but SO much better), which perfectly combines all my favorite elements of baking. Sugar, alcohol and good looking produce.

If you cannot get your hands on red currants, don’t fret. While they add a delicious layer of flavor, they can be substituted with another berry (blueberries…mmm…) or left out if you’re a fig-only kind of fanatic.

Fig & Red Currant Bars
serves 6-8

Streusel Dough
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted (12 T)
1 c packed light brown sugar, divided
1 banana, mashed
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 c oats
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

Filling
10-12 Black Mission figs, finely chopped
1/2 c red currants (plus additional for garnish)
1 c orange juice
1/4 c agave nectar
1/4 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 t ground cloves
2 T dark rum or Cognac

Preheat oven to 325F. Line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper, allowing ends to overhang. In a large bowl, combine butter, 3/4 c brown sugar, banana and salt. Stir well. Add oats and flour, and mix until well combined. Transfer half (or a bit more) of the dough to the baking pan, pressing into a thin layer evenly in the bottom. Add 1/4 c brown sugar to the remainder of the streusel dough in the bowl, stir, and set aside. Freeze baking pan 8-10 minutes, until dough is firm. Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 350F.

Combine filling ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes. Add in red currants and simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Spread filling evenly over crust. Scoop streusel dough, in small clumps, over filling. Sprinkle with additional red currants. Bake, 20-25 minutes, until streusel topping is golden brown. Carefully lift using parchment overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to cool and cut into 2” squares.

Asiago & Herb Savory French Toast

If I am invited for brunch, I go for the bloody marys and maybe a home fry or two. Sweet, doughy breakfast foods, such as pancakes and waffles smothered in syrup do not really appeal to me. However if this were on the menu, you could keep your home fries. The idea of a savory French toast is one I really wish I came across sooner. It would certainly stop me from eating lunch at 9am, when I can’t find a satisfying breakfast food.

Asiago & Herb Savory French Toast
serves 2

1/2 c asiago cheese (or parmesan)
2 t finely chopped herbs (I used rosemary and oregano)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 c milk
12 baguette slices (I used wheat)
2 T butter

In a casserole dish, combine the cheese, herbs, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and milk. Mix well and add baguette slices in a single layer. Let sit 1 minute and flip, scooping the cheese-herbs mixture on top of the bread. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add slices, with the cheese-herb mixture pressed into both sides of the bread. Cook 6-8 minutes on each side, flipping every 2 minutes to prevent sticking (cheese will melt and stick a bit). If desired, transfer to a baking sheet and broil 2-3 minutes on each side, for an extra crisp.