Vegan Quiche

Traveling and busy weekends always tend leave me craving one general thing: hot food. Room temperature food is more or less the option (at least for someone on a veg-diet!) during those long car drives, and I start to miss those nice, warm, home-cooked meals. Like vegan quiche.

This has been my number one favorite meal for the last several months. I can't get enough of it! If I had to choose a last meal, this would be my entree. Guess what I'm having on Monday when I get home? (Maybe even Sunday night, if I have the energy to go to the grocery store after the drive...) My point is, even if you're a full-time carnivore, give this a try. I promise, it won't disappoint. The recipe:

Adapted from Meatout Monday's "Classic Quiche Florentine"

Ingredients:

1 package Mori-Nu Firm Silken Style Tofu (about 12 oz)

3/4 - 1 cup diced yellow onion, depending on how onion-y you want it

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, preferably thawed

1/2 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon garlic powder, more if you really like garlic!

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper **UPDATE** If you're not a big pepper fan, do just one teaspoon. (I love pepper, but understand some don't love it as much as I do--but 2 teaspoons do make this really peppery).

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3 crumbled vegan "bacon" strips

1 Pre-made pie crust--I really like using the Keebler brand reduced-fat graham cracker ready-crust. It sounds weird, I know: "Quiche with a graham cracker crust??" But believe me, it's absolutely decadent.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray and sautee the onion over low to medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, being careful not to burn.

If your spinach is already thawed, drain and press some of the extra spinach-juice out with a paper towel. If it hasn't been thawed, microwave until it is (but you don't really want to cook it too much beforehand), then drain and press with a paper towel.

In a blender, combine the tofu, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and turmeric. This is a little easier if you chop the tofu into smaller bits first. Blend until you have a thick but smooth batter.

Pour the tofu mixture into a mixing bowl, and add in onions, spinach, and crumbled bacon strips. Mix until just combined, then pour everything into your pie crust. Make sure everything is nice and smoothed out...

Place the quiche in the oven, and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the top is firm to the touch (sometimes it cooks faster than others, I think depending on how well the spinach is drained and pressed).

Let cool for about 30 minutes before cutting, store in the fridge, and really really enjoy! ...I'm looking forward to Monday :)