Monday, September 26, 2011

Roasted cauliflower quiche with nut crust

I adapted several recipes to come up with tonight's dinner. The crust is from The Vegetarian Adventure cookbook by Rowan Bishop and Sue Carruthers. The quiche is an adaptation of something I ran across called Hippie Pie on food52.com.

There are three distinct steps in this meal. You can always make the crust and roast the cauliflower in advance.
First- start the cauliflower roasting (20 min). While it is roasting, make the nut crust and get it chilling.
Second, when the cauliflower is ready, cook the crust. While the crust is cooking (10 min), make the quiche.
Third, when the crust is ready, throw the quiche into it and bake it (35 min).

Nut pastry
1 1/2 C ground almonds
1/2 C whole meal spelt flour
1/2 C plain spelt flour
1 T parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt
5 1/2 T chilled butter
1 egg

Place the nuts, flours, cheese and salt in a food processor. Cut the butter into pieces and process briefly, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and process again, using the pulse button, just until the mixture begins to 'ball'.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (if time permits).  Preheat oven to 410F.
Roll out to fit a quiche pan, prick with fork and bake at 410F for 10 minutes, then allow to cool.

Quiche

1 small cauliflower, cut into thick slices
1/2 large onion, diced
4 oz greens, chopped roughly (Swiss chard, spinach, etc.)
1 T fresh herbs (marjoram, oregano, etc.), cut
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 C milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 C grated cheese (make a mixture of three different- e.g., fontina, parmesan, romano)

Place the cauliflower on a jelly roll pan, brush with olive oil, then toss with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower roasts, saute the diced onion, add the herbs, salt and pepper and slowly cook till carmelized.

Wilt the greens, squeeze out the excess moisture and stir in the parsley.

Beat the eggs and milk together.

Mix the cheese together.

When the crust is ready, scatter the chopped greens on the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle in 1/3 of the cheese. Pile on half the cauliflower and onions and sprinkle with next 1/3 of the cheese. Put the rest of the cauliflower mixture in the quiche. Slowly pour the egg mixture over everything and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 375F for 35 minutes. Watch that the cauliflower tops don't burn- if they are getting too brown, cover with foil.
**Here it is going into the oven.
**Just out of the oven. Really nice flavors. Not your ordinary quiche.

No comments:

Post a Comment