Tofu anyone?

I'm sick of talking about how sick we are, though I'm sure you're all waiting with bated breath for my next post. Just like when you see Great Aunt Marge who talks incessantly about her toenail fungus and heartburn medication. Unfortunately, the plague is not finished wreaking havoc on our house. Banany and I both had fevers last night. Swell.

Fortunately, I have a backlog of posts...so here's something to keep you busy until we're back on our feet around here.


I decided to make Hot and Sour Soup again last week, except this time I made it with firm tofu instead of chicken. I didn't love the way the chicken tasted in the soup, but I wanted some lean protein in it, so I added tofu. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. The tofu just soaks up all the flavors in the soup and was pretty much unnoticeable. Just the way I like it.

I had some extra tofu leftover and found this recipe on a blog I like to read. This gal does a lot with natural, organic and sometimes unusual ingredients, but many of her recipes are intriguing to me. My plan was to make this for myself to eat this week (J wouldn't touch this...hates mushrooms and tofu kind of freaks him out).

When I first tasted this out of the oven, I loved it. Reheated later, however, I didn't like it quite as much. I admit, I've got some "tofu issues" too, so maybe I let them get the best of me. I'd actually be very curious to try this with eggs, like in a traditional quiche. But if you like tofu, spinach and mushrooms, I'd be shocked if you didn't love this. The flavor of the quiche "innards" was really good and the crust was great with the toasted sesame seeds and oats.

Spinach Mushroom Quiche

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

For the crust:

1/2 cup rolled oats

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole spelt flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper

1/3 cup unflavored soy milk or water (I used water)

1/3 cup light sesame oil or pure olive oil plus more for brushing the pan (I used olive oil)

For the filling:

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used regular olive oil...oops...evoo would have been better)

1 cup finely diced onion

10 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced (I used baby portebellas)

2 tablespoons dry white wine or water (I used white wine)

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

3 garlic cloves, slice crosswise into 1/8-inch rounds

10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used dried)

Pinch hot red pepper flakes

1 pound firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry (I used less than a pound, it's what I had left)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 pounds fresh spinach (I used 2 packages of frozen...that was too much)

Paprika for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. To make the crust, spread the oats and sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the toasted oats and sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and process until the oats are finely ground.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk and oil. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the dry ingredients to form a dough.
5. Lightly brush a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan with oil. Put the dough in the tart pan. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the dough and press down evenly, making sure to fill in the fluted sides of the pan. Trim the tart of any excess dough and refrigerate while you make the filling.
6. To make the filling, in a wide saute pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and mushroom, raise the heat to high, and saute for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan until the vegetables are caramelized. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and continue to cook until dry. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the vegetables into a mixing bowl and set aside.
7. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes or until the garlic is golden. Do not let the garlic brown or it will become bitter. With a rubber spatula, scrape the garlic oil into the bowl of a food processor.
8. Crumble the tofu into the bowl of the food processor. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and puree until smooth. With a rubber spatula, scrape the puree into the mushroom-onion mixture.
9. Remove and discard the tough stems of the spinach. Wash the leaves in a large bowl with several changes of cold water. Transfer the spinach to a pot and cook, covered, over high heat for several minutes, just until wilted. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to arrest the cooking. Drain well and squeeze dry. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and chop fine. Add the spinach to the rest of the filling and stir well to combine.
10. Fill the tart shell with the tofu and vegetable mixture and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Dust with Paprika. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes,until firm.
11.Let the tart cool for 8 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

My notes: As I mentioned, I used two packages of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry. This was too much. I'd suggest using only 1 package, maybe 1 1/2.