Lisa's Culinary Atrocities

     I was really excited to make this…and I think it looks good…but it was kinda yucky.  I followed a recipe found online and…blech.  The culprit was the sauce. SO, I will go ahead and post the pretty picture because I know a lot of you don’t read this anyway. :)

Oh, but the crust was perfect.  Yay Trader Joe’s.

     I got an extraordinarily thoughtful Christmas gift from someone very dear to me: a Breville Pie Maker.  Oh goodness…I am beside myself with excitement; a whole new arena of possibility!  And I Looove pie!  Almost as much as waffles.  Maybe more.  Wait, did I say that?

So what will I be doing this long weekend?  Well, making lots of little pies.  First mini pie lab: Tofu, broccoli and cheddar quiche.

There was a little bit of a learning curve, but I figured it all out by the second try.  I used Trader Joe’s pie crust (which is amazing), mixed up my ingredients (below), gently placed the dough in the preheated maker and plopped in the filling.  Within about 10 minutes it was ready.

Now, glorious pie apparatus aside, this recipe is tasty.  Really…  I even bet tofu fraidy cats would like this.  Although tofu lends to different texture, I didn’t miss the egg, but that could be because eggs have been grossing me out lately.  That’s a different story. The mustard in the filling really made it for me.  That and Trader Joe’s South African Smoke (paprika, sea salt, garlic and basil) which I am totally crazy about. I am proud of my recipe!

So, I am on my way to Mini Pie 2012.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dan.

Tofu Broccoli and Cheddar Mini Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust dough
• 1 pound broccoli
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 green onions, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 pound firm tofu
• 1/4-1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Trader Joe’s South African Smoke (paprika, sea salt, garlic and basil)
• 4 tablespoons sharp white cheddar

Directions

Preheat pie maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Cut 4 rounds of lightly floured room temperature dough with large round cutter.

Steam broccoli and set aside.  Lightly saute green onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat.  Add steamed broccoli and cook 2 minutes.

For the filling, combine tofu, mustard, salt and seasoning blend in a food processor.  Add soy milk a little at a time while blending to make sure the filling remains more on the thick side.  Fold in cheese.

Carefully but quickly place dough round into heated pie maker.  Spoon filling into wells, top with cheese and cook until crust is browned, about 10 minutes.

I discovered “The Cravings Place” brand gluten/wheat/nut/egg/dairy free mixes and they are really really wonderful.

Using their “All Purpose Pancake & Waffle mix”, make the waffle batter by adding to the mix coconut oil, baked sweet potato, a little pumpkin spice and soy milk until the desired consistency/flavor.

The tofu I used was pre-seasoned and really quite amazing as far as pre-seasoned tofu goes (I usually prefer to make my own). The brand is “Soy Deli” organic, baked, savory flavor. Slice and warm in the oven. I also like to make tofu ‘croutons’ with this tofu by cubing and baking until crisp on the outside…Yum!!

On the side: lightly steamed Italian kale sprinkled with a lightly salted nutritional yeast, garlic and garam masala.

Add some shaved Asiago and your favorite olive oil…and viola!

This is really very simple and delicious. The olive oil is imperative as to help with the breadiness of the Belgian waffle. The slight sweetness of the waffle paired with the bitter/sweetness of the kale and the savory of the tofu was a realllly lovely combination. Even the tomato garnish paired well!