Come winter, many of us gravitate toward heavier, denser foods. We look for dishes that keep us grounded and warm but often reach for the less than ideal options to satisfy this need for comfort. You don’t need extra fat and calories just to get that hearty touch to your meals. This vegan quiche recipe is testament to just that! It’s filled with winter greens (in both the filling and crust!) and uses tofu to replicate the texture and taste of the usual egg base.

What You’ll Need

This crust is unlike your regular white flour and butter quiche crust. Instead, its foundation is a combination of gluten-free flour and quinoa that is then loaded with both spinach and broccolini, making it uniquely light, green, and nutritious! Instead of eggs and/or butter to hold the crust together, ground chia seeds make for a worthy alternative.

For the filling, you’ll need to purchase firm tofu, to which you’ll be adding even more greens as well as “cheesy” nutritional yeast. Luckily, no extra preparation for the tofu is required prior to using it in this recipe.

Winter Greens Vegan and Gluten-Free Quiche Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 handful baby spinach
• 1 bunch broccolini’s stems, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds, ground
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup gluten-free flour
• 1/4 cup cashew butter
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

For the filling

• 400 grams extra firm tofu
• 1 bunch broccolini’s florets, chopped
• 2 large handfuls of kale, chopped
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 10-inch pie dish.

For the crust, add the spinach and broccolini stems to a food processor. Process until broken down. Then add in the chia seeds, baking powder, nutritional yeast, gluten-free flour, and cashew butter. Blend until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and use a spatula to stir in the cooked quinoa.

Press the mixture into the pie dish, pressing firmly against the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan to form a crust.

For the filling, add all of the ingredients except the broccolini florets to the food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Spread the mixture atop the crust and top with the broccolini florets.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden-brown and a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

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The post This Vegan, Gluten-Free Quiche With Winter Greens is Comfort for Belly and Soul appeared first on EcoSalon.

This crustless corn and zucchini quiche recipe brings a ray of spring sunshine to your brunch!

Quiche is as foolproof as any sophisticated brunch mainstay will get, especially if you take the crust out of the equation. Quiche allows for an endless amount of possibilities – add-in options run the gamut, from sweet to savory to a mixture of the two. In this corn and zucchini quiche recipe, sweet corn is paired with herbs, spices, cheese, and spring zucchini. The result is an easy-to-make cheesy, low-carb breakfast or brunch feature that will fill you up with seasonal flavors and satisfy a crowd. Enjoy!

Crust-less Sweet Corn and Zucchini Quiche Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup Gruyere cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, onion, zucchini, and mushrooms. Stir and let the veggies cook for a few minutes. Add the corn. Stir and continue to cook until the veggies are soft. Remove from heat and stir in the basil, oregano, and salt.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and add in the grated cheese, setting aside about ¼ cup of the cheese for later. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and stir until evenly distributed. Pour the quiche mixture into a lightly greased, parchment paper-lined 9-inch pie pan. Top with the extra cheese and cover the pan lightly with foil, making sure the foil is not touching the top of the quiche mixture, only covering it. Place the pan into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes so that the top of the quiche turns a light golden brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

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The post Crustless Corn and Zucchini Quiche Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

Quiche is a sophisticated dish that takes breakfast or brunch to a more refined level (it is French, after all). It is a rich, savory custard with add-ins like cheese, vegetables, meat, fish and more. And while it does impress the eyes and the palate, quiche is a dish best reserved for a rare occasion, as it is incredibly heavy and can stint your weight loss and health goals. Luckily, we have here a quiche recipe you can eat without guilt, slice after slice.

A classic quiche recipe includes the likes of bacon, eggs, milk, cheese and pie shells, which are made of white flour, butter and vegetable shortening. Often vegetables, meat, fish and other ingredients are tossed into the mix, depending on the recipe. Considering the heaviness of the ingredients in quiche, it’s not meant to be enjoyed as a daily dietary staple. Even when based in vegetables, quiche packs on the pounds. A single piece of meatless spinach quiche, for example, makes for nearly 350 calories. With that tally, it’s hard to justify a second or third serving, especially in the morning or as a snack.

However, this does not mean you have to shun the dish altogether or avoid eating it on a regular basis. Even on special occasions, it’s always nice to have a more body-friendly alternative to offer friends, family and yourself. The following recipe for a slimmed-down quiche is vegan and gluten free!

Vegan and Gluten-Free Quiche*

Makes one 9-inch pie

For the crust

• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons water

For the quiche

• 14 ounces firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 cup thinly sliced leeks
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup firmly packed spinach
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9-inch baking pie dish. Rinse the tofu and wrap it with a few thin towels. Place it in a bowl and place a heavy object atop that provides enough pressure to push out the moisture in the tofu.

Next, in a large bowl begin to prepare the crust. Mix together the almond flour, oat flour, oregano, rosemary and salt. Once evenly combined, add the olive oil flax egg and water. Fold together until the dough begins to form. Add more water if need be – the dough should stick together but still be crumbly. Press the dough on the bottom and up the sides of the baking dish. Pop into the oven and back for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it for the last 3-4 minutes to make sure it does not burn. You want the dough to be lightly browned and golden. When finished, remove from the oven and increase the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Add the tofu to a food processor and blend until smooth. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil, shallot, garlic and leeks. Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or until the water emitted from the mushrooms has been cooked off. Add the spinach, nutritional yeast, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook until the spinach has wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the creamy tofu, stirring until well combined. Pour the mixture into the baked crust and pop the quiche back into the oven for 35 minutes, or until firm. Serve warm or cold, but it is best cold.

*This recipe is inspired by Oh She Glows.

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Photo Credit: liz west

The post The Traditional Quiche Recipe Gets a Vegan and Gluten-Free Makeover appeared first on EcoSalon.

Taking an odd ingredient and finding even more unusual uses for it.

It’s not so much that the following uses are particularly unusual, but rather that nutritional yeast itself is an odd ingredient. It’s gaining popularity among foodies for its cheesy taste and nutritional benefits, but it still has a way to go in terms of becoming the pantry staple it’s meant to be. Nutritional yeast (nooch) is one of the only non-animal sources of vitamin B-12. It only takes 1/2-1 tbsp of nutritional yeast to get the daily requirement for B-12. Nutritional yeast is also an excellent source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, chromium, selenium, and other minerals as well as 18 amino acids, protein, folic acid, biotin, and other vitamins.

And don’t worry about the yeast fermenting in your gut. It’s deactivated, so it will not give you the bloat. This is what distinguishes it from Brewer’s Yeast, which has not been deactivated.

Pop Corn

As if popcorn couldn’t get any more addicting, nooch had to get involved. Sprinkle the powder along with a drizzle olive oil and a dash of sea salt onto popcorn just popped for a cheesy touch. Add other spices, such as garlic powder, dried thyme or dried rosemary for an even more gourmet experience.

Pizza

Skip cheese and sprinkle a light layer of nutritional yeast onto pizza just after it leaves the oven. Cheese is hard to digest, especially when cooked, but that doesn’t mean you have to cede the taste completely. If you top a pizza with diverse textures and flavors, such as a robust marinara sauce, roasted vegetables and nutritional yeast, the cheese component is unnecessary.

Vegan Cheese Sauce

The food blog world is bursting with vegan “cheese” recipes – some simple, some elaborate – with nutritional yeast as the key ingredient. Check out Angela’s Low-Fat Vegan Cheeze Sauce on her blog Oh She Glows for a 5-ingredient approach. Head over to Epicurian Vegan for a heartier vegan cheese sauce that gets some extra bulk from cashews.

Bread Crumbs

Replace bread crumbs with nutritional yeast in any mixture requiring holding power. This cuts down on the carbs and adds an extra bite. Try using nutritional yeast to hold together veggie burgers or any other patty that would normally require bread crumbs.

Kale Chips

There’s nothing wrong with the standard kale chip recipe. But, nutritional yeast takes kale chips to a whole new level – a level that merits obsession and daily consumption. Try your hand at the Spicy & Cheesy Kale Chips presented by the blog Eating Bird Food.

Macaroni & Cheese

We’ve already given macaroni and cheese a serious makeover, and nutritional yeast was an crucial player in this feat. Not only is this recipe vegan, but thanks to nooch, it offers cheesy comfort to a creamy, sweet potato base.

Pasta

Skip the grated parmesan and sprinkle nutritional yeast atop warm pasta along with some garlic powder and a drizzle of olive oil. The combination of flavors makes for a dish that doesn’t miss a thing.

Mashed Potatoes

Stir nooch into mashed potatoes, not only saving calories by nixing cheese but also cutting down on the sodium. Indeed, mashed potatoes can be healthy.

Bean Dip

Emily Malone of the blog Daily Garnish makes a fabulous bean dip using nutritional yeast. If serving this at a party, no one would even be able to tell its vegan.

Roasted Vegetables

One of my favorite go-to meals is roasted vegetables topped with shredded cheese. On days I’d like to skip the cheese and opt for a healthier alternative, I stir nutritional yeast into the finished vegetables instead. When warmed by the vegetables, the yeast smoothens out and creates a creamy sauce with help from the vegetable juices and oils.

Roasted Nuts

Roast nuts that have been tossed in some nutritional yeast. The roasted flavor will be augmented and the nuts will have a slightly cheesy coating on the skin.

Onion Rings

Nutritional yeast has been showing up in onion ring recipes, and for good reason. It helps to increase the nutritional benefit of onion ring batter and adds an edge to each bite. Make the baked fat-free onion rings featured on vegan blog My Whole Deal.

Sauce Thickener

Much like flour and butter are used to thicken a sauce, nutritional yeast can replace the flour to do the same thing.

Gravy

Keeping your health on track during the holidays is all about cutting corners in small ways. Nutritional yeast can redefine gravy. Bring this simple recipe to the table and the cheer will only heighten.

Salad Dressing

Sneak in your B12 quota is by adding a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to a homemade salad dressing like the Hollyhock Salad Dressing, which you can find on A Passionate Plate blog.

French Fries

Want some added nutrition, crisp, and kick to a homemade version of baked French fries? Drizzle olive oil over cut root vegetables and then toss them in a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast. The flavor is out of this world.

Creamy Cooked Greens

Cooked spinach pairs well with cream and cheese, but you can replace those heavier add-ins with a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast and then watch as the bare spinach suddenly becomes decadently creamy and bold in flavor.

Vegan Quiche

Experiment with this No-Soy Vegan Quiche recipe from blog Triumph Wellness. It’s the perfect example of where just a little bit of nooch makes a big difference.

Dog Food

Dogs need their vitamin B12 too, especially if your dog is on a plant-based diet. Mix some nutritional yeast in your furry friend’s nibbles and he or she will benefit in a major way.

Baby Formula

If a baby is using formula in place of breast feeding, it is recommended to add nutritional yeast to the infant formula.  Nutritional yeast provides B12, iron and folic acid, which are essential to growth.

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Photo Credit: Artizone, Acquired Life

The post 20 Unusual Ways to Use Nutritional Yeast appeared first on EcoSalon.