Good morrow to thee, fair veg heads! Today’s recipe is a vegetarian version of something I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making: Quiche Lorraine.
Damn straight.
Obviously my version uses a meat substitute instead of bacon. This time I tried something new, Tofurky’s Smoky Maple Bacon Style Soya Rashers. When I first got them out of the packet I was a bit freaked out because they didn’t really look pink and bacon-esque like I expected. The texture is also very different to other types of bacon substitutes, it’s more crunchy and reminded me of a nut cutlet. However, it tastes good and works really well in both the quiche and the sandwich I had for breakfast this morning. I also think this quiche would taste great with VBites or Cheatin’ Bacon Style Rashers. But enough about my preferred types of facon.
I adapted this recipe from one I found in my Dorling Kindersley Children’s Step-By-Step Cookbook. Feel free to mock that, but it’s actually a pretty good source for simple, great tasting recipes, although it does make the cardinal error of referring to vegetarians as ‘your vegetarian friends.’ Because vegetarians don’t own cookbooks and instead pluck our recipes straight from the crunchy granola lentil knitting cloud world from which we all inhabit. Or something.
It’s quick and easy to make, and could be made even quicker if you bought your own pastry or ready-made pie crust. But it’s really not much of a hassle to make this one.
Serves 4/Cook Time Approx 40 mins
Ingredients
115g (4 oz) plain flour
30g (1 oz) butter
30g (1 oz) vegetable fat or shortening
2-3 tablespoons water
300 ml ( 1/2 pint) double cream
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
85g (3 oz) vegetarian cheese (I used cheddar)
115g (4 oz) vegetarian bacon substitute
You will also need some dried beans, rice or equivalent, to blind bake the pastry
Method
Heat your oven to 200 C/400 F/ Gas Mark 6. Cut up the butter and vegetable fat into small pieces and place them in a mixing bowl with the flour and salt
You can either rub the fat and flour together by hand or you can use pulse with your food processor, or hand blender like I did, until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Next, slowly add the water and stir using a round-tipped knife until the mixture comes together as a soft ball of dough.
Sprinkle a little flour on a flat surface and roll out the dough into a thin circle, large enough to cover your chosen quiche tin.
Gently lay the pastry in the quiche tin, press it into place and trim the edges. No you can’t see a picture of my patchy pastry case. Chegg on! Next, line the pastry with foil or baking parchment and fill with your baking beans or rice. I used rice
Hey look you can even see a tiny bit of my awesome hoodie in that picture. Cooler than my pastry skills by far. Bake the pastry case for fifteen minutes, then remove from oven and carefully take out your foil and rice. Dispose of these once cool.
Whilst your pastry is baking, make a start on the filling. Slice the facon into small pieces and cook according to packet instructions. Break the eggs into a jug and beat together with the cream. When your pastry case is cooked, spread the facon evenly across it, then pour the egg and cream mixture over the top. Cover with grated cheese and bake the quiche for twenty five minutes. It will be firm, and the cheese melted and crispy.
Wahey! I served my quiche hot with some salad and focaccia bread. It can also be eaten cold, if there’s any left…
Always match your spotty tablecloth to your spotty plates.
Hope you enjoy this recipe and I’ll be back with more soon. Until then, facon on!
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