HookedOnPlants

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plant-based comfort food

Vegan Quiche with Smoked Tofu & Cauliflower Crust

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Diner-approved vegan brunchin’. This comfort-style vegan quiche has Father’s Day breaki written all over it.

An egg-y texture, with smokey bits and creamy hollanadaise, all on a cauliflower crust.

Comfort food with benefits… and lots’a tastiness.

Plus… it’s soy-free, gluten-free & oil-free (triple bonus).

I’ve been pumping out the treats over the last few weeks… cardamom muffins, cookies, parfaits, matcha cheese cake, so I had the urge to share some savoury goodness with you so you can create a masterpiece for your Pa this weekend.

Depending on the preferences of that Dad in your life, either take the savoury route with this quiche, or this omelette, or sweeten things up for the special occasion with these simple pancakes.

‘Quiche’ …the first thing that came out of Davey’s mouth when I asked him for a savoury comfort food recipe idea. Davey’s my professional taste-tester and cuts all BS when it comes to telling me whether it tastes good or not… And as the ‘cheese egg king’ before we went plant-based, he gave this quiche a 10/10 for eggy-ness and tastiness.  Winner.

The lemon-y hollandaise takes it to the next level on the brunch-0-meter.

When I told my G-Ma I was whipping up a vegan quiche, she didn’t get it. Quiche usually means eggs, cheese, butter, bacon. It’s pretty much an oxymoron. But the code is cracked, folks.

Plus, the cauliflower crust brings this quiche to a new level. It’s a cake-y crust with zero gluten and a good dose of cruciferous awesomeness.

Benefits:

  • Cauliflower is so versatile. Cauliflower Roast, Buffalo Cauli Wings…and this crust is totally usable for pizza crust too. Don’t let the white colour fool ya, cauli is packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Plus it’s part of the cruciferous fam-jam (known for cancer prevention).
  • Chickpea flour is the magical ingredient in the filling to create that egg-y texture. It’s packed with amino acids, and gluten-free for those with sensitivities.
  • Veggies!!! They’re good for ya. Duh. You can pack in as many veggies as you want in the filling and they’ll be surrounded by delicious egg-like texture and go down real easy.


Vegan Quiche with Cauliflower Crust
 
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A quiche for an occasion... veganized! A flavourful filling all on top of a gluten-free cauliflower crust.
Author:
Recipe type: breakfast, brunch, lunch, comfort food
Serves: 8
Ingredients

  • Cauliflower Crust: (or use any other kind of crust you like)
  • 3½ cups cauliflower, chopped, steamed 10 minutes (until soft)
  • 3 flax eggs (1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal + ¾ cup water in a jar, let sit for 5 minutes)
  • 1 cup flour (I used amaranth)
  • ¾ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

  • Filling:
  • 1½ cup chickpea flour
  • 1¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tsp black salt (optional - but an amazing ingredient for that 'eggy' taste)
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 4 cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced
  • handful spinach
Instructions

  1. Make Crust:
  2. Pre-Heat oven to 400°F
  3. Place steamed cauliflower in a cheese cloth or nut milk bag. Let sit in the fridge for a few minutes (until you can handle it without yelping). Then squeeze as much liquid out of cauliflower into the sink as possible.
  4. In food processor, pulse the cauliflower, flax eggs, flour, nutritional yeast, tahini and spices until a creamy dough forms.
  5. Press and spread dough with a spatula on a 9-inch pie dish (non-stick, or lined with parchment paper) along the bottom and up the sides about ¼ inch thick.
  6. Bake crust for 20 minutes.
  7. At the same time, spread the mushrooms, red pepper, and cherry tomatoes on a parchment-lined (or reusable baking sheet-covered) baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, make the filling: blend or whisk together chickpea flour, water and spices until smooth. Then stir in the roasted veggies, spinach, onion (and if you're fine with soy, add in ¼ cup of chopped smoked tofu YUM)
  9. Pour filling into the crust.
  10. Bake for 45 minutes.
  11. Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
  12. Serve each slice with a drizzle of the hollandaise sauce from this recipe and a basil leaf or two:)

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This week was all about celeb vegan Dads 🙂

Vegan Omelette (what?!) + Cashew Hollandaise Sauce

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We be BRUNCHIN’!  This vegan omelette shows up with the texture, taste and look you’re wanting when you dig into that savoury fave of a dish.

Finally, an egg-free version of one of the best breakis around. Drizzled it with this Hollandaise Sauce and call it a Sunday.

When it comes to veganizing old faves, it’s all about re-creating that texture, pleasing the taste buds, and replicating the sight of that nostalgic dish you used to devour over and over again…but this time, with plants.

I used to love cheese & avocado omelettes so much that they’d grace the plate for breakfast and dinner. Finally, I can sink my fork into that same omelette, without having anything to do with an animal 🙂

It even got a thumbs up from my hard-to-please fiancé/taste-tester. Davey’s specialty used to be cheese eggs, so needless to say, he’s got high standards when it comes to comfort-food brunchin’. I’m happy to report that this recipe passed with flying colours.

The black salt used in the recipe is a magical ingredient that gives the omelette that ‘egg-like’ suflur taste. If you can get your hands on some, do it. If not, your vegan egg mixture will still be delicious, but not quite as egg-y tasting. I ordered mine online from Vegan Supply (pick up some Jules Fuel while you’re at it!). You can also order it through Amazon or find it in any other natural food store these days.

Tapioca flour (from the Casssava root)  is another magical ingredient that gives the omelette a egg-like texture. It creates the chewiness and helps it all stick together. Cornstarch can replace this, but, if you don’t have either in your cupboard for this recipe, don’t stress, it’s not the end of the world.

I used Alligga Flax Oil for the cooking oil. When it comes to the beauty of this omelette, a little oil goes a long way to give it that crisp, brown outer layer.

Flax oil, you ask?! Yup.

Usually you wouldn’t be able to cook with flax oil. But, these guys are the first to figure out a way to filter the oil so it has a ‘high-smoke point’. This means that you can cook with this flax oil with the omegas will staying in-tact, and the healthy fats in there won’t turn into trans-fats. This is a great way to get in your omega-3 fatty acids (which is an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid that we all need to balance out our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio) for brain power, memory, arthritis, mood, and overall healthy function.

Benefits:

  • Tofu isn’t something to be afraid of. It’s super nutrient-dense and plant-protein packed. The phytoestrogens that come with it aren’t anything to worry about. These are plant estrogens that act completely differently than human estrogens. There’s no need to worry about about ‘man-boobs’ or hormone imbalances, when it comes to soy. Dairy on the other hand…cut that stuff out.
  • Chickpea flour is also packed with protein! Chickpeas are also packed with manganese for bone health and antioxidant function.
  • Nutritional yeast is an amazing source of Vitamin B12 for your nervous system, neurotransmitter signalling, and cell reproduction (great for hair and nail growth).


Vegan Omelette + Cashew Hollandaise Sauce
 
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A veganized omelette! The texture, taste and look are on point with this recipe. Wow your egg loving friends with this egg-free version of the beloved omelette.
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: comfort food,
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups (350g) firm tofu, patted with tea towel to remove excess liquid
  • ⅓ cup chickpea flour
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tbsp tapioca flour
  • 1tsp garlic/onion
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp black salt
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • Dash of Pepper
  • 2 tsp Alligga flax oil (for cooking)

  • Filling:
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp flax oil
  • Choice of veggies, diced (mushrooms, peppers, spinach, red onion)
  • Vegan cheese Chao, Black Sheep, Gusta are all good options
  • Avocado
  • Hollandaise Sauce
Instructions
  1. Sauté garlic and veggies in flax oil
  2. Blend all omelette ingredients, except for flax oil, in your blender until it’s as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
  3. Test the texture: dip a spatula in the mixture. Does the mixture stay on the spatula, but it’s on the verge of dripping? Perfect.
  4. Turn a pan to medium heat and oil it up.
  5. Pour half the mixture onto the oiled pan and set timer for 2 minutes 30 seconds. DO NOT TOUCH.
  6. When the timer goes off the omelette should be darkening on the top, maybe with a few bubble holes. Cover half of the omelette with half of your fillings. Then fold one side over to create your vegan omelette!
  7. Place lid on the pan and let cook for a minute to melt that cheese.
  8. Serve with avocado slices and a mega-drizzle of hollandaise sauce. Helloooooo Brunch.

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Next Level Vegan Lasagna with Creamy Tofu Ricotta

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Plant-based comfort food to the max. Vegan Lasagna. Or is it lasagne? We’ll stick with the first one.

Lasagna. This word usually means the cheesiest, most tomato-y pasta bake you’ll ever have.

Well, this lasagna still brings that, without the cheese.

Your taste buds and comfort-feels will be completely satisfied while the tofu ricotta and roasted garlic hummus come together to create the most decadent party-in-your-mouth lasagna experience ever.

This vegan lasagna is a good dish to serve up after the holiday indulgence. Your palate is probably still craving that comforting meal, but your brain and bod are begging for that lighter, get-back-to-the-greens kind of meal. Ya know what I mean?

Not to mention there’s just something special about diving your fork into the layered masterpiece we know and love as lasagna.

All that’s in between you and this yumminess is…

Mix

Sauté

Layer

Bake.

Easy it up by using store-bought hummus and tomato pasta sauce.

Or, go for it and make your own roasted garlic hummus from this recipe (double it so you have extra, because what’s a fridge without a tub of hummus anyway…)!

Benefits:

–Brown rice pasta is the pasta for you if you’re sensitive to gluten at all. Pasta isn’t something to be afraid of! YES, avoid white pasta (which is completely stripped of it’s nutrients, vitamins, and fibre), but the other options like quinoa pasta, sprouted whole grain pasta, spelt pasta etc… are all great options! 

–Miso Paste is fermented soy that gives the dish a salty, umami taste. It also is packed with beneficial probiotics to help combat digestive issues by balancing out your gut micro flora. Plus it takes this vegan lasagna to the next level.

–Spinach (lots of it) is pop eye’s fave. I mean common’ what’s not to love. It’s packed with plant protein, chlorophyll, and when it’s cooked you’ll absorb higher levels of vitamins A and E, protein, fibre, zinc, thiamin, calcium, and iron!


Next Level Vegan Lasagna + Creamy Tofu Ricotta
 
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Cheezy and creamy tofu ricotta make this lasagne a plant-based comfort food staple, and one that won't bust your belt!
Author:
Recipe type: lasagna, pasta, dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 package brown rice lasagna pasta
  • 2 cups (one large jar) tomato basil marinara sauce
  • 6 large cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
  • 2 small or 1 large zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2-3 cups packed spinach, chopped
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
Tofu Ricotta:
  • 1 package firm tofu, pressed 15 minutes (or put in 110°F dehydrator for 1 hour)
  • ¾ cup roasted garlic hummus (store bought, or make this recipe)
  • 7 large leaves of basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp miso paste
  • ¾ cup nutritional yeast
Instructions
  1. Make the hummus (or used store-bought).
  2. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. While you're at it, press your tofu if you haven't already (I use a plate, then wrap the tofu in a tea towel, then stack books or a heavy bread board on top for 10 minutes at least)
  3. Heat a pan to medium. Add the onions and mushrooms until the pan browns, then de-caramelize the pan with a bit of water. Add the garlic, vegetable bouillon, and zucchini. Let sauté a few minutes (add a splash of water if it's sticking). Add the peas and spinach. Let sauté a few more minutes until the spinach is cooked down.
  4. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta noodles 2 minutes less than recommended on the package (this helps them stay in tact for layering). Rinse immediately with cold water to prevent them from sticking.
  5. Meanwhile, make the tofu ricotta! Crumble the pressed tofu into a bowl with all the other tofu ricotta ingredients. Mix well to combine. Steal a taste. It's delicious.
  6. In a 12 x 8 inch baking dish, assemble the lasagna: First a thin layer of tomato sauce, Second a layer of ⅓ of the noodles, Third, a layer of ½ the ricotta, Fourth a layer of ½ the sautéed veggies, and again, tomato sauce, ⅓ of the noodles, the rest of the ricotta, the rest of the veggies. Finish it off with the last of the noodles, rest of the tomato sauce, and a generous sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
  7. Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes.
  8. Take tinfoil off and bake for 5 more minutes.
  9. Remove and serve. Will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.

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