Spinach and Eggplant Quiche (with tofu!)

What my husband doesn’t know won’t kill him.

In this case, what my husband doesn’t know is that instead of using cream in a recent quiche recipe, I used soft tofu.  All to a brilliant ending of “Wow, this is tasty, honey.”

I love quiche.  Not only is it a simple, very versatile recipe, but it’s also a fabulous way to use up leftover vegetables.

Here’s the finished product.  I forgot to charge my camera battery, so I don’t have a step-by-step tutorial.  Sorry folks.

Print this recipe: Spinach and Eggplant Quiche (with tofu!)

In any case, the basics of a quiche are the following:

• 1 pie crust.  Use store bought for a faster prep time.  Use a store bought one that’s already in a tin for the epitome of convenience.
• 2 cups of cheese.  I like Gruyere cheese because it has a rich, nutty flavor.  Regular Swiss cheese is fine too.
• 2 eggs to help bind everything together.  3 would be fine too if you like your quiche with more egg flavor.
• Other flavorings.  Obviously salt and pepper, but herbs and other spices work well too.  I used dried marjoram (one of my favorites) and 1 seeded and diced canned chipotle pepper with an extra teaspoon of its smoky adobo sauce.  De-seeding it is optional; it decreases the spiciness.
• Heavy cream or tofu.  1 cup of cream if that’s your route.  I wanted to go lower fat so I used half a package of soft tofu which melted as soon as my mixing spoon touched it.
• 1diced onion, sauteed with vegetables to start the cooking process
• Vegetables.  Also sauteed with the onions.  Open your produce drawers and play connect the dots.  This is truly a recipe for making-over any leftover vegetables into a knockout.  I used about 2 cups of fresh eggplant and 1 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach.

Ready set, 3 steps.  That’s all.

1.  Mix cheese, eggs, tofu, and extra flavorings in a large bowl.

2.  Saute the diced onion and vegetables in olive oil for 5-7 minutes until they are cooked.  The onions will be translucent.  I used eggplant and their color went from pale white to buttery yellow. Generally the vegetables need to cook a little beforehand to ensure that they are fully done and melt-in-your-mouth-soft when you serve the quiche.

3.  Mix everything together to make the filling.  Empty it into your pie shall.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, plus or minus.  Insert a toothpick or butter knife in the center and make sure it comes out clean.

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