Italian Spinach and Tomato Quiche

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cupvegan butteror coconut oil
• 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of water
• One 9-inch pie dish

For the Quiche:

• 2 cups cooked spinach (if using frozen, thaw first), squeezed to remove excess water with paper towels
• 1 tablespoonolive oil
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 package of firm tofu
• 3 tablespoonsDijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 3 tablespoons vegan egg replacer mixed with 1 cup ice coldalmond milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cupvegan Parmesan cheese
• 8-10 pieces of asparagus

To Make the Crust:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
2. Cut the butter or coconut oil into cubes and use your hands to work the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that looks like a coarse meal with pieces of butter no bigger than a pea. Sprinkle water onto the flour mixture a little at a time, and work the dough with your hands until the dough can be formed into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
3. When you are ready to roll out the dough, remove the disk from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature for 10 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a diameter 2 inches wider than your pie or tart pan.
5. Drape the rolled out dough over the pie or tart pan and press the dough into the sides of the pan. Trim and crimp the edges. Place in freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Poke holes with a fork in the bottom of the pie crust for air to escape and bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until slightly golden.

To Make and Assemble the Quiche:

1. To cook the asparagus, heat a large pot of boiling water. Trim the edges off of the asparagus so that they are only a few inches long. Blanch the asparagus by boiling it for 2 minutes, set aside.
2. In a medium-sized pan, cook the garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes until translucent. Add the rinsed spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft, but not all the way cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a food processor, blend together the tofu, corn starch, vegan egg w/almond milk, nutritional yeast, arrowroot, Dijon, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Once combined, place the veggies back on low heat and pour in the tofu mix.
4. Fold in the sun dried tomatoes and asparagus. Combine and then place in the pre-baked pie shell. Cook for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to completely cool. This will provide a more solid texture the longer you weight. Garnish with vegan parmesan and fresh basil.