Cherry Tomato & Pesto Mini Quiches
What do you love about summer? For me, one of the big things is the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. And cheap tomatoes! Cherry tomatoes are my favourite, they just explode in your mouth when you bite them. Yum!
These mini tomato quiches are an awesome way to use summer's fresh tomatoes and you don't need to limit yourself to cherry tomatoes. If a big juicy beefsteak variety is what's on hand, then just use those! With a crisp base and delicious soft tofu filling, they have the exact consistency of an egg-based quiche due to the addition of nutritional yeast.
You can actually add any fresh vegetables you like, sauteed garlic mushrooms or fresh asparagus would also be divine.
Delicious, nutritious, you won't even realise they're not made of egg!
Crust
2 cups gluten free flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp Olivani, Nuttlex or butter if not dairy free
5 Tbsp cold water
1 flax egg 1 Tbsp flaxmeal with 3 Tbsp water
Filling
300 grams soft tofu
2 Tbsp tapioca starch
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 Tbsp plant based milk (I used cashew, but soy, almond, oat or coconut would be great too.)
Topping
8 small cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp cashew pesto (homemade or bought)
Directions:
To make the pie crusts, in a large bowl, combine flour and salt.
Add chopped cubed butter and water then knead with your hands until a dough forms.
Form a disc with the dough and cover with a beeswax wrap (or cling film) and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Remove from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface to be 3-4mm. Line 4 mini quiche dishes (or one large 25cm dish) with the dough and press up the sides.
Place quiche crusts in the oven for 10 minutes to pre-bake. Remove after 10 minutes and set aside
To make filling, blend tofu, tapioca, nutritional yeast, spices and milk in a high-speed blender until beautifully creamy.
Fill all tart cases and spread filling evenly on top. Top with halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 tsp dollops of cashew pesto and a crack of pepper to garnish.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until quiche top is lightly browned and the tofu is set.Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving with a side salad and some fresh basil lave on top.
This quiche keeps well in the fridge, simply reheat the following day.
Baking time may vary based on the power of your oven so watch it closely in the last 5 minutes.
