Tofu Flan
Not the most enticing of names, I know. Tofu flan is like quiche but instead of being eggy it’s tofu-y. Truly I’m making it sound better and better. Ha. Anyway, it is a Willow Restaurant classic and offered up as a vegan alternative to quiche. The one I make is not vegan because I use butter in the crust and often put cheese on top. You may ask why bother with tofu then and just go for quiche. I’ll tell you why - eggs gross me out. Totally fine in a cake but not on their own where I can taste them.
This is generally what you’ll need:
pie crust + tofu filling + veggies etc.
And this is how you’ll do it … kind of
Get a Crust
Buy one or make one. I usually make a wholewheat crust but a regular one is fine. If you have a spectacularly interesting savory crust go for it. Want it herby or cheesy - go for it. Sometimes I blind bake it but I’ve been short on time and skipped that step too. As the filling is not as runny as quiche the crust doesn’t get too soggy. The crust size can be 8-9” and can go in quiche or pie tin. Or try to make it like a frittata and go crustless.
Make the Tofu Filling
Tofu is super bland and you don’t really want a tofu flavored pie. The first step is to make the filling more acceptable.
Blend your tofu block with the following
a spoonful of grainy mustard
a dash of lemon juice
salt
a glug of olive oil
(Add fat, acid, and sugar)
Whizz in food processor until smooth.
Choose and Prepare the Veggies etc.
Choose a veggie combination or theme and prepare. This is the part where you can be creative (or not). Make it Indian or Italian (or go non-veg and) add bacon. Which vegetables are in season right now and what spices go well with them?
Let’s say it is summer and you love eggplant. You can:
add garam masala to your tofu blend, roast eggplant, mix it all together with tomatoes and cilantro and serve the finished flan with mango chutney
roast eggplant and other summer vegetables and mix in with your tofu, pitted black olives, and fresh basil
add smoked paprika (and bacon!) to roasted eggplant and green olives and mix that delicious combination with your tofu then serve the pie with a chimichurri sauce
You could also consider traditional quiches
broccoli and blue cheese
Quiche (Tofu Flan) Lorraine (because bacon)
NB: You should pre-cook the vegetables and bacon as they won’t cook that much in the pie itself. These need to be flavorful so no boiled carrots or anything. Cook up delicious veg with fat.
Toppings look and taste nice. Cheese? An arrangement of olives or cherry tomatoes? Poppy or sesame seeds?
Assemble
Mix together your tasty pre-cooked vegetables etc. of choice with your blended tofu filling and fresh herbs (if you wish). Scrape the mixture into your pie crust and smooth out. Put any desired toppings on.
Bake
Put your pie in oven and bake. I do it at 375F but 400F won’t hurt. Bake for about 45 mins. The tofu firms and browns a bit but it’s not like there are eggs to set or cook through. Ta da! That’s it. It’s not precise. There’s room for error and creativity.
