Vegetable Quiche

I had a little trepidation the first time I attempted to make quiche without cream, butter and cheese. Does it really qualify as quiche without those key ingredients? I had my cheese-loving sis over for lunch the other day and made this quiche. Her response? "It's really good. I don't even miss the cheese and I love cheese!" This recipe has a mix of spring vegetables, but you can add whatever vegetables you have on-hand. The Parma! vegan parmesan helps give it a hint of cheese flavor. This one will be on our Easter brunch menu and can be enjoyed warm or cold.

Crust
This crust recipe is taken from Nestle/Libby's Gluten Free Pie Crust recipe. I just adapted it to be dairy free.


1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp cold Earth Balance vegan shortening, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 to 4 tbsp ice water


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine potato starch, tapioca flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Form well in center. Add egg and vinegar; stirring gently until just blended. Sprinkle with water. Blend wet and dry mixtures together with a fork and clean hands until it just holds together and forms a ball. Divide ball in half, wrapping one half in plastic wrap for later use. Place remaining half on lightly floured (use rice flour) sheet of wax paper. Top with additional piece of wax paper. Roll out dough to desired thickness, remove top sheet of wax paper and invert dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Slowly peel away wax paper. Place empty pie crust in oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Filling
6 eggs
1/3 cup Silk Almond milk (original flavor)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Parma! Vegan Parmesan
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil

1/2 cup leek (chopped)
2 cups assorted chopped vegetables (carrots, asparagus, red bell pepper)
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic (minced)

Once crust is finished pre-baking, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in saute pan. Add minced garlic and chopped leeks and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and continue to saute. When the vegetables a crispy soft, add the baby spinach and seasonings and continue to saute until spinach is slightly wilted. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and almond milk together, adding seasonings (salt, pepper, Parma!, basil, and oregano). Take vegetable from saute pan and pour them into the pre-baked crust. Add the egg mixture and pour over the vegetables. Bake 35-40 minutes or until egg mixture is set and golden.