Broccoli & Squash Quiche + We Had a Baby!

Flaky puff pastry envelops a fluffy, cheesy, vegan quiche that’s loaded with nutritious broccoli, squash, and spinach. Kala namak salt gives this savory dish that eggy quality and tofu provides healthy protein. It’s a super easy meal that’s perfect for breakfast or dinner.

Hi everyone! Wow, what a whirlwind it's been lately. I feel like I'm living a different life! Five days after the last post, I was surprise induced due to gestational hypertension following an OB appointment. After exactly 36 hours of labor, Oliver was born!

If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram you've been bumping along with us on our exciting journey. Todd, Oliver, and I want thank you all for such a tremendous outpouring of love and kindness, especially during those really rough days when we were repeatedly readmitted to the hospital after we got back home. Reading your comments, especially regarding the light therapy, was really special and honestly made me feel so much better. 

Tiny Oliver is the beat in my heart and the sweetest darn thing I've ever laid eyes upon; he's quite the character too. Here he is taking his first a bath, eyes a fury. 

Now that he's a month old, I've been able to get around to cooking on occasion. I thought I'd share with you this spring-approriate broccoli, spinach, and summer squash quiche I made. It's super easy and pretty hands off, which is essential when you have a cluster-feeder! If a new mom with a newborn can make this, then anyone can! 

Broccoli & Squash Quiche

By Kathleen Henry

Published 03/04/2017

Flaky puff pastry envelops a fluffy, cheesy, vegan quiche that’s loaded with nutritious broccoli, squash, and spinach. Kala namak salt gives this savory dish that eggy quality and tofu provides healthy protein. It’s a super easy meal that’s perfect for breakfast or dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
• 2 small heads of broccoli, chopped small
• 2 medium summer squash, diced small
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach, torn
• ½ cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
• 2 12 oz packages of firm, silken tofu
• ½ cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
• ¼ cup large nutritional yeast flakes (plus extra for garnish)
• ¼ cup plain, unsweetened soymilk
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp stone-ground mustard (or regular - optional)
• 1 tsp kala namak salt
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• Dash of freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Thaw the puff pastry according to the package, if frozen. Place the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes; set aside.
2. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. When the pastry is thawed, roll it out just thin enough to cover the top edges of the pan; arrange in the pan and prick all over with a fork. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
3. In a blender, combine the tofu through the pepper; using a tamper blend on high until smooth. Pour just enough of the egg mixture into the pan to cover the bottom of the pastry. Top with half the cheese, half the broccoli, half the squash, and all of the spinach followed by half the egg mixture. Repeat with remainder of cheese, broccoli, and squash. Press down to compact the quiche, then top with the remaining egg mixture; garnish the top with a dusting of nutritional yeast.
4. Bake on the middle rack in the oven for about 50 minutes, until the pastry and top of the quiche are golden brown. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving; serve warm or cold.

Yield: 6-8

Enjoy! Wishing you all a fabulous week, from our entire family... Bob and Anouk included :)

Save & Share Recipes, Find Nutritional Info, & More

I always wonder how chefs and food bloggers save and organize their recipes. Then I thought, maybe my readers wonder the same thing! So I decided it would be prudent to share how I manage my recipes.

Fun Fact: Way back in 2010 I discovered an awesome little recipe site and actually ended up becoming a founding member! That site is Yummly.

I've been using Yummly for six years now and it's grown to be the best search and save recipe site. I love it because:

• It can help you filter recipes by taste, diet, cuisine, allergy, nutrition, and many more.
• You can enter in your taste preferences and Yummly will recommend recipes.
• Click the 'Yum' button below my recipes to save and share them on Yummly.
• It's a wonderful way to organize your recipes into personalized cookbooks.
• Filter recipes by what food items you have in your kitchen! YAASSSS.
• Use the mobile app to search recipes and make shopping lists.
• Add your own recipes. In case that cookie recipe scribbled on a napkin is getting hard to read.

Below each recipe of mine you'll now see a little 'Yum' button. Click it to save and share my recipe and find out the nutritional information for each recipe. I have been feeling kind of bad because many of you have asked for nutritional information for my recipes but I just don't tally that stuff and it takes a great deal of time. Now, Yummly does it for me! Woot, woot!

See more about how Yummly works here and see my publisher page. Do you use Yummly? How do you save your recipes?

I'm in no way affiliated or compensated by Yummly. I just really love them and wanted to share how I like to manage my recipes!

An INSANE New Cooking Adventure?? + Fettuccine w/ Baked Tofu, Zucchini, & Burst Cherry Tomatoes

A lovely and light spring dish, this meal is heavy on the protein thanks to savory tofu. Sauteed zucchini and burst cherry tomatoes lend their own delicious juices to create a fresh sauce for the fettucine. This pasta is simple, healthy, and quick enough for a weeknight.

“The best advice I’ve ever received is ‘No one else knows what they’re doing either’”

— Ricky Gervais

So, something insane happened two days ago. It's hard for me to even put into words how out-of-this-world the last couple days have been. Here goes; I got an email from a production company that wanted to interview Todd and I for... something... #ImNotAllowedToSay but it's like the pinnacle of anything ever to do with cooking and the public.

It has to do with big-time, super-popular, national, errrybody is watching it type television thing. It's the most crazy, surreal thing that has literally every happened to me. This company discovered me because of my cookbook and they will be submitting my interview (and several others) to the network in less than one week for said opportunity. That's really all I'm allowed to divulge (I asked if I could share the news because I'm totally freaking out right now!!!) I. CAN'T. EVEN. YOU GUYS!

I don't know if I'll get the gig, they have other folks they interviewed as well, but I think I might just implode if they do choose me. But in the best way possible of course. No matter what happens I am super stoked to have even been approached! I'll keep you all posted!

Mind blowing and world-shattering, but in a good way! I wish I could tell you more!!! I feel like I'm living someone else's life right now. On another note, I'd love to send you all some signed bookplates! They are incredibly beautiful; you can see one here. All you need to do is send me a link or photo to your completely unbiased review of my cookbook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo Books, or wherever, etc. along with your mailing address!

I've been in a little bit of shock for a few days so easy recipes are what I need. My brain is in overload, which means I'm keeping it real with this scrumptious spring-time pasta. I think you'll love it! 

Fettuccine w/ Baked Tofu, Zucchini, & Burst Cherry Tomatoes

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 05/13/2016

A lovely and light spring dish, this meal is heavy on the protein thanks to savory tofu. Sauteed zucchini and burst cherry tomatoes lend their own delicious juices to create a fresh sauce for the fettucine. This pasta is simple, healthy, and quick enough for a weeknight.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fettuccine pasta, dry
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ large yellow onion, sliced
• dash of crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 oz baked flavored firm tofu, diced (I like Wildwoods Savory)
• 1 tbsp dried basil or ¼ cup fresh basil
• 1 cup fresh beet greens, spinach, or baby kale, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• sprinkling of vegan parmesan, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook for about 5 minutes (half of the cooking time), then drain the pasta and return to the pot.
2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large frying pan. Add the onion and crushed red pepper; saute for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and tender. Stir in the zucchini and tomatoes and increase the heat to medium; saute an additional 10-15 minutes until the pasta is done cooking and the zucchini is tender, but not over cooked. Remove from heat and stir in the tofu, basil, and greens.
3. Once the pasta is done cooking and has been returned to the pot, stir in the vegetable broth. Cook over medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes until most of the broth has been absorbed and the noodles are al dente. Add additional broth or water if the noodles are still undercooked.
4. Stir the vegetable mixture with all its juices into the pasta to combine. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving hot. Garnish with vegan parmesan.

Yield: 6

Yum

Keep your fingers crossed for me the next couple weeks!