Crustless Kale and Smoky Curl Quiche

So I'm a big fan of soy curls...like order three pounds of them from Viva Vegan online store kinda love! I have enjoyed them lots of ways but the way I most enjoy them is from Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson. Her recipe for Smoky Curls (think bacon) is the most delicious thing! I have adapted the recipe slightly just for personal tastes but it is essentially the same. One difference is that I use maple syrup instead of agave but that is mostly because maple syrup is seriously abundant around here. After making batch after batch of Smoky Curls, it dawns on me that I should try them in a quiche and it was a very smart idea. I chopped them up small and crisped them up nicely and added them into my quiche and they made for the best bites. Take that ham!

Here's what the final product came out like....

I went crustless mostly because I didn't want to bother making pastry but you totally could if you wanted to. I found it didn't really need it and baked nicely in a glass pie plate. I managed to scribble down the recipe as I was furiously throwing things in the food processor. Let me know if you try it out! You are going to have to buy a copy of Julie's book in order to get the secrets of the Smoky Curls, but you won't regret it! The book is full of delicious recipes and it's always a good thing to support vegan authors! While you are there, you should pre-order a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes! It's just $9.89 right now which is a super deal and I know personally that all the sandwiches are amazing!

Crustless Kale and Smoky Curl Quiche

1 block of extra firm or firm tofu (not silken, 1lb), crumbled

3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 cup yellow miso

2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 cloves of garlic

100g of cashews (around 3/4 cup)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk, maybe less, maybe more (yeah, it's that kind of recipe)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 big ol' leeks, sliced thin

1/2 of a big bunch of curly kale, chiffonaded (is that a word?)

1/2 cup Smoky Curls, small pieces, really crisped

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375F and spray a glass pie plate with cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of your food processor, combine crumbled tofu, nooch, miso, mustard, garlic and cashews. Pulse until it is thoroughly combined. Slowly add the unsweetened almond milk while running until it is smooth and thick. I went for a thick hummus consistency. Set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and then add in the thinly sliced leek and sauté until starting to brown and get all caramelized. Once this happens, add the kale. Toss it around in there and let it cook until the kale is softened and wilted a bit. Remove from heat and add to the food processor, along with the Smoky Curls and pulse just to combine but you don't want to purée it in there. Scrape it all into the greased pie plate and smooth out the top. Put it in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, until it is browned on the top and is set even in the middle. Let cool for a minute or two, then slice and enjoy!