Sometimes when the inspiration hits, I go a little crazy in the kitchen. It is the most wonderful feeling not to follow a recipe and just go where your crisper drawer takes you. This last weekend I had a lot of root veggies begging to be used. I also went to Whole Foods and found a fantastic variety of products I couldn’t get at my local grocery store. My favorite was the bunch of dandelion greens!
I had just made a quiche with a so-so potato crust that, unfortunately, stuck to the bottom of the pan. Root vegetables are high in starch, and when cooked, they slowly release sugar, and the sugar makes them sticky. After thinking about it for a bit, I tried cooking the potato crust very quickly, not giving them time to stick. Hence, the broiler! And guess what? It worked!
For this recipe, I used parsnips (the carrot’s favorite cousin), turnips, which, if you’ve never had them, I highly recommend getting some, and Yukon gold potatoes. I grated one large and one small turnip and three Yukons for my crust and added 1/2 cup grated vegan Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, and 1 teaspoon of Herbs de Provence. I broiled it in my 2.5 quart French Corningware for 8-10 minutes. But as with all things broiler, keep an eye on it. You want the potatoes very lightly browned.
For the filling, I made coconut bacon out of vegan bacon-flavored oil. Now, most of you won’t be able to find that, so here’s a quick link to Minimalist Baker’s quick and easy coconut bacon. I would suggest making this ahead of time. It stores well, and it’s nice to have on hand.
Finally, I peeled my potatoes. For this delicate and tender dish, I did not want the potato peel in my dish. And sometimes, when you simmer potatoes with the skins on, they fall off anyway. I like the Yukon golds for this dish because they are a little more dense and creamy!
Let me know if you made this dish and how you liked it!
XO,
Steph
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Quiche Provençale with Root Vegetables
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 5 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, *washed, peeled (3 grated, 2 cubed)
- 3 medium turnips, washed, peeled (1 grated, 2 cubed)
- 3 medium parsnips, washed, peeled, and cut into 1/4” coins
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 poblano peppers, washed and diced
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesean
- 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (low sodium)
- 2 containers JustEgg
- 1 cup coconut bacon
- 1 bunch of tender greens (dandelion, spinach. watercress), washed.
Instructions
- Preheat broiler.
- In a 2.5″ deep casserole dish, add grated potatoes and grated turnips, parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Mix well and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence.
- Carefully place the casserole dish in the broiler and bake for 8-10 minutes. As with all things broiled, keep a close eye on it. You want a light golden brown color. When done, remove from heat and set aside.
- Reduce heat to 350°F (176°C).
- While the casserole is in the oven, warm a medium skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering, add onion and poblano peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onions and peppers have softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add diced potatoes, turnips, and parsnips. Add the remaining teaspoon of Herbs de Provence.
- Add stock. Cover and simmer on medium-low until root vegetables have softened, about 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more stock if vegetables begin to stick. When done, remove from heat.
- While root vegetables are cooking, add 4 cups of water to a medium saucepan. Add salt and bring to a boil. Blanch greens in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes. Remove greens from the pan, and immediately add to greens to an ice bath.
- Remove greens and add to a colander to remove excess water. Chop greens into bite-size pieces.
- Warm a dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and, when shimmering, coconut bacon. Add greens and saute until greens have released all water, about 4 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, add greens and root vegetable mixture and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Shake and add 1 1/2 containers of JustEgg and add to the mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Pour vegetable mixture over potato crust and add to oven.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick at 35 minutes. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Serve with tabasco or other hot sauce!
Notes
*To prevent food borne illnesses, always wash your fruits and vegetables even if you’re peeling them. Germs on the peel or skin can get inside fruits and vegetables when you cut them.
