Roasted Cauliflower Quiche

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Q is for quiche! The wonderfully easy press in crust comes from the Cafe Sucre Farine.  The cauliflower can be done ahead of time, the crust can be done ahead, then it's just a matter of assemble and bake.  I am sadly alone among my family in my love of quiche but it actually does freeze, so I will enjoy it leisurely!  I love those little seasonal Costco frozen mini quiches, so I would love to try this as a mini.

Using the Mornay sauce gives a lovely, creamy filling, though I could see adding one more egg for a filling with just a tiny bit more shear and egg flavor.  I think it would be good either way.  It does not taste eggy at all with two eggs.  The roasted cauliflower has so much flavor, it's almost like a sausage quiche.  Very enjoyable and I loved the slices heated up in the air fryer - 350ºF for 7 minutes and garnished with fresh green onions.  Were I to make it for company, I would probably chop up a bunch of green onions and put the bottoms and the light green parts in with the filling, and save the green tops for garnish.

 
Actually, the family tried the quiche and everybody liked it!  While they might not seek it out for a first choice, at least they all agreed that it was very tasty.  Hubby suggested the addition of Tabasco and that is a good idea, hot sauce makes many savory dishes better.

Roasted Cauliflower Quiche 
makes one 9" quiche, 8 servings

Crust:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour (165g)
¼ cup arrowroot starch or corn starch (28g)
1 tbsp powdered sugar (7g)
½ tsp teaspoon sea salt (3g)
8 tbsp butter (113g)
1 tbsp water (14g)

Roasted cauliflower:
1 small-medium head of cauliflower, sliced in small florets (about a pound)
2 Tbsp olive oil (25g)
2 Tbsp butter, melted (28g)
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sea salt, or to taste
¼ tsp ground paprika
¼ tsp ground black pepper, or to taste 

Filling:
2 tbsp plain flour (16g)
1⅔ tbsp butter (25g)
1 cup milk (250ml)
⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese (75g)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
couple dashes Tabasco or hot sauce (optional)
2 eggs, lightly beaten (100g)
grated cheese: Grana Padano, Parmesan, Gouda, or more cheddar for garnish

chopped green onions, optional 

Roast the cauliflower:

Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice the head of cauliflower into small florets and add to a bowl or gallon zip bag.

Drizzle with the oil and melted butter and toss or shake to combine.

In a small bowl combine garlic powder, salt, paprika, and pepper for the seasoning. Sprinkle over the cauliflower and toss/shake to evenly coat.

Spread the cauliflower evenly on the baking sheet and bake at 425˚F for 15-20 minutes, until cauliflower reaches desired crispiness.

(Or air fry cauliflower at 375˚ for 15-20 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes, until golden and tender.)  

For the crust: 

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom generously with butter or non-stick baking spray.  Line the pan with a round of parchment paper and set aside.

Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper (for easy clean-up). 

Combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt) in a medium-large size bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the center and set aside.

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe, medium-size bowl or in a saucepan on the stove.

Pour the butter into the well and pull the edges of the flour over the surface.  Stir together until most of the flour is moistened, then add the tablespoon of water and stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough comes together and/or forms large crumbles. 

Working while the dough is still warm, crumble two thirds of it around the edges of the prepared tart pan. Press it evenly just around and slightly above the sides of the pan.


Once you have the sides built up, run a butter knife around the edge to smooth off the crust edge, even with the edge of the pan.  Take the trimmed crumbs and add them to the center for the base of the crust.


Crumble the remaining dough into the open space in the pan.  Press the base in evenly with fingers and palms, and smooth into the seam of the sides with your fingers until the tart pan is completely lined with dough. 

Use a straight-sided, round measuring cup or a flat bottom glass to smooth out the edges and further compact the dough in the bottom of the pan. Dip the bottom of the cup or glass in flour if there is any problem with stickiness.

Prick the dough all over the bottom with a fork to prevent puffing.


Place the tart pan on the lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the sheet pan (and tart pan) from the oven. Using the same measuring cup or flat bottom glass, gently press the edges again (if they have shrunk down at all, you can press them back to be even with the top of the pan) and smooth out the bottom if there are any bumpy places.

Return the tart shell to the oven and bake until pale golden brown, another 5-7 minutes. (Let the crust cool for at least 10 minutes before filling and returning to the oven.) 

For the filling:

First make the Mornay sauce (Béchamel with cheese):

Put the flour and milk in a pan and whisk together until there are no lumps of flour.  Add the butter and heat and whisk over medium low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a simmer and begins to thicken.  (Make sure the oven is set to 350ºF).

Cook for about 2-3 minutes until fully thickened, then add the cheese and stir until melted.  Remove from the heat.  Cool slightly, then stir in the mustard, hot sauce, roasted cauliflower, and eggs.  Spoon the mixture into the tart shell and sprinkle over the garnishing cheese.


 Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  The filling may puff up but will settle on cooling.


Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.  Serve warm, garnish with sliced green onions if desired. 

 

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