“Man-eating plant” tart (Episode 1)

Filling adapted from Vegan Huggs’ quiche recipe

Ingredients

Crust

  • 6 medium red peppers

Filling

  • 4 medium red potatoes
  • 400g package silken tofu
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak)
  • 2 tbsp corn or potato starch
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 3/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp lobster base (optional)
  • 1-2 tbsp water
  • 6 grape tomatoes
  • 6 green grapes

Steps

Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 550 degrees.
  2. Core, halve, and tray the red peppers. Bake for 30 minutes. You’ll notice that the skin will look burned. This is normal.
  3. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Steam for 20 minutes.
  4. Peel the peppers.
  5. Pound the peppers with a rolling pin (or even better, a meat hammer)
  6. Arrange the red peppers in a skillet so it creates a crust. Start with the “floor” and then create the “walls”.
  7. Bake the crust at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
  8. Blot the crust to remove the water.

Filling

  1. Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees.
  2. Combine the tofu, turmeric, black salt, starch, onion powder, garlic powder, lobster base, and water in a food processor till smooth.
  3. Add the potatoes to the floor of the red pepper pie crust.
  4. Pour in the custard.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
  6. Halve green grapes and grape tomatoes lengthwise.
  7. After 30 minutes, remove the tart from the oven and add the tomatoes cut side down. Bake for another 10 minutes.
  8. Remove tart from the oven, top tart with the remaining green grapes, and let cool.

Notes

  • For an all-vegan version, replace the lobster broth with veggie broth or kombu. (This may change the flavour profile)