Makes 1 medium sized springform pan (serves 8)

For the shortcrust pastry recipe click here

Filling ingredients

• 500g sweet potato, or butternut squash

• 1 medium sized courgette, thin slices baked (at other times of year, substitute for other vegetables e.g. spinach, kale)

• 1 small red onions, thinly sliced

• 400g silken tofu

• 1 clove of garlic, crushed

• 1/2 tsp salt

• fresh ginger, finely grated

• sundried tomatoes

• black olives, halved

• 1/2 tsp each of thyme, rosemary, parsley and sweet marjoram

Topping ingredients:

• ½ cup of cashew cream (soaked cashews blended into a smooth paste – this is optional and you can just use more tahini instead)

• ½ cup tahini

• water or plant mylk as needed

• 2 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin but one that is suitable for frying)

• 1 tbsp yeast flakes

Preparation

STEP 1: Start by making the shortcrust pastry dough, and let it rest in the fridge for 20-20 minutes (longer works fine, too).

STEP 2: Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 170°C, chop the sweet potato or butternut squash (or a mix of both) into large chunks (no need to peel them!), the courgette into half-moon slices about 5 mm thick, and the red onion into thin slices. Place them on lightly oiled baking trays. Use different trays for each as their baking times will vary, and also add a few whole, unpeeled oiled garlic cloves with the onions.

You will probably only want 1 or 2 garlic cloves in the quiche, but I always bake more at a time and keep them unpeeled in a ziplock in the fridge, so I can use them for any other cooking for the rest of the week.

Bake until the courgettes are just beginning to turn soft (don’t overbake or they will not keep their shape) and the sweet potatoes very soft. Let the onions brown a little.

STEP 3: While the veggies bake, take out the pastry dough, roll it out with a rolling pin on a smooth floured surface, and place into the springform pan. Poke the bottom a few times with a fork. Once the veggies are done, turn up the oven to 175° and blind-bake the pastry for about 15 minutes.

STEP 4: Once the butternut squash/ sweet potato is soft, leave it to cool off a little, then mash it coarsely with a fork, masher or in the food processor (at slow speed, being careful not to blend them too smooth). Transfer into a large bowl.

STEP 5: Blend the tofu and silken tofu in the blender with the spices, grated ginger and garlic until smooth. Add the mix to the squash/ sweet potato, sundried tomato, olive halves and herbs and mix well. Taste the mix and add more salt and ginger to taste.

STEP 6: Blend the topping ingredients, slowly adding enough plant mylk (for instance almond or oat) or water to get a creamy, not too liquid sauce.

STEP 7: Take out the pastry spingforms, and spread the sweet potato mix evenly into the pre-baked pastry. Top with a thin layer of baked courgette and onion slices, and finish with a layer of the tahini-”cheesesauce”. Spread the sauce evenly, sprinkle some sunflower seeds on top and press them in lightly with a spatula so they won’t burn.

STEP 8: Bake at 175° for about 45 minutes, until the top becomes golden and starts to brown lightly. Leave to cool for several hours before cutting.

Tipp: Make use of your oven’s residual heat and save energy by turning the temperature down to 165° after 30 minutes, and turning it off completely after 40 minutes.