Vegan Spanokopita, or Spinach and “Cheese” Pie

Since we’ve been avoiding dairy at home, I wanted to try to remake some of my old cheesey favourites in a new, vegan-friendly way. Spanokopita, a spinach and cheese pie, has long been one of my staple recipes, and this is my new vegan version.

Alas, since I first started making it, I found out M can’t have tofu, so now I leave that out and add other vegetables.

Ingredients:
1-2 onions, depending on how oniony you like it
2-3 cloves garlic, optional, also depending on taste
2-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
2 pounds spinach (if fresh, it should be washed carefully, and if frozen, it should be well thawed)
175 g tofu
1 cup vegan “cheese”
½ cup soya yogurt or oat cream
handful of black olives
30 g (or so) pine nuts
black pepper
1 dash salt
1 package filo dough

Instructions:

1. Chop the onion/s. Mince the garlic, if using it. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
2. Gently fry the onions in some of the olive oil until golden, then add the garlic, if using it. Add the sugar so the onions caramelise.
3. Defrost the spinach, if frozen, or steam it, if fresh.
4. Chop the tofu and the cheese and mix it with the soya yogurt.
5. Chop the olives. Mix them with the pine nuts, and the tofu, then add in the spinach and the onions. Mix everything together well.
6. Lightly oil a casserole dish. Line it with four sheets of filo, layered over one another so that the pieces hang over the edges of the dish.
7. Spread out some of the filling on top of the filo.
8. Place another sheet on top, then some more filling. Repeat until the filling is all used up and then cover it with another sheet of dough. Brush it lightly with olive oil and tuck any excess edges in.
9. Bake the spanokopita for 30-50 minutes, checking after about 25 minutes to see how golden and ready it is.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Add cardamom or cinnamon. The recipe can easily be doubled. You can also leave out the sugar and add seeds and/or garlic and/or herbs.

You can use whole wheat flour instead of white or a combination thereof.

Ingredients:
¼ cup warm water
¼ cup warm milk (I used soya or rice)
3 tbsp sugar
4 g fast-action dry yeast (about 2 tsp)
40 g butter (or about 3 tbsp vegetable oil)
1 egg
1 pinch salt
2 cups flour
2 tbsp butter

Instructions:
1. Mix all the ingredients up through the flour in a food processor at medium speed.
2. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
3. Knead the dough lightly (flour your hands as the dough is a bit sticky) then shape into 6-8 rolls.
4. Melt the 2 tbsp butter and brush it over the rolls.
5. Bake at 200 C for about 10 minutes.

Queer Quote

If male homosexuals are called "gay," then female homosexuals should be called "ecstatic." --Shelly Roberts

Soda Bread

A friend of ours likes soda bread, so I often make it for him when he comes over. It’s so easy and needs no rising time.

Ingredients:
5 cups flour (I used 2 cups spelt flour, 3 cups regular white flour)
1½ cups milk (I have used rice milk or soya milk)
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vinegar (I had balsamic on hand, so that’s what I used)
1 dash salt
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together by hand or in a mixer until thoroughly mixed.
2. Knead for a few minutes and shape into a round loaf.
3. Score the top of the loaf.
4. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 200 C.

Apple and Blackberry Crumble

I recently made an apple and blackberry crumble with a nutty crumble topping. You can vary what fruits you use and what nuts you use for the crumble topping, or you can replace the nuts with oats.

Ingredients:
5 apples
150 g blackberries
50 g butter, plus extra for the dish
¾ cup flour
½ cup almond meal
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon, if desired
1 dash lemon juice (I just sprinkled a bit of lemon juice on top of the apples so they didn’t brown)
cream or ice cream, as desired

Instructions:
1. Wash and slice the applies. Layer them and the blackberries in an oven-safe dish.
2. Mix the other ingredients into crumbs.
3. Top the fruit with the crumbs.
4. Bake at 180 C for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with cream or ice cream as desired.

Tofu and Spring Greens

This was really simple but tasty and satisfying.

Ingredients:
100-150 g spring greens (or spinach or cabbage)
a bit of butter (about 15 g)
water (about 1 tbsp or thereabouts)
vegetable oil
tamari sauce, to taste
honey (about 1 tbsp, but depends on taste)
firm silken tofu (about 175 g)
noodles (I used medium stir-fry noodles)

Instructions:
1. Wash and chop the spring greens. Put them with the butter and water in a pan and put the lid on. Steam over low heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Heat up the oil in a frying pan. Add the tamari sauce and honey.
3. Dice the tofu and add it to the frying pan. Stir it around so it gets covered with the tamari sauce and honey. Cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the spring greens and the noodles. Stir well. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, then serve.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

You can double the recipe and make two cakes, then put frosting between the layers. I used a simple frosting made of cocoa powder, soy cream, and icing sugar. The end result was a chocolatey, gooey cake that was just perfect for a Friday evening.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup ground almonds
½ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt
½ cup soy milk
175 g (about 6 ounces) tofu
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for the baking tin
¼ cup hot coffee or water

Instructions:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl or food processor.
2. Add the soy milk to the dry ingredients and mix again.
3. Blend the tofu in a blender until creamy. Add the oil and mix again.
4. Add the tofu and the hot coffee or water to the other ingredients. Mix well.
5. Oil the baking tin (or line with greaseproof or parchment paper). Pour the batter in.
6. Bake at 180 C for about 20 minutes. Frost if desired.

Pain Aux Raisins

Raisin croissants, hot, buttery, sweet. This is one of M’s favourites and when our local Sainsbury’s stopped selling theirs, I vowed to learn to make this dish for my beloved. It took me awhile to work up the nerve, because it seemed rather complicated, but one day this autumn, I did. M helped me with the rolling out, because as usual she is my sous chef. The dough is rather sticky, which surprised me, but it all turned out delicious and beautiful nonetheless.

Ingredients:
water
1¼ cups raisins
1 package dried yeast (7 grams or 4 tsp)
½ cup lukewarm milk or water
3½ cups strong white bread flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup milk (soy adds a slight nuttiness of flavour)
¼-1/3 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
250 g butter (divided up into 110 g, 110 g, and 30 g)
frangipane (see previous post)
1 egg
1 tbsp milk (again, soy is fine)

Instructions:
1. Boil the water and put the raisins in there to soak.
2. Mix the yeast and lukewarm milk or water together in a large mixer.
3. Add the flour, salt, milk, sugar, and 30 g of butter. Mix well with the bread hook.
4. Shape the dough into a ball and cover it loosely. Set aside for 30 or so minutes.
5. Roll the dough out into a long, thin rectangle. Let it rise in a warm place (an oven that had been warmed up and now is turned off, for example) for about an hour.
6. Cut bits of 110 g of butter and place it along the rectangle. Fold the rectangle up in thirds (i.e. bring in one long side to the middle, then the other). Roll out the dough again, letting the butter get mashed into it. Roll it into a rectangle and leave it to rest for another 30 or 40 minutes.
7. Do the same as step 6 with the last 110 g of butter. Fold the dough up, roll it out, leave it to rest.
8. Roll the dough out and spread it with the frangipane. Then drain the raisins and distribute them on the frangipane.
9. Roll the dough up into a log, starting from one long side. Then slice through the log. Depending on how large you make the rolls, you could get 10-20 out of the log.
10. Set the raisin rolls out on baking trays and leave them to rise one last time in a warm place for another 30 or so minutes.
11. Whisk the egg and milk together and brush the rolls with the mixture.
12. Bake the pain aux raisins for 12-15 minutes at 180 C, until golden.