Mexican Pie

I get a newsletter from VegNews, which always has an interesting vegan recipe. A recent one included tamale pie and while I couldn’t get all the ingredients here (in a small city in the UK without a Mexican population) and others weren’t to our taste, I adapted the idea and made a Mexican-style pie.

Ingredients:

 

pastry

1 vegetable stock cube

2 cups boiling water

2 cups fine cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp mint

1 dash lemon juice

 

filling

2 red onions

3 garlic cloves

oil

1 tsp honey

5 mushrooms

1 pepper

2 cups spinach

1 tin/package black beans

½ cup frozen or tinned corn

1 tin peeled tomatoes

1 tsp salt

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp parsley

1 tsp chilli flakes, if desired

 

Instructions:

1. Put the stock cube in the water.

2. Mix all the other pastry ingredients and then add the vegetable stock. Stir well.

3. Press half of the pastry mixture into the bottom and sides of an oven-safe dish and bake for 10 minutes at 180 C.

4. Peel and dice the onions and garlic. Fry lightly in the oil and honey.

5. Brush and slice the mushrooms. Wash and chop the pepper. Add them and the spinach to the frying pan.

6. Drain the beans and add them, the corn, the tomatoes (not drained, so add the juice too), and the spices.

7. Stir and warm through for a few minutes.

8. Pour the filling over the pastry. Spoon the rest of the pastry over it and smooth out.

9. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 C.

Spinach Swirl

This looks pretty for guests, and is so simple.

 

Ingredients:

2 shallots or 1 onion

2 cloves garlic

olive oil

2 cups spinach

1 tin salmon or 1 package tofu

onion seeds

smoked paprika

pepper

salt

1 package phyllo dough

 

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop the shallots and garlic. Fry lightly in oil.

2. Add the spinach and defrost if frozen or wilt if fresh.

3. Mix in the salmon or tofu.

4. Season with the onion seeds, paprika, pepper, and salt.

5. Place half of the phyllos sheets out. Spread the top one with half the spinach mixture.

6. Place the rest of the sheets on top and spread with the remainder of the mixture.

7. Roll from one end to the other and then fold in the ends of the sheets.

8. Brush lightly with oil.

9. Bake at 200 C for 20 minutes, until golden.

Butternut Squash Tagine

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

100 g spinach

water

couscous (about 75 g per person)

1 tin chickpeas

spices (cinnamon, mint, smoked paprika, black pepper, etc)

 

Instructions:

1. Roast the squash for about 40 minutes at 190 C. Slice it in half and roast for another 10-15 minutes.

2. Defrost or wilt the spinach. Boil the water and pour it over the spinach and couscous (the water should just cover the couscous.

3. After a few minutes, add the chickpeas. Peel and chop the squash and add it.

4. Season to taste and serve.

 

Aubergine and Spinach with Garlic Aioli

The only time-consuming part here is roasting the aubergine. But put it in the oven, go off to do something else, then come back and throw the meal together.

 

Ingredients:

2 aubergines

olive oil

water

giant couscous (about 25-35 g per person)

50-100 g fresh spinach

garlic aioli (from previous post)

herbs and spices (I like mint and cinnamon)

 

Instructions:

1. Wash the aubergines and slice the skin, but not through to the flesh. Rub with a little olive oil and roast for 30-45 minutes at 200 C, until soft and falling apart.

2. Boil the water, pour it over the giant couscous, and simmer for 6-8 minutes, with the lid on, until soft. Add the spinach and put the lid back on, so the spinach wilts.

3. Remove the flesh from the aubergines and add it to the pan.

4. Mix in the aioli and herbs.

5. Mix everything together, then serve.

Chickpeas, Corn, and Spinach in a Coconut Sauce

This can be varied easily, depending on what legumes or vegetables you have at home. Have it over rice or with potatoes or sweet potatoes.

 

Ingredients:

oil

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cilantro

1 tin chickpeas

1 tin coconut milk

1 tin corn

400 g spinach

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

dried chilli peppers, to taste

 

Instructions:

1. Warm the oil in a sauce pan. Chop the garlic, ginger, and cilantro and add to the oil.

2. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and cook them in the garlic mixture for 2-5 minutes, stirring now and then.

3. Add the coconut milk and the other vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and everything is thoroughly warm.

4. Season with lemon juice, cinnamon, and chilli peppers.

Laverbread Patties

Yum, laverbread. It’s like spinach from the sea. In Wales some months ago, I bought a tin of it and then made laverbread patties at home. Oh, okay, I admit it – I bought tons of tins, and I regularly make patties, and then eat them all myself, since M isn’t a fan.

Ingredients:

1 tin laverbread (120 g)

30 g oatmeal

olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix the laverbread and oatmeal.

2. Warm oil in a frying pan.

3. Drop spoonfuls of the laverbread into the pan and fry on both sides.

Pizza Toppings

We’ve been making lots of tasty vegan pizzas lately.

We’ve fallen for Vegusto (more on that in the next post), so we’ve used their “hotsami” and melting cheese as toppings on pizza.

One of our favourites is with mushrooms, corn, olives and spinach.

Basically, any combination of vegetables will work fairly well (courgette gets a bit slimy, though).

Just roll out the dough, spread with sauce, add the toppings, then bake for 15-25 minutes at 200 C. Yum!

Mushroom Wellington

This is great when you’re having guests for dinner as it’s hearty and tasty, and it looks pretty.

Ingredients:

400 g spinach

2 garlic cloves

2-3 shallots

oil

300 g mushrooms (I used two different types for a nice combination of flavours)

1 tbsp parsley

1 package puff pastry (500 g)

1 egg

Instructions:

1. If the spinach is frozen, defrost it. If it is fresh, wilt it.

2. Dice the garlic and shallots and fry lightly in oil. Brush and chop the mushrooms and add them to the frying pan.

3. Mix in the spinach and chop and add the parsley.

4. Roll out the pastry and then fill it with the mushroom mixture. Since this is a wellington-style dish, you want it to look like a thin log of pastry (i.e. the mixture is completely surrounded). You can also make individual portions rather than one large one.

5. Beat the egg and brush it over the pastry.

6. Bake at 220 C for 35-40 minutes.

Artichoke Pie

This was delicious with Jules and Sharpie’s spicy mint sauce.

Ingredients:

100 g spring greens or spinach

oil

1 tsp honey

2 tsp tamari

1 tin artichoke hearts

1 container tofu

2 eggs

phyllo dough

Instructions:

1. Wash and chop the greens/spinach. Steam or stir-fry with the oil, honey, and tamari until wilted.

2. Drain and chop the artichokes and chop the tofu. Mix them and two eggs with the greens.

3. Lightly oil an oven-safe dish. Place two sheets of phyllo on the bottom. Top with some of the mixture.

4. Place another sheet on top, then add the rest of the mixture. Top with another sheet of phyllo.

5. Fold the dough so it forms a package and brush a little oil on top.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 200 C.

Artichoke Soufflé or Dip

If you make it according to this recipe, it’s a soufflé. If you add some cheese, it will be a melty, gooey dip for bread. Either way, it’s tasty and different. You can also combine it with spinach.

Ingredients:

1-2 cloves garlic

1 tin artichokes

¼ cup milk or cream (oat or soy cream or rice milk all work fine)

2 eggs

herbs (parsley, mint, or other herbs of your choice)

smoked paprika and/or black pepper

oil

Instructions:

1. Chop the garlic. Drain and chop the artichokes.

2. Mix the garlic and artichokes in a food processor until finely chopped.

3. Add the milk, eggs, herbs, and spices. Mix again until a fairly smooth paste.

4. Oil an oven-safe dish. Pour the mixture into the dish and bake for 20 minutes at 200 C until golden and puffy.

Honey and Mustard Stir-Fry

Obviously, you can use any vegetables you like, but the combination of honey and mustard (and, for a touch of tartness, add some lemon juice or sour plum) works really well with greens and potatoes.

Ingredients:

6-8 new potatoes (or 2 larger ones)

water

2-3 shallots

oil

1-2 carrots

1-2 parsnips (or a piece of swede)

honey

mustard

spinach or spring greens

100 g tofu

lemon juice, if desired

Instructions:

1. Wash the potatoes, then boil them for 15-20 minutes in the water.

2. Peel and dice the shallots, then fry them lightly in the oil.

3. Peel and dice the carrots and parsnips and add them to the pan.

4. Add honey and mustard and let the vegetables caramelise a bit.

5. Wash and dice the spring greens. Add them to the pan.

6. Chop the tofu and add it as well. Stir-fry everything together for another 5-10 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with lemon juice, if desired, and serve.

Spinach and Watercress Tart

This is beautifully green and refreshing.

You can add smoked salmon to this if you want. You can also make shortcrust pastry instead of using filo.

Ingredients:

olive oil

3-4 sheets filo dough

150 g spinach

lemon juice

1 pinch salt

75 g watercress

3 eggs

½ cup yogurt (I used soy yogurt)

2 tsp mustard

black pepper, to taste

nutmeg or onion seeds, as desired.

Instructions:

1. Oil an oven-safe dish. Place two sheets of filo dough in it as the bottom.

2. Wilt the spinach (if it’s fresh) in a saucepan over low heat, with 1 tsp oil, 1-2 tsp lemon juice, and the salt.

3. Mix the wilted (or defrosted) spinach and the watercress. Beat the eggs and add them to the spinach. Mix in the yogurt and mustard and any other spices or seasonings you’re using.

4. Put the filling on top of the dough and spread it out. Sprinkle with a little more lemon juice and olive oil.

5. Put the last 1-2 sheets of filo on top of the filling. Fold the filo over so it makes a parcel. Sprinkle with olive oil.

6. Bake at 200 C for about 20-25 minutes, until golden.

Easy Scrambled Eggs

This is a perfect light and healthy evening meal. I served it recently with my focaccia and it was very soothing for a cold night. It can be varied endlessly.  Add different vegetables or serve with smoked fish or top with fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

5-8 mushrooms

oil

2 large tomatoes or a handful of cherry tomatoes

about 50-75 g spinach

6 eggs

¼ cup milk (I used rice milk)

Instructions:

1. Brush the mushrooms and slice them. Saute them lightly in oil.

2. Wash and slice the tomatoes. Add them and the spinach to the mushrooms.

3. Whisk the eggs and milk. Then add it to the pan.

4. Stir frequently and cook over low heat until just set (just a few minutes). Serve with toast.

Fish Stew

You can vary this according to what you have on hand (for example, use coriander but not lime or curry paste) or which type of fish you like. You can also add prawns. I made this spicy for me by adding dried chilli and Tabasco, but I left it milder for my sweetheart.

Ingredients:

around 6 waxy potatoes

1-2 carrots

a couple of small pieces of lemongrass

water

one head of spring greens or a similar amount of spinach

oil

around 200 g fish (I used coley)

lime leaves

curry paste

coriander

black pepper

1 tin coconut milk

Instructions:

1. Wash and slice the potatoes. Wash, peel, and slice the carrots.

2. Put them and the lemongrass in the water and boil for about 10 minutes, until the potato has softened. Drain.

3. Lightly steam the greens and the oil.

4. Remove the skin and bones from the fish and chop it into pieces.

5. Put the greens, potatoes, carrots, and fish in a pot and season/spice according to taste. Add the coconut milk and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes.

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!

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.

Hearty Barley and Black-Eyed Pea Stew

As the weather gets chillier, my mind (and my stomach) turns to heartier food. Actually, I made this dish at the very end of August, after a cold weekend in which M and I had gotten drenched in a rain-and-hailstorm. But I’ll be making it again now that it’s even colder.

This was not M’s favourite meal, but it was very healthy and filling.

You can vary this with any grain and any legume and any spice combination and any added vegetable/s; be creative.

Ingredients:
about 100 g black-eyed peas
water
about 150 g pearl barley
about 100 g spinach (fresh or frozen)
tomato purée
green curry paste
olives
soy cream or yogurt

Instructions:
1. Soak the black-eyed peas overnight in water.
2. Boil the barley in water, then leave to simmer for about an hour, checking and stirring every so often (check the instructions on the package as well).
3. Drain the black-eyed peas and then bring them to a boil in fresh water. Leave them to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, tomato purée, and green curry paste to the barley.
5. Slice the olives and add them.
6. Stir the black-eyed peas into the barley, then swirl in some soy cream or yogurt. Serve with another dollop of cream or yogurt.

Aubergine Quiche

I like to play around with different quiches/pies/tarts. I like how you make one large one and then have enough food for several days. Since I first wrote this recipe, we’ve stopped using dairy at home because it seems that M feels better without it. So we’ve been trying out various soy “cheeses”. I’m not keen on them all, but many work pretty well in dishes such as quiches or omelettes. Do experiment and see what you like.

Ingredients:
1 portion cornmeal pastry (see previous recipe)
1 aubergine
1 handful cherry tomatoes
50 g spinach
1 tsp parsley
oil
1 tbsp honey
100 g cheese (you can use any type – I used up leftover blue cheese and cheddar)
3 eggs
200 ml milk or cream
pepper

Instructions:
1. Roll out the dough into an oven-safe dish.
2. Wash and dice the aubergine. Wash and halve the tomatoes. Fry the aubergine, tomatoes, spinach, and parsley in oil. After a few minutes, add the honey. Fry another 10 or so minutes.
3. Crumble or chop the cheese. Mix it with the eggs and milk or cream and season with pepper.
4. Put the vegetables on the pastry. Top with the egg mixture.
5. Bake at 180 C for 30-40 minutes.

Quiche with Feta, Artichokes, and Spring Greens

Quiche is heavy due to the eggs, cheese, and cream in it, but I try to lighten it up a bit with plenty of vegetables and fresh herbs. It’s not the healthiest of dishes, but it’s a nice treat once in awhile.

Ingredients:
pastry (500 g) (short crust or puff)
oil
1 onion
1-3 garlic cloves (depending on taste)
1 tsp herbs (I used mint this time, for variety)
1 tbsp mustard powder
300 g spring greens or spinach
200 g artichokes
50 g tomatoes (sun-dried or fresh, optional)
50 g mozzarella
50 g cheddar cheese
50 g feta cheese
300 ml milk or cream (single or double)
4 eggs
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Roll out the pastry.
2. Light grease an oven-safe pie dish or casserole dish. Place the pastry in it and use a fork to make a few indentations in the pastry.
3. Pre-bake the pastry for about 5 minutes at 190 C.
4. Meanwhile, dice the onion and garlic. Fry them lightly in oil with the herbs and other mustard.
5. Wash and chop the greens and add them to the pot with the onion. Wilt for about 10 minutes over low heat.
6. Dice the artichokes and tomatoes (if using) and add them. Do the same with the cheese.
7. Beat the milk or cream with the eggs.
8. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables.
9. Pour everything into the pastry.
10. Bake for about 45 minutes at 170 C.

Soba Noodles with Creamy Vegetable Sauce

Soba noodles can be made with buckwheat, which makes them high in fibre and gluten-free. They have a nutty, heavy flavour and an almost chewy consistency. I made a simple creamy vegetable sauce to serve over them.

Ingredients:
100 g vegetables (I used a combination of broccoli, cauliflower, broad beans, and spinach)
herbs and spices (I used parsley and garlic)
3-4 tbsp tomato puree
sun-dried tomatoes
100 ml cream
100 g soba noodles
water

Instructions:
1. If using frozen vegetables, defrost them. If fresh, wash and chop as needed and boil lightly.
2. Mix the herbs, spices, tomato puree, sun-dried tomatoes, and cream into the vegetables and warm thoroughly.
3. Boil the soba noodles in the water for 5-8 minutes.
4. Serve the noodles with the vegetables on top.