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.

Frangipane (Almond Paste)

This is great in baked goods such as pain aux raisins (see the next post) or as a layer in a cake. It adds a subtle almond flavour.

Ingredients:
½ cup almond meal
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3 tbsp butter

Instructions:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a blender until fairly smooth.
2. Spread on pastries or cakes before baking them.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a craving and just had to make some soft and gooey chocolate chip cookies. Probably next time I’d reverse the measurements for the sugars (i.e. ½ cup brown and ¾ cup white), as brown is just a bit too caramelly for my taste.

Ingredients:
¾ cup butter (about 150 g)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs (or 1 egg and 1 extra yolk)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1½ cups chocolate chips (about 200-300 g) (I just chopped up a block of baking chocolate, so I had chocolate shards more than chocolate chips)

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter, then mix it with the sugars and the cocoa, blending so it gets airy (you can use a mixer).
2. Mix in the vanilla and eggs, until fluffy. Then mix the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour together, and then carefully blend the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
3. Add the chocolate chips and mix until everything is just blender.
4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a baking tray and bake at 165 C for about 15 minutes.

Quote on Vegetarianism

For all we know that English people are/ Fed upon beef - I won't say much of beer/ Because 'tis liquor only, /and being far/ From this my subject, has no business here; / We know too, they are very fond of war,/ A pleasure - like all pleasures - rather dear;/ So were the Cretans - from which I infer/ That beef and battle both were owing her.

--Lord Byron

Onion Tart

This is very simple but looks pretty if you use red onions (you can use white too, of course) and it is especially good with goat’s cheese on top. This time, though, I just used mozzarella. I’ve also done it with cheddar. But you don’t need cheese at all, if you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 block puff pastry (about 250 g)
3 large red onions or 5 small ones
2 garlic cloves
oil
1 tbsp honey
1 dash balsamic vinegar
100-200 g black olives (depending on how you feel about olives)
black pepper
1 tsp mint
cheese, optional

Instructions:
1. Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle and put it on a baking tray.
2. Dice the onions and garlic and fry them lightly in the oil. Add the honey and the balsamic vinegar and continue frying until caramelised and they have a slightly golden hue.
3. Chop the olives.
4. Spread the onions and olives on the puff pastry. Season with black pepper and mint. Add pieces of cheese, if desired.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes at 180 C.

Potato, Fennel and Onion Casserole

I saw this in Vegetarian Living a few months ago in a slightly different format (they had no onions, for example, and with tomatoes added at the end) and thought I’d try it. It would be good as a side dish, but was a bit too starchy as a main course.

Ingredients:
5-6 potatoes
1 fennel
1 onion
2 spring onions
3-5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp oil for the dish
2 cups (about 500 ml) milk or cream (I used soy, but Vegetarian Living recommended regular)
salt
pepper

Instructions:
1. Wash all the vegetables and peel as needed. Thinly slice them all.
2. Oil a casserole dish. Place the vegetables in it.
3. Pour the milk or cream over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake at 200 C for about 60 minutes, checking and stirring partway through.

Peanut Tofu with Noodles

I love fast, healthy meals. This kind of recipe can be varied endlessly.

Ingredients:
1 container tofu (about 300 g)
tamari sauce (you can use soy)
oil
1 chilli pepper
1 red pepper
2-4 spring onions
1 package sugar snap peas (about 200 g)
5-7 tbsp peanut butter (I use crunchy to get nice peanut bits)
1 tsp lemon juice
noodles (Thai-style ribbon noodles work well with this, but any kind is fine)
1-2 eggs, as desired

Instructions:
1. Sprinkle the tofu with tamari sauce and marinate it for a few minutes. Bake it in the oven at 150 C for 10 or so minutes, so it gets a bit of colour.
2. Warm up the oil. Wash and dice the chilli and pepper and fry them in the oil.
3. Wash and chop the onions and wash and trim the sugar snap peas and add them. Remove the tofu from the oven, dice, and throw into the pan.
4. Add the peanut butter, lemon juice, and another dash each of oil and tamari. Cook over low heat for 5 or so minutes.
5. Put the noodles in, and the eggs if using them. If you use the eggs, stir them so they break into small ribbons. Cook for a few more minutes, then serve.

Flapjacks

Flapjacks in the US refer to pancakes, but in the UK, they’re a sort of biscuit or bar made from oats and honey or golden syrup (I dislike golden syrup so I use honey).

Ingredients:
175 g butter
175 g honey (1/2 cup)
¾ cup sugar
spices, as desired (I used a bit of cinnamon and ginger, and also a splash of lemon juice, though that’s not technically a spice)
350 g oats (4 cups)
½ cup raisins, optional (I soaked them in boiling water first to plump them up)

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter and add the honey and sugar. Warm until the sugar dissolves. Mix in spices, if you are using them.
2. Mix in the oats and raisins.
3. Grease an oven-proof dish and put the oat mixture in it.
4. Bake at 180 C for about 15-20 minutes, then slice into squares.