Mini Spinach Empanadas

Earlier last week I stumbled across heathenvegans blog and found these: http://heathenandvegan.blogspot.com/2010/07/vegan-spinach-empanada.html
I couldn't stop thinking about them so I made them for dinner last night and again this afternoon. First time around I followed the directions exactly and altered the recipe slightly. I would advise not chilling the dough as I found it harder to work with. Make your veggies first and leave to cool as you make the dough. Below is my version of the recipe, the crust turns out super crispy and melts in your mouth!!!

 Filling

• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 6 good size crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 leek, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dulse flakes
• pepper
• garlic salt
• 1/4 block FYH Monterey Jack, small cubes

Pastry

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup maragine
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• water

1. Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onions, mushroom and peppers, season with pepper and garlic salt, cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic and leeks, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add spinach and dulse, cover and reduce heat to low. Let sit under spinach is wilted.
5. Take veggies off heat, remove lid and allow to cool. (add cheese to mixture right before spooning onto dough.)
6. While veggies are cooling mix flour, garlic salt, onion powder and margarine until crumbly.
7. Slowly add water until dough forms, add ing more fllour if needed.
8. Roll out fairly thin on counter and cut out circular sections. (I used a becel lid like a cookie cutter.)
9. Lay out circles on counter and spoon a large tablespoon into each.
10. Slightly wet the edge of one half and press together starting in the middle working outward.
11. Flatten the edge all around and then crimp between your fingers for a pretty scalloped edge.
12. Arrange on baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes @ 400 degrees.

Soup, Smoothies & Sugar Free Muffins

 I love hot soup! This cold soup is perfect for a hot summer day :)

Cream of Brocolli & Mushroom Soup

You will need:

• 4-5 large white mushrooms, chopped or sliced
• 2 handfuls broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup cashews, mac nuts & tamari almonds*
• 1/3 cup rice/soy/almond/hemp milk or water
• 1/4 lime, rind off
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• dill
• onion powder
• sea salt
• pepper

 *soak nuts overnight for a smoother, creamier soup.

 Heat olive oil over medium high heat, add mushrooms & broccoli, season with garlic salt & pepper. Add a bit of water and throw lid on to steam veggies. While veggies are cooking, throw nuts in the food processor & grind until fine,add a bit of water or milk to make a cream, blend until smooth. Check on the veggies, take the lid off when broccoli is a nice bright green, let some of the excess water evaporate but do not cook much longer. Add veggies & lime into processor, blend until smooth adding water or milk for your desired consistency. Add dill, onion powder & sea salt to taste. Serve luke warm or cold.

Smoothie!

use fresh or frozen fruit

Blend until smooth

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 apple
• large handfull spinach
• 1/2 lime
• small chunk of ginger
• 2-3 cups water

  

Sugar Free Mulberry Spelt Muffins

You will need:

• 
  
  2 cups spelt flour
• 
  
  1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 
  
  1/2 tsp baking soda
• 
  
  1 tsp cinnamon
• 
  
  1 tsp allspice
• 
  
  1/2 tsp salt
• 
  
  2/3 cups mulberries
• 
  
  1 cup applesauce
• 
  
  1 cup coconut milk
• 
  
  1 1/2 tsp EnerG egg replacer powder only
• 
  
  1 tsp vanilla
• 
  
  1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 400°F.

1. 
   
   To prepare muffin tins, spray indentations and rims with nonstick spray, or line with paper muffin cups. If using silicon muffin tins, spray as directed, then place tins on baking sheet.
2. Sift together dry ingredients.
3. Mix together wet ingrediets.
4. Combine wet with dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
5. Fill prepared tins three-quarters full. Use additional greased tins or small, oven-safe, greased ramekins for any leftover batter, or reserve for other baking. Bake for 22 minutes, or until muffins are lightly browned with rounded tops. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
6. Set pan on wire rack to cool for ten minutes. Gently rock each muffin back and forth to release and remove from tin. Cool muffins for five minutes more on rack before serving. If storing or freezing, cool completely before sealing in airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bags. Muffins will stay fresh up to twenty-four hours at room temp. or up to one month in freezer.

Adapted from this recipe: http://vegliving.info/2009/07/26/recipe-spotlight-no-added-sugar-spelt-muffins/

May you rest in peace Finleigh, my dear sweet kitteh

It has been 9 days since my dear kitteh Finleigh left this world. I miss her more than anything. She was my first pet and she meant the world to me. Although she seemed cold at times, she was the most loving cat when you needed her to be. She died doing what she loved, running around casuing a ruckus. I will never forget the first few days after I brought Wiley home, Finleigh resented me for bringing another animal home and would fall asleep growling at him. There is nothing cuter than a cat struggling to keep her eyes open, head bobbing and growling to sleep. My dear sweet Finleigh, you are always in my heart, remembered and loved by so many...

So Peaceful

Cuddles with Mom

First Bath

Finleigh, Finleigh
She opens the door with her triangle head,
She crouches, she pauses, she jumps on the bed...

Monster Crackers aka Nutty Spelt Crackers

Apparently it's been a while since I updated...sorry for the delay to anyone out there actually following me ;)

As most of you know I am vegan and recently have some new dietary restrictions come up; No Yeast, No Sugar, No Vinegar...This makes it increasingly difficult to eat out, let alone that most of my dining partners are omni's! I have been slaving away in the kitchen trying to keep a good rotation of different & interesting foods so that I don't become bored with what I am eating. After all, food is life! Without good tasty food and awesome people to share it with...where would that leave us? I decided I was really missing crackers. There are many yeast free crackers out there, but most contain modified milk products, honey or gasp....sugar! Really? Sugar in a cracker? Believe it! I did find a few crackers that met my criteria but they were pricy or bland so I set out to bake my own with a little help from the internet! I found a recipe on http://www.suite101.com/ that seemed like a good idea but definitely needs some tweeking. So here they are!

Ingredients

•2 cups whole spelt flour

•1/2 cup tamari almonds, ground

•1/2 cup flax seed, ground

•1 teaspoon each garlic salt & mustard powder

•2 tbsps dehydrated minced onion

•1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

•3/4 cup water

•sesame seeds or organic cornmeal for dusting

Directions

• Grind seeds in a coffee grinder or blender until they become like a flour. Be careful not to over-grind as they will easily turn into nut butter.

• 
  
  Preheat the oven to 350F.

• 
  
  In a medium bowl, sift together the whole spelt flour, ground nuts and seeds, whole sesame seeds and salt.

• 
  
  In a separate cup, emulsify the oil and water by stirring rapidly.

• 
  
  Pour the oil and water into the centre of the dry ingredients and mix together until most of the liquid is incorporated, then begin to knead the dough with your hands until all of the liquid is mixed in.

• 
  
  Split the ball of dough into two.

• 
  
  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the balls of dough to 1/4 inch thickness and either cut shapes with a cookie cutter or slice squares with a knife.

• 
  
  Repeat with the other half of the dough. Alternatively, split the dough into smaller portions and run the dough through a pasta maker until the dough reaches desired thickness.

• 
  
  Dust a baking sheet with organic corn meal or sesame seeds and place the cut dough pieces onto this.

• 
  
  Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes*, depending on the thickness of the dough. The vegan crackers will not turn golden brown when finished, but will be crispy and will crack easily when snapped.

*I cooked my first batch for 7 mins, checked them, did another 3 mins, then flipped and cooked for 2 more. They are nice and crispy!!

Read more at Suite101: Nutty Whole Spelt Flour Crackers: A Savoury Homemade Vegan Snack Food http://vegan-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/nutty_whole_spelt_flour_crackers#ixzz0uzwPXb6A

Also pictured is cashew cheeze!

Ingredients:

• 
  
   1 cup cashews (I like a mixture of Cashews & Mac nuts)
• 
  
  1/8 cup lemon juice
• 
  
  pinch of sea salt
• 
  
  2 cloves garlic
• 
  
  water to thin.

• 
  
  Grind nuts in food processor to fine paste, add garlic & lemon juice with a pinch of salt.
• 
  
  Slowly add water until you reach you desired consistency.
• 
  
  Serve with crackers & veggies!

**Cheeze will firm up when out in fridge

and just for fun here is a picture of Sir Wiley Styles