Spanakopita!

About twice a year, I make a big batch of spanakopita, which I love.  I can't remember where this recipe comes from, but I've had it for AGES, like since I was a teenager.

Filling:

1 package phyllo/filo dough, found in your grocery's freezer section
2 pounds fresh or frozen spinach (for this recipe, I used four packages frozen)
2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs or egg replacer
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
1/4 tsp each nutmeg and black pepper
12 oz feta cheese, chopped (omit for vegan)
1/3 cups pine nuts, toasted (optional)
salt to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs or more

Wash spinach if using fresh, shake off excess water. Cook in large pot over medium heat with just the water clinging to the leaves, turning often for about 5 minutes or until wilted. Remove from pot and chill under cold running water. Press out water, chop and reserve. For frozen spinach, thaw, press out excess water and chop.
In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, cook onions and garlic for around 10 minutes or until tender but not browned. In large bowl, beat eggs, stir in onion mixture, spinach, dill, nutmeg and pepper. Mix in feta, pine nuts and bread crumbs. If you're using thawed spinach, it literally takes about 5 minutes to throw this filling together.

(*I should add here that I haven't included pine nuts in this recipe for many years because, simply, I suck at toasting them, and pine nuts cost a fortune.  The difference between "toasted" and "burnt" is approximately 3.5 seconds, but if you can manage to toast them and not blink and ruin them the way I do every time, please feel free to use them.  As I recall, they are best when chopped finely after toasting.)

Melt a few tbsp butter/margarine in a small bowl for brushing onto phyllo.  Place clean tea towel on work surface. Place one sheets of phyllo on separate work surface, keeping remainder covered wth plastic wrap and damp towel to prevent drying out (this is important). I make these using the "flag" folding method to make triangles.  I cut the sheets of phyllo in half once for large triangles, or into four pieces for smaller triangles.  Brush each long sheet of phyllo with a bit of butter, place filling on the bottom in a triangle shape with one corner and side full of filling. Fold over into a triangle, then continue to fold the triangle up towards the top of the sheet. Seal the top seam with butter then place on a cookie sheet, seam side down.    If these instructions are kind of unclear, I'm sure you can do a quick search on google to find a step-by-step picture of how to fold a flag - same thing!

Cook at approximately 360 degrees F for between 30 minutes and 45 minutes - they should turn out a nice golden brown.  I usually bake half my batch then freeze the rest. They can then be baked straight out of the freezer at about the same temperature, but for just a bit longer. I would say this recipe made maybe 20 large triangles this last time.

I apologize for the below picture, I swear they normally look tastier and flakier than this - but this triangle was a leftover spanakopita that I took to work and re-heated in the microwave - not as pretty as it was fresh out of the oven, but just as tasty :)  I ate it with some mashed yams and gravy for lunch - delicious!

Tabouleh salad

Good morning, veggies!  Looks like as summer nears closing, we're FINALLY starting to get some hot weather here in Vancouver - this is by far the worst summer for weather I can remember, but I guess better late than never?  While it's still nice out, I wanted to blog my friend Sadie's recipe for tabouleh salad - perfect for summer: full of fresh flavour, nice and light and perfect for hot weather/picnics/barbecues, etc.

Tabouleh Salad

Soak 1 cup dry bulgur in 2 cups warm water for 30 mins. Drain.

Chop finely:

1 cucumber

1 red onion

4 large tomatoes (I like them seeded :))

1 handful fresh mint 

2 handfuls fresh cilantro (or parsley)

Add:

juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp Allspice

Salt and pepper to taste

We brought this on a weekend wine trip with us earlier in the year, and dare I say it was almost better the next day, after the flavours fully had a chance to mix together?? 

About a month ago, I had my friend J. over for dinner and she also brought a tabouleh salad, although instead of bulgur (and a few of the other ingredients listed above), she used quinoa and parsley (more traditional in tabouleh, I think). I really enjoyed the texture of quinoa in it, and it adds a little more protein than bulgur.  Choose whichever you like :)

1 cup uncooked Quinoa = 22 grams protein
1 cup uncooked Bulgur = 17.2 grams protein

Enjoy the rest of your summer, wherever you may be!

 (Pictured: Tabouleh salad, a crisp rosé, homemade hummus on fresh rosemary bread)

Spicy "shrimp" and broccolini

Hello lovelies!  I'm excited because I get to post about a recipe I haven't had for several years...well, since I stopped eating seafood.  There's a wonderful Buddhist restaurant here in Vancouver called 3G Vegetarian restaurant.  Last year one of the groups I belong to held a fundraising bake sale there, and a percentage of all food sales went towards the cause. Well.  Those Buddhists really know how to do mock meats! I can't seem to find a website for the restaurant (or its shop), but the phone number is 604-568-9008 and it's located on Cambie St.

I think I've mentioned before I'm not a fan of fake meats (Gardein, Field Roast, etc.), but this place was incredible.  They had the most amazing little "chicken" drumettes that really tasted like chicken! It was like I'd gone back in time 6 years. Their sweet and sour "pork" was also incredible.   Just this past week, we learned that the restaurant has a separate retail store where they sell all their "meats", so off we went on a sunny Saturday to take a look.

Well. They had EVERYTHING. Fake seafoods, game meats ("lamb"??, which a friend used in a stew and tasted like the real thing!), the drumettes, "pork", "scallops", you name it, it was there.  They also had a wonderful selection of vegetarian condiments, including a vegetarian Oyster Sauce that I really regret not picking up.

Last night, I used the fake shrimp we bought to make Spicy Shrimp and Broccolini - one of my favourite recipes from my seafood-eating days.  I'm not sure where I got the base recipe from, but I think it included cabbage instead of broccolini, and it's evolved over the years to the following:


2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
4 cups broccolini/broccoli rabe - flash boil for a few minutes, then remove from pot
4 cloves minced garlic
3 cups large "shrimp" or deveined real shrimp, if you're a pesceterian
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 small-to-medium thinly sliced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
3 tablespoons + soy sauce

Heat oil in the skillet over high heat. Place the garlic, pepper flakes, and onion into skillet and stir fry until the onion begins to turn translucent, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the shrimp and broccolini and stir fry for several minutes more (fake shrimp is already cooked, needs only to be reheated. If you are using real shrimp, make sure to cook until it turns pink and curls). Add cilantro, soy sauce and water to the skillet. Stir-fry for about another minute, then serve over hot rice.

I have to admit that I probably added more chili flakes than called for, and I think I finally experienced last night what they call "heartburn", which I hear can appear (or worsen) in pregnancy.

I gotta tell you: I'm not a big fan.

On Greek food and falafel

There's a mediterranean kiosk in the food court of the mall near my work called Casablanca, and I checked it out for only the first time today - what the hell was I thinking waiting so long?  Of their 8 meal menu items, two were fit for veggie royalty - one vegetarian (featuring a massive spanakopita), the other vegan - I opted for the vegan plate and, um, YUM.  I'm not sure what kind of dressing they used on their tabouli, but it was honestly the best I've ever had.

In this picture: 3 pieces falafel smothered in tahini, garlic and hot sauce, a healthy serving of hummous, two dolmathes (rice wrapped in grape leaves), tabouli salad on top of a green salad, and pita.  I also had him throw in a few of those delicious pickled turnips they make - SO good.  The cost? Less than $6.  I'm not even kidding.  I had a sandwich from a fancy coffee shop yesterday that cost me $9 and wasn't NEAR as good or filling as this. Screw you fancy coffee shop (cough*TreesonGranville*cough)!

Falafel is one of those things I never tried before I became a vegetarian, and I LOVE it now.  I'm usually pretty particular about where I get it, because it can sometimes be quite dry.  My current favourite local place is Falafel King at 902 Granville - that dude makes it RIGHT and puts the whole wrap in a press to warm it up afterward. Falafel heaven.  I've toyed with the idea of making my own falafel off and on, but all the falafel I've ever had appears to be deep-fried, which concerns me a bit (and I don't own a deep fryer).  I guess I'd be looking for a recipe that calls for baking the falafel balls....Anyone tried making their own falafel? I would LOVE a tried and tested recipe that tastes GOOD :)

Tomorrow is Canada Day and thus a day off work - if you're Canadian or American, enjoy your country's birthday this weekend!

Salad dressings, Sammy J Peppers and Substituting

No new recipes to report, unfortunately, today I have leftover Indian food (I know, I KNOW) and a great homemade pasta salad I made two days ago.  I used a bottled dressing, but I think I may declare this the "Summer of Dressing!" because the one I purchased (feta & oregano), while delicious, really doesn't stand up to the pasta. On lettuce, it's great, on pasta, I had to add far too much extra salt, pepper and herbs to get that tangy flavour.  I've been collecting dressing recipes over the years, but I'll be damned if I've ever tried making one!  That's all going to change :)

This is the one I'm going to try first. It's the recipe of a family friend that keeps getting passed around my hometown - easily a favourite up there!

Poppyseed dressing

1/3 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup apple juice

1/3 cup liquid honey

1/4 cup of Dijon mustard

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 tsp of each, salt and pepper

1-2 tsp of poppy seeds

shake well and store in the refrigerator.

I went shopping with a girlfriend in Burnaby (a suburb of Vancouver) this past weekend to Metrotown - easily the biggest mall in British Columbia.  I'm not too familiar with the restaurants out that way, but we wanted to have lunch somewhere with a patio, and Sammy J Peppers was right across the street with a lovely patio.  Their menu wasn't terribly vegetarian friendly (http://www.sjpeppers.com/), but I was extraordinarily impressed with how helpful our server was with making their menu work for me.  Other than a veggie burger and salads, nothing on the menu was vegetarian.  However, she assured me that the chefs would make any of their flatbread pizzas and any of their "bowls" vegetarian or vegan for me, and every type of burger they had was available using a veggie patty.  Pretty impressive.  In my experience, I'd say this sort of accommodating happens only about 25% of the time I eat out, and it is ALWAYS worth a mention and a shout-out.  Because of that, I will definitely be back.

I ordered one of their flatbread pizzas that normally came with capicolla and chorizo, and substituted basil and fresh tomatoes instead. All in all, it was a LOVELY little lunch - a flatbread covered with mozza, banana peppers, basil, jalapenos, fresh tomatoes, caramelized red onions, feta and a few more things I can't remember.  My lunch companion had more than a few pieces of it :)

Eating Healthy(er) and Quinoa & Black Beans

Man, those two months of hockey, beer and potato chips really did a number on my figure. I actually struggled to get a skirt I've had for years over my hips today.  Note to the Canucks: if you're going to last that long in the playoffs, kindly win it next time?  Too many potato chips were eaten at my house.

Anyway, with summery fruit coming into season and hockey being over, I seem to be back on track.  For breakfast this morning, I had peanut butter and banana on a whole wheat bun - toasted a bit in the sandwich maker, then leftover onion/bell pepper/black bean fajitas with fresh avocado in two mini tortillas for lunch, and I have a big container of fresh strawberries for my afternoon snack. Dinner tonight will be a simple pasta primavera with cooked flat noodles, earth balance, tomatoes, zucchini, salt and pepper and fresh parsley. Perhaps a squeeze of lemon and fresh tarragon from my herb garden?

I might have some exciting news in a week or two that I must keep under wraps for the time being, but suffice it to say for the purposes of this post, I expect it to bring good things to this blog going forward. I am feeling reinvigorated, so stay tuned, veg-heads!

Here's a quick recipe I'll be making very very soon - it's quick and YUMMY:

Quinoa and Black Beans

1 tsp veg oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic (or more), chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1.5 cups veg broth (or chicken flavoured veg broth)
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned.  Add quinoa and cover with broth.  Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes.  Add corn and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through.  Add cilantro and serve.

This would probably be cooked with a few raw, chopped tomatoes thrown in, too....and I probably (read: definitely) amp up the spices in this.  Keep tasting until it's "yours".

Update July 27 - made this last night (hence the picture) and I actually mixed the cilantro right into the pot right before serving, as opposed to using as garnish.  However, we added chopped, seeded tomatoes to the top and one or more of us sprinkled parmesan on top - yummy!

On Sandwiches (and catching up!)

Good morning, veg-heads!  Personally, I have a bit of a thick head from consuming beer AND sangria last night with some friends while watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals - nothing a ton of water today won't fix.  Besides Vancouver's win (yay!), the best part of the night was the discovery of THEBESTVEGGIE BURGERIHAVEEVERHAD.  And let me me tell you, I've had a veggie burger or two in my life.  I thought about taking a picture of it, but it was too dark in there, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  It was the restaurant's special during Canucks games - Burger and a Beer for $11.95 - any kind of burger you want, including veggie!  It was stuffed with amazing-tasting ingredients and the bun was like this delicious brioche piece of heaven - agh! I want it again! (I'll be back for it) 

In any case, if you ever want to try it, Cats is part of the Brown's group of "social houses", and they have a ton of them all over the lower mainland. The cool thing about the menu is that you can substitute tofu for almost ANY meat dish in the place - in the place of fish, chicken, beef, etc. That, my friends, is super cool. Locations and menu here:
http://brownsrestaurantgroup.com/brownssocialhouse/menu/
http://catssocialhouse.com/

Now then. I've been really into sandwiches lately. We have this awesome sandwich maker/panini press thing at work and I've been all over it.  Lately, my breakfasts have been a cut up morningstar vegetarian sausage (heated), tomato and avocado plus salt and pepper between a pita and placed in the sandwich maker. SO good.  I used to put cheese in this, but am as cheese-free as I can be these days, and really, with avocado, who needs it??

Last weekend, I made this AMAZING vegetarian sandwich with whatever I felt like - this little baby had fresh spinach, red peppers, grated carrot, cheddar cheese, avocado, cucumber and, what I believe to be the key ingredient, lots of fresh basil.  I also used Tofutti cream cheese - herb flavoured. Seriously, this sandwich makes me laugh in the face of meat sandwiches.

Yesterday for lunch I did a good old fashioned pb&j, although I really would have preferred a pb&b (banana).  Man do I love a good pb&b.  I've been getting cravings at work lately for something sweet around 3pm, so I and the pb&js are taking care of cravings business.  Put it in the sandwich maker and voila....molten peanut buttery goodness.

What do all these sandwiches have in common? Protein.  In the form of whole wheat bread (mostly), cheeses, tofu cream cheese, peanut butter, avocado...on and on. Delicious and damn well-rounded.

Sorry for the lack of new recipe posts, folks! I actually decided about three weeks ago that I needed to go back and re-make the recipes I posted at the beginning of the blog so I had pictures to add to them!  If you haven't visited the old recipes for a while, take a look, a lot of them have accompanying pictures now.  I'm making the Balsamic Eggplant Parmesan tonight so will have that picture up tomorrow.

Happy eating!