Celeb Inspiration: The Barefoot Contessa, Pt. 2

My Mimi was a pro at Ina Garten's spanakopita, or spinach pie. The original recipe calls for eggs, parmesan and feta, but as I am finding to be true with nearly all of Ina's recipes, it was easily veganized, and the result was serenely nostalgic for me. This luscious filling is more than I even hoped for. Best of all, I didn't have enough phyllo to use it all up in the pies, so I just re-purposed it the next night in some vegan dumpling wrappers - BAM, vegan ravioli!



Basically, this filling is a keeper, y'all.

Spanakopita
makes about 14 individual pies

1/4 cup good olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1 package firm tofu, blended
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
plain dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 cups raw cashews, blended
3 tablespoons pine nuts
24 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
1/2 cup Earth Balance, melted
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the onion, and cook for 7-8 minutes over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl. When the onion are done, add them to the spinach. Mix in the tofu, nooch, 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Fold in the cashews and pine nuts.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough flat on a work surface with the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with Earth Balance and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of bread crumbs. Working quickly, slide another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first, brush it with butter, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. (Use just enough bread crumbs so the layers of phyllo don't stick together.) Pile 4 layers total on top of each other this way, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with bread crumbs. Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise. Place 1/3 cup spinach filling on the shorter end and roll the phyllo up diagonally as if folding a flag. Then fold the triangle of phyllo over straight and then diagonally again. Continue folding first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet. The filling should be totally enclosed.

Continue assembling phyllo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling is used. Place on a sheet pan, seam sides down. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked salt, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the phyllo is browned and crisp. Serve hot.

Easy Livin' Summertime

Summertime evokes a lot of food memories for me. Deciding what to make for the small potluck dinner party I went to last night, I discovered some long-forgotten black-eyed peas and was quickly reminded of my grandmother's recipe for Southern Caviar, beloved by all as an appetizer on hot summer evenings at her house.



For the party, I opted to bring a pint of homemade ice cream, saving my grandmama's glorious cold salad for my own consumption this evening. It's so simple to make, but goes fast with company! Once you start dipping, it's tough to stop until dinner is served. Here's my variation on her classic recipe.

Southern Caviar
4 cups canned black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalepeno, de-seeded and chopped
1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
the juice of one whole lime
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, toss and chill. Serve with corn chips for an appetizer, or hoe cakes for supper.

Vegan seafood strikes again!

My family had this tradition back in the day of eating brunch for Easter each year at Charlie's Crab, this fancyfancy place on Palm Beach island down south. For both my Mimi and me, the crab cakes were always the first thing we went for at the huge buffet - along with handfuls of the Easter-y candies decorating the table. So when I discovered a recipe for faux cakes from the infallible PPK, I HAD to make 'em. Now that Easter's drawing near again, knowing I won't be at home to have brunch with family, I decided this was the yummiest way to honor our tradition.



Tempeh Crab Cakes
a doubled adaptation of Isa Moscovitz's recipe, makes around 15 cakes

1 pound tempeh
2 cup water
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaves
6 tablespoons Veganaise
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 sheet crumbled nori
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper
1 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs, plus extra for dredging

For the cakes, here is Isa's method: crumble the tempeh into a small pan. Add the water, soy sauce, oil and bay leaf. The tempeh won’t be fully submerged, but that’s fine. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let boil for 12 to 15 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated. Stir once during boiling.

Transfer contents to a mixing bowl, remove bay leaf, and mash with a fork. Let cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to hasten the cooling process.

Once cooled, mix well with the remaining ingredients, then begin to heat some oil in a large skillet while you form the mixture into cakes. Fry until golden brown on both sides, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the excess oil, and serve with...

Remoulade
should make enough to cover yr cakes

6 tablespoons Veganaise
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Combine in a food processor and ladle over top. SO GOOD!

Chickpea of the Sea, B

Both my grandmothers were stellar Southern cooks and entertainers. They are the reason I cannot have a guest in the house for more than a minute without offering them something to eat. Actually, my canon of recipes comes largely from those two fantastic women. You'll be learning more about them as time goes on, I'm sure.

Each had her own take on tuna salad, and since I've been experimenting with vegan seafood (faux crab cakes were my first attempt - YUMMMM), I figured I'd give that a shot, too.



The roomies said it tasted just like the real thang! Feel free to substitute the salad mixture for your own grandmother's. Here is what I like to call...

The Chickpea of the Sea Melt
makes 5 melts

1 25-oz. can chickpeas, drained
half sheet nori (sushi paper)
2 cups water
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 a red onion, chopped
a handful of grapes, halved (optional)
1/2 cup Veganaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
s&p to taste
Earth Balance
vegan cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
5 slices of bread

Combine the drained chickpeas and water in a pot and crumble the half sheet of nori into it. Simmer this mixture until the water is absorbed, then set aside to cool.

Pour the cooled chickpea mixture into a bowl and mash with a fork so that no whole chickpeas remain in tact. Add the celery, red onion, and grapes (if using), then fold 'em in. Dump in the Veganaise, mustard, s&p and mix well.

Heat a daub of Earth Balance in a skillet until melted. Grill the bread with a scoop of salad and cheese (enough to cover) on top until cheese melts.