Spinach Pie and a Summer Panini

As you will see, I'm on a bit of a trying-new-recipes spike. Two nights ago, I had the itching for making a quiche (I haven't had one yet since going vegan) and decided to make one. However, my Dad saw and tasted this quiche and said, "This is too good and elegant to be called a quiche. You should call it something like...Spivegan, or Vinach, or...Viche." Hahah, I do love my Dad. We eventually dubbed it "Spinach Pie", since pie sounds much classier than quiche. Also, this was made with no tofu, fake cheese, or nutritional yeast so it actually doesn't much resemble a quiche in its components. It was amazing. It was perfectly creamy, and spiced just to the right spot. Also, it's incredibly filling and very healthy! It's loaded with vitamins, protein, and good fats, making it a perfect main dish. I served it with roasted asparagus, and it paired perfectly.

I combined a couple of recipes I had seen, but mostly I based it on the quiche recipe from Veganomicon and changed a few things based on what I had and what I liked. It turned out perfectly, so here's the recipe! Try it out :)

Spinach Pie

Serve as a hearty main dish with a side of roasted asparagus. Even in the summer, I like something to warm up my tummy! Feel free to substitute or combine different green vegetables, such as broccoli or asparagus.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 whole-wheat pie crust (I used Wholly Wholesome brand)
• 4 tbsp. evoo
• 1 pound spinach, asparagus, or broccoli
• 1 cup walnuts
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1.5 cups cooked, or one can, great northern beans
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• thyme, fennel, anise, and oregano sprinkled generously to your liking
• several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs, divided in half
• slices of tomato, enough to cover top of quiche

Directions:

1. Thaw your pie crust if you bought frozen. Cook your vegetable of choice until just soft.
2. Meanwhile, put walnuts, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse into crumbs, leaving no whole walnuts left.
3. Cool vegetables in a shallow bowl.
4. Sauté cloves of garlic in 1 tbsp. of the evoo, being careful not to burn it, for about 3 minutes.
5. Transfer to vegetables and let cool for a few minutes
6. When vegetables are no longer steaming, add them to the food processor. Process and scrape down the sides.
7. Add beans and puree until relatively smooth. Add cornstarch and pulse until thoroughly combined.
8. Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon filling into the pie crust and smooth out evenly. Sprinkle top with half of the bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tbsp. of evoo. Place tomato slices on top of bread crumbs. Sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs, some freshly ground black pepper, a few pinches of salt, and drizzle another tbsp. of evoo over the top.
10. Bake for 45 minutes, cool for 20.
11. Slice, serve warm and enjoy! :)

After I got home from my workout today, my momma wanted lunch so I made her something yummy today. She's been in a let cast from a car crash a couple of weeks ago, so I love being able to make nice lunches for her. This one just kind of came together, and it smelled delicious. She loved it, which means it must have been pretty good! My mom's a tough crowd to please :)

Pan-Grilled Summer Panini

Serve with a fresh green salad with chopped fresh vegetables on top. Perfect on a warm summer day :)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. EVOO
• 2 slices of Ezekiel 4:9 bread (or any hearty sprouted or whole-wheat bread)
• 1/4 package of tempeh, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
• 1/4-inch thick slice of vegan cheese (I used Follow Your Heart Monterey-Jack)
• slice of a large tomato
• small handful of baby spinach greens

Directions:

1. In a small skillet, sauté the tempeh slices in a tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Once they are crisp, place them on a piece of bread. Next, layer the cheese, the tomato, and then the lettuce. Put the other piece of bread on top.
3. If you have a panini press, use it for this part. Add another tablespoon of evoo to the skillet and place in the sandwich. Cook for a few minutes and then carefully flip, adding another little bit of evoo to the pan before flipping. Be sure to be pressing the sandwich down often, to mimic a panini press. Cook sandwich to desired crispness, or until the cheese begins to melt.
4. Enjoy! :)