Some Green Eats Glamorgan Sausage Rolls and Spanakopita

We have had good weather.

We took advantage of it and between the two of us, did a lot of gardening. 

But let me share these two images with you.  About two weeks ago, D laid down some turf  in front of the greenhouse.  It looks lush, fresh and of course very green. 

If you want to compare and contrast, follow this link to see the slabs.  No ball games or walking on the fresh lawn.  But I am looking forward to walking on it bare feet and sitting down on the grass come warmer days.

So back to the garden right now. 

The purple sprouting broccoli  is coming to an end.  We have mostly been eating the PSB added to Aglio, Olio e Peperonicino.  I think we have enough in the garden, perhaps for one or two more meals, then it will be all gone.  We will definitely be growing them again later in the year. 

Also harvested the last of the leeks. I was pondering what to do with them, but made my mind up after chatting to my nephew who is at University. He was telling me that my blog has become his on-line recipe book and that he's made a load of recipes from it, including Glamorgan Sausages.  

I actually cannot remember the last time i made Glamorgan Sausages at home.  The last time, or thereafter was perhaps when i was running the vegetarian cafe.  

Here are the ingredients for the Glamorgan Sausages: fresh breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, leeks, mustard, salt and pepper - ready for an egg yolk for the mixing and then shaping.  

To make these Glamorgan Sausages a bit more substantial and more like a sandwich for lunch or a picnic (Yes, i am already imagining eating out on that garden lawn) I encased them in puff pastry.  I liked the way Johanna makes her vegetarian sausage rolls.  And took inspiration from her the last time I made vegetarian Haggis Sausage rolls, they just look far more appealing.  Plus glossed over with egg wash for the golden glean.  The fresh leek flavour was so prominent. 

We also have still have perpetual spinach.   

But it is dwindling now.

I made another Spanakopita. This time the recipe came from Rose Elliot's Vegetarian Cookery (1988) .  I adapted her recipe a little with the inclusion of a sauteed leek, a teaspoon dried dill and a teaspoon raw rice to absorb the liquids.  Everything else was to the book.  I think, should i make spanakopita again, I will make it in a spiral, it's a bit more effort but its far more prettier.

I haven't yet transplanted any of the plants into the ground yet.  I am still a bit nervous about frost, so am holding back for another week. But come next week, they are going out into the earth soil.  Some of the peas are getting straggly and broad beans are ready to be transplanted. 

I am sharing my green harvest and and green eats with Harvest Monday tomorrow hosted by Dave from Happy Acres.  

Chickpea, Potato and Mango Chutney Filo 'Samosa' Pie

This Chickpea, Potato and Mango Chutney Filo 'Samosa' Pie is ultimately a vegetarian samosa Not traditional triangular shape, but more of a round pie wrapped up in a paper thin filo pastry and then baked in the oven, not deep fried.  It has comforting mashy potatoes, nutty chickpeas and green peas.  There is also some fenugreek in this to give it a curry hint and a couple of fresh green chillies (with seeds of course - I like it spicy) and finally some mango for a little sweetness. You could make your own mango chutney, but honestly there are loads of good brands out there that you don't have to.  

These Chickpea, Potato and Mango Chutney Filo Pastry Pie  were very filling, but like any good samosa it needs minty or coriander chutney or a raita of sorts to accompany it.  I made a simple home-made minty tomato salad with it, which worked really well.  

The prompt for today was make/eat something inspired by a book or movie.  One movie that I really, really like that takes me a roller coaster of emotions was Monsoon Wedding by Mira Nair.  

So the idea was to make something Anglo -Indian either a South Asian snack like samosa or with a fruit from the Indian sub-Continent like mangoes (loyal readers remember mangocheeks!).  I couldn't remember top of my head if there was a samosa eating scene in the movie, or even  a scene about mangoes maybe... but there were plenty  of edible flowers throughout the movie and more specifically marigolds (sadly not featured in the recipe here, though I did have some in the garden). 

Image source here

Other than the final fantastic dance scene, one of my favourite scenes was which involved the character PK Dubey, the wedding planners blossoming romance with the family's housekeeper Alice.  Dubey is not a pleasant character at all, and not in the least attractive, but you find yourself warming to him as the movie progresses and his character becomes softer as he begins to fall for Alice.  Well, this particular character PK Dubey is found pretty much munching on marigolds pretty much in every scene that he is in, except for the one below where he presents as an apology to Alice - a heart made from marigold flowers. Ah romance like this can only be found in the movies.   I am sharing this with Fabulous Foodie Fridays hosted by Bake Play Smile and Create Bake Make;

Vegan Spanakopita Spirals

This is probably not a recipe to showcase as its not presented int he best light, a little green salad and red tomatoes would have probably made it more enticing to the eye, but hey ho - sometimes a product has to stand on its own to make a name for itself. 

This recipe is based on my Spanakopita recipe from my student days, but this time round I have decided to veganize it.  I have substituted the salty feta cheese with nutritional yeast.   Nutritional yeast is rich in vitamin B.  It is a popular condiment for those who follow a vegan diet and is often used as a cheese alternative in cooking.  I have used it in a number of recipes in the past.  Anyway, whilst making the vegan spanakopita filling, I began reminiscing of holidays past in Cyprus.  I remembered eating a vegetarian spanakopita from a Cypriot bakery that had been rolled up into a coil shape (see here) and it is for that reason that I decided to make individual portions of vegan spanakopita spirals, as I thought they would look more presentable on the plate. 

You could easily make a larger version to feed a family or group of friends, then you must call it serpents coil as it sounds much more evocative.   I know my version here looks a bit on the pale side, and it is.  I put my hands up and admit that I forgot to gloss it over with some melted vegan margarine, that would definitely had made it golden.  I will ensure I do so next time, still that did not detract from the flavour or crispness. I actually enjoyed it far more than the vegetarian feta cheese savoury version, the only thing missing from the dish was some green salad and red tomatoes!

You can enjoy these warm from the oven, or at room temperature.  Just don't forget the salad!

Baked Sumac Spinach Spring Rolls

I always have some sumac in my kitchen cupboard, I love its unique twang that adds sourness the way lemons do; and am always looking for inspiration of other ways to us it.  

I visited my local library a little while back and picked up a Middle Eastern cook book called Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East and North Africa (2000).   I have various cookbooks by Arto Der Haroutunian, Anissa Helou, Nada Saleh and Claudia Roden, but never come across the Middle Eastern food writer Habeeb Salloum.  The only reason I think this is the case, is that he is a Canadian food writer.  I am really excited about the cook book and have already bookmarked a number of recipes including Sumac Toasts, Pumpkin Kibbeh, Pomegranate Pizza and Basil Rice Pilaf...

Vegan Moroccan Tagine Flaky Filo Pies

Gosh yesterday it was proper hot sunshine weather. A sunny Sunday when most families and friends decided on impulse to have a BBQ, well my family were no exception either.  Coming from a South Asian background, the BBQ menu was Anglo-Indian.  There was meaty burgers, tandoori chicken, spiced fish fillets, shammi kebabs and for the veg head like me - vegetable samosa with yogurt mint chutney and salsa salad.  I also brought along my own small contribution, Mango Trifle (to be showcased later in a different blog post), as well as these Moroccan Tagine Flaky Filo Twist pastry pies which happen to be vegan.  I was really glad of the restful Sunday, only thing missing was that glass of red wine.   

These  Moroccan Tagine Flaky Filo pastry pies were served with spiced couscous and a little harissa oil. I know I grumbled a little while ago, when I made these very same filling in a hot water crust pastry, but I have to say they worked pretty well in filo pastry.  The flaky filo pastry is a lot more delicate and the flavours inside really complimented the lightness of the filo pastry, unlike the the sturdiness of the hot water crust pastry.  

Garam Masala Swede Filo Pie

I made this Garam Masala Swede Filo pie a few hours ago. I was in desperate need of some kitchen therapy. What began with some vigorous mashing of the swede ended up with some gentle basting of these filo (phyllo) pastry sheets, and in just moments I was magically transformed from an erratic woman to one of utter calmness.
This recipe did not come from one of my cook books. It was inspired by Garam masala Swede cakes and Garam masala Swede Soup that I've made in the past. I think this is my way of confessing that I actually like Swede aka turnip or rutabaga in other parts of the English speaking world. Well made this way I certainly do like it. The natural sweetness of this Scottish swede takes on the spices of South Asia happily.

You could in fact call this 'Garam masala Swede filo pie' a lazy mans samosa pie, or in this case a lazy womans samosa. A samosa is a stuffed pastry snack traditionally filled with spiced vegetables found in South Asian countries. Instead of making dainty individual triangular samosas, I made a huge one that can be sliced and shared at the table. Using paper thin filo pastry also cut out the pallaver of making pastry from scratch. It was a pleasant change from the usual pastry crunch, this was light and flaky. Enjoy with a generous dollop of brown sauce, it contains the secret ingredient of tamarind that goes well with spicy pastries.

I made this pie in a 10 inch fluted tart tin. You can just make out the pastry on the side of the pie.

Garam Masala Swede Filo Pie

Serves 4 or 6

You will need a 10 inch pie tin or similar
Ingredients
Medium Swede, peeled and chopped
400g potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes

120g - 160g frozen peas
2 shallots or 1 medium onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil plus extra for filo pastry
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon garam masala or to taste
1 teaspoon chilli flakes or 1 red chilli, sliced (remove seeds if you wish)
Salt to taste

Packet of filo pastry
MethodIn one pot, either steam or cook the swede in salted water for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain then mash and set aside.

In another pot, either steam or cook the potato cubes in salted water until cooked. Drain and set aside.

In another pot, boil the peas until tender. Drain and set aside.
In a wide pan, slowly fry the shallots and garlic in the oil, until soft and caramelized – this will take about 15 minutes. Halfway through the process, add the spices and cook for a few minutes more.
Now in a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Season with salt to taste.

Begin lining the tart tin with individual filo pastry sheets. Allow the filo pastry to flop over the sides. Brush each layer gently with olive oil keep doing this until you have about 5 to 6 layers. Now gently spoon in the Garam Masala vegetable mix. (You may have some filling left over. Just eat as a cooks treat! ). Fill right to the top, smoothing gently as you go so that it is compact. Now top with the remaining filo pastry, again brushing each layer with oil. When all the filo pastry has been used up, begin pulling the filo pastry that is flopping to the sides to cover the top, coat generously with olive oil. Don't worry if the top is a little uneven, the ruffled effect adds a bit of character to the pie.

Bake in oven at Gas mark 4 for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.

Updated 21 April and 18th January 2011

This recipe was made by Torwen and Vintage Mum. Please follow this link to view.