Vegan Baklava & Squash Puff Pastry

Want to impress your family and friends with a special treat...then go get some Filo dough and put together some yummy goodies. Fast and easy! 
Made without sugar, honey, butter or cheese. Yes...they do taste great! No kidding...you will be surprised how easy it is to prepare. 

Walnut/Apple Baklava 

Plated with agave for extra sweet richness.

Basic recipe:

Use three sheets of organic filo.

Brush each sheet with natural oil or margarine.

Carefully turn all the filos sheets over and wipe with 

the oil or margarine.

Slice the filo into 2 inch strips.

Place about a tsp. of the walnut apple mixture* on the short end and fold up into a triangle shape.

Wipe a little more oil/marg. on top.

Bake for 15 minutes of until light golden brown.

Bake at 350 degrees.

*walnut apple mixture: 

1/2 cup of raw organic walnuts

1 peeled organic apple

Raw agave to sweeten

process in a food processor until chunky.

Squash Puff Pastry

Lay out one filo sheet.  Brush on oil or melted natural margarine.  Repeat. I used three sheets total.

Place the roasted squash* that has been sauteed** and seasoned on the long end and roll up.

Make slits on the top every 2 inches.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown on top.

Bake at 350 degrees. 

* peel the squash (any kind, acorn, butternut or pumpkin) 

and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes.

Roast in the oven until soft...be careful not to burn them.

**Saute the squash in natural oil or margarine...add salt and pepper to taste. Cool before making the filo Puff Pastry.

Important!!!...Keep the filo dough from drying out. Lay the open filo dough on a piece of plastic wrap or to be eco ,use a damp towel and then lay a damp towel on top. 

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4 Squash Shepard's Pie (or dairy/eggless quiche) made with Cashew Cream.

Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha, Pumpkin

Ingredients:

4 squashes

5 potatoes

Raw Cashews

fresh sage

nutmeg

salt

pepper

olive oil

Pie crust

(I used organic ready made pie crusts)

 Peeled and cut into cubes and ready to roast.

Roast at 400 degrees until soft.

I also roasted potatoes (not shown)

Saute fresh sage in olive oil. Be careful not to burn it.

Add the roasted squash and potatoes. 

Salt and pepper to taste.

Fill the pie crust half way with the Cashew Cream sauce.

Cashew cream: Blend one cup of raw cashew with enough water to make a thick cream sauce. Add 2 tsp's of olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg.

Then place the squash mixture on top...it will sink in a little.

Cover with tin foil and pop some holes in the top.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

For this one I sauteed another patch of squash but added the cashew cream directly into the squash.

Food Day - October 24th

http://www.foodday.org/about

Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Food Day, created by CSPI, is powered by a diverse coalition of food movement leaders, organizations, and people from all walks of life. Food Day takes place annually on October 24 to address issues as varied as health and nutrition, hunger, agricultural policy, animal welfare, and farm worker justice. The ultimate goal of Food Day is to strengthen and unify the food movement in order to improve our nation’s food policies. Join this push for a stronger, more united food movement by signing up to organize or attend Food Day events in your community.

The foods we eat should bolster our health, but the contemporary American diet is actually contributing to several hundred thousand premature deaths from heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and cancer each year. What's more, the way our food is produced is all too often harmful to farm and food workers, the environment, and farm animals. The American food system has created a diet of cheap, salty, overly processed packaged foods, high-calorie sugary drinks, and fast-food made of white bread, fatty grain-fed factory-farmed meat, and French fries.

Food Day aims to transform the American diet. It’s time for America to Eat Real! All Americans—regardless of their age or race or income or geographic location—should be able to select healthy diets and avoid obesity, heart disease, and other diet related conditions.

Our priorities:

• Promote safer, healthier diets
• Support sustainable and organic farms
• Reduce hunger
• Reform factory farms to protect the environment
• Support fair working conditions for food and farm workers

A Pair

Raw Apple crumb pie

Oops...Cut a piece before taking a photo.  

Yummy...and it's only apples, nuts and dates.

2 cups of mixed nuts - I used pecans, walnuts and macadamias
5 apples - any kind you like
6-7 pitted dates
1/4 cup of almond meal or flour

Prep: 

Dehydrate 2 apples - Cut into slices and dehydrate overnight on medium. 

Prepare the nuts: place raw nuts in a dehydrator for 6-8 hours to "roast" them. It really brings out the crispiness without really roasting them.


Preparing:

Pie crust: In a food processor pulse together 2 cups of mixed nuts. I used pecans, walnuts and macadamias. Add 3-4 pitted dates. Process until it sticks together when you pinch it.
Press the crust mixture into a glass pie pan.


Apple filling: Use a mandoline to slice 3 apples or slice very thin - optional - remove skin.
Process one apple with 2 dates. Makes a applesauce mixture.
Mix the sliced apples with the apple sauce and place over the pie crust.


Crumb topping:

Place the rest of the nuts in a processor add 2 dates, almond flour and the dehydrated apples. Pulse to until it make a grainy mixture...not too small.
Crumble on top of the pie and pinch some into bigger crumbs.

Optional :

"Bake" in a dehydrator for 3 or more hours on middle.  This will meld the flavors and crisp the topping.

Vegetarian - Thailand

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