Vegan Spinach Empanada

I am currently writing a little vegan recipe zine called "Who Ate All the Pies" that will be available to download in PDF format in Spring/Summer 2011.

My love of all things pie like is no secret. I can think of nothing better than a tasty sumptuous filling encased in pastry.

Pies are perfect for parties, picnics, quick nibbles and satisfying meals - all in all a total win in my books.

The next couple of recipes I am going to post will be little snippety teasers out of the zine which will hopefully whet your appetites and leave you shouting "WE WANT PIES!"

First up is Spinach Empanada.

Empanadas are basically Spanish pasties that are traditionally made with meat or tuna.

Not these babies.

What follows is a vegan twist on this typically Spanish food, so enjoy.

served with salad, new potatoes and hummous

Spinach Empanada

makes 6

For The Pastry

Ingredients

8oz Spelt Flour
3oz Vegan Margarine
Cold Water

Method

Place the flour into a bowl and add the margarine. Rub the margarine into the flour until it resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add water a little bit at a time and gather together to form a dough. If the dough is too sticky just add some more flour until it all comes together nicely.

Chill until needed.

For the filling

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

half a cup of chopped onion

half a cup of chopped red pepper

half a cup of chopped mushrooms

1 leek, trimmed, washed and sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 Tablespoon Sea Vegetables

Handful of spinach

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions, peppers and mushrooms. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes stirring regularly.

Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Then add the tomatoes and leeks and cook for 10 minutes more.

Add the spinach, sea vegetables, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes stirring every now and then.

Check seasoning.

Leave to cool.

Heat oven to 200 degrees.

Take the pastry out of the fridge and lightly dust a work surface. Roll out the pastry and use whatever you have to cut 15 cm diameter rounds (I have a fancy pasty maker). Place each round onto a baking tray and spoon the filling into the middle. Each pasty will take about 5 tablespoons of filling. Wet one edge of the round with a little water and fold one edge of the pastry over the filling and use a fork to bind the edges together.

Brush with soya milk and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.

Can be eaten hot or cold.

the money shot