Spanakopitas!!!

Thanks to the UVSS food bank and its abundance of frozen spinach, we decided to attempt some vegan Spanakopitas!!! Yayaya! I'll include a gluten-free option, but I'm just too busy to try it myself ("Liberia: An Uncivil War" finally arrived today from Amazon.ca! Priorities, priorities, priorities.)

Phyllo Pastry:

2 packages Phyllo Pastry (most brands are vegan... but I am yet to find a gluten-free kind. If my week wasn't so hectic, I'd make it from scratch, but judge me if you must.)

Vegan Cheese:

1 cup ground almonds (can be blanched from sprouted/peeled nuts)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 raw garlic clove (or more to taste... second date pending)
1 1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Refrigerate.

If you're disgusting, you may just buy Tofutti Cream Cheese, which by complete accident happens to be vegan. And hydrogenated. Eww.

Spinach Filling:

2 large onions
1 head of garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Herbs to taste

2 packages of frozen spinach (we obviously prefer to blanch our own, locally grown spinach, but we couldn't decline an offer of free food. Thanks, UVSS.)

Drizzle head of garlic with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with himalayan salt. Wrap in tinfoil and place in oven at 375 degrees until roasted.

Saute diced onions in extra virgin olive oil. Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 cinnamon and seaweed flakes to taste. Add fresh ground pepper. Remove from heat once carmelized.

Combine all ingredients (garlic, onions, lemon juice, spinach.) Note: Spinach should be defrosted completely. Add favorite herb to taste. I prefer fresh dill... almost 1 cup! Stir in vegan "cheese."

Place teaspoon amount on edge of a single phyllo sheet. Fold like a triangle. Place on ceramic baking sheet. Baste top of spanakopitas with olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. Optional: Serve with sweet chili sauce. Recipe coming soon!

Gluten-Free Pastry: