Vegan MoFo #16: My First Vegan Thanksgiving

Vegan Thanksgiving Proper

I thought it would be wonderful to celebrate my first Thanksgiving as a vegan with an all-vegan meal. My family is not ready for this kind of celebration, so I invited seven friends over on Saturday night to celebrate my way. Despite being the only vegan in attendance, the two vegetarians plus five omnivores were very enthusiastic about the all-vegan menu. My goal was to wow everyone with several vegan versions of classic Thanksgiving dishes. In typical Thanksgiving fashion, this meal was indulgent, and by no means health food. The end result made it all worth it, there were plenty of wows to go around!

Tofu Deviled "Eggy" Bites

For appetizers we started with Tofu Deviled "Eggy" Bites. This is Bianca's magical recipe, which utilizes an Indian spice, black salt, to simulate the flavor of eggs. Everyone agreed that these were surprisingly authentic, and this platter emptied quickly!

Artichoke Dip

To go with the Tofu Deviled Eggy Bites, my friend Jenny brought Artichoke Dip with pita chips. I highly recommend this recipe from C'est La Vegan, it was a favorite at the party.

I was going to make a third appetizer, Lindsay's Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, but I ran out of time. Sad! I hope to make these for Christmas, if I can wait that long!

Pumpkin Nog Martini

We enjoyed some pre-dinner cocktails of Pumpkin Nog Martinis. This blend of Silk Nog, vanilla vodka, cinnamon, and pumpkin puree were inspired by Heather's Pumpkin Pie Bliss. I topped these off with Soyatoo Whip, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a cinnamon stick.

Soy and Seitan "Turkey"

For the main event, I made Bryanna Clark Grogan's Soy and Seitan "Turkey". Unfortunately this recipe has been taken offline, so I don't have a link for you. The base of this "turkey" is a blend of tofu, wheat gluten, and chickpea flour. This roasts at a low temperature for 4 hours in a vegan chicken-flavored basting broth. The result is remarkable, perfect taste and texture, which was enjoyed by all.

Green Bean Casserole

 In selecting classic Thanksgiving side dishes, I knew that it had to include a green bean casserole. I chose Susan's recipe, which is rightfully titled The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole. This was so fresh and delicious, way better than the standard cream of mushroom soup and canned green bean variety.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I chose another one of Susan's recipes for the Sweet Potato Casserole. Many bloggers have praised this recipe, and they were absolutely right to. The light flavors of orange and vanilla are what make this casserole extra special. This was the most talked about dish at the table!

Cornbread Scallion Pecan Stuffing

Thanksgiving would not be complete without some stuffing. I decided to go with a not-so-traditional recipe, Terry's Cornbread Scallion Pecan Stuffing. Homemade crumbled cornbread meets vegan sausage, leeks, onion, green onion, red bell pepper, chopped pecans, and a bit of cayenne pepper for a substantial, lightly spicy, and meaty stuffing. Delicious!

Mashed Potatoes

Then of course there were mashed potatoes. I used yukon gold potatoes, because they are the creamiest and the skin is tender enough to mash right in. Into the mash went a bit of soymilk, olive oil, and salt for mashed potato perfection!

"Poultry" Gravy

And what is "turkey", stuffing, and mashed potatoes without some gravy? I chose C'est La Vegan's "Poultry" Gravy, which turned out to be a very good decision. This gravy is so, so good!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Last but not least, some roasted Brussels sprouts to round out the meal. I forgot to take a picture of Carolyn's delicious homemade cranberry sauce, but you can spot some on my plate at the top of this post.

Steve and Carolyn at the buffet line

My guests descended onto the buffet line with enthusiasm, and we feasted until we could feast no more! Well, until it was time to serve dessert anyway...

Vegan pies with ice cream and whipped cream

We may have made a bit too much pie, if there is such a thing! Carolyn brought a yummy chocolate pie, and I made the Pumpkin Cheesecake (recipe from PETA), Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie (recipe from Lisa Marie), and Pumpkin Pecan Pie (recipe from Fran Costigan). Steve was kind enough to bring the Tempt Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Soyatoo Soy Whip to top off our pies. Everyone had a favorite -- mine was definitely the Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie, oh my goodness!

A big thanks to my wonderful friends who celebrated my first vegan Thanksgiving with me! Thanks also to all of the lovely bloggers that created these outstanding recipes, I could not have done it without you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Potato, Corn, and Leek Chowder

We now interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this chowder. By regularly scheduled program I mean India blog posts. I know, and just when I promised some actual food from India! Thank you for your patience, I will make good on my promise in the next couple of days.

No need to adjust your screen, you are actually seeing chowder in late April. Before you click away in hopes to find a more springtime-appropriate meal, stick with me and give this a chance. This is a very light chowder, and thanks to the roasted corn kernels and vegetarian chicken-flavored broth it has a rich buttery flavor without the presence of dairy at all. Rather than being made creamy by whole milk and flour, a touch of rice milk is stirred in at the end for a light creamy finish.

And how about the leeks? They might seem like they are behind the scenes, but they really are a headliner in this chowder. In fact, I built this recipe around the leeks. Tinned Tomatoes is hosting this month's No Croutons Required blogging event. The challenge this month is to create a soup or salad featuring veggies from the allium family (onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, etc.). I knew right away that I wanted to create a soup featuring leeks, so without any specific soup in mind I went out and picked up some. For nearly two weeks the leeks peeked out at me from the shelf in the fridge before I decided that chowder was their calling.

I am not the first person to put potatoes, corn, and leeks together in a creamy broth and call it chowder, although this might be the first vegan version out there. This is a great single pot meal that comes together in 30 minutes or less. I am fortunate enough to have access to frozen roasted corn at a local Trader Joe's, but if you don't have access plain frozen corn will do just fine.

Potato, Corn, and Leek Chowder
Serves 4

2 leeks, white and light green parts, halved and sliced
3 ribs of celery
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups chopped potatoes (bite sized pieces), I used yukons
2 cups frozen roasted corn kernels
3 cups water
2 "Not-Chick'n" bouillon
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp rubbed sage
1-1/2 tsp dried mustard
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
2 cups rice milk
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 tbsp oil in large soup pot and stir in leeks. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and celery and saute for another 2 minutes. Mix in everything else except for the rice milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender--about 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf, and stir in the rice milk, salt, and pepper, and serve.

A Proper Vegan Brunch

You would not really know it from reading my blog, but I love cooking breakfast. In fact, it is a Saturday morning tradition at my house. In the past I have not posted about very many of my breakfasts, because while I enjoyed my regular rotations of skillets, omelets, and pancakes, I did not feel that I had anything ground breaking to add to the mix.

As you might recall, several weeks ago I decided to give up my weekly cheesy, eggy, and buttery breakfasts as part of the 10-day cleanse. I was surprised how easy it was to give up eggs and dairy, and not just for my Saturday morning breakfasts. The cleanse ended 10 days ago and I have continued on without eggs and dairy without looking back.

So what of my Saturday morning tradition then? It was high time that I made a proper vegan brunch, so this weekend I set out to do just that. It seemed only appropriate to go for an eggs, meat, and potatoes combination for this venture.

Now this, I could get used to.

First up, Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches. If you are a skeptic on replacing your morning eggs with tofu I urge you to try this recipe. Baking these quiches results in a firm, yet fluffy result (very eggy!), and the chopped herbs and veggies within pack them with flavor.


Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches
(from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)

olive oil spray
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup bell pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives (or one green onion)
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp. dried, crushed)
black pepper to taste
1 12.3-ounce package lite firm silken tofu, drained of water
1/4 cup plain soymilk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon cornstarch (may sub another thickener such as arrowroot or potato starch)
1 teaspoon tahini (preferred) or cashew butter
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray 12 regular-sized muffin cups well with non-stick spray.
Lightly spray a non-stick skillet with olive oil and sauté the garlic, bell peppers, and mushrooms over medium heat until the mushrooms just begin to exude their juices. Stir in the chives, rosemary, and freshly ground black pepper, and remove from the heat.
Place the remaining ingredients into a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth and silky. Add the tofu mixture to the vegetables and stir to combine. Spoon equally into the 12 muffin cups: it will fill regular muffin cups about halfway.
Put the muffin pan into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 F. Bake until the tops are golden and a knife inserted into the middle of a quiche comes out clean--about 25-35 minutes depending on your oven and muffin cups (silicone will take longer than metal, so if you're using a metal pan, check it at 20 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. (Serves 3)

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Chorizo Sausage 
(from Vegan Brunch)

Moving right along, for the meat in my brunch I decided on chorizo sausage. Can you believe these babies are plant based? They were spicy and meaty and perfect! This one comes from Vegan Brunch, and you'll just have to get your hands on a copy to get at this recipe. This is the first recipe that I have tried from this book, and there are several more I can't wait to try.

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Lastly, my own contribution to my first vegan brunch, Rosemary-Sage Homefries with Kale. These were a huge hit, and a welcome change from the potato-and-seasoning-salt variety. Amazing things happen when you have fresh rosemary on hand.


Rosemary-Sage Homefries with Kale

2 cups russet potatoes, chopped in 1/2 pieces
2 cups kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1-1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and saute over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Stir in garlic and saute for another minute. Add in your potatoes next and give it a good stir. Now stand back and let the potatoes brown for a few before stirring again (if you are impatient you can cover them to speed this along a bit). Brown the potatoes for about 15 minutes, stirring often. The cooking time here will depend a lot on how big your potatoes are. Stir in the rosemary and sage about half way through the browning process.

When the potatoes are at an edible point, tender, but still a few minutes from optimal crispness, stir in the kale. Give it another 2-3 minutes over medium heat stirring constantly, or until the kale is properly wilted (but not droopy!) and the potatoes are crisped to your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Serves 3)


...brunch is served!

Matar Paneer and Aloo Tikki

After my first major success in cooking authentic tasting Indian food at home, I had in mind to show off my new skills to my boyfriend. Oh, how very rude of me, you haven't been introduced, have you? This is Steve, my most wonderful boyfriend. Everyone say, "Hi Steve!" He pretty much rules, and I am certain that you would love him.

Steve shares my love of Indian food so I was very excited to cook up something special for him. We both love all things paneer, so I thought it would be most fun and tasty to conquer a paneer dish. I returned to Lisa's Kitchen for inspiration since her Chana Masala was such a hit, and I was pleased to find many paneer recipes in her archives. With a big bag of frozen peas already in my freezer the Matar Paneer was the obvious choice. I put Steve to work measuring spices into small bowls so they would be ready for me when I needed them. He seemed to really enjoy the process of watching it all come together. We were super happy with the end result, and I definitely plan to make this dish again.

To make this an extra special feast I made Aloo Tikki as an appetizer, Indian spiced fried potato patties. I don't have any experience making fried things at home, because I shy away from recipes that involve submerging food in oil. We did not have the highest expectations for these, but were very pleasantly surprised in the end. I love it when that happens! I want to continue with my habit of not submerging my food in oil, but it will be hard not to indulge in this recipe from time to time. This would be great with some tamarind chutney on top, but we did not have any this time.

Matar Paneer

(from Lisa's Kitchen)

a few tablespoons of oil or butter, or a mixture of both
1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 hot green chillies or jalapenos, finely minced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 inch piece of ginger, grated or finely minced
1 generous teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 teaspoons of water
2 cups of tomatoes, finely chopped
1 - 2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 cups of paneer cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cups of frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 - 1 cup of yogurt
2 teaspoons of garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - I could not find this, so I omitted
3 tablespoons of fresh parsley or coriander, chopped

In a mortar and pestle, make a paste of the garlic, ginger, cayenne, coriander, paprika, turmeric and water. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin and black mustard seeds and stir and fry until the mustard seeds turn gray and begin to pop. Now add the onion and cook until it is translucent, stirring frequently. Add the chillies, stir and then add the ginger, garlic spice paste. Stir and fry for a minute.

Add the tomatoes and salt to the pot, increase the heat slightly and cook for about 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened. Reduce the heat, and add the peas, paneer, yogurt, garam masala, kasoori methi and parsley. Stir to combine and gently cook for another 5 minutes.

Serves 4.

Aloo Tikki

(adapted from VegNews)

2 russet potatoes, peeled, chopped, and boiled (apprx 1.5 - 2 cups)

3/4 cup cooked chickpeas

1 green chile, seeded and minced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp ginger, grated

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp fine grain sea salt

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup canola oil, for frying

In a large bowl, mash potato and chickpeas (the chickpeas will remain a bit chunky which is fine). Add chile, cilantro, ginger, lemon juice, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, flour, and cornstarch and mix well. Use your hands to shape the mixture into small, tight patties.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add the patties and cook until both sides are golden brown, turning once. Serve hot.

Kale-Potato Soup with Balsamic-Roasted Garlic

I can't seem to keep up with the awesome soups that are all over my favorite blogs these days. My "to-make" file is bursting at the seams with new kinds of soup that I want to try. My attempt to keep up has resulted in a fresh pot of soup every other day or so for the past couple of weeks. The leftovers have been amazing - soup is one of the best kind of leftovers - so the roomie and I have been eating very well for lunch during the work week!

What intrigued me most about the Kale-Potato Soup with Balsamic-Roasted Garlic when I spotted it over at parsnips aplenty, was the balsamic-roasted garlic. While roasting garlic is nothing new, I had never seen it done with balsamic vinegar. The garlic is definitely the star of the soup, and the subtle flavor lent by the balsamic vinegar is lovely. Intriguing point number two, this creamy dreamy soup is vegan thanks to the use of rice milk. I have cooked with soy milk and almond milk, but never rice milk. The verdict: I'm a huge fan, and I can't wait to try making other creamy soups with rice milk. Are you a fan of rice milk? I'd love to hear your favorite uses for it.

Kale-Potato Soup with Balsamic-Roasted Garlic
(from parsnips aplenty)
serves 4-6

2 heads garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
good balsamic vinegar. The thick stuff.
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary
1 bunch kale, center stems removed, roughly chopped
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, skins on, roughly chopped
1 quart + 1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups rice milk
Roast garlic: preheat oven to 375F. Chop off the top of each head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Put the heads down on a piece of aluminum foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Wrap them up in the foil to make a little packet, and put in the oven for 30 minutes or until the garlic is soft and drop-dead-gorgeous brown.
Meanwhile, make soup: In a pot over medium heat, cook onions, celery, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add kale, potatoes, and vegetable broth, cover, and turn the heat up to high. When soup comes to a boil, turn heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are soft and kale is cooked, about 30 minutes.
By this point, the garlic should be done. When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze out the cloves into the soup. Give it a stir, and get out your blender. Use a slotted spoon to put the veggies in the blender – a little broth is OK, but don’t overdo it. Puree it in batches, adding enough rice milk to get it to a cream-soup consistency. Discard vegetable broth (or save it to make another soup!) and put your pureed mixture in the pot; heat until warm and serve.

Vegan Huevos Rancheros with Super-Easy Chipotle Enchilada Sauce & Spanish Homefries

Are you still with me after reading my title and a half for this posting..? Good!

When I tell my roommate what I'm making for dinner, sometimes I get a sideways look of skepticism -- this was definitely one of those nights. She always humors me, and 9 times out of 10 she's a fan of what I make (oh blasted for that 1 time out of 10 that ruins all my street cred). For my vegan readers, scrambled tofu in place of eggs is nothing new to you, but you should stick around for the sauce and the homefries! As for the rest of you, if you've never considered substituting tofu for eggs I encourage you to give it a try. Take it from my omnivore roommate, this was her favorite new recipe this month.

Muchas gracias to Justin for the Super-Easy Chipotle Enchilada Sauce recipe. This sauce was the inspiration for this meal and I built everything else around it.

Vegan Huevos Rancheros with Super-Easy Chipotle Enchilada Sauce

Los Huevos:

15 oz package firm or extra firm tofu
3/4 cup cooked black beans
3/4 cup diced bell peppers and onions
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Sauce (from The Chubby Vegetarian):
14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
2 canned chipotle peppers
2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Let's start with the sauce, since it is so super-easy. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place sauce into a pot with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and heat through. Easy, right? *Side note, I read on someone elses blog (and now I can't remember who to give them credit) about what they do with the rest of the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (because recipes never seem to use the whole can!). This blogger blends all of the peppers plus the sauce from the can until smooth and then pours it in the separate compartments of an ice cube trays and freezes it for single servings later. 

Let's get back on track here now (don't you love how drifty my posts are when I write the recipes out myself?). To turn my block of tofu into huevos I drained the tofu, sliced it in half depth-wise, and pressed a bit of the water out of it with clean dishtowels. Place the tofu into a bowl and mash with a wisk until well crumbled.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet and add tofu. Fry tofu until any remaining water evaporates and the tofu starts to very lightly brown - 10 minutes or so. Stir in turmeric, cumin, peppers, and onions and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. (The turmeric will give your tofu an eggy yellow color!) Lastly, stir in beans and heat through.

I lightly fried corn tortillas in olive oil and then piled the huevos high on top, followed by 2 generous spoonfuls of the super-easy chipotle enchilada sauce, and finished off with avocado slices and cilantro. This amount of huevos will stuff about 8 small corn tortillas.


















Spanish Homefries
(adapted from VegCooking)

3 cups red potatoes, cut into 1/2" chunks (yukons pictured above, but red better suits this recipe)
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

In a large pot, bring water to a rapid boil, add the potatoes, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the turmeric, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Set aside.
Pour the olive oil over the potatoes, then the spices, and toss to coat.
Pour the entire mixture into a pan heated to medium-high heat and pan-fry for 10 minutes, or until the skin is crisp.
Makes 4 side servings.

Aloo Gobi

I had a wonderful visit to a local Asian supermarket recently. I left with all sorts of goodies like thai basil, coconut milk, panang curry paste, soba noodles, and miso paste. In addition - for just $1, a bag full of these cute little guys got to come home with me. They look so innocent don't they? :)

I have featured these chillies in a few dishes this past week, and the first was Aloo Gobi. This common Indian dish is aptly named in Hindi after the two main ingredients:

Aloo - potato
Gobi - cauliflower

I adapted this recipe from epicurious which involves roasting the vegetables instead of pan frying. On the advice of most of the people who commented on the original recipe I doubled most of the spices, and I was glad that I did. The dish was full of flavor and had a definite kick, but not too overpowering. I would have been able to handle even more spice (almost never too spicy for me!), but I wanted to give my poor roommate a break. If you are looking for very mild spice follow the original recipe.



Aloo Gobi
(adapted from epicurious)

1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh chopped chilli peppers, including seeds (or 2 tsp fresh jalapeño chopped, including seeds)
3 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.

Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 2 tablespoons oil, mustard seeds, and1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, chillies, and ginger in remaining oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables and peas. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Spinach and Tomato Quiche with Garlicky Breakfast Yukons

There are many reasons that I look forward to the weekends, but one of my favorite things is having a home cooked breakfast. The only thing I have time to cook on weekdays is oatmeal, which is fine and all, but that cannot compare to goodies like this Spinach and Tomato Quiche with a side of Garlicky Breakfast Yukons.

I saw the Spinach and Tomato Quiche recipe in the April issue of Vegetarian Times and I have been wanting to make it ever since. The main reason that this jumped out at me is the phyllo dough crust. This light crispy crust is much easier to make than a typical pie crust, and it doesn't weigh you down. Note: If you prefer pie crust this recipe for filling will still work. For larger pie pans add 1/2 cup milk per extra egg.



Spinach and Tomato Quiche
(from Vegetarian Times)

Crust
6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Filling
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, all liquid squeezed out
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
10 cherry tomatoes, halved (I used sliced roma tomatoes)

Quiche Batter
2 eggs
1 cup low-fat milk
Pinch ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. To make Crust: Coat 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Lay 1 phyllo sheet on work surface, and brush all over with oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds. Top with second phyllo sheet, and brush with oil. Top with third phyllo sheet, brush with oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds. Repeat phyllo and oil layers twice more. Sprinkle fifth phyllo sheet with remaining sesame seeds, and top with sixth phyllo sheet. Press into prepared pie pan; trim edges with scissors.

2. To make Filling: Stir together spinach and onion. Sprinkle feta cheese over Crust. Top with spinach mixture. Arrange tomato halves over quiche.

3. To make Quiche Batter: Whisk together all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour Quiche Batter over Filling in Crust. Set quiche on baking sheet, and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until top is brown and center is set.




Garlicky Breakfast Yukons

3-4 medium yukon gold potatoes, halved and sliced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
seasoning salt to taste
handful of chopped parsley

Heat oil in skillet. Add potatoes and garlic and fry over medium heat for 5 minutes, add onion and saute for an additional 10 minutes or until browned to your liking. Sprinkle lightly with all purpose seasoning salt. Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley, and serve.