So, as you may know, Pi Day is March 14th (3.14) and as you may know, I am attempting to become a registered dietitian and RD day was the SAME day as Pi day. So we decided to eat some healthy Pi.
Spinach Pi for dinner and Strawberry Pi for dessert.
There was more spinach filling than we used, but I bet we could have put more of the filling in each pi than 2T. We used some of the left overs for omlets-that-turned-into-scrambled-eggs
Which was perfect because that means we had GREEN EGGS on St. Patty's day!
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/salloum87.html
Spinach pies
Spinach pies are the most commonly made pies in the Middle East. They are found on the menu of almost every feast.
1 dough recipe
1 pkg. spinach (10 oz.), thoroughly washed and finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 Tbsp. pine nuts or slivered almonds
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.
Make a filling by thoroughly combining all the ingredients just before rolling out the dough into rounds, then set aside.
Form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth, then allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Roll the balls into five to six-inch rounds, then divide the filling and place two heaping tablespoons of filling on each round, stirring the filling each time. (Preferably the filling should be divided into 20 equal parts.) Fold the dough over the filling, then close by firmly pinching edges together into half moon or triangle shape.
Place the pies on well-greased baking trays, then bake in a 350° F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until pies turn golden brown. Remove from the oven, then brush with olive oil. Serve hot or cold.
The strawberry pi we added 1/3 c of sugar instead of the 1 cup it called for and used a gram cracker crust. Bryan was REALLY excited about this because his mom used to make strawberry pie, but with jello, which has gelatin, which I don't eat - so we found this one. It's great!
http://www.vegalicious.org/2008/06/16/fresh-strawberry-pie/
Serving Size: 8
Ingredients:
1 vegan pie crust, baked (recipe below)
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup soy whipping cream
Directions for the filling:
Cut and remove the top leaves from the strawberries.
If the strawberries are large, cut them I half or quarters.
Arrange the 1/2 the strawberries in the baked pie shell.
Cut the other 1/2 up and put in a sauce pan.
Add the sugar and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water and add to the cooking strawberry sauce.
Stir the sauce often, and when it becomes thick and clear, remove from the heat.
Pour the sauce over the strawberries and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours or until firm.
When ready to serve, whip the soy cream or use a can of Soyatoo to decorate the edges of the pie.
For an easy alternative, if you don’t have so many strawberries, you can also use a cup of strawberry jam, heat it and add the cornstarch as well.
Fresh Strawberry pie
Recipe for a lovely flaky pie crust
Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3-4 Tbs. ice water
1 & 1/2 tbs. white sugar
1/2 cup vegan margarine (or coconut fat)
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.
Place 1/2 cup of flour mixture in a small bowl, and stir in water until smooth.
Cut shortening into remaining flour mixture until it looks like coarse meal.
Blend in the flour-water mixture.
Wrap dough and chill in refrigerator.
When the dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled pie form.
Puncture the bottom with a fork in several places to create small air holes for the pie to breathe.
Bake in a preheated oven (450F) for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before putting the strawberries and sauce in.
