My favorite day of the week is Bike Basket Pies day. NOW IT CAN BE EVERYDAY.
The lovely Natalie from Bike Basket Pies has supplied us with a Vegansaurus exclusive (!!!) recipe for her famous vegan potato-spinach-cheddar pie. It’s ridiculous so get ready for a party in your mouth!! AND PANTS! What? Yes, the pie is that good.
You’ll need:
pie crust!
- 1 stick Earth Balance shortening
- 1 stick Earth Balance buttery stick
- 12 oz flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 8 Tbsp ice cold water, mixed with the vinegar, plus 4 Tbsp reserved
filling!
- 2 lbs or so, maybe less, yukon gold or russet potatoes, washed, peeled, and sliced to 1/4 inch thickness
- 1 lb spinach
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 lb Daiya shredded cheddar flavored cheese substitute (now available at Rainbow!)
- salt
- pepper
To make the pie dough:
- Cut the Earth Balance sticks into small cubes and put them in the freezer while you prepare everything else.
- Mix the flour, salt, and sugar.
- Using a food processor (use the pulse setting) or hand pastry blender, cut the very cold Earth Balance cubes into the flour mixture until the shortening pieces aren’t much bigger than peas.If using a food processor, transfer to a bowl.
- Slowly add the apple cider vinegar and ice water, and gently but quickly mix until the dough forms a ball. I use my hands. Add more ice water as necessary.
- Divide into two balls, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and throw into the refrigerator. Chill dough for at least an hour.
- After the dough is chilled, remove from fridge, liberally flour a clean surface, roll out one disk and line a 9-inch pie pan. Trim edges that hang over so only about 1 inch hangs out. Put back in the fridge.
Assemble the pie:
- Heat the red pepper and the garlic in the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add washed spinach and slowly turn to wilt all of it. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste—definitely over-season. Transfer to bowl, chop with kitchen sheers if using adult spinach (as opposed to baby spinach).
- Line the dough-lined pie tin with a layer of sliced potatoes; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Liberally sprinkle Daiya “cheese.”
- Layer spinach.
- Add another layer of potatoes; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Add more spinach and Daiya; repeat until the pie is filled.
- Roll out second dough disk, place on top of pie, trim edges, fold under other dough disk’s edges, crimp and flute. Wet your fingers with a little ice-cold water during this process if you wish, and maybe even sprinkle the pie with a little kosher salt (be light). Cut pretty slits in the top.
- Put back in fridge, preheat oven to 425 degrees while your pie is chilling. Bake the pie at this temperature for 20 minutes; then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until crust looks golden and gorgeous.
- Let it cool on a rack for 20 minutes or more until you slice into it.
Eat it all and be the fattest and happiest person in all the land. Which actually isn’t hard because this is San Francisco and most people are skinny and depressed!
Adorable photo of Natalie & her delicious pie (perv!) is courtesy of Rachel Styer!
reblogged from nattles
HONEY HEFEWEIZEN BEER BREAD
It is no secret that I enjoy a few bottles of beer. I am pretty picky about the flavor, though. I pretty much only like velvety wheat beers or rich, sweet stouts. There are a few lagers that are good, but that is pretty much it. Overall I am much more of a liquor drinker.
But there’s one thing that I tried in England during study abroad that has stuck with me: beer bread. The gastropub I went to made it with Guinness, and it was delicious and rich and thick and perfect right from the oven. Out here in San Francisco, however, it never seems to be Stout weather, so I’ve been drinking more wheat beers (there are a few really great local breweries that make fantastic hefeweizen and witbier, so they’re cheaper both when I’m out at a bar with friends and when I’m in the supermarket). One of the standouts is Pyramid Brewing Company’s hefeweizen. Perfect with a lemon slice!
Here I’m trying to recreate that great taste with a tiny twist.
RECIPE: Honey Hefeweizen Bread
Time: <1 hour
Amount: 1 loaf
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 1/2 cups Self Rising Flour
- 3 tbsp Honey
- 12oz bottle of a good cold Hefeweizen
- 1/4 cup Melted Butter
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Measure 3 cups Self Rising Flour into a bowl. Whisk lightly to prevent clumping.
- Pour bottle of cold Hefeweizen into bowl. Mix together. I know it’s sticky and feels weird, but use your hands to do this; it’ll mix better.
- Pour 3 tbsp Honey on the dough. Knead lightly so Honey is incorporated.
- Add last 1/2 cup of Flour to dough to keep it from being too runny.
- To a greased pan (I used a 9x9” pyrex because that is the only size I have), add the dough. This dough, because it uses the yeast in the beer rather than dry yeast, does not require any time to rest.
- Pour Melted Butter over the dough and lift up the dough to make sure it gets coated. This will give your bread that great crust.
- Put the bread in the oven for 30 minutes or when bread has a golden brown, biscuit-like crust. The inside should be similar to a fluffy cornbread.
- Let rest 10-15 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
Now you’ll notice that you have 5 other bottles of beer in your fridge. Crack open one and enjoy with your delightful loaf of Honey Hefeweizen Bread. This works great with pork or chicken, but I’d switch to stout for a steak.
