hot for food

Muffin tops are amazing! Don’t we all want them… not the kind above our tight jeans… but the crunchy, moist, crumbly top of a fresh baked muffin! I thought it would be hard to duplicate a bakery muffin at home. But it was not! I figured I would just over-stuff the muffin tin, and have the top of it sit and bake right around the edges. Well, it worked!

These are scrumptious and healthy (but watch out, there’s extra calories with that huge top!) Vegan Blackberry Cobbler Muffins. But this was like a “test kitchen” recipe because it only made 3 large muffins when I followed the same recipe from my carrot spice muffin post. I will work out a proper dozen recipe and let you know what it is. In the meantime, just drool at the photo.

I did it! I made a spanikopita that was just as tasty and “cheezy” as the original and it was completely vegan. I’m quite proud of myself. The more I can do this the easier this vegan transition will be. So here’s the recipe with some credit going to The PPK for the tofu ricotta recipe! Note: the measurements are estimates as I rarely measure stuff any more (sorry) and can be adjusted to your liking, based on how much you want to make.

Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
fresh chopped basil
S &P
9 sheets vegan phyllo dough
2 cups fresh or frozen spinach
2 chopped green onions
1/2 cup Non-Dairy Cream Cheese
1/2 cup melted Earth Balance

In a bowl, mash up and crumble the tofu with your hands. Add lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, basil and S&P and combine until it resembles ricotta/feta (seen here).

Sautee spinach with green onion until wilted. You might need to drain out excess water if you were using frozen spinach. Combine well with the tofu ricotta and the cream cheese. You can prepare this in advance and leave in the fridge.

The phyllo dough package will explain how to handle the dough if you’re unfamiliar. You’re going to lay out a sheet of dough and brush with a light coat of melted butter, and do this until you have 3 sheets layered on top of one another. Finish the top layer with a brush of butter. Cut the full sheet into quarters. Dollop about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture into the top left corner of one of the quarters and fold in opposite directions, forming an enclosed triangle phyllo package. You’re going to make enough until your mixture is gone or you have what you need. Place slightly apart on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 350 F.

Browsing around looking for my avocado soup recipe I came across this amazing tip. What to use to keep the un-used half of your avocado from going brown!