hello, sweets! this week arrived one of my all time favorite mags, vegnews (the only vegan mag out there) and with it, possible my new favorite recipe: layered spinach spanakopita!  i made it last night and it turned out amazingly scrumptious. here’s the recipe!

vegan spinach spanakopita:

2 tbs water
1 cup chopped scallions
8 cups fresh spinach
1 1/2 cup drained herbed tofu feta (see below)
1/3 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbs fresh parsely
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
12 sheet phyllo pastry

directions:

1. add water to a large pot over medium heat, then add scallions and spinach. cook until spinach is wilted (you might have to add spinach in batches as they begin to wilt). once wilted, set aside and let drain, squeezing out as much moisture as possible.

2. in a large bowl, combine spinach, herbed feta, dill, nutritional yeast, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

3. preheat oven to 350°f. lay 1 sheet of phyllo pastry in the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13″ pan. brush a light layer of olive oil on the sheet, than add another. continue layering in this way (brushing between each sheet) until you have 6 sheets down.

4. spread the spinach mixture evenly in the pan and continue the layering process with 6 more phyllo sheets.

5. sprinkle the top with water to keep the sheets from curling and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top become lightly browned. enjoy!

above is the recipe for the herbed tofu feta. it’s amazing! make it ahead of time and use it on salads and anytime feta would be called for. yum!

wrap up: {dinner} {recipe} {seasonal} {spanakopita} {spinach} {vegan} {vegetarian}

now that the boxes are unpacked and the kitchen is stocked, we can get back to some of ghtr’s usuals.  i feel like it’s been ages since i’ve been able to share a recipe with you!  our lovely neighbor gave us a gigantic butternut squash last week, and i’ve been using it for quite a few meals- and this one is a keeper.  it’s the best pasta i’ve ever made.  the best..? yes, yes, the best.

this meal envelops you with the season’s best.  i served it with an easy apple crisp for dessert and felt that fall had officially arrived.  it’s so rich, different and comforting- it warms you up from the inside out!

ingredients:

• - 1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
• - 1 butternut squash (about 3 cups), skinned and cubed
• - 3/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts, toasted
• - 2 cups of fresh spinach
• - 1/4 cup honey
• - 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• - 4 tbs olive oil
• - salt and pepper to taste
• - 2 cloves of garlic, minced

directions:

preheat oven to 425F. place the butternut squash in a bowl and toss with 2 tbs olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.  place on a pan and roast in the oven until tender; about 40 mins.  meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the salted water after the pasta is finished.  in a pan, saute the garlic in the remaining 2 tbs of olive oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.  add the butternut squash, walnuts, nutritional yeast and spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted.  add the 1 cup of reserved pasta water.  add the pasta and toss to cover- serve and enjoy!

wrap up: {butternut squash} {fall} {pasta} {recipes} {seasonal} {spinach} {walnuts}

happy friday everyone! to wrap up the week i’m going to share the first recipe in our new series of local, in season recipes! it’s my most favorite salad, and i try to make it as often as i can each spring.  it has such an unexpected, mix of salty and sweet flavor.  it’s full of surprises and yummy to the core.  i hope you enjoy it!

salad ingredients:

-3 c of spinach

- 1 avocado

- 12 strawberries

- 1/2 c roasted walnuts

- 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

place the spinach in a bowl. slice the avocado and strawberries and place on top.  toss the walnuts with 1 tbs of olive oil and roast in the oven until browned (about 3 mins).  add to the salad.

dressing ingredients:

- 2 tbs sugar

- 2 tbs olive oil

- 4 tsp honey

- 1 tbs cider vinegar

- 1 tsp lemon juice

whisk in a bowl until the sugar dissolves and drizzle over the salad.  enjoy!

{photo credit: strawberries, raw walnut pieces}

wrap up: {avocado} {eat local} {in season} {salad} {spinach} {spring recipes} {strawberries} {walnuts}