Organic Chocolate Chip Cookies -- Happy Hallowe'en

These cookies are neither vegetarian -- they contain butter, milk, and eggs -- nor are they particularly healthful, although they do contain all organic ingredients. They are, however, very tasty. This recipe makes a soft cookie that is crisp on the outside when fresh. They keep well, and are enjoyable even a week later. They are also free of chemicals and preservatives, don't contribute in anyway to Big Tobacco (most of the candy companies are actually owned by Big Tobacco), and are thus my Hallowe'en shellout of choice. I'm baking a big double batch of them, and will individually wrap the cookies, and label them with my name, address, and the ingredients used. No doubt some people will opt to throw out rather than enjoy homemade Hallowe'en goods. However, we did the same last year, and they were very well received.


ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp cinnamon

2 cups large flake oats

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups unbleached pastry flour

1 cup chocolate chips (our favourite isn't organic -- callebaut morsels ... sooooo good)


directions:

1. combine butter and sugar
2. mix in the eggs
3. stir in the milk
4. add the vanilla
5. add the cinnamon and the sea salt
6. stir in the oats
7. add the apple cider vinegar
8. at this point, it is important to let the mixture sit for a good 10 minutes. This will allow the oats to soften and soak a little, which will help the cookie have a soft and chewy texture instead of a crumbly texture.
9. add the baking soda and stir
10. add the flour, and mix well
11. add the chocolate chips, and stir well.
12. drop by spoonful onto a lined baking sheet. Flatten and shape with a damp fork.
13. bake in a preheated oven at 345 for about 15 minutes

makes 3 dozen (large) cookies

Basta Pasta -- Simple Baked Pasta

When we were up on Lake Huron this summer, I went to the local store for ingredients to make a quick baked pasta. They had no organic ricotta, nor did they have organic cottage cheese. I found some quark, of which I had never hitherto heard. It turned out to be a lucky accident, as this made the creamiest, most fabulous baked pasta EVER.

(I like this kind of baked pasta over lasagna for a quick weekday meal because it's very simple to throw together)


ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
3 small onions
8 medium tomatoes
'
1 small package mozzarella
1 container quark
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk

2 packages rigatoni or fusilli (whole grain)

sea salt to taste
herbs
black pepper
extra virgin coconut oil


directions:

1.   sauté garlic in plenty of coconut oil (1/4 cup)
2.   add onion and sea salt and cook to translucence
3.   add tomatoes and cook

4.   grate mozzarella, mix with quark and eggs, add milk, sea salt and herbs, black pepper

5.   soak uncooked pasta in cold water for 5 minutes and then drain

6.   mix pasta with hot tomato sauce, then stir in cheese mixture

7.  put into large rectangular (lightly oiled) pan, pressing in with scraper

8. cover top of with milk to ensure all pasta is submerged

9.  bake at 345 for 50 minutes. Allow time for it to set after it comes out of the oven

(optional: grate some parmesan on top before baking)

Last night we made a quick baked pasta dinner just based on what we had lying around:

ingredients:

1 cup cooked cauliflower

1 cup frozen spinach

1 carrot

2 boxes (375 g) of whole grain fusili

2 cups of (frozen) tomato sauce (see pizza post for recipe)

1 500g package of pressed cottage cheese (or 1 container of ricotta, or cottage cheese)

1 cup of milk

1 cup of grated mozarella

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 cup blanched almond meal

2 eggs

sea salt

black pepper

nutmeg

oregano

1 cup milk

1/4 cup grated parmesan

directions:

1. puree cauliflower, spinach, and carrot

2. mix  pureed vegetables with cheeses, eggs, sauce, and 1st cup of milk

3. add in nutritional yeast and almond meal

4. add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and oregano to taste

5. soak uncooked pasta for 5 minutes in cold water, and then drain

6. mix pasta into cheese mixture, and scoop/pour into an oiled rectangular baking dish

7. sprinkle the second 1/4 cup of grated parmesan on the top, and pour the 2nd 1 cup of milk over the top to make sure all bits of pasta are covered

10. bake at 345 for 50-60 mintues

11. allow to set before serving.

Basically, you can get the picture that I pillaged my freezer and pantry for whatever I had, and threw it in. It turned out high in protein, with a decent amount of vegetables in it. Anyway, judging by how quickly my picky eaters wolfed it down, it tasted great. Don't be afraid to be creative, just don't put too much of something in so that it overwhelms the rest of the ingredients. If you don't have the exact ingredients, you can probably find something that will work instead, just as well, or simply do without.

I thought I'd add a footnote that this particular one turned out wonderfully, and like most baked pastas, was even better the next day. And, you can easily divide it into portions and freeze them individually to be pulled out of the freezer for quick meals whenever you need.

Bagels

My earliest memory of bagels is riding in the car on dark winter Sunday mornings at about 6 a.m. with a big bag of hot bagels on my lap, making our way home from the bagel bakery up on Bathurst Street, mouths stuffed with hot, fresh bagels ...


I'm not going to get into a debate of Montreal bagels vs New York bagels, or even pretend my bagels have any kind of authenticity to them. However, unlike any bagels we can buy at Bathurst Street's famed bagel bakeries, or the bagel factory at the top of the mountain in Montreal, or at Zabars in New York, my bagels are pretty good for you :).


Like their brethren, my bagels are boiled before being baked, which gives that sought after chewy bagel texture. However, they involve no white flour whatsoever. Sadly, even the whole grain options at the bagel bakeries tend to be at least 50% white flour.


My bagels are full of flax seed, whole grain flour, occasional additions of some super food, and are moist and tasty, if not authentic.




ingredients:


1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp bread yeast


1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 egg (or 1 tsp egg replacer + 2 tbsp water, or just 2 extra tbsp water)
1/2 cup  spelt flakes
1/4 cup flax meal
4 cups organic red fyfe flour (up to 4 1/2)
1 tbsp sea salt




directions:


1. mix the honey into the warm water, and add the yeast. Set this aside to do its thing.
2. combine the flour, flax, spelt flakes,  and sea salt into a mixing bowl, or into the bowl of your mixer
3. add 1 beaten egg, the vinegar, and the foaming water/honey/yeast mixture, and gradually turn it into a dough. Add the final cup of flour bit by bit until you have achieved a dough that, while not sticky, retains a clammy feel and supple elasticity.
4. knead the dough for at least 15 minutes
5. once the dough has been kneaded enough, return it to its bowl, and cover it with parchment and a wet towel, and allow to rise for 45 minutes or 1 hour.
6. once the dough has risen nicely, divide it into 24 equal parts (approx 56 g each), and form these balls into rings by sticking your finger through the center and flattening slightly.

7. place the rings on lined baking sheets, cover with parchment and damp towels. Allow to rise for another 45 mintues or 1 hour.
(you will need 2 baking sheets for this, 12 per)
8. bring a large pot of water  with a couple table spoons of baking soda in it to a boil
9. boil the bagels 6 at a time (or 4 at a time if your pot is smaller) for 2 minutes per side (flip with a slotted spoon or slotted metal spatula)
10. return boiled bagels to the lined baking sheet (draining in the slotted spoon or slotted spatula
11. sprinkle bagels with seeds, sea salt, seasonings, spelt flakes, or whatever turns your fancy
12. bake at 345 for 25-30 minutes, swapping the upper and lower trays halfway through
13. eat with gusto and good friends
14. don't boil your bagels whilst naked.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

This is a fun way to prepare cauliflower that my sister Deborah recommended to me. My husband says it still tastes like cauliflower and makes a bit of a face when he eats it. My 2 1/2 year old devours it with greed and gusto.




ingredients:


4 cups of cauliflower, dismembered into florets
1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
a pinch or two sea salt




directions:


1. toss the cauliflower with the coconut oil and sea salt
2. place on a lined baking sheet or in a large glass baking pan
3. bake at 345 for about 30 or 45 minutes, or until it is done to your liking


You'll probably realize that coconut oil is a solid at room temperature, making it hard to toss vegetables with it. However, if you put the vegetables and the oil in the baking dish and then put them in the oven for 2 minutes, remove them from the oven, toss, and return them to the oven, you'll find it's no longer a solid. However,  if you prefer your oil a la olive, be my guest.

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew

Inspired by Sara and her squash and chickpea stew ...


I had three adorable if generous 'bone' squashes from my favourite chemical free farmer at the East York Civic Center, and decided that today was the day to use one of them. Squashes to keep very well, so it could be weeks before the next squash post. We'll see.


I oven roasted the individual ingredients before combining them all in my red cast iron casserole (named Nemesis after a Red Dwarf star) and cooking them all together to let the flavours do a final meld.
The individual roasting section of the preparation doesn't really add much in terms of labour because honestly it's the cutting and dicing that feels the most labour intensive. However, it does add a little in terms of time. But also adds much in terms of flavour, integrity, and over all result. If you wish to skip the pre-roasting, I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. Yummy, I'm sure. I oven roasted some cauliflower and was originally going to add it, but then decided to just serve it as a side dish. With a loaf of freshly baked bread. :)


ingredients:


1 butternut squash, gutted and cubed
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
4 cups cauliflower florets and greens, chopped
4 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (see the pizza recipe post) (or you could chop some cherry tomatoes in half and throw those in instead -- yum)


1/2 tsp chili powder
black pepper
sea salt




directions:


1. toss butternut squash with coconut oil and a touch of salt and oven roast on a large baking sheet (line with silicone or parchment
2. toss onion and garlic with coconut oil and oven roast in a small oven proof baking dish
3. toss cauliflower with coconut oil and a touch of sea salt and oven roast in a rectangular glass pan
(you'll be able to fit the squash on your bottom rack, and the other two on your upper rack, and thereby do all at once)
4. oven roast everything at 345 until each one is individually done. I really hate under cooked garlic and onion, so I probably roast these much longer than some people would.  The cauliflower should be nicely brown in spots, and kind of translucent and soft. If you've never had cauliflower this way, try it and give thanks to my sister Debbie :) The squash is nice when it's a little brown in places.
5. you can reserve the cauliflower like I did to use as a side dish, or you can use it in your 'stew'.
6. In a large casserole (cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic, or glass), combine the oven roasted vegetables and the chickpeas. Pour the coconut milk over everything, and stir gently to combine.
7. pour on the tomato sauce. You don't want to use so much that the tomato dominates, but rather just enough that it pulls the flavours together nicely, and balances out the richness of the coconut milk. I found 1 1/2 cups did the trick for me.
8. I really like chili powder (not the same as chili pepper) and decided to add 1/2 tsp to this stew. I really like the way it works with the sweetness of the roasted vegetables and the brightness of the tomato. If chili powder is not your bag, maybe just sea salt and black pepper would work.
9. put the loaded casserole into the oven, and bake for 45-60 minutes to meld the flavours fully.
10. Serve with fresh bread, by itself, sided by cauliflower, wearing only a smile, topping quinoa, or consume standing over the stove directly from the casserole whilst wearing a guilty expression.

Oven roasted cauliflower and cauliflower greens that didn't make it into the stew

Squash stew, fresh bread, and Nemesis

Well, we've eaten this for the past three days or so, and I find it to be wake-up-in-the-night-and-raid-the-refrigerator delicious. Not that I do that ;) But I do look forward to a bowl of it for dinner. Extra Yum!


Let me know what you think :)

Apricot and Pistachio Power Bars

Unlike the previous power bars I have posted about, these ones do not have a homogeneous, melt-in-your mouth texture. The pistachios and cashews are coarsely chopped instead of finely ground, and the goji berries are chopped as well. There are no chocolate undertones in this one. It's more of a berry burst, like a mouthful of sunshine on a chewy apricot afternoon. I like 'em.


ingredients:


1 cup pistachios
1 cup raw cashews


1 1/2 cup organic unsulphured apricots -- update to 2 cups
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil -- update to 4 tbsp
1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 cup goji berries


1 tbsp acai powder
1 tbsp pure green barley powder
2 tbsp maca powder


1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder




directions:


1. coarsely chop the pistachios and cashews (by pulsing in your food processor). Set aside
2. puree the apricots in your food processor
3. add coconut oil, flax seeds, and goji berries and chop
4. add acai, barley powder, and maca, and combine
5. add salt, cinnamon, and ginger, and combine
6. add pistachios and cashews, and pulse to combine, but try not to puree
7. press very firmly into a square baking pan
8. chill for several hours or overnight
9. cut into squares. I usually make 32.
10. share with your friends
11. oops on second thought -- keep them to yourself until further notice. They are too crumbly! Update soon ...


Update:
by returning the crumbly bars to the food processor with an extra 1/2 cup of apricots and 2 more tbsp of coconut oil, they decided to cling together properly, and have become chewy bars with good integrity. 

Coffee Cake

REALLY MOIST AND REALLY YUMMY

I thought it would be fun to whip up a coffee cake last night. We have music class on Saturday mornings with our friends, and our Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ted often visit before that on their way home from the St. Lawrence Farmer's Market. I wanted to be able to offer something wholesome yet delicious to go with coffee or tea, or to be consumed by the fistful by toddlers from chubby little fingers. You could definitely make this cake as 24 muffins if you didn't want to make it as a large rectangular cake.

This cake is redolent with cinnamon and vanilla, and that slightly complex dark sweetness that comes from maple syrup. It was well enjoyed by everyone, and is really a little too wholesome to be truly a cake or a cupcake, although surprisingly sweet, especially when you consider out how little sweetener there is in it.

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups organic whole milk

2 organic eggs, large

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (I prefer Nutiva)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp sea salt

2 cups fine almond flour (I used JK Gourmet)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

a quick grind or two of black pepper

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup fine kamut flour (whole grain)

1/2 cup organic thompson raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. warm the milk slightly

2. add the coconut oil, and stir until melted

3. add eggs and stir briskly

4. add vanilla and maple syrup, combining well

5. add salt and spices and almond flour, and stir well

6. add baking soda, mix well

7. add kamut flour, and mix thoroughly but briefly

8. add raisins and pecans

9. pour batter into a greased rectangular pan, and sprinkle the top with a little cinnamon and coconut palm nectar

10. alternately, you can bake this in 24 prepared muffin cups (use paper liners if you aren't using silicone)

11. bake at 345 for 35 minutes

I cut my rectangular cake into 24 pieces, so the following information would be the same for the cake or the muffins.

each piece/muffin contains:

1/2 tsp egg

1/2 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp raisins

1 tsp pecans

2 tsp kamut flour

3 tsp milk

4 tsp almond flour

etc.

Not such a huge amount of sweetner, and plenty of protein.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Pizza

PANZAROTTO ... OF A SORT

By now you might have figured out that I'm a bit of a make-it-ahead-of-time person. Which involves freezing. Like the samosas. Or these delectable little pizza turn-overs. They make great quick dinners when you can just pull a few out of the freezer and throw them in the oven for 40 minutes with no prep whatsoever. That's what I did last night. The thing that separates this pizza from others is the fact that the dough is amazingly healthy. High in protein. Won't spike your blood sugar. And tastes fantastic. And has a delicate, yeasty tooth to it. You can use this dough to make panzerotto or to make big ol' open pizzas. Or small open pizzas. We'll often throw together 4 XL pizzas (by doubling the dough recipe) when we have a party. Because I make it with a simple and delicious tomato sauce and organic mozzarella, embellished with a touch of raw-milk parmigiano (there's this great cheese guy at the Riverdale Farmer's market), it appeals to all ages. I've been known to add sliced grape tomatoes and caramelized onions. Yum. 

part one: dough

ingredients:

1 cup  warm water

1 1/2 tsp honey

2 tsp yeast

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 cup almond meal

2 cups kamut flour

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp sea salt

(makes enough for 2 very large, thin crust pizzas)

directions:

1. combine water with honey (should be ‘bath’ temperature)

2. add yeast, stir, and let sit.

3. Combine other ingredients in a bowl (or in your mixer -- I use my mixer to make all doughs. but it's completely doable by hand, especially because of the short kneading time)

4. Add proofed yeast mixture and stir to combine and form into dough

5. Knead dough for a couple of minutes (only).

6. Make a dough ball, coat in olive oil, put in bowl, cover with a piece of parchment and a damp tea towel, and allow to rise.

part two: sauce

ingredients:

4 large tomatoes

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

sea salt to taste

1/2 tsp oregano (or basil or both)

black pepper

extra virgin coconut oil

(I generally make this sauce in larger quantity and freeze it in labelled glass jars. It keeps very well.)

directions:

1. finely mince the garlic

2. finely chop the onion

3. saute the onion and garlic in coconut oil in your favourite saute pan, with a little sea salt

4. finely chop the tomatoes

5. add the tomatoes to the thoroughly cooked onion and garlic. season with sea salt, black pepper, and herbs of your choice to your taste

6. cook the mixture until it has reduced and thickened. cooking time will depend on what type of tomatoes you choose. some have much less liquid than others. You don't want your sauce to be too watery.

part 3a: making pizza

1. to make pizzas, roll the dough on baking parchment until desired thickness has been reached (using a rolling pin). You can make 2 XL pizzas that will take up an entire baking sheet, or you can make little individual pizzas and let everyone decorate their own.

2. top with sauce and cheese and toppings of your choice

3. bake at 345 for 30 minutes or so

part 3b: making panzarotto

1. to make panzarotto, using your weigh scale, divide the dough into 30 gram balls. Keep them covered with parchment and a damp cloth when not being used.

2. roll each ball of dough out with a rolling pin

3. place a spoonful of sauce and some cheese (and whatever else you like) in the center

4. fold in half and crimp the edges with a fork

5. place on a lined baking sheet.

6. when the baking sheet is full, you have the option of freezing or baking the turnovers.

7. to freeze, put the baking sheet in the freezer for several hours. The turnovers can then be bagged and labelled to be used in the future.

8. to bake, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 345 for about 30 minutes

9. to bake from frozen, place on a line baking sheet and bake at 345 for about 40 minutes.

makes about 24 little turnovers

Chocolate and Coconut Power Bars -- Power Bar recipe #2

My husband says they taste the same, but all I can taste is chocolate. If you like chocolate a lot, these might please you.


ingredients:


1 cup of pitted honey dates
1/4 cup red flame raisins (organic)
1 cup of toasted coconut, unsweetened (organic is best)
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup finely milled blanched almond flour


1/4 cup flax meal
2 tbsp ground salba (chia)


4 tbsp raw cacao
4 tbsp maca powder
2 tbsp hemp protein powder
1 tbsp acai


1 tsp cinnamon (I used 3 tsp and I think it was too much)
1/2 tsp sea salt




directions:


1. pulse the dates, raisins, coconut in a food processor
2. add the ground seeds
3. add the nuts and nut flour
4. add the super foods and seasonings
5. process until well combined
6. press into a square glass dish and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
7. cut into squares and store in fridge in an airtight container
8. give in when your toddler asks for a third power bar

Broccoli and Gluten Make Friends with Cashew -- Broccoli and Gluten Stir-fry

IT'S LIKE A PARTY IN MY CERAMIC STIR-FRY PAN

I had some gluten left over from making it the other day, and broccoli left over from last night's oven roasted broccoli that we ate with the samosas. I decided to turn them into a stir fry, with which we topped some whole grain red cargo rice. My husband and I both thought it tasted great -- I'd buy that in a restaurant kind of yummy. My toddler spat it out. You can't please all of the people all of the time, apparently. :-/

ingredients:

2 cups of gluten, cut into bite sized pieces

2 cups of broccoli

1/2 cup of cashews (we only had raw, so that's what I used)

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp organic tamari

1 tbsp maple syrup

a dash lime juice

2 or 3 cups of cooked rice

directions:

1. heat the coconut oil over low heat in a saute pan

2. add the cashews (you can cook these a bit before adding the next ingredients if you prefer them toasty)

3. add the gluten

4. add the seasonings

5. stir together, cover, and let cook over low heat for a few minutes, until bubbly and hot. This would be a good time to adjust the seasoning, if the flavour is not to your liking. Perhaps an extra dash of tamari?

6. add the broccoli. If it is already cooked, stir to combine and heat, then serve. If it is raw, stir to combine, then cover and cook for a few minutes longer, until the broccoli reaches your desired texture.

7.  spoon over bowls of rice of your choice

8. serves 2 adults and one recalcitrant toddler

Yum.

Samosa Wednesday

My mother-in-law is a lovely woman. I'm very fortunate when it comes to in-laws in general, I must say. However I mention Kathryn specifically because she really really REALLY likes these samosas. Which is great, because I think sometimes my in-laws just think my food is plain old strange. But these samosas are a crowd pleaser. Easy to do up ahead of time and freeze. Delicious quickie dinner when pulled out of the freezer and into the oven. Or great when made fresh and eaten the same day. I've been known to do up double or triple batches to freeze for upcoming parties. They bake up beautifully right from frozen, (along with my version of panzarotto which I will share no doubt at some point) and have never let me down. We've even had our friends Karen and Aidan over for a cooking lesson and dinner to learn how to make them (and of course eat them after, but they didn't need any instruction on that part). These samosas can be made in parts, so it's helpful for when you don't have a large chunk of time all at once. You can mix the dough at one point, then set it aside tightly wrapped. You can make the filling days in advance if you like.


Part 1) dough


ingredients:


1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
2 cups kamut pastry flour (finely ground, whole grain)
1 cup blanched almond flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt


3/4 cup filtered water + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar


directions:


1. put the flours, salt, and oil in a food processor. pulse a few times to thoroughly combine.
2. turning the machine on, slowly trickle in the water (and vinegar) until the ingredients clump together and form a dough. If it seems too dry, add more water whilst the processor is on, a teaspoonful at a time. You do not want to add too much water, because then the dough will be very hard to work with. Too little water and the dough will be too crumbly.
3. take the dough out of the food processor, wrap it in parchment and put it in a plastic bag, or wrap it in plastic wrap. Set the dough aside to rest. (you can also make it ahead of time and put it in the fridge. However, it will need to come to room temperature before you can use it.




Part 2) filling


ingredients:


1 clove of garlic, finely minced (1-2 tbsp)
1 onion finely chopped (approx 1 cup)
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric


3 - 3 1/2 cups sweet potato, cut into small pieces
2  cups cauliflower, chopped (or kolrabi, nappa cabbage, celery, carrot, etc)
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper


directions:


1. saute the garlic and onion in coconut oil with salt, cumin, and turmeric until cooked through
2. add the sweet potato
3. add the cauliflower
4. add the chickpeas
5. add the salt and black pepper
6. saute until everything is cooked through. Adjust seasoning to your taste as needed


This recipe will make approx 24-36 samosas depending on how big your balls are. When our friends came over for dinner, it fed 4 adults and 2 toddlers with enough left over for lunch the next day.


Part 3) samosas


directions:
1. take the fully rested dough, and divide into 20 g balls using a kitchen scale. Or if you are not as ocd as me, just make ping pong ball size dough balls. Try to make them even. Using the kitchen scale method, I got 35 balls this time. You could make 'em a touch bigger and get 24 balls, but I like this size best. Keep the balls covered by a piece of parchment topped by a damp towel to keep them from drying out. This is very very important!

2. one by one, roll the dough balls into circles, put some filling in the middle, and fold three sizes to make a triangular package. You should probably roll the dough on baking parchment or a mat of your choice. I find this dough easy to work with and somewhat forgiving.

3. place the samosas on a lined baking sheet. You don't need to leave a lot of space between, but you also don't want them to touch.

4. here, you have to make the decision to bake or to freeze. If you elect to freeze your bounty for later, put the baking sheet fully loaded into the freezer. Once the samosas have frozen solid, put them in airtight freezer bags. They can be baked right from frozen in about 40 minutes at 345.
5. If you choose to bake them now, put your baking sheet in the oven at 345 for about 25 or 30 minutes, until they seem adequately brown for your liking. If you want to bake them in a few hours, cover the samosas on the baking sheet with a piece of parchment topped by a damp towel
6. serve with some kind of seasonal salad (chopped tomato) or side vegetable such as oven roasted broccoli. If you like mango chutneys and dipping sauces, go for it. We don't, so we never use em. The secret is adequately seasoning the samosas so they can really stand on their own without sauce.


These samosas are easy. They are admittedly a wee bit time consuming, but being able to break the procedure into steps and/or make them at ahead of time and freeze makes them convenient. I like things I can do in steps at my leisure.


Let me know how they turn out, and what vegetables you decide to use in them. Really, almost anything will work. We've done spinach and ricotta fillings, lentil fillings, sweet fillings such as dates and pecans (and callebaut chocolate chips), raspberries and chocolate, apple and walnut. But the good ol' sweet potato and chickpea is definitely a standby. Squash might be nice ...