Until I met my husband this was the only pumpkin pie I ever had. And I believed that this was the only reason that people need pumpkins for. For our first thanks giving dinner he said that it’s a tradition to make pumpkin pie for dessert. So I was really frustrated when I served my pie and he said this is not a pumpkin pie. Of course at the end he loved it! You can make this with store bought phyllo or you can make your own.
Greek pumpkin pie in the oven
For the phyllo
1 kg/2 pounds all purpose flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt
1 tsp sugar
water (as much as needed so the dough will be soft but no sticky)
pumpkin pie out of the oven
For the filling
1 kg/2 pounds shredded fresh orange pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
powdered sugar and cinnamon for topping the pie
In a big mixing bowl you mix all the ingredients for the phyllo until you have a soft but not sticky dough. Cover the dough and you let it chil in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. In another mixing bowl mix all the ingredients for the filling and set aside. Separate the dough in about 14 equal pieces/ small balls. Dust the surface you will be making your phyllos with flour and use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a thin phyllo. With a fork cut each phyllo in half. In the center of the first cut phyllo you will be filling, place a generous amount of pumpkin filling, roll to cover and then twist the phyllo to make a “snail”. Look here, here and here to see what I am talking about because unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures while I was making the pie. That “snail” you made now place it in the center of a round greased baking pan. Continue by filling the other phyllos, but instead of making snails, roll them around that first snail you already placed in the baking pan. Brush the top phyllos with oil and bake in preheated oven at 180C/350F for about 40 minutes. Serve warm, topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon.
Vasilopita (St. Basil’s Bread) or New Year’s Cake is a tradition for the Orthodox Church here in Greece. It can be a loaf of sweet bread, cake or a pie. A coin is baked in the dough. On New Year’s Day, after the family dinner, the cake is traditionally cut by the senior male member of the family, and the person who receives the portion of the Cake which contains the coin is considered blessed for the New Year.
Happy New Year!
Each portion of the Cake is distributed as follows: The first portion is cut for Jesus Christ. The second is for The Virgin Mary. The third is for St. Basil the Great and the forth for the house. The other portions are cut for the members of the family beginning with the eldest.
If you are interested, you can read more about the Vasilopita and its history here.
Since I went vegan 5 years ago, it became a tradition for me to bake the Vasilopita every year. Not just for our house, but pretty much for everyone in the family. For my mom, my aunts, friends etc. This is a really tasty cake and you can make it any time during the year – just don’t write the year on it. It’s great with a morning coffee or a cup of tea.
New Year's Cakes
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegan margarine (1oo grams)
1 cup sugar
2 cups coconut milk
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp ground flax seed whisked with 1/4 cup of water
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups of flour
2 Tbsp corn flour
1 ts baking powder
1 ts baking soda
1 cup ground walnuts
Mix the coconut milk with the apple cider vinegar and set aside to curdle. Mix the ground flax seeds with the water and set aside until it forms a gel. In a mixing bowl sift the flour, corn flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix with a fork. In a big mixing bowl place the margarine and the sugar and use a hand mixer to mix them until the margarine becomes fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the vanilla extract, flax seeds mixture and a little bit of the coconut milk and blend. Start adding the flour mixture and the coconut milk, 1/2 cup at the time and mix with the hand mixer in low/medium. Once you have added all the milk and flour add the ground walnuts. Use a fork to distribute the walnuts all over the dough. Do not forget at this stage to slip a coin (covered in tinfoil) in the cake dough. Grease and flour a baking pan, pour the dough in it and bake in preheated oven at 180 for about 40 minutes, until the cake is ready. Let it cool before removing from the pan. Dust the cake with powdered sugar and write the year on it.
At this week’s vegan cooking class at Nea Guinea we continued making holiday recipes. We made mushrooms giouvetsi served in single pots, artichoke and white bean dip (recipe below) and chocolate peanut butter cups.
artichoke & white beans dip
Artichoke and white bean dip
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup white beans, cooked, rinsed and drained
1/2 block silken tofu (like mori nu)
1 1/2 cups artichoke hearts (canned)
1 cup of spinach (optional)
1 tsp mixed dry herbs
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic. In a food processor blend all the other ingredients except the vegan cheese. Add the sauteed onion and garlic and blend for an additional minute. Pour the mixture in a small baking pan, top with the shredded vegan cheese and bake in preheated oven at 180C/350F for 20 minutes. Serve with warm pitas or veggies. Enjoy!
cooking the orzo and the mushrooms for the giouvetsi
filling the chocolate peanut butter cups
filling the giouvetsi baking pots
giouvetsakia ready to go in the oven
artichocke and white beans dip
table is set
chocolate peanut butter cups
