Hanukkah is just around the corner. To celebrate the Jewish heritage of my late grandmother, I will be uploading veganized versions of Hanukkah-inspired recipes each week for the next 4 weeks. Below, you find a recipe for vegan sweet potato and red onion knish. Knish is a traditional Jewish Ashkenazi comfort food. Specifically, it is a flakey dough concoction filled with either a savory or sweet filling that is baked or deep-fried. The dough is easy to make and very user-friendly as it contains oil and not butter. My recipe was inspired by a YouTube video that I recently found in which the late Ethel Bailkin makes traditional potato and onion knish. Knish can be filled with various fillings, including cream cheese and blueberry compote or an apple-strudel mixture.
About a week ago, I catered an event organized by a friend’s student consulting agency. This was a great opportunity for me to try new recipes for belle and wild. My friend wanted finger food that didn’t require any cutlery, so I decided to make three focaccia breads and four spreads and dips. Obviously, each focaccia bread had different toppings; and the spreads and dips also each varied. What is the fun in simplicity, right? Hehe…
Until recently, I was a complete focaccia-making novice. After trying and tweaking various recipes, I have found the ultimate one, which results in ultra delicious focaccia bread. This bread not only tastes outlandishly good, but is also very simple to make and can be easily jazzed up with various toppings. Feel free to experiment with different toppings. Have fun with it!
BTW, this bread is made with spelt flour, which is loaded with nutrients. Spelt is rich in protein and dietary fiber (21% and 30% of your daily recommended intake respectively). Plus, it is a good source of iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, selenium, niacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, and folic acid. Spelt flour is my ultimate go-to flour. It not only tastes great and supports your health, but can also, more often than not, act as a substitute for white flour. There is really no reason not to use this super flour.
Instructions
One Large Focaccia Bread with Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion & Rosemary
Ingredients
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups spelt flour (Type 630)
1/2 cup whole-grain spelt flour (Type 1050)
2 tsps sea salt
1-2 tsps sugar (optional)
4 1/2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil – go for the better kind, if possible!
300g cherry tomatoes
1 medium-sized red onion
1-2tbsps chopped fresh rosemary (to taste)
Instructions
Dissolve yeast in warm water in a medium-sized bowl. After about 5 minutes, the mixture should start to form and tiny bubbles should be visible.
Whisk flours, salt and sugar together in a large bowl, before adding the dry ingredients to your mixer with a hook attachment.
Add the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic – not sticky!, i.e. for roughly 5-8 minutes.
Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a large bowl.
Put in the dough and coat it on all sides.
Cover bowl with a tea towel and keep it in a warm area until the dough is about double its original size, i.e. let it rest for approximately 2 hours.
Coat the bottom and sides of your baking pan with vegetable butter or oil. Punch down the dough and place it in the pan. Using your fingertips, stretch the dough until it covers the bottom of the pan.
While the dough takes another break, preheat your oven to 220°C and start prepping your toppings.
Cut tomatoes into rounds; julienne or dice the red onion; and chop the rosemary.
Place the tomato rounds and onion slices on top of the focaccia. Sprinkle with some course salt and rosemary. Coat everything with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Bake bread in the middle rack, for roughly 20-25 minutes, until it has a nice golden tan.
Remove bread from the oven. Using a spatula, left bread off the baking pan and place it on a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
The focaccia bread tastes ultra delicious when warm, but tastes just as well at room temperature or completely cooled off.
Since going over to the plant side, my interest in wholesome eating has surged. I try to eat as health as possible, but also give myself a break once in a while, as you can clearly see by checking out my other posts. Instead of going for the cookie jar after a long day at school, I give my body the wholesome goodness it needs by making a supercharged avocado-veggie bowl. This satisfying meal only takes 30 minutes to make and tastes amazing. Plus, it is a dish that is well-suited for leftovers. It makes a great grab & go lunch. Already its colors will set you in a better mood. One bite is enough to put your body and mind in a state of pure bliss. Cherish yourself and what you eat!
1/4 tsp sea salt (Thumb Rule: 1/4 tsp salt for each cup of dried quinoa)
Instructions
Add quinoa and water to a medium-sized saucepan.
Bring to a boil; cover with lid; and reduce heat to low.
Let quinoa simmer for approx. 15 minutes until it is nice and tender.
Make sure to drain your quinoa thoroughly after it is cooked, as it tends to hold a lot of H2O.
Tip: Quinoa tastes even better when cooked in vegetable broth. Feel free to experiment with herbs and spices, e.g. rosemary or black pepper. Make it your own!
Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potato Cubes
Ingredients
1 medium-sized sweet potato
2 medium-sized carrots
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 black pepper
1/2 red chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 220 °C.
Dice your sweet potato and carrots.
Add the diced goodness to a medium-sized bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
Give all the ingredients a whirl using your washed hands.
Line a sheet tray with parchment – just one tray for best results!
Spread the sweet potato- and carrot cubes on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure that there is some distance between each cube to prevent sogginess.
Bake for about 15 minutes. Turn the cubes and bake for another 5 minutes.
The veggies should be tender and slightly browned on the outside.
Sautéed Zucchini & Red Pepper
Ingredients
1 medium-sized zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Cut zucchini into quarters.
Remove ribs and seeds from pepper and cut into squares.
Heat vegetable in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add zucchini and pepper; and season with salt and pepper.
Toss frequently and cook for roughly 6-8 minutes until veggies are crisp and tender.
Sautéed Mushrooms & Onions
Ingredients
200g mushrooms
1 medium-sized red onion
1 tbsp vegetable oil
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Wash mushrooms; trim stems; slice mushrooms into strips.
Remove the papery skin of your red onion and then dice it.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add sliced mushrooms and diced onion; stir to coat; and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add a dash of salt and pepper and continue cooking for roughly 10 minutes or until desired doneness is reached.
The Grand Finale
Ingredients
1/2 sliced avocado
Instructions
In a large bowl, add the quinoa as a base.
Add the remaining side dishes.
Add the avocado slices and drizzle pesto over them.
belle + wild 