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Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Empanadas

October 10, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Empanadas -- Epicurean VeganI was in charge of bringing an appetizer to a get together this weekend. I try to make something that I haven’t already brought a million times before, I just have to hope they turn out if I’m making them for the first time. How do you do that? I don’t know, just make these! 🙂 When my mother-in-law called this morning to get the recipe, I knew I must have done something good!

INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
3 C all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 C Earth Balance margarine
1/2 C almond milk
Filling:
12-oz Tofutti or Galaxy Foods brand vegan cream cheese
1-1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
6-7 green onions, sliced
5-6 (depending on how hot they are) jalapenos, finely chopped (You can use canned, too)
1/2 C vegan Monterrey jack or mozzarella, shredded
About 1-1/2 Tbs lime juice
A few dashes of garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. To make the dough, use a mixer to blend the flour, salt, and butter until you get a crumbly mixture where most of the butter pieces are small. While mixing, gradually add the milk. You may not use all of it–just enough to make a dough that sticks together to make a ball. You can wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge while you make the filling.

Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Empanadas -- Epicurean Vegan
To make the filling, combine all the ingredients using the mixer. I eyeballed the lime juice–just enough to flavor and thin the mixture out. A tablespoon may be plenty. Same with the garlic salt; just to taste.

Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Empanadas -- Epicurean Vegan

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about an 1/8″ to a 1/4″ thick. I cut out 4″ circles by cutting around the bottom of my 4″ tart pans, but a wide mouth glass, or round cookie cutter would work great. Place about a tablespoon or so of filling in the center of the dough circle, but spread it out so it’s kinda long and narrow.

Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Empanadas -- Epicurean Vegan

You’re then going to fold the dough in half and crimp the edges closed with a fork. Make sure the edges get good and sealed, otherwise, they’ll puff up in the oven and come open.

Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Empanadas -- Epicurean Vegan

Bake for about 25-30 minutes.  About halfway through, I brushed the tops with olive oil.All ovens run different, so you may need to bake them longer or for less time; check periodically. Serve with salsa. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Empanadas -- Epicurean Vegan

Yield: about 28

Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Empanadas
 
Print
I was in charge of bringing an appetizer to a get together this weekend. I try to make something that I haven't already brought a million times before, I just have to hope they turn out if I'm making them for the first time. How do you do that? I don't know, just make these! 🙂 When my mother-in-law called this morning to get the recipe, I knew I must have done something good!
Author: Epicurean Vegan
Serves: 28
Ingredients
  • Dough:
  • 3 C all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 C Earth Balance margarine
  • ½ C almond milk
  • Filling:
  • 12-oz Tofutti or Galaxy Foods brand vegan cream cheese
  • 1-1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 6-7 green onions, sliced
  • 5-6 (depending on how hot they are) jalapenos, finely chopped (You can use canned, too)
  • ½ C vegan Monterrey jack or mozzarella, shredded
  • About 1-1/2 Tbs lime juice
  • A few dashes of garlic salt
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400. To make the dough, use a mixer to blend the flour, salt, and butter until you get a crumbly mixture where most of the butter pieces are small. While mixing, gradually add the milk. You may not use all of it--just enough to make a dough that sticks together to make a ball. You can wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge while you make the filling.
  2. To make the filling, combine all the ingredients using the mixer. I eyeballed the lime juice--just enough to flavor and thin the mixture out. A tablespoon may be plenty. Same with the garlic salt; just to taste.
  3. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about an ⅛" to a ¼" thick. I cut out 4" circles by cutting around the bottom of my 4" tart pans, but a wide mouth glass, or round cookie cutter would work great. Place about a tablespoon or so of filling in the center of the dough circle, but spread it out so it's kinda long and narrow.
  4. You're then going to fold the dough in half and crimp the edges closed with a fork. Make sure the edges get good and sealed, otherwise, they'll puff up in the oven and come open.
  5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. About halfway through, I brushed the tops with olive oil.All ovens run different, so you may need to bake them longer or for less time; check periodically. Serve with salsa. Enjoy!
3.5.3208

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: cream cheese, easy, emapanadas, green onion, jalapeno, tofutti

Linguine in a Lemon Cream Sauce

June 23, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Linguine in a Lemon Cream Sauce -- Epicurean VeganThis recipe is from Vegetarian Times and the only changes I made were using vegan cream cheese and adding a couple dashes of nutmeg to the sauce. It came together quickly and served with a salad, it made an ideal meal.

INGREDIENTS:
8-oz dry linguine
1/2 C Tofutti cream cheese
2 Tbs olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbs zest
1/2 C parsley, chopped
A couple dashes of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Cook linguine according to package instructions. In a small saucepan, warm the cream cheese, oil, and 2 Tbs lemon juice (I just juiced the whole thing), over low heat. Add the nutmeg, if using. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta; return it to the pot. Stir in the reserved cooking water into the cream cheese mixture. At first, I thought it was too much water and watered it down too much, but surprisingly, it turned out to be the perfect consistency. If you’re not sure, just add a little at a time and decide how thick you want it.

Stir the sauce into the pasta and add the lemon zest, and parsley; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy!

Linguine in a Lemon Cream Sauce
 
Print
This recipe is from Vegetarian Times and the only changes I made were using vegan cream cheese and adding a couple dashes of nutmeg to the sauce. It came together quickly and served with a salad, it made an ideal meal.
Author: Epicurean Vegan
Ingredients
  • 8-oz dry linguine
  • ½ C Tofutti cream cheese
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbs zest
  • ½ C parsley, chopped
  • A couple dashes of nutmeg
Directions
  1. Cook linguine according to package instructions. In a small saucepan, warm the cream cheese, oil, and 2 Tbs lemon juice (I just juiced the whole thing), over low heat. Add the nutmeg, if using. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta; return it to the pot. Stir in the reserved cooking water into the cream cheese mixture. At first, I thought it was too much water and watered it down too much, but surprisingly, it turned out to be the perfect consistency. If you're not sure, just add a little at a time and decide how thick you want it.
  2. Stir the sauce into the pasta and add the lemon zest, and parsley; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy!
3.5.3208

 

Filed Under: Dinners Tagged With: cream cheese, fast and easy, lemon cream sauce, linguine, Pasta, tofutti, Vegan

Kale and Cream Cheese-Stuffed Sweet Chilies

May 27, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Kale and Cream Cheese-Stuffed Sweet Chilies -- Epicurean VeganGeez . . . it’s been a while since I last posted. The Sixth Grader (or should I say, soon-to-be The Seventh Grader) was on a week-long field trip so me and The Husband ate out a lot this week. Produce in my refrigerator, however, was feeling very neglected, so last night I decided to make these. They were delicious! We threw them on the grill, but you can also bake them in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes. Use this stuffing for small chilies and serve them as appetizers, too.

INGREDIENTS:
3 large sweet chili peppers
10-oz Tofutti cream cheese
3 Tbs lime juice
1 tsp cumin
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
6-8 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1 bunch of kale
6-8 green onions, sliced
1/2 C vegan pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Using a food processor or mixer, cream together the cream cheese, lime juice, cumin, and cilantro.

Kale and Cream Cheese-Stuffed Sweet Chilies -- Epicurean VeganIn a large saucepan or skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the kale. One bunch may seem like a lot (5-6 cups) but it will cook down quite a bit. Cook it over medium heat, constantly stirring it. I found that tongs work great for this. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until nice and wilted.

Kale and Cream Cheese-Stuffed Sweet Chilies -- Epicurean VeganIn a large bowl, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and cheese. Mix in the cream cheese mixture, then stir in the kale.

Kale and Cream Cheese-Stuffed Sweet Chilies -- Epicurean VeganTo prepare the chilies, there are a number of different ways to do it. First, slice the tops off and pull out the insides–as much as you can. You can either stuff them from the top, or slice them in the side. You can also slice them lengthwise, stuff them, then put them back together. I sliced into the side of it and found that that just worked better for the size of these chilies.

Kale and Cream Cheese-Stuffed Sweet Chilies -- Epicurean VeganPreheat the grill to a medium-high heat. Wrap the stuffed chilies in foil and place on the heated grill. Cook them for about 10 minutes, turning them often. Once the filling starts to drip out from the foil, remove them from the grill. Unwrap from the foil and enjoy!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dinners Tagged With: chilies, cream cheese, easy, kale, stuffed chilies, sun-dried tomatoes, tofutti

Zucchini Cakes with Herbed Cream Cheese

May 11, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Zucchini Cakes with Herbed Cream Cheese -- Epicurean VeganThe zucchini cakes are from my new favorite cookbook, The Vegan Table (thanks, sis)! and they’re wonderful! You can shred the zucchini in the food processor, but I found just grating it with an upright cheese grater worked just fine. I made about 22 or so cakes, but you can easily make larger ones–up to you. I decided to throw together the herbed spread with some sage as a garnish, but the cakes are delicious by themselves, too!

INGREDIENTS:
Zucchini cakes:
2-1/2 C peeled and grated zucchini (about 5 small-size zucchini)
2 Tbs Earth Balance, melted
1 C breadcrumbs, seasoned or plain
1/4 C minced yellow onion
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4  tsp salt, or to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 C all purpose flour
Canola oil, for frying
Herbed Cream Cheese:
4 oz Tofutti cream cheese
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs almond milk
Sage leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Spread zucchini on a kitchen towel, and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel to wring out as much liquid as possible. You may need to do this twice with two different towels. (This is very important to do, otherwise, the cakes will be too wet).

In a large bowl, combine zucchini and Earth Balance. Stir in breadcrumbs, minced onion, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine.

Zucchini Cakes with Herbed Cream Cheese -- Epicurean VeganCoat your hands in oil and shape mixture into patties. Coat each patty in flour. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Fry patties until golden brown on both sides. (About halfway through, I wiped out the skillet to remove some of the charred bits).

Zucchini Cakes with Herbed Cream Cheese -- Epicurean VeganTo make spread:
Combine all ingredients (except sage) with an electric mixer. Either using a spoon, or a pastry bag, put a dollop on each patty and garnish with a sage leaf.

Zucchini Cakes with Herbed Cream Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: cream cheese, sage, zucchini

Stuffed French Toast

April 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Stuffed French Toast -- Epicurean VeganMy mom made these for brunch this morning and they were so delicious, we ate the leftovers for dinner. The batter recipe is from The Kind Life but she stuffed them with Tofutti cream cheese with orange zest mixed in it. We took two slices of bread and “glued” them together with the cream cheese. For some, we added a layer of apricot jam. They reminded me of my mom’s stuffed french toast she used to make when I was a kid: cream cheese mixed with crushed pineapple and chopped walnuts.

INGREDIENTS:
Yeast-free bread slices (French Meadow Summer Bread or whole spelt bread are good options)
1 1/2 cups firm tofu
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons rice syrup
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Oil of your choice (olive, safflower, sunflower, etc.) for frying
Stuffing: 2- 8oz containers of Tofutti cream cheese, zest from one large orange and maybe some sugar for sweetness–blended together.

DIRECTIONS:
Blend all (non-optional) ingredients together until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add more soy milk. There are two ways to “stuff” the French toast. You can spread the cream cheese on two slices and sandwich them together, or if the slices are thick enough, split the slice with a knife, but only slice it about 3/4 of the way and fill with the stuffing. Dip bread in batter and fry in hot oiled skillet until browned on both sides. Top with fresh fruit, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or any of your favorite toppings.

Filed Under: Breakfasts Tagged With: brunch, cream cheese, dairy-free, French toast, Vegan

Processor “Cheese” Danish Pastry

February 19, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean VeganImpress your neighbors and wow the in-laws with your pastry chef-like skills by making this surprisingly easy danish. The original recipe is from Nigella Lawson‘s How To Be A Domestic Goddess cookbook and so for some time, I’ve been dying to veganize this recipe. I made several alterations, but I am so impressed with how flaky and delicious they came out. Don’t freak out by all the directions–it was actually quite simple. Plus, you don’t actually need to use a food processor–a mixer will work just fine.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 C warm water
1/2 C soy milk
1 large egg (1 Tbs ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbs water)
2-1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 pkg (1/4 oz) rapid-rise yeast
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
1 C unsalted butter, cut into thin slices (Earth Balance sticks)
Filling:
Pinch of salt
1 C ricotta cheese (Tofutti cream cheese)
1 Tbs lemon zest (I used a lime)
1 large egg, beaten (again, 1 Tbs ground flax seed + 3 Tbs water)
3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled (Earth Balance)
Glaze:
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C water

DIRECTIONS:
Pour the water and milk into a measuring cup and add the flax seed mixture, beating with a fork to mix. Put to one side for a moment. Get out a large bowl, then put the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the processor, and give one quick whirl just to mix. Add the cold slices of Earth Balance and process briefly so that the butter is cut up a little, though you still want visible chunks of at least 1/2″. Empty the contents of the processor into the large bowl and quickly add the wet ingredients. Use your hands or a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together, but don’t overdo it: expect to have a gooey mess with some butter lumps pebbling it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, put in the refrigerator, and leave overnight or up to 4 days.

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean VeganTo turn it into pastry, take it out of the refrigerator, let it get to room temperature, and roll it out to a 20″ square. (This was fairly easy–it rolls out very nicely). Fold the dough square into thirds, like a business letter, turning it afterward so that the closed fold is on your left, like the spine of a book.

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean VeganRoll out again to a 20″ square, repeating the steps above 3 times. Cut in half, wrap both pieces and put each in the refrigerator for 30 mins. (Just gently fold and wrap with plastic wrap–worked great).

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean VeganSo for the filling:
Combine the cheese, sugar, salt, lemon zest, egg-replacer, and Earth Balance. (I used the food processor)
Then you’re ready!
First of all…the recipe is intended to make 6 large danishes. For the first batch I made 3 large ones and decided on the second batch to make smaller ones, which I personally thought worked much better.
Roll out one of the pastry dough halves into a big rectangle (recipe doesn’t specify exactly how big…) Divide into thirds and place a tablespoon of cheese filling on each piece of dough. Fold the opposite corners up together and seal with a pinch.

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean VeganPlace on baking sheets prepared with waxed paper and brush with the sugar/water glaze. The recipe then calls for them to rise for about 1-1/2 hours. Yeah, that didn’t happen for me, but apparently that was no big whoop because they came out great. Preheat oven to 350 and bake 15 mins or until puffy and golden brown.

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean VeganI then made a lime icing (since I used lime zest) by combining about a cup of powdered sugar and then drizzled in lime juice, stirring and adding more juice to get the consistency I wanted. I then drizzled the danishes with the icing…

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean VeganFor the second batch, I made smaller ones and spread out the filling more. I brushed them with the glaze and this time, they baked about 20 mins.

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean VeganThese really came out amazing and I will make these again and again! Enjoy!

Processor "Cheese" Danish Pastry -- Epicurean Vegan

Filed Under: Breads, Breakfasts, Desserts Tagged With: brunch, cream cheese, dairy-free, Danish, icing, pastry, Vegan

Party Cheese Ball

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Party Cheese Ball -- Epicurean VeganI can’t tell you how excited I am about this!! You see, my mom has made this incredible cheese ball every Christmas for years now and since I went dairy-free, it is probably one of the foods I miss the most.  I finally made a dairy-free version after a couple of attempts and frankly, it’s so good, it brought a tear to my eye. (Also, this is also one of the most requested recipe and when invited to a shin-dig, I am instructed to not come without this cheese ball.)

UPDATE: After making this cheeseball so many times, I’ve tweaked the amount of some of the ingredients, so I figured it was time to update the recipe. I have found that I use about 10-oz of cream cheese, not 12. I also upped the pimento, green pepper and onion to about 4 Tbs each.

INGREDIENTS:
12-oz Tofutti* cream cheese
2 1/2 C Rice brand, or Daiya brand shredded cheese, cheddar flavor
2 Tbs pimento, chopped
2 Tbs green pepper, chopped
2 Tbs onion, chopped
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 C walnuts, chopped

*Kite Hill is also a great option. I think it tastes closest to real cream cheese, however, it’s softer than Tofutti, so the cheese ball won’t form a perfect ball–more like a mound. It’s about presentation, otherwise it still tastes amazing regardless of which “cream cheese” you go with.

DIRECTIONS:
Combine softened cream cheese and cheddar. Like to use my stand mixer for this. A food processor works too, but I recommend using the dough blade. Add remaining ingredients except walnuts and mix well. (I tend to add 1-2 more tablespoons of the pimento, green pepper and onion; it just depends on your own tastes.) Transfer to a bowl and chill for several hours or overnight. Shape into a ball and roll in nuts. Serve with crackers. (Club crackers and Ritz always taste the best with this cheese ball.)

NOTE: Keep in mind that Rice cheese does have traces of casein.

Party Cheese Ball
 
Print
I can't tell you how excited I am about this!! You see, my mom has made this incredible cheese ball every Christmas for years now and since I went dairy-free, it is probably one of the foods I miss the most. I finally made a dairy-free version after a couple of attempts and frankly, it's so good, it brought a tear to my eye. (Also, this is also one of the most requested recipe and when invited to a shin-dig, I am instructed to not come without this cheese ball.) UPDATE: After making this cheeseball so many times, I've tweaked the amount of some of the ingredients, so I figured it was time to update the recipe. I have found that I use about 10-oz of cream cheese, not 12. I also upped the pimento, green pepper and onion to about 4 Tbs each.
Author: Epicurean Vegan
Ingredients
  • 12-oz Tofutti cream cheese
  • 2½ C Rice brand, or Daiya brand shredded cheese, cheddar flavor
  • 2 Tbs pimento, chopped
  • 2 Tbs green pepper, chopped
  • 2 Tbs onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 C walnuts, chopped
Directions
  1. Combine softened cream cheese and cheddar. Like to use my stand mixer for this. A food processor works too, but I recommend using the dough blade.
  2. Add remaining ingredients except walnuts and mix well. (I tend to add 1-2 more tablespoons of the pimento, green pepper and onion; it just depends on your own tastes.)
  3. Transfer to a bowl and chill for several hours or overnight.
  4. Shape into a ball and roll in nuts.
  5. Serve with crackers. (Club crackers and Ritz always taste the best with this cheese ball.)
  6. NOTE: Keep in mind that Rice cheese does have traces of casein.
3.5.3226

 

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: cheese ball, crackers, cream cheese, dairy-free, dip, spreads, tofutti, Vegan

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The Epicurean Vegan is devoted to those wanting to eat healthy, save animals, and reduce their carbon footprint. My decision to go vegan started out as a quest to get healthier, but the more I learned about veganism, the more I realized how damaging the meat and dairy industries are to the environment and, of course, the animals. And it is for these reasons, that I would never go back to eating or wearing animal products. Ever.
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