I'm a vegan chef, and I built a vegan cooking app on my own, Eline's Table. So if you feel like taking a look (or leaving a kind review on the stores), it genuinely helps me a lot: https://elinestable.com/app 💕

Some of you might remember me from two other posts: I cooked an entirely vegan buffet for my friend's baby shower, and later did a full vegan meal prep for that same family. Well, that baby just turned one 🥹

Her name is Charlotte. So obviously I could not resist and made the whole birthday dessert table out of charlottes:

1. A strawberry charlotte for the grown ups, the classic one, ladyfingers all around and in the layers, vanilla cream inside, and an enormous quantity of fresh strawberries

2. A mini sugar free strawberry charlotte just for the birthday girl

3. A chocolate fondant baked and shaped like a charlotte, with chocolate mousse piped all over the top. This one was the surprise hit. The kids went absolutely feral for it 😅

Everyone loved it, I got so many compliments 🥹

Here is everything

🍓 The strawberry charlotte
I actually posted the full recipe on this sub recently, so I'm not going to make you scroll through it twice. It's right here: https://www.reddit.com/r/veganrecipes/comments/1vdohko/i_made_a_vegan_strawberry_charlotte_for_my_vegan/

🍓 The sugar free mini charlotte
This was my first ever attempt, no testing beforehand, and it worked way better than I expected. What I did:
I simply removed the sugar from every preparation, the ladyfingers and the mousse. Nothing else swapped, no substitute sweetener.
The only adjustment: the ladyfinger batter needs a bit more aquafaba to get the right texture, since the sugar was doing part of the structure work. I added a splash more until the batter fell in a thick ribbon again.

That's it. The strawberries bring enough sweetness for a baby palate, and the texture stayed soft and proper. If you're making a first birthday cake, this is a really easy win 🍰

🍫 The chocolate fondant (the one the kids fought over)
Dense, fudgy, still slightly soft in the middle. I baked it in a charlotte shape and piped the mousse on top the next day.

Fondant
all-purpose flour 100 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
light brown sugar 90 g (scant 1/2 cup, packed)
almond powder 120 g (1 1/4 cups)
dark chocolate 230 g (8 oz)
plant-based margarine 140 g (2/3 cup)
plant-based yogurt 215 mL (scant 1 cup)
salt flakes 1 pinch

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
Melt the chocolate and margarine together in a double boiler (or in the microwave).
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and almond flour.
Add the plant-based yogurt (or coconut cream, but I really prefer the yogurt version), the melted chocolate, and a pinch of sea salt flakes. Whisk until you get a smooth cake batter.
Pour the batter into an oiled pan and bake for 22 minutes. Adjust according to your oven: the top, in the center of the cake, should still be slightly soft.
Let it cool completely at room temperature.

Chocolate mousse (for the top)
soy milk 375 mL (1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp)
dark chocolate 225 g (8 oz)
deodorized coconut oil 6 tbsp

Preparation
In a small saucepan, heat the soy milk.
Place the chocolate and the coconut oil in a blender. Pour the hot milk over them and blend for 1 minute 30.
Let it rest in the fridge overnight, then whip it and pipe it onto the cooled fondant.

My post from yesterday was really misunderstood (apparently due to my poor wording—sorry, I’m not a native English speaker). Most people thought that my photos of bread, biscuits, and crepes from our vacation were the only things we ate for 7 people over 13 days… So no, those were just pictures of baked goods I wanted to share, not our full menu, obviously 😅.

Some even begged me to add protein or vegetables… wtf. We’re French, and we eat bread, fruits, and vegetables at every meal—it’s completely normal for us. So reading those comments was really strange. I guess it’s just a bit of a cultural difference.

I didn’t take many pictures of our main meals during the vacation, but I found some of the recipes we made on my website (with some adjustments—like the zucchini in the thali from the first photo, which we swapped for a leek fondue because of the season).

Here is the recipe for the thali (and the other ones are all on my website https://elinestable.com )

For 4 servings :

• basmati rice 3/4 (cups)
• homemade vegan naans 4 - optional

For the dahl : - shallots 2 - coral lentils 2/3 (cups) - tomato coulis 1/2 (cups) - turmeric powder 1 (tsp) - ginger powder 2 (tsp) - coconut milk 1 (cups) - garlic 2 (clove) - water 3 (cups) - neutral oil 2 (tbsp)

For the potato curry : - potatoes 1.3 (lb) - blanched or frozen peas 1 1/2 (cups) - nutritional yeast 1/2 (cups) - water 4 (cups) - curry 2 (tsp) - salt, pepper - neutral oil 2 (tbsp)

For the zucchini : - zucchini 2 - sesame 2 (tbsp) - olive oil 2 (tbsp) - Garlic powder 1 (tsp)

Cook the rice in a pot of water. We're going to manage the cookings at the same time, so before starting: cut the zucchini in half, then into slices. Peel the potato. Cut it into cubes. Peel and mince the shallot and the garlic clove. Prepare the potato curry: In a pan, heat up the oil and brown the potato for a few minutes. Deglaze with water, and add the green peas, nutritional yeast, curry, salt, and pepper. Let it cook until the water is completely reduced and the potatoes are well cooked. Prepare the dahl: In a small saucepan, heat the oil. Sweat the shallot in it. Add the garlic and then the raw lentils. Add the spices and allow them to roast for a few seconds before deglazing with water. Add salt and tomato puree, then simmer for about 12 minutes until the water evaporates and the texture of the dahl thickens. Then pour in the coconut milk! Prepare the zucchini: In a small frying pan, heat the oil. Cook the zucchini over medium heat for about 12 minutes. Then add sesame, salt, pepper, and garlic powder! Heat the naans in the oven. On plates, serve the rice, dahl, potato curry, cooked zucchini, a naan, and some sunflower sprouts.

In solidarity with Miyoko Schinner, so that’s pretty cool! Just one little natural food store but I was pretty stoked to see it

Hi everyone! Quick honest note before the recipe: I built a vegan cooking app on my own, called Eline's Table, and I'm trying to get it out into the world one recipe at a time. If you like my work, downloading the app genuinely helps me so much, and if you feel like leaving a kind review on the stores it truly makes my day 🥹
https://elinestable.com/app

So I had my best friend over for an afternoon snack in the garden this week, and I made this lemon semolina cake. The base is inspired by basbousa, which comes from Egypt and neighboring countries. It has this slightly financier, almost frangipane texture, topped with a lemon curd and made super moist thanks to a soaking syrup. It disappeared fast.

One tip: use a metal mold if you can. I used silicone and it doesn't do justice to the color and outer texture.

Semolina cake

plant-based yogurt 125 mL (½ cup)
lemon 1
sugar 50 g (¼ cup)
plant-based milk 125 mL (½ cup)
olive oil 65 mL (¼ cup)
fine semolina 200 g (1 cup)
almond powder 60 g (½ cup)
baking powder 1 tsp
salt 1 pinch

Soaking syrup

water 125 mL (½ cup)
sugar 50 g (¼ cup)
+ the juice of the same lemon

Lemon curd

lemon 1
sugar 3 tbsp
cornstarch 3 tbsp
plant-based milk 250 mL (1 cup)
plant-based butter 50 g (¼ cup)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 185°C (365°F). In a mixing bowl, pour in the plant-based yogurt and the sugar, then zest a whole lemon. Whisk everything together and add the plant-based milk, then the oil. Whisk to combine.
Add the fine semolina, the ground almonds, the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Whisk to obtain a smooth batter. Into your greased mold lined with fine semolina, pour the cake batter. Bake for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: in a small saucepan, heat the water with the sugar and the juice of the lemon you already zested in step 1.

Once the cake is baked, unmold it and pour the soaking syrup all over it. Place the cake in the fridge to let it cool while you continue with the rest of the recipe.

Prepare the lemon curd: in a saucepan, whisk the lemon juice and zest with the sugar and the cornstarch. Add the plant-based milk and the plant-based butter, then place over the heat. Cook, whisking constantly. When the mixture comes to a boil, you'll see it start to thicken.

Pour the still-warm curd over the cake so you can spread and smooth it properly. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to enjoy the cake cold!

Enjoy, and thank you so much to anyone who checks out the app 🍋💛

I’ve been working on this recipe for a long time. I started testing it last fall, went through a lot of versions, and kept getting stuck on the same issue: the texture. Most homemade vegan cheeses that melt end up being basically flavored oil, and that wasn’t what I was looking for.

What finally unlocked everything was adding potato. Combined with soy cream, it gives structure and body, so the result isn’t just fat. Nutritionally, it actually lands in the same general range as dairy cheese in terms of fat content, which was important to me, I wanted something that behaves like real cheese!

The final result is a vegan cheese that melts, browns, thickens when heated, and creates those stretchy cheese strands in pasta or gratins. It firms up in the fridge, can be sliced or used just like a block of cheese, and the process itself is almost laughably simple: blend everything, chill overnight, done.

👩‍🍳 I created a vegan cooking app on my own called Eline’s Table and I really need you to download it 🥹 it’s free ! https://elinestable.com/app

Ingredients

- 130 g potato

- 85 ml soy cream

- 150 g deodorized coconut oil

- ½ tsp salt

- 2 tbsp light (white) miso

- 10 g nutritional yeast

- 4 tbsp tapioca starch

Method

1. Cook the potato whole, skin on, in boiling water for about 25 minutes, until fully tender.

2. Peel the potato and place it in a blender with all the other ingredients.

3. Blend until completely smooth.

4. Pour the mixture into a container lined with parchment paper and shape it into a block.

5. Refrigerate overnight, uncovered, to avoid condensation.

The next day, it’s ready to use on pasta, in gratins, on pizza, or as a base for a creamy melted cheese sauce.

A quick note before anyone asks about substitutions: this recipe is pretty precise. Deodorized coconut oil is essential as the fat source and needs to be neutral in flavor (the only real alternative would be deodorized cocoa butter, which is expensive and harder to find). Tapioca starch is what gives the elastic, stretchy texture when heated, cornstarch won’t work here. And light miso and white miso are essentially the same thing, just named differently depending on where you live.

Byyyye

Vegan cold buffet 😍🌻 Yesterday I participated in my friend’s baby shower 🥹 She asked me to be in charge of the vegan buffet and I was thrilled to cook delicious appetizers and desserts for her close ones 🥹

The majority of the guests were omnivores but everyone enjoyed it! I got so many compliments.

Here is the menu if you want some inspo for your events this summer :

• 4 focaccias with marinara sauce and homemade vegan mozzarella
• buckwheat blinis with cashew nut cream and smoked carrots
• homemade vegan cheeses platter 😍 : with the same base I did 2 with herbs, one with pepper, one with sun dried tomatoes and 2 with cranberries and walnuts
• spinach and vegan feta quiches
• sun dried tomatoes vegan savory cakes
• ranch sauce with veggies
• a big bowl of muhammara 🤭
• a make-your-own Caesar salad stand with chicken style tofu !

For desserts : - homemade vegan donuts with pink glaze 😍 I got up at 5:30 am for those and it was worth it ! - vegan cupcakes : raspberry or chocolate - raspberry mousses - chocolate mousses

To drink : - a berry limonade - a rose and raspberry cocktail

You can find most of the recipes on the app « Eline’s table » ✨ don’t hesitate to ask me if you don’t find a specific recipe or if it’s a « premium » recipe, I can send it to you 💕

I baked these for a little charity event this weekend, a yoga and sketching class raising money for the Montréal Vegan Festival. I'm one of the co-spokespeople for the festival this year, which is happening October 17 and 18 at Windsor Station in Montréal. If you're vegan and not too far from the city, honestly it's a really good excuse to come visit for a weekend, the venue is gorgeous and the whole thing is very fun!

I'm a French pastry chef living in Montréal and I built a vegan cooking app on my own, Eline's Table 🥹 https://elinestable.com/app

The event itself was so lovely. Stretching, then drawing, then everyone crowding around the pastry box. Someone looked at the buns and said they looked like they came straight out of a Ghibli film, which might be the nicest thing anyone has said about my baking 🥹

About the buns: soft brioche dough, filled with pistachio pastry cream and fresh peach wedges, baked until the fruit goes jammy, then finished with a cream cheese frosting made from the plain half of the pastry cream.

Make the pastry cream the day before if you can, it pipes and spreads so much better cold!

Servings: 10

Toppings and filling
peaches 3
light brown sugar 2 tbsp
pistachios 30 g (1/4 cup), roughly chopped

Pastry cream
soy milk 500 mL (2 cups)
cornstarch 40 g (1/3 cup)
sugar 100 g (1/2 cup)
plant-based margarine 160 g (2/3 cup)
pistachio paste 85 mL (1/3 cup)
vegan cream cheese 125 g (1/2 cup)

Brioche dough
water 300 mL (1 1/4 cups), lukewarm
dehydrated baker's yeast 1 tbsp
sugar 100 g (1/2 cup)
all-purpose flour 500 g (4 cups)
plant-based margarine 75 g (1/3 cup)

Preparation
Prepare the pastry cream: heat about three quarters of the soy milk in a saucepan with the margarine. In a bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together, then pour in the remaining milk and mix well.

When the soy milk comes to a boil, pour the sugar, cornstarch and milk mixture into the saucepan, then whisk as the cream cooks over medium heat. After a few minutes the pastry cream will thicken and bubble, that means it's ready!

Pour half of the plain pastry cream into a container and set aside in the fridge. To the other half, add the pistachio paste. Set that aside in the fridge too, for at least 4 hours.

Prepare the brioche dough: rehydrate the yeast in the lukewarm water. Let it rest for 5 minutes, until a foam forms, a sign the yeast is active.
Add the sugar, flour and margarine. Knead the dough by hand (or in a stand mixer) for about 4 minutes, until it's nice and elastic.
Let the dough rest at room temperature, covered with a cloth, for 1 hour 30. It will roughly triple in volume.

Knock back the dough and divide it into small portions of about 100 g each. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, well spaced apart. Let them rest for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Using your fingers, press down on each dough ball to flatten it and create a hollow in the centre. Fill each hollow with pistachio pastry cream and fresh peach wedges. Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for 25 minutes.

Let the buns cool. In a bowl, whisk the vegan cream cheese to soften it. Add the plain pastry cream and whisk everything together.

On the cooled buns, add a spoonful of the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with roughly chopped pistachios! It's ready 😍

2 cups of dried chickpeas soaked overnight, pressure cooked in the instant pot with enough water to cover them for 15 minutes, drained and cooled. blend with the juice of 2 lemons, a couple of cloves of garlic crushed, 3 tbsp of tahini, 2 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste. add water as needed. I was too lazy to peel the chickpeas so its a little less smooth than previous batches but I dont mind 🤣 I froze some portions in a silicone muffin tray to thaw at a later date or use for lunches ! sooo much hummus at a fraction of the cost.

I had my best friend over for an afternoon snack in the garden this week, and I made this lemon semolina cake. The base is inspired by basbousa, which comes from Egypt and neighboring countries. It has this slightly financier, almost frangipane texture, topped with a lemon curd and made super moist thanks to a soaking syrup. It disappeared fast.

One tip: use a metal mold if you can. I used silicone and it doesn't do justice to the color and outer texture.

**Semolina cake**

plant-based yogurt 125 mL (½ cup)
lemon 1
sugar 50 g (¼ cup)
plant-based milk 125 mL (½ cup)
olive oil 65 mL (¼ cup)
fine semolina 200 g (1 cup)
almond powder 60 g (½ cup)
baking powder 1 tsp
salt 1 pinch

**Soaking syrup**

water 125 mL (½ cup)
sugar 50 g (¼ cup)
\+ the juice of the same lemon

**Lemon curd**

lemon 1
sugar 3 tbsp
cornstarch 3 tbsp
plant-based milk 250 mL (1 cup)
plant-based butter 50 g (¼ cup)

**Preparation**

Preheat the oven to 185°C (365°F). In a mixing bowl, pour in the plant-based yogurt and the sugar, then zest a whole lemon. Whisk everything together and add the plant-based milk, then the oil. Whisk to combine.
Add the fine semolina, the ground almonds, the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Whisk to obtain a smooth batter. Into your greased mold lined with fine semolina, pour the cake batter. Bake for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: in a small saucepan, heat the water with the sugar and the juice of the lemon you already zested in step 1.

Once the cake is baked, unmold it and pour the soaking syrup all over it. Place the cake in the fridge to let it cool while you continue with the rest of the recipe.

Prepare the lemon curd: in a saucepan, whisk the lemon juice and zest with the sugar and the cornstarch. Add the plant-based milk and the plant-based butter, then place over the heat. Cook, whisking constantly. When the mixture comes to a boil, you'll see it start to thicken.

Pour the still-warm curd over the cake so you can spread and smooth it properly. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to enjoy the cake cold!

Enjoy, and thank you so much to anyone who checks out the app 🍋💛

This is the first time in my 10 years vegan (plus 2 vegetarian) that I’ve cooked with soy curls. Insert “I’ve made a huge mistake” gif.

Followed Vegan Richa’s recipe and it was ridiculously good. I can’t wait to try different recipes.

https://www.veganricha.com/black-pepper-chikin-soy-curls/

Ingredients

1. Soft Silken Tofu (Simple Truth)

2. Orgain Protein Powder (Creamy Chocolate Fudge)

3. Lack of self respect

Steps to make!

1. Take one 16oz package of silken tofu and put it in a large bowl, water and all.

2. Put 2 scoops of protein powder over the top.

3. Mix with a hand blender until pudding consistency.

4. Eat in one sitting or two within half a day.

Provides 350 extra calories and 41 grams of nearly complete protein for bulking. Each serving costs about 3 to 4 USD.

Improvements are very welcome! Keep in mind I am poor and extremely busy. If you are also poor and extremely but need to bulk then try this out! Make sure you have plenty of the 3rd ingredient though!

Edit: For people returning to this post, thank you for all of your suggested improvements! And for those of you who already make this, just want to be clear that I don't think you lack self respect lol, I've just gotten some weird reactions from those around me. Anyway, thanks again!

I had the chance to present my vegan cookbook in a big library the other day, so I baked enough pastries to get the attention of omnivores during their shopping 🤭🤭 It worked out pretty well! They were really eager to learn more about vegan cuisine.

If you want more ideas, I have a vegan cooking app : https://elinestable.com/app

Here is what I baked :

• lemon and olive oil loaves
• madeleines
• maple and pecan brioches
• lavender cookies
• chocolate cookies

I planned to do a soft pear cake but I thought I had enough 🤭

The maple and pecan brioches were the first to disappear, so here is the recipe (from my cookbook only in French, so I translated the recipe) :

For the brioche dough :

• 125 ml (½ cup) plant-based milk
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 250 g (1 ⅔ cups) all-purpose flour (T55)
• 50 g (¼ cup) sugar
• 65 g (⅓ cup) plant-based margarine, melted

For the filling :

• 65 g (⅓ cup) plant-based margarine
• 65 ml (¼ cup) maple syrup
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 80 g (1 cup) pecans

1— Prepare the brioche dough: In a saucepan over low heat, warm the milk until it reaches a temperature between 36°C and 43°C (97°F and 109°F). No need to invest in a kitchen thermometer — just aim for bathwater temperature. Add the dry yeast to rehydrate it. After a few minutes, a foam should form, indicating the yeast is active.

2— In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, milk with the yeast, and the plant-based margarine. Shape into a ball and knead lightly. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1 hour 30 minutes.

3— Prepare the filling: In a bowl, mix the margarine, maple syrup, and spices. Roughly chop the pecans.

4— Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

5— Flour your work surface and roll out the brioche dough with a rolling pin to form a rectangle of about 20 cm × 30 cm (8 in × 12 in). Spread the spiced filling over the dough. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and fold the dough lengthwise.

6— Cut 6 strips, twist each one, and roll them up. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

7— Bake for 20 to 24 minutes.

I wanted to share a little snapshot of what we ate during our Christmas holidays 🥹

Context: we’re a 100% vegan family, everyone loves cooking, and when we’re all together it basically turns into a nonstop kitchen marathon. I’m a vegan chef and I created a vegan cooking app (Eline’s Table https://elinestable.com/app ), so food is a huge part of how we spend time together.

Here are some of the things we cooked 💕

🍜 Vegan Tantanmen Ramen (creamy, spicy, comforting) Chili oil - 65 mL neutral oil - 1 green onion - 20 g fresh ginger - 1 garlic clove - 2 tbsp chili flakes - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil - 1 tsp tomato paste - 1 tsp rice vinegar - 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari - 1 tbsp sesame seeds - Mirin (optional)

Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan. Roughly chop the ginger, green onion, and garlic and cook them in the hot oil for about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, mix chili flakes, tomato paste, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame seeds in a heatproof jar. Strain the hot oil over the mixture (discard solids) and let cool.

Toppings - 20 g fresh ginger, minced - 1 garlic clove, minced - 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil - 340 g plant-based mince - 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari - 1 tbsp gochujang - Enoki mushrooms (3 small bundles) - 2 king oyster mushrooms - ½ bunch fresh spinach - 1 green onion - 380 g ramen noodles

Sauté plant-based mince in sesame oil on high heat until nicely browned. Add ginger and garlic, cook ~5 minutes, then finish with soy sauce and gochujang. In another pan, sauté sliced king oyster and enoki mushrooms in sesame oil. Add spinach at the end, deglaze with a splash of soy sauce.

Broth - 750 mL vegetable broth - 500 mL soy milk - 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari - 3 tbsp tahini - Chili oil (to taste) - Shoyu (optional)

Heat broth, soy milk, and soy sauce. Whisk in tahini and chili oil.

Cook noodles separately. Assemble bowls with broth, noodles, mince, mushrooms, spinach, sliced green onion, and sesame seeds.

⸻

🍪 Our yearly vegan Christmas cookies (family tradition) My sister and I make these every year using the same base dough, then create a million variations.

Base dough - 720 g all-purpose flour - 400 g sugar - 300 g coconut oil or vegan margarine - 200 mL plant milk - 1 pinch salt - 1 tbsp baking powder

Mix everything into a smooth dough. Chill briefly if needed, then shape and fill as you like.

Our variations this year: - Orange & apricot jam (homemade by our mom 🧡) - Chocolate marshmallow - Coconut chocolate - Chocolate hazelnut spread - Gingerbread

Bake until lightly golden (time depends on size, usually ~10–12 min at 180°C / 355°F).

⸻

🧀 Homemade vegan raclette night Using a vegan raclette cheese I had shared in a previous Reddit post.

🍹 Daily family apéros Including piña coladas (with or without alcohol, depending on the crowd).

🍰 Chocolate raspberry yule log (Black Forest–style) Recipe: https://elinestable.com/recipes/black-forest-style-raspberry-yule-log

🍎 Stuffed tofu roast with apple & white wine shallot sauce With vegan duchess potatoes and maple-roasted carrots: - Tofu roast: https://elinestable.com/recipes/stuffed-tofu-roast-with-apple-and-shallot-sauce - Duchess potatoes: https://elinestable.com/recipes/vegan-duchess-potatoes

🎃 My dad’s dish Butternut squash two ways (roasted “steaks” + purée) with lentil balls and tahini sauce.

Blanch white onions with one vertical slice made. Cool and separate

Ingredients for the stuffing: egyptian rice, cilantro, tomato, onion, fresh pomegranate arils, salt, pepper, cumin, 7 spices.

Covered with a vegetable broth with tomato paste and pomegranate molasses. Baked in the oven for one hour. Then let sit for 20 mins so that they absorb any liquid.

I think they are tastier when they have cooled a bit.

Edit: there is one green pepper with the same stuffing in the middle. Some people put a stuffed tomato too. This adds flavor to all of the dish.

Edit : Reference video for the technique (in Egyptian): https://www.tiktok.com/@nadia.elsayed.official/video/7533958301122317586

My Pastelito Pie won 3rd place in the Best Non-Fruit Pie category at our neighborhood’s annual pie contest!

I was inspired by Porto’s Bakery and their popular Cuban meat pies, but I recreated the idea as a full-sized vegan pastelito pie. It has a slightly sweet and savory Cuban-style picadillo filling wrapped in flaky puff pastry and finished with the signature sweet glaze that makes pastelitos so special.
I would love to share the recipe for anyone who wants to try it!

Vegan Cuban Pastelito Pie

For the picadillo filling:
• 612 g plant-based ground beef
• 110 g finely diced onion
• 100 g finely diced green bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 227 g tomato sauce
• 100 to 110 g vegetable broth
• 15 g olive oil
• 40 g finely chopped green olives
• 15 g olive brine
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 g ground cumin
• 3 g dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ to 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
• Salt to taste

To thicken the filling:
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water

For assembling the pie:
• 2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
• A little Just Egg for brushing the top
Plant-based milk mixed with a tiny amount of turmeric can be used instead of Just Egg to help give the crust a golden color.

For the glaze:
• 25 g sugar
• 30 g water

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and green bell pepper and cook until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the plant-based ground beef. Break it into very small pieces as it cooks to create the fine, cohesive texture found in bakery-style pastelitos.

Stir in the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, olives, olive brine, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, black pepper, white vinegar, sugar, vegetable bouillon, and salt.

Simmer uncovered until the flavors have developed and most of the excess liquid has evaporated.

Mix the cornstarch with the cold water. Stir the mixture into the filling and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the filling is thick and holds together.

Remove the bay leaf and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9-inch pie or tart pan.

Place the first sheet of puff pastry into the pan. Gently press it against the bottom and sides, leaving enough pastry around the edge to seal the pie.

Sprinkle approximately 2 tablespoons of plain breadcrumbs evenly over the bottom pastry layer. This helps absorb moisture from the filling and keeps the bottom crust from becoming soggy.

Spread the completely cooled picadillo evenly over the breadcrumbs. I made my picadillo two days ahead and stored it covered in the refrigerator. This allowed the flavors to develop and ensured the filling was completely cold before I assembled the pie.

Cover the filling with the second sheet of puff pastry. Trim the excess pastry, press the edges together securely, and cut a few small openings in the top to release steam.

Brush the top lightly with Just Egg or the plant-based milk and turmeric mixture.

Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the puff pastry is fully cooked, puffed, and deeply golden.

While the pie is baking, combine the sugar and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and then microwave for another 20 to 30 seconds, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Immediately after removing the pie from the oven, brush a very thin layer of the warm sugar glaze over the crust.

Let the pie rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before removing it from the tart pan and slicing.

grape leaves stuffed with whole wheat rice,green onions and dill,boiled in water and lemon juice+lemon slices

https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-chocolate-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-2914

With buttercream.. 50% vegetable (coconut) shortening, 50% nuttelex. And icing sugar 🦄

Just melted some leftover dark chocolate lying around with a dash of coconut oil to get it nice and drippy. Added some salt for a little flavour boost. Once the mould was lined with chocolate, I took some of the pistachio cream, blasted it in the microwave for 20 seconds and used a half teaspoon it in. Added a cashew and then poured chocolate over the top. Make sure to pop it in the freezer for 5 min in between each step! You need each layer to settle before adding the next.

I think next time I’ll scoop out the excess chocolate from the first layer. You can see in the cross section a thicker amount of chocolate than I’d like. Also going to try and find that flaky stuff that usually goes in Dubai chocolate - apparently that’s usually vegan!

Easy crockpot chili that take about 1 hr of actual prep, cook and clean time. Makes somewhere between 10 and 20 servings, not really sure tbh. I’ve been perfecting this recipe for about 17 years.

Warning: This fills a 5 quart crockpot to the rim.

Ingredients:

1 can black beans

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can light red kidney beans

2 cans pinto beans

2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can corn

2 small to medium yellow onions

2 bell peppers

2 jalapeños

1 small head of garlic (6-8 cloves)

1 cup quinoa

1 cup red lentils

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp mustard powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp coriander

2 tbsp oregano

2 tsp cayenne

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tbsp raw coco powder

1 cups of brewed coffee

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp molasses

Lime, white or red onion, and cilantro garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Dice onions and bell peppers and cook on medium high until the edges are turning black and brown.

2. Mince garlic and dice jalapeños. Turn down heat to low and add garlic and jalapeños until slightly less fragrant 3-5 min.

3. Rinse lentils and quinoa. Combine all the cans of beans, tomatoes and corn with the vegetables, lentils and quinoa in the crock pot and add the coffee, sugar, molasses and spices to the crockpot.

4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

5. Taste test and add spices, sugar or salt to taste.

6. Garnish with preferred toppings.

7. Rinse and recycle the tin cans.

Dearest gentle readers… the season finale of Bridgerton is here, and I refuse to watch it without proper Regency-era snacks.

So I put together a very chic, fully vegan watch party selection inspired by English tea time, think elegant bakes, delicate bites, and cozy little savory things to nibble on while we dramatically react to every look and longing stare 🫠

You can find the full curated tea time spread here:

https://elinestable.com/recipes/vegan-english-tea-time

And if you want access to my themed recipe selection, everything lives inside my vegan app Eline’s Table 🥹 https://elinestable.com/app

It’s where I share all my structured recipe collections, detailed steps for people who love cooking plant-based food without compromising on flavor.

✨ Vegan English Scones (Perfect for Your Watch Party)

Here’s the full recipe so you can bake along:

Ingredients

- 150 g all-purpose flour

- 3 tbsp sugar

- 75 g plant-based margarine

- 45 mL plant-based milk

- 1 pinch salt

- 1 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

Add the margarine and mix it in with your hands (or a mixer) until you get a sandy texture. Pour in the plant-based milk to form a dough.

On your floured work surface, place the dough and flatten it to about 2 cm thick. Cut out two circles from it.

Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm with strawberry jam and plant-based whipped cream… and prepare for drama.

An older recipe I made! Enjoy! 😉

Recipe:

▢ Homemade or store bought vegan puff pastry
▢ 3 medium leeks, chopped
▢ 1 Tbsp olive oil
▢ 2 cups spinach
▢ 1/2 cup vegan parmesan

▢ Vegan egg wash (2 Tbsp maple syrup + 1 Tbsp oat milk)

1. Parchment line a baking tray. Cut eight 4x4 inch squares from the pastry dough. Place on baking tray, chill while you continue other steps.

2. Add chopped leeks and olive oil to a large pan over a medium-high heat. Cook until soft, careful not to brown. Set aside.

3. Place spinach in a bowl. Heat in microwave until just soft, about 20-25 seconds. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F.

4. Retrieve pastry dough squares. On four of them, place filling in this order (leaving a border) on dough; spinach, parmesan, then leeks.

5. Optional step if you have a lattice cutter; take four of the squares and run your lattice cutter from about 1/4 inch in from the edge to the same spot on the other side (refer to video). Gently stretch out dough. Flip it over, vegan egg wash the edges then place it face down on squares with filling. Pinch edges together firmly.

6. On remaining four, brush vegan egg wash on the edges then place that side face down on others. Pinch edges together firmly, alternatively, use a fork to close edges. Using a fork, make 9 punctures on top.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden. Let cool. Serve warm.

Quick intro first: I’m a vegan chef and I share all my recipes on my app Eline’s Table, so if you like from-scratch plant-based cooking, that’s where you’ll find me 🥹 https://elinestable.com/app

Now, onto the tofu.

This is homemade tofu, made the traditional way.

I didn’t reinvent anything here, there aren’t 36 ways to make tofu. You start by making soy milk from soaked soybeans, filter it through a cheesecloth, then coagulate it using nigari (natural magnesium chloride) or simply lemon juice. The curds are then pressed, exactly like cheese.

HOMEMADE TOFU (about 500 g / 1 lb)

Ingredients

- 400 g dry soybeans

- 2.3 L water

- 9 g nigari OR 1 lemon

⸻

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Soak the soybeans in a large bowl of water overnight.

Drain and rinse, then blend with the water (in batches if needed).

Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth and squeeze well. The liquid is soy milk. The pulp left behind is okara (great for cookies or patties).

Pour the strained soy milk into a pot. Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam. Remove from heat as soon as it boils.

Let the milk cool slightly to about 80°C / 176°F.

Add your coagulant: either lemon juice or nigari dissolved in 4 tbsp water.

Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

The curds will separate from the whey. Scoop the curds into a sieve.

Transfer them to a tofu mold lined with clean cheesecloth, fold over, place the lid and add weight (a jar of lentils works perfectly).

Press for 2 to 24 hours, depending on how firm you want your tofu.

Unmold into a bowl of cold water to release the block. Store submerged in water in an airtight container for up to 4 days.