Calzone Pastries w/ Follow Your Heart Cheez and Random Smoothie

Vegan Calzones are fairly easy to make at home and there's no lack of flavor in the finished product [the dairy-consumer in the house co-signs that]. As a former Cheesivore, Veganism stung a little until I found Cheez [Vegan spelling for non-dairy cheez] that actually tasted like cheez. There are some offerings on the market that contain Casein [a milk-derivative], but at least three non-dairy offerings taste like cheese, and will work in your calzones, pizza, baked mac and cheez, and home-made ravioli.
They are: Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet- Monterey Jack [avoid the cheddar y... , Cheezly, and Daiya. Click the links to purchase them online. Follow your heart is readily available at Whole Paycheck [still hoping Trader Joe's stocks it sooner than later]. Monterey Jack is their best flavor. Their Mozzarella... not so much.

This recipe comes in 2 parts [unless you wish to make your own red sauce]. All ingredients needed are listed in italics.

To make the dough, mix the following and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes:

2 cups flour [wheat, almond, or white]
1/2 tbs baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water mixed w/Canola oil or other oil [half and half] (only use enough water to make the dough coherent. You want to avoid watery dough).
Desired seasoning [Garlic, cilantro, onion powder, etc]

Preheat your oven to 350.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out with a rolling pin or long bottle, then
cut circles into the dough with a large wide-mouth cup and roll the cut circles flat.

Cut medium-sized chunks of cheez [See paragraph above for recommendations]and place inside the dough circles with desired amount of sliced onions, mushrooms and/or green peppers.

Remember to leave enough room in the circles to fold them over into half moons. Close the folded over half circles by pressing against the ends of them with a fork.

Optionally glaze the calzones with a pastry brush and rice milk, on the outsides of the circles.
Place on a lightly-greased cookie sheet in the oven [on 350]. Allow the Calzones to cook for at least 12 minutes.

This recipe can be used for a number of pastries (or empanadas). Instead of cheez, onion and mushroom, you can try spinach and cheez, or pre-cooked Blackbeans and rice, Potatoes and Hummus , sauteed cabbage& carrots w/jerk seasoning [allspice-cumin-scotch bonnet pepper] to make veggie patties, etc. If inclined you can even convert this into a sweet pastry, maybe with pre-boiled apples, cinnamon, and agave nectar [a plant-based honey]. They're easy and satisfying; 'Everything pastries'.

For Calzone dipping you can place your desired red sauce in a baking container at this time if you'll be including it with your meal. If you're making it from scratch, boiling pureed tomatoes with a touch of coconut milk, onion powder, garlic, and salt [to taste] makes a full-bodied sauce.

You can also make your own Cheez by making a gravy of sorts of flour and water [mixed to desired texture] and then add 1 part tahini, 1/2 part lemon juice, and salt to taste. Some add a bit of garlic and onion powder.
The result if a sharp cheddar flavor you have to taste to believe [confirmed by Cheesivores I know who've requested the recipe]. To make the sauce into hard cheez, you can purchase agar-agar and add the boiled w/water thickener to the sauce, then place it in an empty butter container for your mold. By morning you'll have sliceable cheez.

[Update: If you decide to make a pizza of the dough circle and sprinkle it with the cheez, you can get it nice and melty by sprinkling olive oil on the top of the cheez and putting it in the oven broiler for 3-4 minutes after the initial 12 minutes of baking. The oven broiler aspect isn't needed with Daiya and some homemade cheezes.]

This will make for a very happy mouth.



...And to accompany your Calzone, a Random fruit smoothie/ frozen iced-cream:
I know Summer's over, but with this weather you can't really tell...


Blend the following ingredients:
[Fruits are suggested. You can mix and match as desired ]

1 tray of ice
1 cup Raspberries [frozen or fresh]
1-2 bananas
3 cups rice milk or water
1 cup spinach leaves or other green (you won't taste it... promise)
[optional] agave nectar or organic sugar to desired sweetness
[optional] flax seed for additional nutrition or other desired added nutrient


Continue with the blend to the desired texture. You can add additional liquid [water, Coconut milk, etc] if you don't want it too thick. To transform it into iced-cream place it in a container in the freezer, and stir every half hour until it takes on the texture you're looking for, then you can place it in the blender for a final puree if desired.
If you have an ice-cream maker add it to your machine, rather than the freezer, for an easier process.



Long Live Society HAE.


More recipes forthcoming.
[A free Issue#6 download from purplemag.com includes Comfort food recipes for Herbivores in a mini-cookbook].

There's a treasure trove of cookbooks available through Cosmos Vegan Shoppe as well. Search by category.