Vegan 'Sfeeha'

As I sit here and write this post I am eating yummy 'vegan sfeeha' other wise known as 'meat' pies. I put my own twist on this traditional recipe by veganizing it!!

This little delicacy comes from  Lebanon. I recently joined 'the secret recipe club', where you get sent a blog that you may have never discovered otherwise, and have to pick recipe from their collection, and make it. Lucky me I to get chef in disguise, this lady rocks! Orthodontist by day/chef at night. And she has great recipes that I am looking forward to veganizing more of.

After scrolling through her delicious looking photos, I settled on the 'sfeeha'. Little pastries filled with savoury goodness. I thought it would be a good first attempt, and I was right! These taste like awesomeness.  I didn't have some of the ingredients that Sawsan used but I thought I could manage to make it tasty with what I had on hand....I kept the recipe for her dough, which is amazing.

'Sfeeha'- Veganized 
makes 12 

Dough:

3/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp yeast
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil

Filling:

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
2 stalks celery-minced
1 clove garlic
1/2 package of Yves veggie ground round
1 tsp sage
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsp molasses
1 tbsp tahini
3-4 tbsp of water
freshly ground pepper
sea salt to taste

For the dough sprinkle the sugar into the water in a small bowl, add yeast. Let sit for about 10 minutes and foam. In a medium sized bowl combine flour and salt, pour the water into the flour and mix with a spoon until forms a ball. Flour surface and knead dough for 7-8 minutes, unitl smooth. Pour olive oil into a bowl, place dough in and give it a spin, to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise until double its size. ( appox 2 hours).

Once dough has risen, roll into golf ball sized portions and set on a tray. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

For the filling. Heat pan and add oil. Saute onion, garlic and celery until soft. Add veggie ground round and stir until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and contiune to cook until soft and hot. 6-8 minutes.

Roll out the balls of dough, to form small circles. Place a scoop of filling in the middle, with water pinch the sides of the dough to form and X. Brush pastry with olive oil

Place on greased cookie sheet at 400 for 20 minutes.