Vegan Vol-au-Vent Fillings

Now that you've mastered making the cases, why not try these filling recipes? Eating Vegan was never meant to be boring...

I used a teaspoon to fill my 5cm vol au vents, but it may be more or less depending on the size of your case.

Almond 'Cheese' wilted Spinach and Cranberry (as in stars above)
The almond cheese recipe I used was from the vegetarian times, but you can just buy vegan cheese from the health food shop if you prefer, or use vegan cream cheese if you want a milder taste. But do give the almond feta a go, it is very addictive!! http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10951

Wilt some baby spinach in a pan and allow to cool.
Put into a vol au vent case, a spoon of spinach, a spoon of cheese and a drizzle of cranberry sauce.

Asparagus, Potato, and Lemon
Cook a peeled medium sized potato, and mash with a splash of soymilk, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
Blanch asparagus, and dunk in cold iced water to cool. The spears should be bright green. Drain.
Mix 50 ml extra virgin olive oil and 50 ml lemon juice with 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon,
Put into a vol au vent case, a couple of spoons of potato, a couple of asparagus spear cuts, and drizzle with the lemon dressing. Dust with a little cracked black pepper.


Creamy Mushroom
Make the creamy sauce base using the filling recipe from Creamy Corn and Leek Pies I posted on my first blog entry (omitting leek and corn of course).
Saute finely sliced mushrooms until soft, and add to creamy sauce.
Allow to cool slightly and spoon into cases.

Pumpkin Corn and Chive
 Peel and chop 1 cup pumpkin, and cook in a pan of boiling water. Drain and mash, adding onion powder and pepper to taste.
Add 1/4 cup cooked corn kernels, and mix thoroughly.
Spoon into vol au vent cases and garnish with chopped fresh chives.

Sundried Tomato, Olives, and Dairy Free Pesto
Finely chop 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes and set aside.
To make the dairy free pesto, process 1/4 cup basil leaves, 1/4 cup baby spinach, 1 large garlic clove, 1/4 cup pine nuts,  3-4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
Put a teaspoon tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sliced olives, and a teaspoon of pesto into the case.

Spicy Roasted Eggplant
Roast a medium sized eggplant whole in a 180C oven for 30 minutes or until soft. Allow to cool. Puree and add 1 garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes. Fry in a little olive oil for a few minutes until garlic and chili are fragrant. Spoon into cases.

Rocket, Fig, and Vegan Cream Cheese with Pomegranate
Scoop out the seeds of one pomegranate and set aside.
Tear a small bunch rocket leaves into pieces and set aside.
Finely chop 1/2 cup dried figs.
Spoon into a case rocket,figs, then cream cheese, and top with a few pomegranate seeds.

And don't forget to reserve the middle section of your pastry cuts outs when making the cases. Put them on a baking sheet and bake these too. You can then top them with pesto or dip as I did below and serve as nibbles too. Super cute!