miyokos – Vegan Rescue

Quesitos ~ Vegan & Puerto Rican
vegan ~ dairy-free

Makes: 12
Total Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Author/Credit: Jessica Williams/Vegan Rescue

Quesitos ~ Sweet, Simple, Luxurious.

My my my, here is another Puerto Rican dessert/pastry for you to try. So good! These Quesitos are delightfully vegan. Like Donuts or Danishes, Quesitos complement coffee or tea perfectly. These are so quick to make, about ten to fifteen minutes to prep and twenty minutes to bake. They also make a nice after dinner treat.
Quesitos are a popular dessert in Puerto Rican bakeries; they have such a nostalgic quality about them too. This treat has the perfect balance of sweet and salty. I certainly use Tofutti’s cream cheese in so many recipes, but I prefer Mikoyo’s for this recipe. Mikoyo’s has the perfect saltiness that really holds up to the sweetness, offering a perfect balance. This cream cheese also has a wonderfully fluffy texture. The soft texture of Miyoko’s takes this delicate pastry to the next level.
There are so many variations of Quesitos, some have a glaze made with sugar/corn syrup or are topped with powdered sugar or honey. I know honey is a hot topic for vegans, but if you are a vegan who eats honey – be sure to buy your honey locally.
The simplicity of this Puerto Rican cream cheese pastry is sure to satisfy.
Estilo Boricua ~ Enjoy!

Check out Vegan Rescue on Instagram (@veganrescue) for a video of this recipe ~ Remember to Like/Share/Follow.

Ingredients:
1 (17.3 oz) Package Puff Pastry (contains 2 sheets)
1 (8oz container) Vegan Cream Cheese (I use Miyoko’s)
1/4 Cup Raw Cane Sugar
1/4 Cup Raw Honey/Agave (or Glaze-Corn Syrup/Sugar)

Directions:
-Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
-Remove thawed puff pastry from wrapper onto a lightly floured surface or onto parchment paper. The package I use comes with two sheets (I use both in this recipe).
-Lightly flour pastry sheet and roll out into a thin sheet. I will typically do a few passes with the rolling pin to bring the thickness down about half.
-Cut the sheet into thirds, then cut each third into half. Makes six pieces per sheet. This recipe makes twelve in total.
-Towards the base of the cut pastry, add about a tablespoon of cream cheese lengthwise. Note: Since I’m using Miyoko’s cream cheese, which is a bit softer, I typically score the cream cheese in the container to be sure I end up with even portions. If you are using a firmer cream cheese you can empty the container and cut it into twelve even portions for the filling.
-Beside the cream cheese (towards the center of the cut pastry), add about one teaspoon of raw cane sugar lengthwise. -See pictures below.
-Fold up the base over top of the cream cheese/sugar and roll up, folding the sides along the way.
-Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
-Place rolled Quesitos on lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
-Allow Quesitos to cool for about 5-10 minutes. -Then add about a teaspoon of glaze to the top of each Quesito, whether using honey/agave or a sugar glaze.
-Enjoy! The Quesitos should still be nice and warm.

Puerto Rican Vegan Quesitos

Makes: 12
Total Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Author/Credit: Jessica Williams/Vegan Rescue

Ingredients:
1 (17.3 oz) Package Puff Pastry (contains 2 sheets)
1 (8oz container) Vegan Cream Cheese (I use Miyoko’s)
1/4 Cup Raw Cane Sugar
1/4 Cup Raw Honey/Agave (or Glaze-Corn Syrup/Sugar)

Directions:
-In-Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
-Remove thawed puff pastry from wrapper onto a lightly floured surface or onto parchment paper. The package I use comes with two sheets (I use both in this recipe).
-Lightly flour pastry sheet and roll out into a thin sheet. I will typically do a few passes with the rolling pin to bring the thickness down about half.
-Cut the sheet into thirds, then cut each third into half. Makes six pieces per sheet. This recipe makes twelve in total.
-Towards the base of the cut pastry, add about a tablespoon of cream cheese lengthwise. Note: Since I’m using Miyoko’s cream cheese, which is a bit softer, I typically score the cream cheese in the container to be sure I end up with even portions. If you are using a firmer cream cheese you can empty the container and cut it into twelve even portions for the filling.
-Beside the cream cheese (towards the center of the cut pastry), add about one teaspoon of raw cane sugar lengthwise.
-Fold up the base over top of the cream cheese/sugar and roll up, folding the sides along the way.
-Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
-Place rolled Quesitos on lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
-Allow Quesitos to cool for about 5-10 minutes. -Then add about a teaspoon of glaze to the top of each Quesito, whether using honey/agave or a sugar glaze.
-Enjoy! The Quesitos should still be nice and warm.

Spinach & Pesto Panini (with Tempeh and Smoked Mozzarella)
vegan ~ dairy-free

Serves: 2 Sandwiches
Total Time: 20-25 minutes (includes prep)
Difficulty: Easy
Author: Vegan Rescue/Jessica Williams

It’s that time of year when I focus on quick and easy meals. It is just the two of us, so I tend to make on rice/beans, pastas, soups, and sandwiches as simple staple meals. Last week, I made pasta with an alfredo sauce (I’ll post this later this week). Today, I made a similar pasta dish, swapped the broccoli with spinach, and used a store-bought pesto. Finding some vegan store-bought sauces is essential for those quick dinner meal nights. Speaking of store-bought, a few months ago, we found Legh’s Soup at our local whole food store and their brand is so good. Whenever we pick up some of their vegan soups, I always feel the urge to make either a big salad or sandwich with it. For today’s recipe, I made this Pesto Panini Sandwich, using some of the same elements of the pesto pasta.
This sandwich is bursting with flavor – enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 Slices of Thick Bread (I used Merzbach’s 3-Penny Loaf)
2 Tbsp Seggiano Fresh Basil Pesto (store-bought/freshly prepared works too)
2 Tbsp Vegenaise
2 Cups Fresh Organic Spinach
1 (6oz) Pkg Tempeh (I used LightLife Smoky Bacon)
1-3oz Miyoko’s Smoked Vegan Mozzarella (portion depends on preference)
2 Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced
Vegan Butter for grilling

Directions:
-Pre-heat panini pan or grill to warm. Pre-cook tempeh according to package instructions, or in a lightly oiled pan, heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.
-While the tempeh is cooking– spread vegan butter/Earth Balance on the back of each of the four slices of bread.
-On the opposite side (inside slice) – spread one side with pesto sauce and the other with Vegenaise.
-Top with spinach, tempeh, mozzarella, tomatoes.
-Cook for about 3-5 minutes per side if using a pan-style. If using a panini press, I typically will cook until the “ready setting” activates, typically about the same time (3-5 minutes).
-Enjoy!