Spinach Bites

My mom used to make spinach bites all the time when I was a kid, usually just for the holidays, and we devoured them. She made them with egg and butter so they were definitely not vegan friendly. This Thanksgiving, we made them vegan and they turned out so awesome.

The non-vegan recipe takes eggs, which is used as a binder so I wasn't sure what to use in place of that. I usually replace egg in baking with a very ripe mashed banana or pumpkin puree or applesauce but those replacements weren't going to work in this recipe. We finally decided on water and olive oil to replace the egg and the consistency was right on. These make great appetizers during the holidays because they are tasty and you can make them healthy.

This recipe requires a little bit of time because the ingredients need 8 hours to set and the spinach needs to be as dry as possible so begin working on these the night before. The ingredients can sit in the fridge overnight and you can finish the recipe the next morning. With a little planning, this recipe can be made easily and will take no time at all.

2 packages (10oz) frozen spinach, cooked and drained
1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs or chopped bread dough
1/2 cup of shredded vegan cheese or vegan parm
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 sticks of Earth Balance butter or margarine, melted
1 clove of minced garlic
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Thaw or steam your spinach and drain well. Combine all ingredients and hand mix. Refrigerate for 8 hours. The next morning, roll into balls and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Notes: the spinach needs to be dry so after you drain it, dry it for a little bit with paper towels or a clean towel. The drier it is, the better the bites will form and bake. You can double the batch and bake ahead of time and freeze. Store in freezer storage bags and then just reheat at 375 for about 10-20 minutes before serving.