Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
View Recipes

Blog Image

Jamaican Hand Pies

By Chef Linda

A Jamaican Hand Pie is a pastry that contains various fillings and spices baked inside of a flaky golden yellow shell. The color of the shell usually comes from either an egg yolk mixture or from turmeric. Since these are vegan, we use turmeric to create that lovely shade of yellow! And in case you didn’t know, turmeric is a health-supportive spice that can help reduce inflammation in your body.

This tasty treat is made like a turnover but is savory instead of sweet. As the name suggests, it’s a food you’d find in Jamaica or other areas of the Caribbean. While these hand pies are traditionally filled with seasoned ground beef, chicken, or lamb, our version is filled with potatoes, carrots, and corn. 

Please don’t let the pastry or dough part of this recipe intimidate you. In a recent cooking class, I asked a student to help make the pastry and she nearly fainted. “I’ve always been terrified of pastry!” Once she overcame her fear, she realized that pastry wasn’t difficult at all. With only a few simple ingredients and a little time, you can easily master this recipe and will be able to give yourself a nice pat on the back when you’re done! 

Ingredients

For the Pastry
 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons turmeric
 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
 ¾ cup chilled coconut oil
 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
 1 tablespoon coconut oil
 ½ cup diced yellow onion
  teaspoon cinnamon
 ¼ teaspoon allspice
 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
 ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  teaspoon cayenne
 2 larges cloves garlic, minced
 1 cup canned coconut milk
 ¼ cup diced carrots, 1/4-inch pieces
 ¼ cup diced yellow potatoes, 1/4-inch pieces
 ½ cup fresh green peas (or frozen), or edamame
 ½ cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
 ½ cup finely shredded cabbage
 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
 ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

1

To make the pastry: Combine flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the coconut oil to the flour mixture and mix ingredients with hands until it resembles fine sand, or pulse ingredients in a food processor. Combine the vinegar and water. Add the vinegar mixture to the pastry mixture one tablespoon at a time while mixing and being careful not to overwork the dough. The consistency is right when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Squeeze dough into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

To make the filling: In a medium-sized pan, over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil. Add the onion, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the garlic to the onion mixture and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice. Cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove dough from refrigerator. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into 6-inch circles using a cookie-cutter or bowl to measure. Spoon 2 liberal tablespoons of filling onto one side of each circle, leaving about 1/8 inch border to seal. If dough is dry, wet fingers before sealing each one. Fold uncovered half of pastry over the filling to create a half-moon dumpling and press edges to seal. Press sealed edge with fork tines to create ridges.

Transfer patties to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Serve immediately with hot sauce.

Jamaican Hand Pies

Jamaican Hand Pies

DifficultyModerateCook Time30 mins
YIELDS
Makes about 12 to 14 small pies

INGREDIENTS

For the Pastry
 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons turmeric
 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
 ¾ cup chilled coconut oil
 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
 1 tablespoon coconut oil
 ½ cup diced yellow onion
  teaspoon cinnamon
 ¼ teaspoon allspice
 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
 ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  teaspoon cayenne
 2 larges cloves garlic, minced
 1 cup canned coconut milk
 ¼ cup diced carrots, 1/4-inch pieces
 ¼ cup diced yellow potatoes, 1/4-inch pieces
 ½ cup fresh green peas (or frozen), or edamame
 ½ cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
 ½ cup finely shredded cabbage
 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
 ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1

To make the pastry: Combine flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the coconut oil to the flour mixture and mix ingredients with hands until it resembles fine sand, or pulse ingredients in a food processor. Combine the vinegar and water. Add the vinegar mixture to the pastry mixture one tablespoon at a time while mixing and being careful not to overwork the dough. The consistency is right when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Squeeze dough into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

To make the filling: In a medium-sized pan, over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil. Add the onion, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the garlic to the onion mixture and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice. Cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove dough from refrigerator. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into 6-inch circles using a cookie-cutter or bowl to measure. Spoon 2 liberal tablespoons of filling onto one side of each circle, leaving about 1/8 inch border to seal. If dough is dry, wet fingers before sealing each one. Fold uncovered half of pastry over the filling to create a half-moon dumpling and press edges to seal. Press sealed edge with fork tines to create ridges.

Transfer patties to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Serve immediately with hot sauce.

ShareTweetSaveBigOven

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
View Recipes

Blog Image

Jamaican Hand Pies

By Chef Linda

A Jamaican Hand Pie is a pastry that contains various fillings and spices baked inside of a flaky golden yellow shell. The color of the shell usually comes from either an egg yolk mixture or from turmeric. Since these are vegan, we use turmeric to create that lovely shade of yellow! And in case you didn’t know, turmeric is a health-supportive spice that can help reduce inflammation in your body.

This tasty treat is made like a turnover but is savory instead of sweet. As the name suggests, it’s a food you’d find in Jamaica or other areas of the Caribbean. While these hand pies are traditionally filled with seasoned ground beef, chicken, or lamb, our version is filled with potatoes, carrots, and corn. 

Please don’t let the pastry or dough part of this recipe intimidate you. In a recent cooking class, I asked a student to help make the pastry and she nearly fainted. “I’ve always been terrified of pastry!” Once she overcame her fear, she realized that pastry wasn’t difficult at all. With only a few simple ingredients and a little time, you can easily master this recipe and will be able to give yourself a nice pat on the back when you’re done! 

Ingredients

For the Pastry
 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons turmeric
 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
 ¾ cup chilled coconut oil
 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
 1 tablespoon coconut oil
 ½ cup diced yellow onion
  teaspoon cinnamon
 ¼ teaspoon allspice
 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
 ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  teaspoon cayenne
 2 larges cloves garlic, minced
 1 cup canned coconut milk
 ¼ cup diced carrots, 1/4-inch pieces
 ¼ cup diced yellow potatoes, 1/4-inch pieces
 ½ cup fresh green peas (or frozen), or edamame
 ½ cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
 ½ cup finely shredded cabbage
 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
 ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

1

To make the pastry: Combine flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the coconut oil to the flour mixture and mix ingredients with hands until it resembles fine sand, or pulse ingredients in a food processor. Combine the vinegar and water. Add the vinegar mixture to the pastry mixture one tablespoon at a time while mixing and being careful not to overwork the dough. The consistency is right when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Squeeze dough into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

To make the filling: In a medium-sized pan, over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil. Add the onion, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the garlic to the onion mixture and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice. Cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove dough from refrigerator. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into 6-inch circles using a cookie-cutter or bowl to measure. Spoon 2 liberal tablespoons of filling onto one side of each circle, leaving about 1/8 inch border to seal. If dough is dry, wet fingers before sealing each one. Fold uncovered half of pastry over the filling to create a half-moon dumpling and press edges to seal. Press sealed edge with fork tines to create ridges.

Transfer patties to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Serve immediately with hot sauce.

Jamaican Hand Pies

Jamaican Hand Pies

DifficultyModerateCook Time30 mins
YIELDS
Makes about 12 to 14 small pies

INGREDIENTS

For the Pastry
 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons turmeric
 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
 ¾ cup chilled coconut oil
 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
 1 tablespoon coconut oil
 ½ cup diced yellow onion
  teaspoon cinnamon
 ¼ teaspoon allspice
 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
 ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  teaspoon cayenne
 2 larges cloves garlic, minced
 1 cup canned coconut milk
 ¼ cup diced carrots, 1/4-inch pieces
 ¼ cup diced yellow potatoes, 1/4-inch pieces
 ½ cup fresh green peas (or frozen), or edamame
 ½ cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
 ½ cup finely shredded cabbage
 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
 ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1

To make the pastry: Combine flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the coconut oil to the flour mixture and mix ingredients with hands until it resembles fine sand, or pulse ingredients in a food processor. Combine the vinegar and water. Add the vinegar mixture to the pastry mixture one tablespoon at a time while mixing and being careful not to overwork the dough. The consistency is right when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Squeeze dough into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

To make the filling: In a medium-sized pan, over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil. Add the onion, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the garlic to the onion mixture and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice. Cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove dough from refrigerator. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into 6-inch circles using a cookie-cutter or bowl to measure. Spoon 2 liberal tablespoons of filling onto one side of each circle, leaving about 1/8 inch border to seal. If dough is dry, wet fingers before sealing each one. Fold uncovered half of pastry over the filling to create a half-moon dumpling and press edges to seal. Press sealed edge with fork tines to create ridges.

Transfer patties to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Serve immediately with hot sauce.

ShareTweetSaveBigOven

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
View Recipes

Blog Image

Jamaican Hand Pies

By Chef Linda

A Jamaican Hand Pie is a pastry that contains various fillings and spices baked inside of a flaky golden yellow shell. The color of the shell usually comes from either an egg yolk mixture or from turmeric. Since these are vegan, we use turmeric to create that lovely shade of yellow! And in case you didn’t know, turmeric is a health-supportive spice that can help reduce inflammation in your body.

This tasty treat is made like a turnover but is savory instead of sweet. As the name suggests, it’s a food you’d find in Jamaica or other areas of the Caribbean. While these hand pies are traditionally filled with seasoned ground beef, chicken, or lamb, our version is filled with potatoes, carrots, and corn. 

Please don’t let the pastry or dough part of this recipe intimidate you. In a recent cooking class, I asked a student to help make the pastry and she nearly fainted. “I’ve always been terrified of pastry!” Once she overcame her fear, she realized that pastry wasn’t difficult at all. With only a few simple ingredients and a little time, you can easily master this recipe and will be able to give yourself a nice pat on the back when you’re done! 

Ingredients

For the Pastry
 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons turmeric
 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
 ¾ cup chilled coconut oil
 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
 1 tablespoon coconut oil
 ½ cup diced yellow onion
  teaspoon cinnamon
 ¼ teaspoon allspice
 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
 ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  teaspoon cayenne
 2 larges cloves garlic, minced
 1 cup canned coconut milk
 ¼ cup diced carrots, 1/4-inch pieces
 ¼ cup diced yellow potatoes, 1/4-inch pieces
 ½ cup fresh green peas (or frozen), or edamame
 ½ cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
 ½ cup finely shredded cabbage
 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
 ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

1

To make the pastry: Combine flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the coconut oil to the flour mixture and mix ingredients with hands until it resembles fine sand, or pulse ingredients in a food processor. Combine the vinegar and water. Add the vinegar mixture to the pastry mixture one tablespoon at a time while mixing and being careful not to overwork the dough. The consistency is right when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Squeeze dough into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

To make the filling: In a medium-sized pan, over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil. Add the onion, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the garlic to the onion mixture and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice. Cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove dough from refrigerator. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into 6-inch circles using a cookie-cutter or bowl to measure. Spoon 2 liberal tablespoons of filling onto one side of each circle, leaving about 1/8 inch border to seal. If dough is dry, wet fingers before sealing each one. Fold uncovered half of pastry over the filling to create a half-moon dumpling and press edges to seal. Press sealed edge with fork tines to create ridges.

Transfer patties to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Serve immediately with hot sauce.

Jamaican Hand Pies

Jamaican Hand Pies

DifficultyModerateCook Time30 mins
YIELDS
Makes about 12 to 14 small pies

INGREDIENTS

For the Pastry
 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons turmeric
 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
 ¾ cup chilled coconut oil
 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
 1 tablespoon coconut oil
 ½ cup diced yellow onion
  teaspoon cinnamon
 ¼ teaspoon allspice
 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
 ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  teaspoon cayenne
 2 larges cloves garlic, minced
 1 cup canned coconut milk
 ¼ cup diced carrots, 1/4-inch pieces
 ¼ cup diced yellow potatoes, 1/4-inch pieces
 ½ cup fresh green peas (or frozen), or edamame
 ½ cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
 ½ cup finely shredded cabbage
 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
 ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1

To make the pastry: Combine flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the coconut oil to the flour mixture and mix ingredients with hands until it resembles fine sand, or pulse ingredients in a food processor. Combine the vinegar and water. Add the vinegar mixture to the pastry mixture one tablespoon at a time while mixing and being careful not to overwork the dough. The consistency is right when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Squeeze dough into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

To make the filling: In a medium-sized pan, over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil. Add the onion, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the garlic to the onion mixture and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice. Cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove dough from refrigerator. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into 6-inch circles using a cookie-cutter or bowl to measure. Spoon 2 liberal tablespoons of filling onto one side of each circle, leaving about 1/8 inch border to seal. If dough is dry, wet fingers before sealing each one. Fold uncovered half of pastry over the filling to create a half-moon dumpling and press edges to seal. Press sealed edge with fork tines to create ridges.

Transfer patties to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Serve immediately with hot sauce.

ShareTweetSaveBigOven

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *