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Recipes
CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP
Preparation
Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
1/4 cup
water
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 16 ounce can solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons curry powder
Several dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup soy or rice milk
Place water
and onion in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally,
for 5 minutes until onion is soft. Add broth, pumpkin and
applesauce. Stir to combine. Add seasonings. Cook over low
heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in milk
just before serving.
Hint:
This would be very attractive served in a small baked
pumpkin. Cut top off of a pumpkin. Clean out seeds and
strings (just like Halloween). Replace top. Place pumpkin in
a pan with � inch of water. Bake at 350 degrees for 30
minutes. Serve the cooked soup in the baked pumpkin.
MASHED POTATOES
Preparation
Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
10 medium
potatoes, peeled, in water to cover
Cut potatoes
in half and place in a large pot with the water. Cover and
cook over low heat until potatoes are very tender, about 45
minutes. Remove from heat. Drain potatoes, reserving the
cooking liquid. Beat the potatoes with an electric mixer,
adding small amounts of the cooking liquid to the potatoes
while mashing. Beat until smooth and creamy. Season with a
small amount of salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Hint:
To make the potatoes more creamy, replace the reserved
cooking liquid with soy or rice milk. Add the milk to the
potatoes while mashing as above.
RICH BROWN GRAVY
Preparation
Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: makes 6 cups
1/4 cup
water
1 onion, chopped
1 cup whole wheat flour
5 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Place the 1/4 cup water and the onion in a medium saucepan.
Cook, stirring occasionally until onion softens, about 5
minutes. Add the flour and mix in well. Continue to cook for
another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. (This will toast the
flour and give it a rich flavor.) The flour and onions will
clump together. Add the remaining water and soy sauce. Cook
for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from
heat. Blend in batches in a blender jar until smooth. Place
in a clean pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently,
until gravy thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Season with fresh
ground pepper to taste.
Hint:
If the gravy fails to thicken to your satisfaction, you may
want to add an extra thickener to the gravy. Use a mixture
of 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed in 1/4 cup cold water. Add
a small amount to the gravy while stirring until it is thick
enough for serving.
HOLIDAY STUFFED PUMPKIN
This is the
recipe I have used for my Thanksgiving centerpiece for over
25 years. It has always been a favorite with everyone who
has celebrated the holidays with us over the years.
Preparation
Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Servings: 6-8
1 large loaf whole wheat bread, cut into cubes
4 �-5 cups vegetable broth
1-2 onions, chopped
2-4 stalks celery, chopped
3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons parsley flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons sage
1 1/4 teaspoons marjoram
2-3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
several twists of fresh ground pepper to taste
1 medium pumpkin or large winter squash
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place the bread on a baking
sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Place the broth, onions,
celery and seasonings in a medium saucepan and cook over
medium heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the top off the
pumpkin or winter squash and save for a cover (as if you
were going to make a jack-o-lantern). Clean out the seeds
and stringy portion, leaving plenty of the squash flesh
along the sides. Rinse well and set aside. Place the bread
cubes in a large bowl, pour the cooked broth over the bread
and toss well until bread is saturated with the liquid.
Cover the bowl and allow liquid to be absorbed for about
10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (adding more
poultry seasoning and ground pepper, if needed).
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees. Place the stuffing into the cleaned pumpkin
and cover with the pumpkin top. Place in a large baking
dish. Add 1 inch of water to the bottom of the baking dish.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until fork pierces the side of the
pumpkin easily.
Hint:
To save some time, cube the bread the night before and allow
it to sit uncovered in a single layer overnight. This will
eliminate the need to bake the bread cubes in the oven for
15 minutes.
CRANBERRY
SAUCE
This is a simple cranberry sauce, easy to make and
delicious. I have been serving this sauce with our
Thanksgiving feast for years.
Preparation
Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Servings: makes about 2 � cups
1 cup orange juice or water
1 cup organic cane sugar
3 cups fresh cranberries (12 ounce bag)
Place the
orange juice or water in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar
and heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and
cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to pop, about
10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until just
before use.
Hint:
Traditional cranberry sauce is made with water. Try this
with orange juice for something a bit different.
SQUASH BUTTER
My
son and I recently had dinner at a wonderful vegan
restaurant, Dragonfly, in Columbus, OH. They served a
delicious squash butter with bread as an appetizer. This is
such a wonderful spread for bread, and you won�t believe how
easy it is to make!
Preparation Time: 1 minute
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Servings: variable
1
butternut squash
1/8 cup vegetable broth
freshly ground pepper
salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prick the squash several times with a fork, then place in
the oven, either directly on the rack or on a baking sheet.
Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
(It will start looking a bit shriveled at this point.)
Remove from oven and let cool. Cut in half and remove the
seeds and stringy portion. Scoop out the flesh from the
squash into a food processor, discarding the skin. Add 1/8
cup of vegetable broth and process until very smooth. Add
freshly ground pepper to taste and a bit of salt, if
desired. Serve warm or chill until serving time.
Hints: These variations make this simple spread into
uniquely favored purees.
1)
Add � teaspoon, or more, of ground nutmeg.
2) Add � teaspoon, or more, of crushed red pepper flakes.
(This may also be added along with the nutmeg, if desired.)
3) Add 3 tablespoons of white miso and 3 tablespoons of
tahini.
ELEPHANT GARLIC SPREAD
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Servings: makes about 1 � cups
2
large heads Elephant garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Separate the garlic heads into individual cloves. Discard
the center stalk section. Cut a small piece off each of the
root ends and off the tops. Peel each clove. Place the
peeled cloves in a baking dish, spoon the vegetable broth
over the garlic, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove
cover and bake for an additional 30 minutes. (Test to make
sure all the cloves are soft by piercing with a fork. If
they are not soft enough, bake for a bit longer until
soft.) Remove from oven and mash with a fork directly in
the baking dish, using the broth in the bottom of the dish
to mix with the garlic. Season with salt, if desired.
Serve warm or cold as a spread for bread or rolls.
MAPLE MASHED SWEET POTATOES
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
3
pounds sweet potatoes
� cup soy milk
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
dash salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Place on a
baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, or until
potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool
slightly.
Cut
potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a
large bowl. Mash with a hand masher or electric beater (do
not use a food processor). Add soy milk, maple syrup and
seasonings. Mix well.
Hint:
These may be prepared a day or two ahead of time and
refrigerated. Reheat in a microwave before serving. These
may also be peeled and cooked in water on the stovetop.
Drain off cooking water and mash as directed above.
CREAMY DESSERT PUDDINGS
This
recipe was created by one of our cooking instructors at the
McDougall Program, Alex Bury. I demonstrated this recipe
during the VegSource conference during October 2005 and
received so many requests for the recipe that I am including
it in this month�s newsletter.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: optional
Servings: variable
2
12.3 ounce boxes lite silken tofu
1 cup lemon juice
� cup agave nectar
� cup soy milk
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
dash salt
Place all ingredients into a food processor and process
until creamy and smooth.
Serve at once or cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Hints: Agave nectar is sold in most natural food stores.
It is a natural mild sugar syrup made from the agave plant.
This is delicious served over fresh cut fruit, such as
mango, kiwi or strawberries. For a unique presentation,
layer the fruit in individual glass serving dishes or tall
wine glasses, then pour the lemon cream over the fruit.
To
make a chocolate version:
Delete the lemon juice and the turmeric and add � cup of
Wonderslim cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
WICKED CHOCOLATE PIE
This
is a VERY RICH dessert to be savored on those most special
occasions. Serve in small wedges and enjoy this delicious
treat with friends! I probably make this only twice a year,
once for Thanksgiving dinner with friends and once for
John�s birthday.
Preparation Time: 60 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Servings: makes 1 9-inch pie
Crust:
1/3 cup unsalted, roasted cashews
3 tablespoons Sucanat or brown sugar
3 tablespoons Wonderslim Fat Replacer
� teaspoon vanilla
1 cup unbleached white flour
dash salt
Chocolate Filling:
2 cups vegan (non-dairy) chocolate chips
24.6 ounces (2 boxes) extra firm, low-fat silken tofu
3/4 cup Sucanat or brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash salt
Almond Topping:
1 cup thinly sliced almonds
� cup maple syrup
Raspberry Sauce:
1 10-ounce bag frozen, unsweetened, raspberries, thawed
� cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan. (Side may be loosened
and removed after baking.)
Place the cashews in a food processor and grind until they
resemble fine meal. Add Sucanat or sugar, Wonderslim and
vanilla. Process until well combined. Mix the flour and
salt in a medium bowl. Add the cashew mixture and mix well,
beginning with a spoon and ending with your hands. Press
this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for
15 minutes, until light brown. Remove from oven and set
aside.
Place the chocolate chips in a double boiler and melt over
barely simmering water. Place the tofu in a food processor
and process until smooth. Add Sucanat or sugar, vanilla,
and salt. Process again, then add the melted chocolate.
Blend until smooth and creamy.
Lightly oil the sides of the pan above the baked crust, then
scoop the chocolate mixture into the pan. Smooth out the
top and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from
oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the
inside of the pan to loosen the sides. Let the pie cool to
touch, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before
serving. Remove side before serving.
Place the maple syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a
boil. Cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute (this is
very important), then add the almonds and continue to cook
and stir over fairly low heat until the syrup has
crystallized onto the almonds and the almonds appear dry.
(This will take at least 5 minutes. If the heat is too
high, the sugar will burn and you will have a sticky, smelly
mess.) Place on a baking sheet and allow to cool. Store at
room temperature in a covered container.
Place the raspberries and sugar in a blender jar. Process
until blended. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer,
stirring often, to remove most of the seeds. Let the
mixture sit in the strainer for at least 1 hour to allow
most of the seeds to be removed. Discard the remaining
sauce with the seeds. Pour the seedless sauce into a covered
container and refrigerate until ready to use.
TO
SERVE: Cut a small wedge of the chocolate pie and place on
a dessert plate. Sprinkle a few of the almonds over the
pie, then drizzle with a small amount of the raspberry
sauce.
HINTS: Vegan chocolate chips are made by many different
manufacturers. Look for ones that have no added milk or
other dairy products. The chocolate chips may also be
melted in the microwave. Follow the instructions for
melting chocolate in your user�s manual. Be careful not to
burn it. Chocolate chips are high in fat and make this a
VERY RICH dessert. We only make this on special holidays
(and everyone loves it!). Heather and Mary adapted this
recipe from one in The Millennium Cookbook by Eric Tucker
and John Westerdahl. Our friends, Ann and Larry Wheat, own
the Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco and we have
enjoyed this dessert there several times. There are many
delicious, gourmet, vegan recipes in The Millenium Cookbook
suitable for serving on a special occasion. To find out
more about the restaurant or to order the cookbook go to
http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com. |