Cranberry Spritzer Tea Cakes

Winner, Cranberry Battle

1 c. Earth Balance, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. cranberry juice extract (regular unsweetened cranberry
juice will also work fine)
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. fresh cranberries, chopped finely
powdered sugar for dusting

Cream the margarine, then add the powdered sugar and whip together
until light and fluffy. Mix in the cranberry juice extract, then
the flour and salt. Add the chopped cranberries and mix well.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Run your hands under cold
water, then form the dough into little walnut-sized balls. Place
on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment
paper, and bake at 400 degrees for 10-11 minutes. As soon as the
cookies come out, drop them in powdered sugar and roll them around
to coat, or (my preferred method) dust with powdered sugar from a
fine mesh sieve. Let cool on a rack.

Savory Cranberry Phyllo Pockets

Winner, Cranberry Battle
This grocery store friendly recipe is a sweet, savory combination of modestly tart cranberries and pumpkin that has been wrapped and baked in a flaky phyllo crust. It is served with an herbed cranberry dipping sauce. The filling and dipping sauce may be made ahead of time.

Cranberry Phyllo Pockets:
3 cups cranberries, finely chopped (1 12-ounce bag)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon oil
1 celery stalk, finely chopped (~ 1/2 cup)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped (~ 1/4 cup)
1 cup canned canned pumpkin
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
40 phyllo sheets
Water

Dipping Sauce:
3 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
3 cups cranberries, finely chopped (1 12-ounce bag)
3 medium apples, peeled & diced (~ 3 cups)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions for Cranberry Phyllo Pockets:

Thaw phyllo dough sheets according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine cranberries and sugar and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

In a pan, over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon oil. When oil is hot, add celery and onion. Sauté until onion is translucent, and then transfer celery and onion to a medium bowl. To the bowl add the pumpkin, nuts (other nuts may be substituted, according to preference), and cranberry-sugar mixture.

Refrigerate for one hour or until filling is cool.

When filling is cool, prepare phyllo dough sheets. The sheets come wrapped in plastic. Carefully unroll the sheets and place them on your countertop. Place the plastic the sheets came wrapped in on top of the sheets. On top of the plastic, place a damp towel. Do not expose sheets until immediately before use. Remove only the sheet(s) with which you will be immediately working.

Remove a sheet of phyllo dough and brush or spray with a portion of 1/4 cup of oil. The sheets I used were 9 inches by 17 inches. (If your sheets are slightly different in size, follow the same directions.) Fold the longest side in half and then in half again, so you have a four-layer-thick 9 inch by 3-1/2 inch strip.

Put about 2 tablespoons of filling (a cookie scoop’s worth) at one end of the strip. Fold the phyllo dough in a triangle pattern, pushing the filling toward the corners as you fold.

At the end of the strip, brush the remaining dough with water. Fold the last of the strip of dough onto the triangle and smooth with more water, if necessary. Spray or brush the triangle with oil.

Repeat for the remaining filling.

Cook on an ungreased cookie sheet at degrees 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve at room temperature.

Makes about 38 triangles.

Directions for Dipping Sauce:

In a saucepan, bring the water and white sugar to a boil over medium heat. Then add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.

The dipping sauce may be made ahead of time and refrigerated. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes about 3 cups of sauce.

Global Interaction

1/4 cup sesame seeds 2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (~ 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (~ 1 teaspoon)
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts (~ 10 small), cut in half
pepper, to taste

On a rimmed cookie sheet, toast sesame seeds in a toaster oven, or in a conventional oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the seeds just begin to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries and orange juice. Cook over medium heat until about half of the cranberries burst. Turn off heat. Transfer cranberry mixture to a medium bowl and stir in sugar.

To the saucepan the cranberries were cooked in, add the red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Transfer to bowl with cranberries.

To a large pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and Brussels sprouts. Arrange the Brussels sprouts so the cut side is facing down. Cook the Brussels sprouts over medium-low heat for approximately 7 minutes, or until the cut side is just begins to caramelize.

Strain orange juice from cranberries over the Brussels sprouts.

Cover and cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are tender, yet still slightly crisp. Add water as necessary while Brussels sprouts are cooking. At the end of the cook time, the orange juice should be just about cooked down all of the way.

Remove from heat and add to bowl with cranberry mixture. Toss with toasted sesame seeds and pepper, to taste.

Serve warm.

Cranberry and Mushroom Creamy Rice

This is inspired by risotto. However, being both lazy and a fan of
brown rice,this is my holiday (and lazyness) inspired adaptation.
The cranberries add a little cheer to this dish and the mushrooms
give it a yummy chew.

2 c short grain brown rice (sweet or regular)
Water for cooking the rice
8 oz of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 TB oil
3.5 c veggie or mushroom broth (prepared or from bullion)
2 TB nutritional yeast
spices to taste:
thyme (1 tsp),
sage (1/8 tsp ground)
and rosemary (1/2 tsp crushed)
pinch of salt and peper
1 small squirt (about 1 tsp) stone ground mustard
1.5 c fresh, raw cranberries
1/4 c sugar
2 TB corn starch
handful of raw pecan pieces

Start by preparing the rice using your preferred method (rice cooker,
stove top). You want to start with 2 c uncooked rice and you will end up
with about 4 c of cooked rice.

Meanwhile, prepare the mushroom-cranberry mixture. In a large, wide pot,
heat the oil. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic and cook until
mushrooms and onion are soft. Add 3 c of the broth, spices, nutritional
yeast, mustard, cranberries, sugar and simmer 20 minutes, stiring
occasionally, or until the cranberries are broken and everything looks
"good." Meanwhile, you can mix the cornstarch with the reserved broth.

To finish this dish, turn the heat up on the stove and pour in the
cornstarch-broth mixture. Stir and boil for a bit, until the broth
thickens up some. It should look like a thin gravy. Turn off heat and add
the cooked rice and the pecans. Stir until everything is coated and serve.

* I don't cook with salt generally, so you might want to add salt to the
dish if you like salted food.

Holiday Cranberry Cupcakes

Winner, Cranberry Battle
The perfect host/ess gift for a holiday dinner party! It's nice because the orange juice flavors perfectly with the cranberry, but also allows you to cut the oil down. If you use whole cranberries, instead of the canned ones, you may want to add a little maple syrup to get the sweetness and viscosity of the batter right (it should be a soupy consistency when it goes into the oven).

3/4 cup canned whole cranberries

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 flax "egg" (3 tblspoons water mixed with 1 tblspoon ground flax seed)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and put liners in your cupcake tin.

Mix the flax seed with the water and let set.

Cream the cranberries, oil, vanilla extract, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and flax.

In a bowl/mixing cup quickly stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Alternatively pour the flour and then orange juice into the cranberry goodness and mix inbetween pours.

Ladle the batter into the liners until 3/4 full and bake for 32 minutes.

Top with a regular frosting but add dab of almond extract or orange juice. For pizazz, sprinkle sliced almonds or orange zest on top. Go wow your friends so you get invited to bring dessert to EVERY dinner party and they'll make yummy vegan entrees as an excuse to invite you and your cupcakes over!

Fresh Cranberry Salsa

1/4 cup cilantro (just leaves, no stems)
1/4 cup scallions (white/light green part only, not the dark green part or the bottom roots)
one small deseeded hot pepper (I think I use a chili pepper, jalapeno should work too)
one clove garlic

3 cups FRESH cranberries (frozen does not work)
1/2 cup light agave nectar or 3/4 cup sugar

Combine the first four ingredients in a food processor so they are chopped very finely.
Add the cranberries and sweetener and pulse until the cranberries are chopped but not mush.
Let sit for an hour or so to let the flavors mingle (if you can wait!) If it still seems too sour add a little more sweetener and/or a little salt.

I like to eat this plain with tortilla chips, but it is also good on tofurky or layered on a plate over tofutti cream cheese and served with crackers. Next time I make it I'm going to try it layered over avocados mashed with cilantro and lots of lime and eaten with hearty tortillas.

Harvest Tempeh "Chops"

This is a veganized and scaled down version of an old family pork chop recipe.

one 8 oz pack of tempeh
soy sauce
liquid smoke
fresh ground pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
thyme
2 apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup of cranberries
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup brown sugar

serves 2-3

Slice the tempeh into 2 or 3 squares and coat with soy sauce, a couple drops of liquid smoke on each piece, and season with fresh pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme. Let marinade for an hour, or all day while at work. Preheat oven to 350. Brown the tempeh in an oiled skillet over medium heat. Combine the apples, cranberries and sugar and place in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the tempeh on top, then cover with apple cider and bake, uncovered for one hour. Best served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Green Apple Risotto

A fun alternative to traditional bread stuffing!

Start to finish in 45-60 minutes.

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. chopped shallots or red onion
1 c. shitake or other flavorful mushrooms, sliced
1 c. green apple peeled and diced
1 c. arborio (aka risotto) rice [can sub barley or other grain, if desired]
¼ c. dry sherry [can sub broth w/ a little vinegar mixed in]
2 tsp. poultry seasoning OR ½ tsp. each: thyme, sage, parsley, and rosemary
¼ tsp. cayenne powder [optional]
6 c. un-chicken or light vegetable broth, heated
2 Tbs. unsweetened soy milk, yogurt, buttery spread, or your favorite cream substitute
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast OR your favorite parmesan substitute

Optional garnishes

¼ c. fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
¼ c. almonds or walnuts (Marcona almonds pictured)
¼ c. fresh chopped apple sprinkled with lemon juice

1. In a Dutch oven or other large pan, heat olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add shallots and sauté until golden, 5-8 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms, apple, and Arborio rice, sautéing until rice is translucent.

4. Deglaze the pan with sherry or broth/vinegar mixture.

5. Add dried spices and stir to coat.

6. Begin adding heated broth, 1 cup at a time, to rice mixture and stir until the liquid is nearly absorbed. (I find the easiest way to do this is to microwave the broth in a large glass measuring cup with a pour spout.)

7. Continue to stir and add broth until the rice is tender. (It usually takes about 4-5 cups, but I always heat up extra just in case it’s needed. You can save whatever you don’t use.)

8. Remove from heat and stir in ‘cream’ and nutritional yeast.

9. Transfer to individual bowls and top with parsley, nuts, and diced apple, as desired.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Healthy Apple Casserole

3 apples chopped
1/4 cup of pecans
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of oat flour (or rolled oats ground in the blender)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup of orange juice

Combine the apples, pecans, sunflower seeds, and raisins. Place them in a casserole dish. Then combine the oat flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then spread the flour mixture on top of the apples. Then very slowly pour the orange juice over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

COCOA APPLE CAKE

Decorate w/ a drizzle chocolate ganache or apple cider
icing or both!!
Very impressive when cooked in a decorative bundt pan!

1/2 cup applesauce
1 NRG egg replacement, prepared as directed
1 3/4 to 2 cups sugar
1 cup margerine
1/2 to 3/4 cup soymilk
1 Tbs vinegar or lemon juice
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 Tbs baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup chocolate bitties
2 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped small

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt or tube pan.

"Sour" soymilk by adding vinegar to milk, set aside
(it will foam up).
Sift together dry ingredients, in separate bowl:
flour, baking soda, cocoa, cinn. and allspice. Set
aside.

Whip margerine until fluffy. Add sugar and whip.
Add vanilla, NRG and applesauce. Continue whipping and
add 1/2 cup of soymilk, slowly.
Slowly add in dry ingrdients. If you add this slowly
enough, you do not have to overmix batter, and it will
become super-fluffy, like mousse! Go ahead and try to
resist eating the batter!
If batter is too dry, slowly add a bit more milk.
Fold in apples and choc. bits.

Pour or spoon batter into prepared pan, careful to not
deflate batter.
Cook at 325 for 60-70 mins, or until knife/ toothpick
comes out clean. Do not overbake. (The cake may seem
to fall in the center near the end of cooking time,
but its okay.)

When cooled, dust with powdered sugar, icing or
chocolate ganache drizzled.

Cider Icing
Mix 2 Tbs. apple cider w/ powdered sugar until able to
be drizzled over top.
or
Chocolate Ganache
Melt choc bits w/ a Tbs of margerine, drizzle over
top.

Apple Frushi

3 cups short-grain white rice, or other sushi rice
3 cups water
4 Tbsp apple juice
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 apples, of different varieties
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 package "party sushi" soy wrappers (there's a variety pack without the non-vegan pink ones)
dipping sauce of your choice

Place the rice in a saucepan and cover with water. Swish it around and drain the water (carefully!). Repeat until the water runs clear. Drain water a final time, and let the rice sit for 5 minutes. After five minutes, add the 3 cups water and let sit for another 5 minutes.

Heat the saucepan over high heat, and simmer (on low) and cover for 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time! Do not stir! Do not pass go!

Check the rice after 10 minutes by pushing it away from the wall of the pan with a rice paddle. If there's still water, let it simmer more; if not, let it sit (no heat) for 10 minutes.

Add the apple juice, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a small saucepan, and heat over high. Stir rapidly, and once it starts to bubble, pour evenly onto the cooked rice.

Now it's time to cool the rice. You can just leave it covered on the counter for forever, cheat and put it in the fridge, or charge one of your unwitting roommates with the duty of fanning it.

Once the rice is cool enough to handle, core the apples and slice into eight wedges each. Slice each wedge in half lengthwise (the non-symmetrical way). Lay out a soy wrapper on a sheet of plastic wrap. Place a quarter of the rice on it, cover with another sheet of plastic wrap, and press and spread the rice around until it evenly covers the wrapper.

Now here comes a decision. Do you want inside-out rolls? If you do, flip the plastic wraps/rice stuff over. If not, well, don't do anything. Take off the sheet of plastic wrap facing you, and line up you apple slices along one side of the rectangle. Overlap them, and if you have extra apple, eat it =) Take a ½ tsp of the pumpkin pie spice and sprinkle evenly over your apples.

Roll up your sushi by picking up one end of the plastic wrap (the one with the apples) to press the rice. If you have a sushi mat, that's great, if not, we're using plastic wrap. Slice your rolled sushi into… sixths. Eighths. Whatever you want.

Arrange all pretty on a plate and serve with your favorite fruity dipping sauce. I ate them plain =)

Apple "Pad Thai"

Not too authentic, but you'll like it anyway.

8 oz rice noodles, ¼" width
½ cup teriyaki sauce (I used SoyVay Island Teriyaki. It has pineapple juice!)
½ cup apple juice
juice of one lime
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp cooking oil
2 apples, finely diced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 shallots (about 1.5 inches diameter), finely diced
½-1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Heat water in a saucepan over high heat. Once boiling, add the rice noodles, and turn down to low. Stir, and simmer for 5 minutes or until noodles are cooked through. Drain and set aside.

Combine the teriyaki sauce, apple juice, lime juice, and tomato paste in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add apples. Let brown, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Add carrots and onion, and sautée until everything is a little browned and cooked through.

Add the noodles to the pan, and add the sauce mixture immediately after. Stir to coat and loosen noodles; simmer at medium heat for 5 minutes. In the last minute, add chopped cilantro. Serve!

Scotch Apples

(Original vegan adaptation of Scotch Eggs)

1 pkg of vegan soysage (I use 14 ounce Gimme Lean "tube")

8 small Lady apples or equivalent (egg size)

1 block of favorite vegan cheddar style "cheese"

2 Tablespoon Parsley, fresh chopped organic

2 Tablespoon Onion, grated organic

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground organic

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground organic

2 Tablespoons Brown sugar, organic

1 Tablespoon Vegan Worchesterhire Sauce (The Wizard's Organic recommended)

1/3 cup Whole wheat flour, organic

1/3 cup Oatmeal, rolled organic

1/4 cup bread crumbs, organic

1/4 cup corn meal, organic

1/2 cup (or to taste) Scotch 12 year single malt whiskey

Vegan butterscotch sauce for garnishing

Combine soysage, parsley, onion, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, whole wheat flour, oatmeal & Scotch in a bowl. Stir well until all ingredients are blended into a uniform consistency.

Roll mixture into a flat rectangle (like rolling out cookie dough). Divide mixture into 8 equal parts (cut down the length of the rectangle & then cut those pieces into fourths - half & half again is easiest method for me).

Core each apple to remove seeds & other center inedible parts.

Cut vegan cheddar "cheese" into pieces that will fit into hole left by coring process.

Put 1 cheddared apple in the middle of each 1/8 piece of soysage.

Wrap soysage around the cheddared apple to completely enclose it in the soysage covering, pressing all edges together for a completely smooth seal.

Mix bread crumbs & cornmeal in a shallow bowl. Roll each soysaged apple in the bread crumb/cornmeal mixture until coated.

For prettiest Scotch Apples, deep fry or pan fry in enough oil to cover 1/2 of the Scotch Apple and turn when bottom is golden brown, removing when whole Scotch Apple is uniformly golden brown.

For healthiest Scotch Apples, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C) & bake for approximately 20 minutes until each side is golden brown (turning 1/4 turn every 4 - 5 minutes).

Serve whole, sliced in rounds across the apple ("cheese" in the center) or in quarters lengthwise ("cheese" on top of slices).

Garnish: Artistically drizzle vegan butterscotch sauce on a plate & over the whole or sliced Scotch Apples.

Scheherazade's Delight

A Memorable Introduction to an Arabian Nights Entertainment

Bed grain of choice (2 cups of organic brown rice or 1 cup of cous cous
or equivalent of your favorite, i.e. quinoa, basmati, etc)

4 Tablespoons of organic soy margarine (Earth Balance recommended)
4 Apples, sliced thin (blend of favorite crisp varieties is best for interesting taste combo)
2 Onions (medium or my favorite for added green color is one medium sized sweet onion & 2 large green onions), chopped
2 Bell Peppers (small - one red & one orange for added color), chopped
1/2 cup Currents (convenient option is raisins)
1/3 cup Cashews, raw - pieces
1/3 cup Almonds, raw - shaved or slivered
1/3 cup Walnut, raw - pieces
1 Tablespoon Curry powder

Rinse chosen grain well in cold water & drain. Boil water in 2 quart pot (twice the amount of grain, i.e., 4 cups for brown rice or 2 cups for cous cous). Pour chosen grain into boiling water & bring to a boil again. Lower heat & simmer covered for 30 - 45 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Place 4 Tablespoons of organic soy margarine in a large skillet. Add bell peppers, onions, apples, currents or raisins, cashews, almonds, walnuts & sprinkle curry evenly over ingredients. Saute, stirring regularly until ingredients are blended & of your desired
consistency (crunchy to mushy ... I prefer a slight crunch)

Spread chosen grain in a casserole or other "Arabian" looking dish. Cover with sauteed ingredients.

Optional:
Vegan Eyeballs (Arab countries consider certain animal's eyes a
delicacy when served with grain dishes ... I find this option much more
appetizing & definitely a more humane & colorful garnish) - take a green pimento olives & wrap in soy cream cheese shaping an "eye ball" shape ... arrange fresh parsley around the edges of the dish placing vegan "eye balls" artistically embedded into the parsley wreath. Carrot "flowers" (see garnish cookbook), Mandarin orange "butterflies" (back to back placement) or other appropriate garnishes add to the overall effect of the dish.

Place completed dish in the center of the table (lazy susan if available).

Present to your special Scheherazade, Sultan or group of enthusiastic vegan gourmet groupies.

Other suggestions: serve with light sprouted salad, arabian coffee/tea (hot or cold/plain or sweetened/soy creamer or not ... per personal preference) & arabian pastries with sugared dates for dessert.

Serves: 8 determined dieters, 4 average avatars or 2 eager epicures

Uber Fantastic--Can't Live Without--Baked Apples

4 apples (I recommend golden delicious)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1.5 T nutmeg
1/4-1/2 crushed walnuts (depends on how much you like nuts!)
2 T soy butter (I like the creamy Earth Balance)
Vanilla soy milk (I use Silk)

Preheat oven to 350. Peel, core and slice your apples, place in a container with a lid. Add walnuts, brown sugar and nutmeg and shake until well coated. Place into a greased baking pan and add soy butter. Bake for 30-45 minutes depending on how smushy you like your apples. Serve immediately with a little soy milk for cream.
If you dice the apples this makes a wonderful ice cream topper!
Enjoy and bake often :)

Apple Stuffing & Seitan Roast

If you are feeling seitanically inspired you can stuff the stuffing into the seitan to make a roulande. Be very sure to seal the roast completely so that none of the cooking broth seeps in and makes the stuffing soggy. In flipping the roast you will need to be careful not to pierce the puffing seitan so the use of parchment paper is advised to assist in flipping. Though simply serving them side by side is acceptable as well.

This recipe is based on Bryanna Clark Grogan's "Pork Tenderloin" and you will know this by her distinctive cooking method. The adaptations to the ingredients are mine.

Combine:
2c Vital Wheat Gluten
1/2c Chickpea or Soy Flour
3T Nutritional Yeast
2t Onion Powder
2t Garlic Powder
1t Sugar
1t Pepper

In a blender puree into a liquid the following:
1/2c Water
1/2c Apple Juice
1/2c Apple Sauce
1 1/2c Cooked Canillini Beans
2t Olive Oil
1T Tahini

Mix the wet ingredients to the dry until incorporated fully. Kneed 15 minutes. Allow the seitan dough to rest 1 hour covered. Kneed 15 minutes then form into a roast shape and place in a lightly oiled baking dish.

Pour over the roast:
2c Boiling Water infused with:
Fresh herb sprigs: Rosemary, Thyme, Sage
1t Paprika
1t Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 before turning down to 200. Bake for 3 hours covered. Carefully flip and bake covered in a 325 oven for 30 minutes. Gently flip the roast, bake 30 minutes. Repeat until the liquid has all been absorbed. Remove the lid or foil for the last time if desired.


Savory Apple Stuffing
3c Diced Bread cubes - Sourdough
1t Olive Oil
1/2c Onion, diced
1/2c Celery, diced
1/2c Carrots, diced
1c Apple, peeled, cored & diced
1/2c Earth Balance Margarine
1T Sage, dried ground
2t Rosemary, dried diced
1/2t Salt
1t Nutmeg, fresh ground
1/2c Vegetable Broth

Saute the onion, celery and carrots in oil until tender on medium high, approximately 5 minutes. Add in apples and saute 1 minute more. Add margarine and spices. Once margarine is dissolved add in the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Pour carefully over the bread crumbs until just moist, stirring to combine.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Serve with the Apple Roast Seitan.

FRUMPKINS!

I predict that this will become a staple of the vegan diet. I can't believe it hasn't been invented yet, it's that brilliant. I briefly tampered with the idea of pumpkin on a stick and calling it pumpdogs, but this is even better. I introduce to you: FRUMPKINS!

Here's what you need:

Equipment

Large pot

Oil/water/candy thermometer <-- if you plan on deep frying more than once a year, this is key. I've even found them at hardware stores for $2-3US

Fry basket (mesh strainer on a spoon) or tongs

Crapload of paper towels

Mixing bowl, measuring spoons, the usual

Ingredients

Crapload of oil

1/2 small pumpkin

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

and now, for the secret ingredient that makes it all worth it....

1/2 cup flat beeeer! Not just any old beer. If you insist, use a vegan porter or a spicy pumpkin beer, but I found the super-dooper best flavor was au naturelle ROOT BEER, like from Jones, as a bonus, Jones gives a portion of sales from sugar-free soda to the American Diabetic Association. Ok, back to the recipe - I would imagine ginger beer would be tasty too, but then you should not use the ground ginger.

So first off, you need to glug glug glug, pour oil into the pot until it's about an inch deep. A saucepan might work, but definitely don't use a shallow pan because you don't want hot oil splashing over the sides. Put the heat at medium-low and clip the oil thermometer on the side of the pan so the tip is in the oil, but not touching the bottom. If you need, add more oil. You want it to get to the magic 365 degrees farenheit or 185 degrees celsius. If you're a dork, or poor, and don't have a thermometer, you wait until you the oil gets really shimmery and you can see it swirling. If it smokes, it's way too hot, you've ruined the molecular structure of the oil and have to start all over, so start low.

Now get to work drinking the beer because you only need 1/2 cup for the recipe and chopping up that half a pumpkin. The problem is that most pumpkin is thicker than one inch. Want you want to end up with is pieces that are 1/2-inch thin. I suggest peeling it and slicing into strips like melon wedges, then cutting into squares, triangles, whatever your little vegan heart desires, and then slicing those in half so that they're thin enough that the pumpkin will cook through when you fry the crap out of it. When finished, toss the pumpkin with the lemon juice and set aside to get juicy.

For the beer batter, mix all the dry ingredients together, then drizzle the oil on top. Measure out a half a cup of beer and if it's still fizzy and carbonated, just stir it for a few seconds to get the bubbles out. The texture should be thicker than pancake batter, and can be a little clumpy.

You can test the oil by dropping a small bit of batter in and see if it sinks and then rises while bubbly. If it looks good, get ready to cook about 4-5 frumpkins at a time. Drop them in the batter, swish 'em around until they're thickly coated, then gently place them in the oil. If it splatters like crazy, your oil's too hot, turn it down and wait - don't add more frumpkins for a few minutes - see my note about testing with a drop of batter above. Keep an eye on the little frumpkins 'cause they like to hang out in the same corner and end up stuck together. When they're a crunchy golden brown, fish 'em out with the basket or tongs, and place on paper towels on a plate. Cut the first one in half and taste to see if you need to adjust cooking time. Through intense testing, I've deduced that pieces about 2 inches square take roughly 4 minutes to cook give or take a few. Keep in mind that the frumpkins decrease the temperature of the oil, so you'll want to wait a minute between rounds to let it heat up again.

Now, whether you serve them hot as a breakfast, a dessert, or a freakishly tasty appetizer with toothpicks, you need a dipping sauce. This was not a dipping sauce contest, so I have not tried the following suggestions: molasses, thickened coconut milk, tamarind sauce, marmalade, applesauce, lemon juice & nutbutter, perhaps a tasting bar is in order. That's not a bad idea, these things taste sooo good,but if you actually have leftovers, I suggest warming them up the next day under a broiler or in a toaster oven. You will seriously eat these until you have frumpkins coming out your ears! You can thank me later - not right now, I'm busy frying up a midnight snack of rootbeer-battered FRUMPKINS!

Thanksgiving Dal with Pumplings

I imagine that this is what a homesick American would eat if visiting a good friend in India over thanksgiving: dal textures and ingredients, but pumpkin flavors and spices. It has some wordy steps, so read through first, and the timing and development of the dish will seem perfectly natural.

1. Put a large pot with 6 cups of water on to boil and cover.

2. While waiting for the water, get out a saute pan, veggie oil, 1/2 cup dal, cutting board, large knife, at least half of a sugar pumpkin (approx. 6" wide), 1 large or 2 small parsnips, turmeric and salt. Carefully cut the pumpkin in half by inserting the tip of your knife, then push the blade in to the hilt, and pull the handle down. If needed, pull out your knife and insert farther down, do not try to saw through, it's unsafe. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and set aside to toast with Braggs later if you like. One half you can cover with saran wrap on a plate for all your other great (but not as good) pumpkin recipes. Peel the remaining half and cut in half again, so you have two quarters. Dice one of the quarters into rough 1/2" cubes. Peel the parsnip(s) and dice likewise. Next put the saute pan over medium heat. While it's warming, chop the remaining quarter of pumpkin into rough 2" cubes and set aside. Pour about a tblsp of oil into the saute pan. While it's heating, dump the small pumpkin cubes and parsnip into the boiling water with a half a tsp. each of the turmeric and salt. Finally, saute the dal in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes, careful not to let them burn, then stir them into the pot with the pumpkin and parsnips.

3. Next, get out a large microwaveable mixing bowl, flour, cumin (optional), and 1/3 cup warm water. Make sure there's a clean spot on the counter for rolling out the plumplings in a minute. In the bowl, mix 3/4 cup of flour, 1 tblsp of oil, 1/2 tsp of cumin, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Continue to mix while slowly adding the water (may not need all of it) until the dough attains a satiny texture. That's half-way between tacky and crumbly. You'll end up using between 1/4 - 1/3 cup of water. Now dependent upon your level of ambition, use the entire ball of dough, or a quarter at a time, and roll it out into long snake like you used to do with playdo as a kid, 'til it's a little more than 1/2" in diameter. Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch off inch-long sections of the dough so the pieces look like a cross between gnocchi and orecchiette. Set those aside while you rinse out the bowl. Using the bowl, microwave the large pumpkin cubes for 4 minutes on high. Now's a good time to stir the dal and wipe down the counter.

4. Next, get out a fork, coriander, ground ginger (if you only have fresh, grate or finely chop 1/2"), and cardamom. The microwave should be done by now, so sprinkle 1 tsp of coriander, 1/2 tsp of ginger, and 1/2 tsp cardamom on the pumpkin and smush it up with the fork. Stir the pumpkin mash and the dumplings into the dal, and be sure to occasionally stir getting everything in the bottom mixed up until the dal is cooked. This should take about another 15 minutes, but it depends on your consistency preference. Some people like it soupy, some like it pasty. Regardless, the next step should happen when you're 5 minutes away from considering it "cooked."

5. Turn the heat to medium under the saute pan and add another tablespoon of oil for tempering the spices. While it's heating, get out a stick of cinnamon, a 4"-long chili (preferably a skinny red Thai chili), ground cinnamon, ground clove (if using whole, you need 2 and careful dinner guests), lemon juice (or half a lemon), and 8 medium or 10 small fresh sage leaves (if only have ground sage, use 1 tsp). The oil should be hot, so toss in the cinnamon stick and while it's spluttering (that's the technical term), slice the chili in half. Mix both chili halves in and while it's spluttering, wash your hands. Then toss in the cinnamon and clove and while it's spluttering, mince the fresh sage. Mix in the sage and splash in the lemon juice. Finally stir the whole spluttery mixture into the dal, and let the flavors meld for 2-3 minutes while you wash up and set the table.

Serve heaping spoonfuls to hungry dinner guests who love thanksgiving and dal all at once! 45 min to prepare 4 servings

Pumpkin Pine Nut Bread Pudding

1 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
3/4ths a loaf of sliced bread, torn into bite-size pieces or smaller
2 1/2 cups of plain soy milk
1 1/2 cups of pureed pumpkin
1 16 oz. package of silken tofu
1/2 cup of pine nuts
2 tbs brown mustard
1 tbs dried basil
1 tbs cumin
2 tbs braggs or soy sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dill weed

This savory bread pudding serves 8!

Add the oil to a pan, and saute the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes or until they become soft.
In a large blender, add the tofu, pumpkin, mustard, soy milk, and all of the spices, though not the pine nuts. Blend until smooth, then stir in the onions and garlic.

Oil a 9X13 inch baking dish, and place the pieces of bread inside in an even manner. Sprinkle the pine nuts at different layers of the bread. Pour the pumpkin liquid evenly, covering all of the bread, and wait 30 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Put pan in an oven preheated to 375 for an hour, or until the top of pudding nicely browned. Serve with garnish of avocado.

Spicy Pumpkin Brown Rice Sushi Rolls

2 mini pumpkins
4 scallions
about 12 medium-sized shiitake mushrooms
1 cup (dry) short-grained brown rice
2 Tb + a dash of rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 TB agave nectar
4 sheets toasted nori
Shriracha sauce
bamboo mat for rolling

Bring 2 cups of water to boil, add the rice and simmer for 50 minutes. Cut the pumpkins in half and remove the pulp and seeds. Cut away the skin, and cut the flesh of the pumpkins into strips, about the width of your pinkie. Adjust for nonaverage pinkies. Steam the pumpkin for about ten minutes, until it is tender when pierced with a fork. Steam the mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes, until they are tender but not squishy. Slice the mushrooms into strips. Slice the scallions lengthwise into thin strips.

When the rice is finished and has cooled for a few minutes, mix together the sugar, agave and 2 TB of vinegar in a large, wide bowl -- glass is best. Add the rice, and toss. Prepare a bowl with a dash of vinegar and about twice as much water, to dampen your hands while rolling. Place a sheet of nori on your bamboo mat. (Rolling is possible but difficult without a mat.) Cover the lower half of the sheet with a thin layer of rice. In the middle of that layer of rice, place a row of pumpkin strips, a row of shiitake, and a row of scallions.

For presentation, try to allow the ingredients to protrude about half an inch (or more) from the edge of the nori. Roll the sushi, using the mat to keep the roll tight. Use a dab from your vinegar/water bowl to dampen the top of the nori sheet to close the roll. Slice the rolls into 6 or seven pieces each.

Place a small dab of shriracha on each piece. Enjoy! Yield: 4 rolls of sushi, about 24 pieces.

Three-Bean, Cornbread Chili Stuffed Pumpkin

1 pumpkin about 7 inches in diameter

1 cup dried (or one can) Kidney beans (soaked over night)

1 cup dried (or one can) Pinto beans (soaked over night)

1 cup dried (or one can) Black beans (soaked over night)

1 medium sweet, red onion, chopped

5 cloves- 1 whole garlic, minced

11/2 cups or 12 once can tomato paste

½ cup or one small can diced green chilies

2 tbs maple syrup or sweetener of your choice.

Salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, to taste

2 cups cornbread of choice, cubed and dried for one day.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Prepare pumpkin. Cut around stem of the pumpkin about 4 inches in diameter and set aside. Scrape seeds from pumpkin (you really ought to dry them out and eat them) but leave pulp intact. Set aside.

3. Take all beans, drain and then bring to a boil. Boil 1 hour or until all the beans are tender. Drain

4. Combine onion, tomato paste, garlic, green chilies and maple syrup with beans

5. Add Salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, to taste

6. Gently mix in the cornbread crumb

7. Put chili mixture into the pumpkin and place the pumpkin inside of a sturdy pie pan on a cookie sheet (note, the pumpkin will need to be served on whatever its cooked on because the bottom will become weak and break easily) bake for about one hour or until the sides of the pumpkin are malleable to the touch.

The stem may be returned tot eh top of the pumpkin for presentation. Before serving, mix up the contents of the pumpkin, scraping the sides to release the pulp and mix it in with the chili. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Banana Creme Brulee

Winner, Pumpkin Battle
1 cup of pureed pumpkin
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbs corn starch
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbs of rapadura
3 tbs of maple syrup
4 tbs vegan pure cane sugar

Makes 3 servings.

Put all ingredients except the pure cane sugar in a blender and mix thoroughly. Preheat over to 375 degrees. Pour mixture from blender into the 3 creme brulee bowls. Put the bowls in a pan of water and put the pan in the oven for about an hour, or until the top looks nice a brown. Some cracking may occur. Remove from water and put the pure cane sugar evenly on the top. Put the 3 bowls directly under the broiler tray until the sugar melts, then take out and let cool. You could also use a food torch and melt the sugar that way. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Crack the top crust with a spoon and dig in!

Pumpkin Spinach Wrap

Tortillas

1 cup pumpkin, cubed
3 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 - 2 tbsp grated ginger root
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Marinade

3 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp lime juice
2 tsp ginger puree
2 tsp minced garlic
tabasco to taste

Peel and cut approximately 1 cup of pumpkin into 2 cm (1 inch) cubes. Combine marinade ingredients in a container with a lid, mix well. Put cubed pumpkin into the marinade and shake container (with lid on!). If you have time, let the pumpkin sit in the marinade for a couple hours, but it should still work fine if you don't. Place pumpkin on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for about 30 min, or until cooked, at 350. Set the marinade aside to use later.

While the pumpkin is cooking, thinly slice red onion and wash 3 cups fresh spinach. When the pumpkin is ready, quickly stir fry spinach and ginger together 'til spinach is wilted. Place a portion of the spinach in a tortilla, sprinkle with sesame seeds, a portion of the baked pumpkin and drizzle some of the marinade over the top. Roll up and enjoy!

Makes: approx. 4 wraps

Pumpkin Tahini Soup

1/2 of a small - medium sized onion (finely chopped)
2 large cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tsp. olive oil
2 C vegetable broth
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/2 C tahini
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry
salt and pepper to taste

Cut up onion and garlic and sauté with olive oil until onions
are clear. Add the vegetable broth and let warm up a little bit
Add can op pumpkin, tahini, and mustard. stir until smooth and warm.
Add curry, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Let cool for a bit, put in vitamix/food processor and blend until smooth. serve.

Kick A$$ Pumpkin Seeds

Here is a fast easy treat. Keep a wet cloth handy because your fingers will get sticky.

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds(shelled)
1 tsp. dry chili peppers
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, using NO oil or vegetable spray. Add the pumpkin seeds & stir continuously, so they don't burn. When they start to plump & change colour slightly (about 5 minutes), add salt, garlic & chili pepper. Cook for a few minutes, then quickly add the brown sugar & stir until it has dissolved, then stir in lemon juice.

Sweet Pumpkin Ravioli with a Pumpkin Spinach Sauce

Ravioli Dough (makes 8 fairly large raviolis):

1 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
dash salt

Ravioli Filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup vegan ground "beef"
1/3 can pumpkin
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp soy cream
salt & pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar

Pasta Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
2/3 can pumpkin
1/2 can tomato blocks
1/4 cup soy cream
1/4 cup cocount milk
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
1 tsp garlic salt
couple shakes of pepper, to your liking
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp oregano


First begin the ravioli dough. Pour the flour in a bowl with the salt, and add the water and olive oil and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Begin kneading the dough with your hands until it forms a nicely mixed ball. Cover with saran wrap and set aside for 20 minutes.

In a shallow pan, heat the olive oil and then add the vegan ground beef. Sautee for 3 minutes, then turn the heat to a low flame and add the pureed pumpkin, mixing thoroughly. Add the 2 tbsp of soy cream to make it blend together better, and then add the pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Keep on the flame for about 3 more minutes, and then remove and set aside to cool.

To make the pasta sauce, add the olive oil, pumpkin, tomato blocks, soy cream, and coconut milk to a pot and simmer until slightly bubbling. Throw in the spinach, and mix well into the mixture. When the spinach has wilted, add the sugar, garlic salt, and oregano, and simmer on a low flame while you prepare the ravioli.

Heat a pot of water and lightly salt. Roll out the ball of pasta dough on a floured cutting board, and then cut circles out of it. Take each individual circle, roll it even thinner, rest it in a ravioli maker (I used a small handheld one that gave half-moon shapes) and place a small spoonful of the ravioli filling in the center. Clamp the ravioli maker shut and hold firmly for a few seconds, and then set the ravioli to the side. When all of them are prepared, put them in the boiling water for about 7 minutes, and eventually they should float to the top of the water. Using a slotted spoon, take them out and place them on a plate to cool down and dry slightly.

Transfer to a plate and top with the pasta sauce, some salt and pepper and enjoy!

Southwest Pumpkin Pizza

1 pizza crust

1 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin

1 1.13 oz. (or 4 tbs.) taco seasoning blend

1 lime

2/3-1 package of FYH cheese, nacho flavor (OR cheese sauce from cheesy bean and cheese enchiladas)

1/4 c. black beans

1/4 c. red bell pepper

1/4 c. green bell pepper

1/4 c. sweet onion

1/4 c. black and green olives

cilantro, avocado, salsa, and 'sour cream' to garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare your favorite pizza crust as directed. (If you're using a pre-baked crust preheat the oven to 425F)

2. Combine canned pumpkin with taco seasoning and juice of 1 lime

3. Spread spicy pumpkin mixture on crust

3. Top with shredded cheese and between 1-1 1/4 c. of your favorite southwest veggies (suggestions above)

4. Bake for approx. 15 mins., then broil for 1-2 minutes (watching carefully!) until cheese is melted

5. Garnish with your favorite taco condiments

Maple- Brown Sugar Pumpkin Casserole

2 15 oz. cans of unsweetened pumpkin

1 apple, chopped

1/3 cup of raisins

1/2 cup of brown sugar

2 tbs. of maple syrup

pecans

cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg to taste

Combined all ingredients. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Butternut Pita Pizzas with Pumpkin Tomato sauce

1 small Pumpkin
1 small Butternut squash
5 cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Cup Water
3 TBSP Tomato paste
2 TBSP dried Italian Seasoning Blend, plus more for garnish
Olive Oil 1 TSP Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
5 Loaves Pita Bread
Onion & Garlic Powder to taste

If you're as busy as me then you might want to spread
this recipe out over several days.  I cooked
the pumpkin and squash the night before I made this
recipe.  This also gave me time to dry out the seeds
and toast them, that way I could use them as a garnish
for the pita pizzas.

Preheat oven to 350. Cut Pumpkin in half and remove
seeds and stringy pulp, save the seeds, you can toast
them and eat them later.  Cut Butternut length wise,
remove seeds, these also are edible I toasted them
with the pumpkin seeds. Place pumpkin halves cut side
down in casserole dish adding 1 cup of water around
the halves.  Next, put the butternut halves cut side
down on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle oil over the
butternut halves and put your garlic cloves in the
middle of the two butternut halves.
Bake both your pumpkin and your butternut for
approximately 1 Hour (more of less depending on the
size of your fruit) until tender.

Let your pumpkin and squash cool off a bit before
attempting the next step, you don't want to burn your
fingers.

Scoop the pumpkin flesh into a food processor with a
metal spoon.  Puree the pumpkin.
Cut the Butternut into smaller sections and peel/cut
the skin off the butternut.  Cube the butternut into
small pieces.  Save those garlic cloves you'll need
them for the next step.

Measure the pumpkin puree, you'll need 1 cup to make
the sauce.
In food processor add the cup pumpkin puree, tomato
paste, Italian seasoning mix  (mine has Oregano,
Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Marjoram, you can use
any dried herbs you already have.), cumin, salt and
pepper, the 5 cloves of garlic and 6 TBSP olive oil.
Process until smooth.  Add more or less olive oil
until you get the desired consistency.

Brush or spray each loaf of pita with olive oil,
sprinkle the edges with garlic and onion powder.
Smooth the pumpkin tomato sauce onto each pita with a
spoon, top with the butternut squash cubes.  Sprinkle
with some of your dried Italian seasoning mix.  I put
some toasted pumpkin/squash seeds on top.  Bake for 15
minutes or so until the crust is nice and brown and
crispy.

Eat and enjoy!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup or Autumn Goodness Soup

I wanted something earthy & savory & this is the result. The taste is warm thanks to the Jalapeño but it is not over-powering. The coconut milk is the right compliment to the spicy pumpkin.

8 cups Pumpkin
10 cloves Garlic
3 Carrots
1 Onion
1 Jalapeno Pepper
8 cups Vegetable Broth
1 tsp. Rosemary
1/2 tsp. Marjoram
1/2 tsp. Sage
5 or 6 threads of Saffron
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1-13 1/2 oz can Coconut Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with a non-stick
spray. I used a half of a 10 lb pumpkin. Cut the half pumpkin in half, so
you have 2 quarters & remove the seeds. Save the other half of the pumpkin
for pie, stirfry or some other treat.  Peel the garlic cloves & tightly wrap
in foil. Peel the carrots & cut them about an inch thick. Peel the onion,
then quarter it & wrap tightly in foil. Cut the Jalapeno in half, leaving
the seeds in the pepper. Put the pumpkin, carrots & foil wrapped vegetables
on the cookie sheet & place the Jalapeno cut side up on the cookie sheet as
well. Roast in the oven, keeping a close eye on the Jalapeno, onion &
garlic. Your nose will tell you when they are done (about 20 minutes).
Remove the Jalapeno, onion & garlic, leaving the carrots & pumpkin to
continue cooking until they are tender (another 1/2 hour). When the pumpkin
is done,  carefully peel it  & rough chop it & put it along with all the
carrots, onion, garlic & Jalapenos (with the seeds) into a large pot. Add
the vegetable broth & spices.

Using a food processor, blend small batches into a nice thick consistency,
or if you have an immersion blender, this step will be much easier.
Just before serving, add the Coconut Milk & heat through. Add salt & pepper
to taste.

Serve with a hearty grain bread & a leafy salad for a wonderful warming meal
on a cool Autumn evening.

Rib-Stickin' Layer Bake

A creamy pumpkin spread highlights a layered-one dish casserole: warm comfort food for the upcoming cooler nights. Serves 3

6 lasagna noodles
2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 1/4 cups pumpkin, pureed (canned or fresh)
1 1/2 tbsp miso paste
1 1/2 tbsp nut/seed butter (tahini, peanut, almond)
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
salt & pepper
2 cups kidney beans (canned or otherwise cooked until quite soft) 2 cups shredded spinach
Chipotle Tabasco sauce (to taste)

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, until al dente.
Preheat oven to 350. In small saucepan, sautee garlic until fragrant and golden. Add pumpkin - if using canned, up to 1/4 cup of water/broth may need to be added to make creamy. When pumpkin is heated through, add miso paste and nut/seed butter. Stir well to combine: Mixture will be rather thick - this is necessary for spreading purposes. Spray or oil a loaf pan. Arrange a portion of sliced tomatoes on the bottom of said pan. Layer 2 lasagna noodles side-by-side on top of tomatoes. Spread approx. 1/3 of pumpkin mixture on noodles, followed by 1/3 of the kidney beans. Top beans with 1/3 of spinach, followed by sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt & pepper. End with a layer of noodles. Repeat layering process - final layer will not be topped with noodles, but will finish with tomatoes. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, place in oven until warmed through.
Finally, remove covering, and broil for 5-7 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly shriveled. Serve with a generous dousing of Chipotle Tabasco sauce and a mixed green salad.