Maple Whipped Cream

I like to spice things up with my whipped cream every once in a while. I've added amaretto, whiskey, etc. This one I thought sounded good to put on my persimmon and apple tart, I also froze it and put it on blueberry pie. That works really well since fresh whipped cream doesn't keep well in the fridge. Also, you can cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and put dollops of whipped cream on it.  Then freeze them for individual servings later. This whipped cream did not have a strong maple flavor, but it was still good.

Maple Whipped Cream


Chill a metal bowl in the freezer. Remove bowl from freezer and add one cup of heavy whipping cream to the bowl. Beat cream with a hand mixer. As cream begins to thicken, gradually drizzle in 1/4 cup real maple syrup. Continue beating until whipped cream is stiff. Serve atop your favorite dessert!

Source: About.com

Black Beans and Corn

I wanted a side dish for my empanadas that had vegetables in it and thought of corn. I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's website. It's easy and more exciting than just beans or just corn. My husband was a big fan.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) black beans
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup canned green chiles, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup fresh corn kernels
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Splash of lime juice
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley leaves for garnish (I used cilantro)

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and very soft, about 10 minutes.

Drain the black beans, and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. Add the beans, the reserved bean liquid, and the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, to saucepan; cover, raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with the parsley leaves. Serve immediately.

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Turkey Tetrazzini

I found this recipe on Parents.com. It seems like a bit of a lightened version of turkey tetrazzini--especially since I decided to use skim milk instead of lightened cream. It made it a bit thinner, but it still tasted good. Nothing fancy, not too complicated.

Turkey Tetrazzini

1 teaspoon olive oil

10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
6 ounces egg noodles
1 can (14.5 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cuplight cream
1 package cooked turkey breast strips
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion to pot. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 7 minutes or until tender.

Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Remove mushroom mixture from pot and set aside. Return pot to medium-high heat and add noodles, broth, light cream and 2-1/4 cups water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes or until tender.

Stir in mushroom mixture, remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, the turkey and peas. Heat through; serve.

Thai Iced Tea

I first had a Thai iced tea at a restaurant in California. A friend's brother wanted to make it for me (he worked there) and I agreed to try it. I don't really like tea, but this has a sweet, creamy, spicy taste. Not spicy hot, but with some spices in it. This Giada recipe is pretty good. It's a very sweet drink, so not for the faint at heart. Of course the sweet creaminess makes it a good pairing for hot Thai food.

Thai Iced Tea

5 cups water

1/2 cup sugar
5 whole star anise pods
8 black tea bags
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
Ice
Mint leaves, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring the water, sugar and star anise pods to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tea bags. Allow the tea to steep and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Discard the star anise pods and the tea bags and whisk in the condensed milk. Pour into a large pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve.

To serve: Pour the tea into 4 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve.

Strawberry Golden Oreo Vegan Ice Cream

I had a bunch of extra almond milk to use up so I made some ice cream for my sister. It was inspired by a blizzard. I think the ice cream tasted like strawberry milk. It was a bit icy, but ok.

Strawberry Golden Oreo Vegan Ice Cream

1½ - 2 c. strawberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)

2 c. soy creamer (I substituted coconut milk)
1 c. soy milk (I used almond milk)
¾ c. sugar
2 T. arrowroot
1 T. vanilla
Golden Oreos, chopped
Mix ¼ cup of soy milk with the 2 tablespoons of arrowroot and set aside. Slice one cup of the strawberries and set aside. Combine the remaining strawberries, soy creamer, remaining soy milk, and sugar together in a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil. When the mixture has just started to boil, take off the heat and immediately stir in the arrowroot slurry. This should immediately cause the liquid to thicken (not a lot, but a noticeable amount; it will be thicker when it cools). Add the vanilla. Set the ice cream mixture aside to cool. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Add sliced strawberries and Oreos in the last five minutes of freezing.


Source: A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise

Creamy Maple Syrup

I wanted to make a recipe that a coworker has for creamy maple syrup, but I haven't received it yet. This was the only one that I found online. It was pretty good. Reminded me of maple candy.

Creamy Maple Syrup

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk (I substituted coconut milk and it worked)
1/3 cup maple-flavored pancake syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter

Combine sugar, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons butter.

Source: Nestle'

Gluten Free and Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

Looking for a good celiac and vegan friendly dessert recipe, I decided to try a chocolate pie. I find vegan chocolate desserts to a bit rich so I decided to find a pb recipe to balance it out. So the crust makes one crust and the 2 fillings make a full pie each. So you can cut the recipe in half or make 2 pies. Whatever floats your boat.
I found the chocolate pie and crust recipe on the Elana's Pantry blog. The pb is from here. So the end result is pretty tasty. Still a little rich, but decent.

Gluten Free and Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

Gluten Free/Vegan Crust
1½ cups blanched almond flour

¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl, combine grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into dry. Pat dough into a 9.5 inch glass pie dish. Bake at 325° for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown

Chocolate Cream Filling

2 cans coconut milk (14 ounces)
pinch celtic sea salt
¼ cup arrowroot powder
½ cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

Bring coconut milk and salt to a boil in a medium pot. Sift arrowroot powder into the pot, whisk vigorously by hand or with a hand blender for 2 minutes. Whisk in agave and vanilla. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 minute. Add chocolate, stirring vigorously until completely melted. Chill in refrigerator for ½ hour until cool. Place in cooled pie crust and serve.

Peanut Butter Pie Filling

1 pound extra-firm silken tofu (I just used the refrigerated silken tofu)

1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soymilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate or carob chips

Combine all of the filling ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Spoon into pie shell. Decorate with chocolate (or carob) chips. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I have to say that if I had a choice, I would pick the Kraft style of macaroni over baked macaroni. My favorite is Back To Nature. My husband really liked this recipe. I thought it was pretty good.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Source: Alton Brown

Napa Cabbage Salad

I hate cole slaw, potato salad, those vinegar pasta salads. This recipe is about the only "bring to a barbecue" salad that I like (other than the regular green variety). It's sweet so you don't taste that overpowering vinegar taste. This makes a pretty big batch so I only make half at a time. It really doesn't do well as a left-over.

Napa Cabbage Salad

1 head Napa cabbage--regular cabbage works just fine
1 bunch green onions
1 packet Chicken Ramen Noodles (crushed) and seasoning packet
1 cup sliced almonds
2 tbs sesame seeds
1/3 c butter
1/4 c vinegar
3/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c white sugar
2 tbs soy sauce

Finely shred the head of cabbage. Combine chopped green onions and cabbage in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Crush noodles, place them in a medium skillet and brown in butter over medium heat. Add almonds and sesame seeds. Stir often to prevent burning. Add half of Ramen seasoning mix and cool.

Make the dressing: In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, oil, sugar, remaining half Ramen season packet and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, let boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and let cool.

Combine dressing, crunchies, and cabbage immediately before serving. Serve right away or the crunchies will get soggy.

Source: wegottaeat.com

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese

This is only the second time I have cooked with Swiss chard. The last time it was creamed and amazing. This time I wanted something a little lighter. Overall, I am a fan of the chard. It is a substantial leafy green and holds up well to the "wilting process." It doesn't become what my husband calls "slimy." I wouldn't say that this dish is amazing, but I liked it. And I felt like I was eating some healthy greens.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste (optional)

Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.

Source: All Recipes

Cajun Jambalaya

I don't think this is an authentic jambalaya, but it was pretty good. I had to keep the shrimp out due to a certain someone not liking shrimp. But it's pretty easy and healthy and you can even cook it on the grill if you want to keep the house cool.

Cajun Jambalaya

1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail on
4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1 inch pieces
1 turkey sausage, sliced (I used linguisa sausage cause I had it and it's spicy, andouille is the traditional sausage)
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1&1/2 medium tomatoes, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1&1/2 T Cajun seasoning
1 cup instant brown rice (you can use white rice if you prefer)
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used a little extra)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, toss all ingredients until combined. Spray 2 pieces of foil with cooking spray (about 20 inches long). Divide mixture evenly and fold to seal. Place pouches on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until rice and meat are fully cooked. Carefully open and test a grain of rice. Return to oven for 5 more minutes if not done.

Source: Clean Eating magazine

Banana Cream Pie Gluten Free Cupcakes

I had bananas and almond meal. Elana's Pantry is posting a bunch of cupcake recipes. Made sense to try one out. The cupcake is decent. It wasn't as intense of a banana flavor as I expected, but it was moist. I do think that a cream cheese frosting would be better than the whipped cream. It needed a stronger flavor.

Banana Cream Pie Gluten Free Cupcakes

1 ½ cups blanched almond flour

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar
1-2 very ripe bananas (about ¾ to 1 cup mashed)

In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda. In a smaller bowl, combine eggs, grapeseed oil and agave and then stir in mashed bananas. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Scoop batter one heaping ¼ cup at a time into lined cupcake tins. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then frost with whipped cream frosting and dust with chocolate "Dirt" or mini chocolate chips.

Source: Elana's Pantry

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

I told my husband that he needed to find a recipe for our leftover rotisserie chicken. He found this recipe. I thought it was very good despite the sour cream.

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
9 oz. pkg. frozen fully cooked diced chicken
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
24 oz. jar thick and chunky salsa
1 cup taco sauce
8 corn tortillas
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Cojack cheese

In medium microwave safe bowl, cook onion and garlic in olive oil on HIGH for 2-3 minutes until tender. Stir in frozen chicken, black beans and salsa. (If freezing, cool onion and garlic mixture before adding frozen chicken.)

In 2 quart glass baking dish, pour taco sauce. Lay four corn tortillas over sauce. Top with half of chicken mixture. Spoon on half of sour cream in small dollops. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, sour cream and cheese. Cover with foil. At this point, you can wrap the casserole well and freeze up to 3 months.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until bubbly. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese is melted. If frozen, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator, then bake covered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until bubbly; uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese melts. Serves 6

Source: About.com

Pickle Showdown

When I got some of those little pickling cucumbers in my produce basket, I just had to try a pickle recipe. I didn't want to do the recipe that requires several days of fermentation. I found 2 different recipes for the overnight sweet pickle variety. Two of my favorite Food Network chefs, Tyler Florence and Alton Brown. I have to say, Alton's are much more flavorful. I think he is the winner of the pickle challenge. Next time, dill pickles!

AB's B and B's
(Alton Brown)


1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon pickling spice

Combine onion and cucumber slices in a clean spring-top jar. Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the flavors of the spices. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slice, completely filling the jar. Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature before topping off with any remaining pickling liquid. Refrigerate.

Quick Sweet Pickles
(Tyler Florence)


6 kirby cucumbers or 2 regular cucumbers
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 bay leaf

Wash and dry the cucumbers. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the cucumbers thinly and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Place the colander over a bowl and allow it to sit, covered, for about 1 hour. Rinse off the salt and dry the cucumber slices well. Place them into a sterilized quart jar.

In a small saucepan add the remaining ingredients. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Pour the brine over the cucumbers in jar. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep, refrigerated, for about 2 weeks.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another attempt to make decent gluten-free baked goods. These were good. They had a bit of texture and nuttiness to them and were a bit soft. They would never replace my chocolate chip cookies, but they are pretty good. I made the vegan version (so that my vegan sister could eat them). There is also a version that uses butter if you are so inclined.

can you see the little almond bits?

Gluten-Free and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup agave nectar
1 cup dark chocolate 73% chips

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Form ½ inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes. Cool and serve


Just Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ½ cups blanched almond flour

¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup agave nectar

Directions same as the above recipe.
 
Source: Elana's Pantry

Banana, Wheat Germ and Oats

Homemade oatmeal doesn't always have the flavor of the instant stuff, but it's much better for you. I think this one was pretty tasty. This recipe from Cooking Light magazine combines wheat germ with oats and makes it much creamier than regular oatmeal. The bananas are good, but you could use blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples etc. Or add cinnamon or sliced almonds. There are many possiblities. And it's good for your heart and cholesterol.

Banana, Wheat Germ and Oats

3 3/4 cups water

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sliced banana (about 2)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 6 minutes or until thick and thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Divide cereal evenly among 3 bowls. Top each serving with 1/2 cup banana, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon butter.

Easter Pie

This is one of my sister's "go-to" recipes for holidays. It's from veg.cooking.com and it's very good. It's kind of a casserole so you don't notice the fact that it has fake meat.

Easter Pie
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dairy-free margarine
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt (for innards and crust)
1/4 cup water
1 lb. vegetarian sausage, crumbled
2 lbs. firm tofu, crumbled--only used 1 lb, 2 is too much
1/4 cup soy Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground fennel seeds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor, combine the flour, margarine, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. of salt. With the machine still running, add the water to form a dough ball. Divide the dough into two balls and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the vegetarian sausage, tofu, soy Parmesan, parsley, remaining salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and fennel seeds.

Roll out the dough into two 11-inch circles. Place one circle in a 10-inch pie plate and spread the filling mixture over it. Cover with the other dough, pinch the edges, and prick the center with a fork. Bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown.

Gobi Manchurian

If you go to the website that I found this recipe, you can learn about how Chinese food went to India and then back to China. It's very interesting. I had gobi manchurian at a local Indian restaurant, and it was really good. So when I got a couple of heads of cauliflower in my produce basket, I thought I should try it. Bird's eye chilies are hard to find, so we used 4 habeneros. It was quite spicy. The sauce in this had a little too much ketchup for my taste. It also didn't stay crispy. I will have to try it again. Meanwhile, it was decent.

Gobi Manchurian

10 to 12 cloves garlic

1 piece ginger, peeled and sliced into coins, + 1 teaspoon julienned ginger
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
2⁄3 cup cornstarch
2⁄3 cup flour
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tsp. plus 3 tbsp. soy sauce
Peanut oil
2 small onions, chopped
8 to 10 fresh bird's eye chilis, thinly sliced
3/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Cilantro leaves for garnish

In a blender, purée garlic, ginger slices, and 1⁄3 cup water. Set aside.

In a a pot of salted water, cook cauliflower until tender, about 5 to minutes. Drain, pat dry with a clean towel, and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, flour, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir in half the garlic paste, 2 tsp. soy sauce, and 3⁄4 cup water to form a batter.

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dip cauliflower in batter, then fry until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer fritters with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté onions until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chilis and remaining garlic paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add ketchup, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1⁄3 cup water; simmer until sauce is thickened, about 1–2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Return drained cauliflour to the wok and toss to coat. Transfer to serving plate(s), garnish with julienned ginger and cilantro, and serve as an appetizer or with rice as a main entree.

Peanut Butter Krispy Treats

I have made regular vegan rice krispy treats before. I had to special order some vegan marshmallows. They were good, but who wants to special order vegan marshmallows? So instead, you can try these treats. Okay, the agar agar is a slightly odd ingredient. Sprouts carries it. It's really easy to make. It tastes pretty good. And it's vegan.

Peanut Butter Krispy Treats


3/4 cup unsalted peanut butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
(my sister said they were a little salty, so you can cut back on this)
2 1/2 teaspoons agar agar flakes (available at a health foods store)

4 cups unsweetened (or lightly sweetened) crisp brown rice cereal


3/4 cup pistachios, toasted and chopped

Line two muffin tins with about 18 muffin/cupcake wrappers, and set aside. Combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and agar flakes in a large saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until smooth, hot, melted, and bubbling just a bit. Add the cereal and 1/2 cup of the pistachios and stir until well coated. Spoon two heaping tablespoons of the mixture into each muffin wrapper and press into place with the back of a spoon. Alternately, if you want krispy squares, you can transfer it to an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining pistachios and refrigerate until completely cool (this also helps the agar set).

Source: 101 cookbooks

Sage and Pumpkin Seed Encrusted Seitan with Roasted Garlic-Pumpkin Sauce

This recipe has made it to Vegan Thanksgiving every year. It is very popular, so my sister makes it every time. This past November, I think she made it correctly for the first time. Of course, it always tastes good. The pumpkin oil is a little unusual. I think it is hard to find--as is the seitan. Try a store like Whole Foods and Sprouts.

Sage- and Pumpkin Seed-Encrusted Seitan With Roasted Garlic-Pumpkin Sauce
For the Marinade:
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup tamari soy sauce
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
10 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

For the Seitan:
1 lb. seitan, cut or shredded into large chunks or 1 box chicken-style White Wave Wheat Meat, available at health food stores
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
3 Tbsp. finely minced fresh sage
2 cups flour
1 tsp. smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
3-5 Tbsp. olive oil

For the Roasted Garlic-Pumpkin Sauce:
1 half-pound pumpkin, diced
2 shallots
8 allspice berries
2 oz. nondairy margarine (try Earth Balance brand)
1 sprig thyme
5 roasted garlic cloves
1 cinnamon stick
12 oz. vegetable stock
2 oz. olive oil
1 oz. pumpkin seed oil

For the Marinade:
 In a blender, mix all the ingredients until smooth.

For the Seitan:
 Pour the marinade over the seitan and refrigerate overnight.  With a large knife, chop the pumpkin seeds to form a powder. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the sage, flour, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip the seitan chunks into the pumpkin seed mixture and coat completely (if the seitan does not come packaged in liquid, dip each piece in a little bit of water first). Place the seitan in the oil and fry until lightly browned and crispy on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with Roasted Garlic-Pumpkin Sauce.

For the Roasted Garlic-Pumpkin Sauce:
 Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a baking dish, combine the pumpkin, shallots, allspice berries, vegan margarine, thyme, garlic cloves, and cinnamon stick. Cover and roast for approximately 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. Remove the allspice and the cinnamon stick. In a blender, combine the pumpkin mixture with the vegetable stock, olive oil, and pumpkin seed oil until smooth. Serve warm.

Source: vegcooking.com