Gluten-Free – Page 4 – Kate Goldhouse

July 17, 2013July 6, 2015

My eHow Video Series: “Cauliflower Sauce Recipe” (Nacho Cheese Sauce)

For this video in the “Delicious Veggie Dishes” series, my assignment was to come up with a “cauliflower sauce recipe.” I could interpret that in any way I wanted so instead of doing a sauce for cauliflower, I decided to do something more unexpected and make a sauce with cauliflower.

What I came up with is a nacho cheese sauce. Yes, you read that right. And it is ridiculously good. In fact, it is shockingly good. Never in a million years would anyone guess that cauliflower is the secret ingredient.

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Mr. Goldhouse said the only way he could tell it wasn’t the typical nacho cheese sauce was that he didn’t feel like garbage after eating it. That’s because, unlike typical nacho cheese sauce, this recipe relies on unprocessed, health-promoting ingredients to provide the abundance of flavor that will keep anyone going back for more. And because cauliflower is so good for you, you ought to keep going back for more! More proof that you need not eat junk to satisfy your taste buds.

Ingredients:
2 cups water
3 cups small cauliflower florets
1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
2 cloves garlic, peeled, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon turmeric
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon mellow white miso or a little salt
2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt to taste
½ cup salsa

Instructions:
1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the cauliflower, water, onion powder, garlic, paprika, mustard, and turmeric. Cover tightly and reduce the heat to very low. Simmer until the cauliflower is so tender that it easily comes apart when poked with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Carefully transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and blend, starting on low and increasing the speed until you’re at the highest setting. (Be careful–hot foods can “erupt.”) Blend until you have a completely smooth sauce.
3. Pour the sauce back into the saucepan, add salsa, and heat until it begins to bubble, stirring occasionally. Allow it to cook and thicken for at least another 2 minutes. Serve hot.

July 15, 2013February 11, 2015

My eHow Video Series: “Sauteed Spinach Without Butter or Oil”

I recently finished filming an online video series, “Delicious Veggie Dishes,” for eHow. There are 11 videos total, and in each one I cook up a delicious, healthful and easy recipe. I am so excited to share them! The entire series is now up on eHow, but I will be posting each video here one-by-one with some additional nutrition information.

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In the video below, I demonstrate how to saute spinach without adding the unnecessary calories and fat of butter or oil. Lest anyone think I am fat averse, notice that I top the spinach with pine nuts. This is because pine nuts are a whole food. In their whole state, high-fat plant foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives provide us with numerous health benefits. However, when we consume only the oils of these foods, most of these benefits are lost, leaving us with just pure artery-clogging fat and calories. Fortunately, swapping out butter or oil is quite easy, as you’ll see.
I hope you’ll find watching these videos helpful and inspiring. Please feel free to leave feedback, ask questions, and share with others!

May 10, 2013February 11, 2015

Instant Macaroni + Cashew Cheese, Please!

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The macaroni and cheese you typically find at your grocery store is, for lack of a better word, crap. Not only does it contain cow’s milk, but Kraft in the U.S. uses two artificial dyes, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6, that have been banned in other countries because of their link to hyperactivity in children, migraines, and asthma.
This is not real food. But it’s a staple in so many households because it’s convenient and cheap, and it tastes good. But it doesn’t have to be this way, folks! We don’t always have to choose between convenience and nutrition!
The following recipe is also convenient, cheap, and tasty, and it contains ingredients that are supposed to be ingested like cashews and spices rather than toxic dyes. I’ve made the mix for both vegans and non-vegans and it’s adored by all. A little goes a long way so if you store it in your freezer you’re pretty much guaranteed a tasty meal any day of the week as long as you have noodles on hand.

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Ingredients:
(Yields 5 cups of mix)
3 cups raw cashews
2 cups nutritional yeast
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon ground mustard seed
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried green onion
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Instructions:
1. Using a very dry blender or coffee grinder, grind the cashews in small batches into a very fine powder.
2. Add to a container with a tight-fitting lid, then add all the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously until well mixed.
3. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month or freeze indefinitely.

To make with macaroni (2-4 main dish servings);

Ingredients:
Heaping 1/2 cup mix
1 cup nondairy milk (i.e. soy, almond, etc.)
1 pound pasta, prepared according to package instructions

Instructions:
1. Combine the mix and milk in a saucepot over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. (If you prefer really thick sauce, feel free to add more mix.)
2. Add to the prepared pasta. Enjoy!

Source: Vegan Food Gifts by Joni Marie Newman

March 4, 2013April 9, 2015

Disease Prevention for Breakfast

Google image search “American breakfast” and you’ll see a pretty sorry state of affairs. You’ll see bacon strips, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, sausage, fried hash browns, fried ham, pancakes with butter, waffles with butter, toast with butter, buttered croissants, bagels with cream cheese… you get the idea. Google image search “healthy american breakfast” and you’ll see practically the same thing. You’ll get a couple more shots of orange juice (which by definition has been entirely striped of fiber) and some shots of highly refined cereal floating in bowls of dairy milk, but essentially the same thing. No greens, almost no fresh fruit, and A LOT of meat, dairy, eggs, refined flour, refined sugar, and salt.

This is absurd when diet is responsible for four out of the top five leading causes of death in America. As Dr. Mark Hyman explains, “the research clearly shows that changing how we live is a much more powerful intervention for preventing heart disease [currently the number one killer of Americans] than any medication.” The “EPIC” study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine studied 23,000 people’s adherence to 4 simple behaviors (not smoking, exercising 3.5 hours a week, eating a healthy diet [fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts seeds, and limited amounts of meat], and maintaining a healthy weight. In those adhering to these behaviors, 93% of diabetes, 81% of heart attacks, 50% of strokes, and 36% of all cancers were prevented.
We know Americans don’t want to suffer and die from these diseases; after all, we spend an exorbitant amount of our personal and national finances on prescription drugs, medical procedures, and research to treat them. So why do we continue to eat in a way that contributes to the very diseases we are spending so much money to treat? It’s as if we believe our only chance at good health is to sit around and wait for cures to be discovered. This hopelessness and helplessness leaves us completely dependent on doctors, hospitals, drug companies, and research labs–which is very nice for them and their wallets but not so nice for our health, our wallets, or the country.

Why have so many of us been led to believe we have no power over our own health? Why are too many of us still tragically unaware (as I was for so long) of the role diet plays in determining whether or not we get cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and a number of other diseases?

In hindsight, it would be way too easy for me to say, “well, the information is out there. If people really cared about their health, they wouldn’t be eating meat, dairy, and eggs.” But I don’t think it’s that simple. While, indeed, research has proven time and time again that animal products promote disease while fruits and vegetables prevent disease, not many people know this. We hear mixed messages from advertisements (“Milk. It Does a Body Good.”), from fad diets (Atkins), from our parents (who were misled by their parents), and from myths passed amongst our peers (“Humans are meant to eat animals. Look at our pointy fangs!” ). Most insidious, though, are the messages we receive from the medical industry itself which consistently plays down the power of eating for disease prevention.

Why are doctors all too eager to write us prescriptions for high cholesterol, screen us repeatedly with expensive medical equipment for cancer (which is NOT prevention, just detection), perform surgeries to unclog our hearts, or put us through chemotherapy, but they’ll rarely advise us to drastically change our diets? I find the explanation that “most people refuse to make drastic lifestyle changes” to be both patronizing and false. Perhaps some people may refuse to make changes in their diet, but we all deserve to make an informed choice. Plus, I believe most people would prefer not to spend gobs of money unnecessarily, or get their chest cut open unnecessarily, or get cancer and endure chemo unnecessarily, or DIE unnecessarily. Based on my experience, I believe plenty of people would much prefer to make dietary changes if the truth were pushed on them even half as much as prescriptions are.

Why is the link between diet and disease so rarely mentioned?

We cannot forget that the medical industry is a business. A massive business whose tentacles reach not only doctors and hospitals but also drug companies, insurance companies, research labs, universities, supply and equipment manufacturers, marketers, lobbyists, and beyond. It is like any other business in that the goal is to make a profit. Profits, grants, funding, and salaries depend on people being sick. When people are sick, the medical industry flourishes because we require its services–researching, testing, inventing, manufacturing, and administering treatments. That’s not to say that individual people go into the medical field to prey upon sick people, but the industry at large simply does not grow and succeed when the people it is meant to serve are in good health. Telling us how to prevent diseases would make us less dependent on the medical industry’s services which means less money in their pockets. (See #3 for more on this.)

But while the medical industry makes enormous sums of money pushing treatment rather than prevention, the rest of the country suffers financially. In 2006, U.S. health spending exceeded two trillion dollars, with three-fourths of that spending directed at treating chronic diseases. Almost two-thirds of that growth in spending is attributable to Americans’ worsening health habits. A 2007 study at the Harvard Medical School found that 62% of U.S. bankruptcies were a result of medical expenses.

This is complete insanity.

What do have to show for all this money we’ve spent? What has all this money accomplished in the name of human health?
Not much.

Before 1900, very few people died of heart disease. Now it is the number one killer of Americans. In the future, it’s likely that more people will die of heart disease. According to a recent report by the American Heart Association, the prevalence of heart disease is set to increase by 10% over the next 20 years.

Similarly, while research suggests that only 5-10% percent of all cancers are hereditary–meaning that 90-95% of cancers are attributable to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, alcohol intake, sun exposure, etc–the World Health Organization expects cancer rates to increase by 50% by 2020.

And yet, we still throw money at treating diseases. For example, our government funds cardiovascular disease research over $2 billion PER YEAR even though we already know that changing lifestyle could prevent at least 90% of all heart disease. Just imagine what we could do with the massive amount of money that goes into trying to create and test drugs for diseases that already has a proven means of prevention. We could use the money to educate people about nutrition, improve access to fruits and vegetables, subsidize organic vegetable farmers, create more walking paths and bike lanes. Imagine how many fewer people would be sick, bankrupt, or prematurely dead! But the loudest voices come from the medical industry (who has spent more than FOUR TIMES the lobbying money than what the oil and gas industry spends!) and we listen and follow not only with our wallets but also our lives.

To say I find this whole system infuriating would be a major understatement. Nothing breaks my heart more than needless suffering and that is exactly what is going on here on a massive scale. Just think about it. Animals suffer and are killed unnecessarily for humans’ appetites. Humans suffer and die from diseases caused by eating the flesh and secretions of animals. In their suffering, humans seek out cures and treatments, fueling an industry that captures or breeds animals merely to infect them with diseases, overdose them on drugs, infest them with tumors, slice open their bodies, or deprive them of their most fundamental needs. Humans pay for the drugs, which often times don’t work as expected precisely because they were tested on nonhuman animals and also because drugs, surgeries and other treatments only address symptoms of disease and not the cause. We then sit around and wait for the next cure or treatment, while we get sicker and continue practicing our habits and passing them on to our children and encouraging them amongst our peers. It’s a tragic cycle that begins with suffering and ends with suffering.

In our state of suffering we excuse the horrific practice of performing drug tests and medical experiments on living animals. We claim that it is a necessary evil, that it will benefit humanity, that fewer people will have to suffer. Even if that were all true I still believe testing on anyone–human or nonhuman–without their consent is deeply wrong.* But these claims are false. If more people are getting sicker, if more people are spending more of their savings managing chronic illness, if our country is spending more money on researching and treating preventible diseases, we cannot possibly argue we are creating less suffering. Our infliction of needless suffering on animals has caused us to suffer needlessly as well.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
-Albert Einstein

Cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, stroke and many other diseases are much easier and less expensive to prevent than to treat. That’s not to say no attention should be paid to alleviating the suffering of those already ill, but if we don’t want to bankrupt our country and our families, if we want to see fewer of our loved ones suffer and die needlessly, and if we want to be the ones in control of our own health, then I think we must give prevention more of a voice. It’s the only way to stop this madness.

Go to the US National Library of Medicine/National Institute of Health’s online search page here and search “fruits vegetables heart disease” or “fruits vegetables cancer” or “fruits vegetables” and any other major disease and the studies you’ll find say the same thing: fruits and vegetables help prevent chronic disease. (I highly recommend reading Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. I am currently reading this book for the second time and I just cannot emphasize how valuable it is.)

What would be the best thing to eat to promote good health and disease prevention for breakfast? You guessed it, fruits and vegetables! Robert and I love green breakfast smoothies because they are easy to prepare, loaded with antioxidants and phytochemicals, and so so so tasty. (Note: For those of you wary of drinking something that tastes “too green” (I get it, I used to feel this way too), rest assured that dates and bananas are a great addition to smoothies because their sweetness really masks the “green” flavor that some find difficult to adjust to initially.)

Here’s our current favorite:

Ingredients:

1 large handful of spinach

1/2 – 1 banana

1/2 apple

2 dates

1-2 scoops almond butter

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

2 cups almond or soy milk

(Other things we like to add in or swap: kale, blueberries, carrots, oats, canned pumpkin)

Instructions:

1. Mix in a blender till smooth. Drink and feel good!

* Animal research is a multi-billion dollar industry in which for-profit commercial interests have high stakes. This is one of the major reasons why the use of animals not only continues, but also is fiercely defended despite obvious limitations, angers, and the reality that it may not help our battle against human diseases, and might actually hinder it. As an example of such financial motivation for its continuance, consider for example that in 2010, The Jackson Laboratory– “a leading mammalian genetics research center– sold 2.9 million mice for a profit of $98.7 million. Investment n the procurement, handling, and upkeep of animals for labs is a highly lucrative enterprise for animal importers, breeders, dealers, cage and equipment manufacturers, feed producers, and drug companies. (See NEAVS for more information.)

Sources:

February 16, 2013February 11, 2015

Chickpea Blondies!

These kinds of recipes are my favorite because they really challenge conventional thinking. So often people assume “if it tastes good, it’s probably bad for you” and that eating healthfully is a tasteless sacrifice. Sometimes I wonder if this rigid mentality prevents people from even exploring healthful ingredients when making decadent desserts because they just assume the two can’t possibly co-exist. Well, it’s time to wake up! There’s more than one way to make a blondie, people!

Did you know that a traditional blondie recipe calls for eggs and a whole stick of butter? A whole stick?! Eggs and butter don’t have magical super powers that make them irreplaceable. We use them in our baked goods for no other reason than because that’s what we’ve been taught. But there are many, many other options that are both better for our health and leave the animals alone. This blondie recipe, which uses chickpeas, peanut butter, and ground flaxseeds, is just as delicious and decadent as any non-vegan dessert anywhere. Make this and I guarantee you’ll wonder why in the world you ever thought you needed butter and eggs. You’ll turn to the heavens above and ask how you could have been so blind for so long. And just before you sink into deep despair you’ll remember you have these blondies to nourish your soul and all will be well.

(makes a 9×13 pan)

Ingredients:

3 cups chickpeas (or 2 cans drained and rinsed)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup ground flaxseeds

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend all ingredients except the chocolate chips.

2. Line the pan with tinfoil or a small amount of canola oil. Spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle chips on top.

3. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before eating. Store in the fridge. Enjoy! You are in for a treat!

Source: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/18/chocolate-chip-blondies-and-theyre-good-for-you/

January 28, 2013February 11, 2015

Book Recommendation: “Artisan Vegan Cheese”

“I could never give up cheese.”
Based on the frequency that I hear this, I thought about making this post all about the reasons why you should stop eating cheese yesterday. I could have written about how detrimental animal cheese is to your health, delving into the link between dairy products and various types of cancer, including breast, ovarian and prostate. I could have discussed how dairy is actually really bad for your bones. After all, countries with the lowest rates of dairy consumption have the lowest rates of osteoporosis and that dairy has actually been singled out as the biggest cause of osteoporosis. I could have gone over the fact that a whopping 75% of the world’s population are genetically unable to digest dairy, yet we label this near universal human trait a defect and call it “lactose intolerance.” When we are babies all humans have an enzyme that allows us to digest our mother’s milk but we lose that enzyme between ages two and five because we are supposed to be weaned by then. Our bodies weren’t designed to be consuming milk into adulthood (not to mention the milk of another species!). I could also have also told you about how the veal industry is the byproduct of the dairy industry. In order to produce milk, cows–like humans–have to be pregnant and give birth. That means every glass of milk, every slice of cheese, and every scoop of ice cream is the product of a mother cow enduring a nine-month pregnancy only to have her baby immediately taken from her at birth so humans can consume her milk. If her baby is a male, he is slaughtered as veal. If her baby is a female, she is condemned to the same agonizing fate as her mother. To keep a dairy cow producing milk, she must constantly be pregnant, so just after her baby is torn away from her she is impregnated again. The painful cycle then repeats, year after year, until her body can give no more and she too is slaughtered.
But I’m not going to make this post about why you should give up cheese.
Instead, thanks to the brilliant book Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner, I’ll simply tell you that you don’t have to give up cheese because you can make your own unbelievably delicious plant-based cheese. I have spent the past several weeks making eight different vegan cheeses from this book and, as a former dairy cheese lover myself, I am thoroughly impressed. Some of the recipes take a few minutes to prepare while others take a few weeks, even months, to culture but what consistently manifests are complex plant-based cheeses that are strikingly similar to their dairy counterparts. The first time I sampled the cashew-based mozzarella I was so startled at how similar it was to the dairy-based version that I had keep reminding myself that it was vegan and that I needn’t resist it. It was pretty wild.
Pictured above is a caprese salad with Schinner’s mozzarella recipe which I served during our at-home fancy date night this weekend. Below is a brie which I had out while our non-vegan friend was visiting from out of town. We all agreed it was a hit. It was creamy, fancy, and had that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture. I’ve also got parmesan, provolone, gouda, two types of cheddar, American, and cream cheese in the works. (Click “read more” below for the recipe for American cheese.)

American Cheese

This cheese is EXCELLENT for a grilled cheese sandwich!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons medium brown miso paste

1/2 roasted red bell pepper, skinned and seeded

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

3 tablespoons agar flakes

1 tablespoon carrageenan powder (I couldn’t find this so I just added an additional tablespoon of agar flakes)

Instructions:

1. Put the water and oats in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick, about 5 minutes.

2. Transfer to a blender. Add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso, bell pepper, salt, and mustard. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan and whisk in the agar and carrageenan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with the whisk, until thick, 4-5 minutes.

4. Pour the mixture into a glass or nonreactive metal mold or ramekin and smooth the top. Cover and let cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, until firm.

Storage notes: Will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 4 months in the freezer.

January 18, 2013February 11, 2015

Incredibly Easy Pumpkin Chili

Believe it or not, I used to hate cooking. I resented having to follow directions for an activity that I believed was meant be creative. But every time I tried to get creative, tossing in a little of this, a dash of that, followed by a twirl, a curtsey, etc., the food was just a sorry disappointment. After too many failed dishes I knew I needed to follow instructions but I still wanted to feel like the dish was my creation. I was able to find a happy balance making dishes that called for just a few ingredients and minimal measuring. For those who are new to cooking, short on time, or just looking for a unique take on chili, this recipe delivers. It is so simple. All you have to do is chop a few vegetables and dump a few cans, but it also feels really creative and unusual because of the pumpkin. The result is a delicious chili that’s warm, comforting, and just a touch sweet.
Over time, you could also get more creative and try adding different colored peppers, other kinds of beans, or using sweet potato instead of pumpkin (see below for more ideas). With such good and simple flavors it would hard to mess this one up.

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can (15 oz) organic corn, preferably sweet
1 large can (28 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie puree)
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 cup vegetable broth or water (more if you prefer a thinner consistency)

Instructions:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic, and red pepper in 1-2 tbsp water or vegetable broth for about 10 minutes or until tender.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
3. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Serve hot.

Variations to try:
– To make this chili thicker and heartier, add 2 cups cooked quinoa after step 2.
– Add fresh or frozen de-thawed greens, such as kale, spinach, collards, etc., while simmering during step 3.
– For a slightly sweeter chili, use canned sweet potato instead of pumpkin.

– Double or triple the ingredients to make several days’ worth of food. Leftovers can also be frozen.

– Try using just one kind of bean (for example, only black beans) or add several different kinds in addition to the beans already used (such as pinto, kidney, and white beans).

January 2, 2013February 11, 2015

Black Bean Brownies!

I know these sound a little weird, but trust me, they are THE. BEST. Because black beans have a neutral flavor they essentially function as the flour in this recipe. I’ve started eating them every day with my green breakfast smoothie.
Yes, I eat brownies every day. Don’t judge.
Besides the semi-sweet chocolate chips, these brownies have no processed sugar and are instead sweetened with dates, stevia, and a banana. Black beans are high in protein; an excellent source of folate, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and thiamin; and they are rich in dietary fiber. Unsweetened cocoa powder also provides protein, fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and manganese as well as riboflavin, zinc, iron, potassium, and copper.
So, YEAH, I eat brownies every day.
Many of the black bean brownies recipes I’ve found use oil; however, I prefer to use water and don’t really notice a difference in texture. These brownies are more fudgey than cakie, which I like, but if you prefer cakie just add less water. I recommend using your own soaked, cooked, and drained black beans rather than canned beans to avoid excess water. (I used canned beans recently while visiting my in-laws down South and it resulted in a soupy batter. This was unfortunate as they were already skeptical enough about trying my crazy vegan brownies with beans so I was disappointed I made a batch that didn’t live up to their usual mouthwatering goodness. Arg! Regrets!!) If you refuse to heed my wise advice, then at least fully drain the liquid from the cans and maybe ease up on the amount of water you add. Also, be sure the cans say “no added salt.”
While I personally don’t want to mess with perfection, these would certainly also be good with some nuts like pecans and walnuts. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
4 cups black beans
1 banana
15 medjool dates
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips* (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a glass baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Put all the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a food processor. Pulse until creamy.
3. Spread the batter into pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top.
4. Cook for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean(-ish) after inserting. Don’t cook more than 50 minutes even if your knife comes out with batter. Just remove pan from stove and allow it to cool completely. Store in the fridge.

* Chocolate IS vegan! After all, cocoa comes from a bean. However, many lower quality chocolate companies add non-vegan ingredients like milk and milk fat. Higher quality dark chocolate chips are often vegan even if they don’t announce it on the package. They’ll be made with pure, simple ingredients: cocoa, cocoa butter, lecithin, sugar, and sometimes vanilla. So just check the back and read the ingredients. Here’s some more info from Food Empowerment Project on vegan chocolate that’s also slavery-free.

December 17, 2012February 11, 2015

Thanksgiving

(From top left) Quinoa Corn Bread,

Garlic-Herb Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower, Wild Mushroom Gravy (not pictured),

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Peppered Lentils + Kale + Butternut Squash,

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries + Balsamic Glaze (also shown below)

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Peppered Lentils + Kale + Butternut Squash
(note: You can prepare the recipe a day or two in advance and it will still be delicious. Just reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.)

Ingredients:
2 cups dry green lentils
1 butternut squash
1 tbsp vegetable broth
1 red onion, chopped small
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 head kale, washed, de-stemmed, and chopped
4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fine ground sea salt
3-4 acorn squash

Instructions:
1. Rinse the lentils and then soak them in water overnight.
2. Peel and remove seeds from the butternut squash. Cut into small cubes and steam cubes for 10-20 minutes or until a fork easily pierces them.
3. Drain the lentils from the soaking water and then cook them in fresh water for 35-45 minutes, or until tender.
4. While lentils are cooking, warm vegetable broth in a medium pot or pan. Add onion and brown for 7 minutes over medium-high heat. Add pepper and stir together, cook for 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 5 minutes more.
5. Add chopped kale, stir in, and reduce heat to medium.
6. Once the kale is wilted, place pot ingredients in a large bowl with the cooked lentils and stir. Add salt and pepper–be especially generous with the pepper. Carefully fold in the steamed butternut squash and season to taste.
7. Split the acorn squash in half (slicing from top to bottom) and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Slice off the skin. Place the squash halves–scooped side up–on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8. Roast at 350 degrees for 40 minutes* or until soft (they should be tender enough to easily slice through with a fork). Fill with peppered lentil mixture and bake 10-15 minutes more.

* The original recipe said to cook for 25 minutes but I found that to not be nearly enough and I had to stick them back in the oven. So, don’t take yours out till they are brightly colored and have begun to ooze a bit. The more you cook them the sweeter they’ll get, too.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries + Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:

3 lbs Brussels sprouts

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Trim the Brussels sprouts, then cut them in half. Arrange on 2 baking sheets and toss with olive oil. Roast until slightly brown, 25-30 minutes.

3. Combine the sugar and the balsamic in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and stir until very thick.

4. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the Brussels sprouts, then sprinkle on the dried cranberries.

December 9, 2012February 11, 2015

Pumpkin Pie with Rustic Pecan Crust

I am usually a pecan pie person but Robert and his brother Clint (yes, we had a guest this year!) said they preferred pumpkin so I decided to make that. Well, I am SO glad I did because this pie was, hands down, the biggest hit of our 2012 Thanksgiving. The pumpkin filling had lots of great spices, including cloves, which gave it an extra kick (as well as a slightly darker color than your typical pumpkin pie). Robert describes the pie as “exciting” (high praise indeed, as this man does not easily excite) and says he preferred its flavor to any other pumpkin pie he’s ever had (that’s basically the equivalent of a standing ovation).

My favorite aspect was the crunchy, gluten-free pecan crust. I know I bought all its ingredients from the co-op across the street but it really felt like they were gathered from the forest near my imaginary log cabin. Earthy, crunchy, woodsy, rustic… this crust was was all of the above. We enjoyed it for dessert and breakfast, and it will definitely be on the menu next year.

P.S. I recommend making it the day before, which actually makes things easier because it’s one less thing to do on the big day.

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup rolled oats, processed into a fine flour (or 1 cup oat flour)
2 cups raw pecans
3 tbsp ground flax
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
2 tbsp canola oil
Filling:
2 1/4 cups canned pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie pan.
2. In a food processor, process pecans until they begin to clump and oils start to release, approximately 30 seconds. You want them to stay chunky, not turn into butter. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Mix canola oil and brown rice syrup together . Pour into bowl with pecans dough. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and mix together. Using your hands, squeeze the dough over and over to combine very well. If too dry, add more canola oil.
4. Press pecan dough firmly into pie dish to form a crust. Pre-bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and arrowroot powder or cornstarch.
6. Add remaining ingredients and whisk together, adjusting spices to taste.
7. Pour the filing onto crust. Cover with tin foil and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Place on a cooling rack for 1 hour.
8. Transfer to fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight (this is a must!). Do not slice until it’s been in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Slice with a very sharp knife and enjoy every bite!