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Click on any of the titles to take you to the appropriate piece

FeaturesGoing Nuts this Holiday Season 8 By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD

Jill writes about some of her favorite holiday nuts and how to use them.

Jewish Holiday Foods with a Vegan Twist 12 By Stephanie Heller

Stephanie shares some of her favorite Hanukah recipes and the history behind them.

Holiday Foods that Truly Give 15By Marty Davey, MS, RD

Get the low‐down on the health benefits of these staple holiday foods.

Unturkey Choices 22 By Jason Wyrick

A discussion on the turkey substitutes commonly available with info on how to make your own.

Seven Weight‐busting Strategies to Guiltless Holiday Feasting 17 By Dr. Leslie Van Romer

Guidelines for losing weight and eating great.

Managing Thanksgiving for Twenty 25 By Jason Wyrick

Find out the secret to creating a low‐stress feast for your large family gathering.

Thanksgiving in the Raw 28 By Jason Wyrick

Tips on how to serve raw foods to your non‐raw guests with a few recipes to help you get started.

Columns What’s Cooking? 4

Find out what’s up with the Vegan Culinary Experience this month.

Recipe Index 50

A listing of all the recipes found in this issue, compiled with links.

see the following page for interviews and reviews…

Holiday Meals 1|November/December 2008

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Click on any of the titles to take you to the appropriate piece

Interviews Reviews Interview with Chef Joy Pierson of Candle Café 29

Candle Café and Candle 79 epitomize the height of vegan gourmet cuisine, New York style. Get Chef Pierson’s insights into her amazing vegan culinary journey.

Interview with Karen Dawn of DawnWatch 29

Karen Dawn is a prolific and generous animal rights activist and media watch‐dog. Read about her experiences looking out for our non‐human friends.

Interview with Linda & Tom Atkinson of Abbott on The Lake 29

Linda and Tom own a delightful vegetarian bed and breakfast located in Kelowna, British Columbia. Take a trip with them through a morning meal and the surrounding countryside in this special interview.

Restaurant Review: New Start Veggie Garden 23 By Jason Wyrick

New Start Veggie Garden isn’t your typical vegan buffet‐style restaurant, but who needs typical with food this good.

Product Review: Cheezly 25 By Jason Wyrick

Cheezly Garlic & Herb Cheddar is so good, even non‐vegetarians approve!

Book Review: Café Flora Cookbook 27 By Jason Wyrick

One of Seattle’s top vegetarian restaurants, Café Flora is well known for its exquisite food. Full of rich flavors, spices, chilies, and a strong Southwestern and African influence, the Café Flora Cookbook is sure to please.

Special Review

The Vegan Society’s Catering Challenge! 48 By Amanda Baker

The Vegan Society recently held their vegan catering challenge. Find out who won and see which incredible recipes took top prize.


The Vegan Culinary Experience Holiday Meals November/December2008 Publisher Jason Wyrick Editor Eleanor Sampson Recipe Editor Lori Jablons Nutrition Analyst Eleanor Sampson Web Design Randall Willis & Jason Wyrick

Graphics Alex Searcy & Jason Wyrick Video Production Kristen Mozafarri Contributing Authors Jason Wyrick Jill Nussinow Richard Barnett Leslie Van Romer Zel Allen Mayra “Dr. Flavor” Stephanie Heller Eleanor Sampson

Photography Credits

Recipe Images Jason Wyrick, Zel Allen Mayra, Eleanor Sampson Cheezly, Potatoes Jason Wyrick Red Cabbage, Potato Stephanie Heller Pancakes, Donuts Chestnuts, Walnuts GNU Free Documentation Pecans, Peppermint, License Mushrooms, Candle Café & Candle 79 Kate Mathis Catering Challenge www.flavourphotos.com

WWhhaatt’’ss CCooookkiinngg??

The Holiday usually means good

food (and lots of it), good times, and good friends. Ok, so maybe it also sometimes means stress and the uncomfortable position of eating what your friends and family won’t eat and often don’t understand. It also means overeating and indulgence, two

temptations to which I often fall victim. Fortunately, Dr. Leslie Van Romer has some survival tips to keep you trim and healthy through the season and our wonderful chefs have a plethora of recipes for you so your holidays can be even more bountiful than before. Good food and good times, indeed. While you’re reading, take a moment to check out the contributors’ page. Not only will you see our new contributors, chefs Stephanie Heller and Mayra, you will also be able to see our first veg‐friendly advertisements. Take a moment to click on the ads and visit our first sponsors. They’ve got an exciting set of products and services that to share! Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well!


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Become a Subscriber Subscribing to the VCE is FREE! Subscribers have access to our Learning Community, back issues, recipe database, and extra educational materials. Visit http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCESubscribe.htm to subscribe. *PRIVACY POLICY ‐ Contact information is never, ever given or sold to another individual or company

Not Just a Magazine Meal Service The Vegan Culinary Experience also provides weekly meals that coincide with the recipes from the magazine. Shipping is available across the United States. Raw, gluten‐free, and low‐fat diabetic friendly options are available. Visit http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEMealService.htm for more information.

Culinary Instruction Chef Jason Wyrick and many of the contributors to the magazine are available for private culinary instruction, seminars, interviews, and other educational based activities. For information and pricing, contact us at http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEContact.htm.

An Educational and Inspirational Journey of Taste, Health, and Compassion

The Vegan Culinary Experience is an educational vegan culinary magazine designed by professional vegan chefs to help make vegan cuisine more accessible. Published by Chef Jason Wyrick, the magazine utilizes the electronic format of the web to go beyond the traditional content of a print magazine to offer classes, podcasts, an interactive learning community, and links to articles, recipes, and sites embedded throughout the magazine to make retrieving information more convenient for the reader. The VCE is also designed to bring vegan chefs, instructors, medical professionals, authors, and businesses together with the growing number of people interested in vegan cuisine. Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well.


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Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen ‐ Jill is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University. After graduating, she migrated to California and began a private nutrition practice providing individual consultations and workshops, specializing in nutrition

for pregnancy, new mothers, and children. You can find out more about The Veggie Queen at www.theveggiequeen.com.

Richard Barnett ‐ Richard Barnett owns and operates The Veggie Barn, a vegetarian guest house in the New Forest on the South Coast of Hampshire, England. An active environmentalist for the last thirty‐five years, Richard’s passion led him to opening the Barn in 2004. Richard

enjoys learning new cooking techniques and trying new ingredients and generously shares his knowledge with others. Visit Richard at www.veggiebarn.net.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer ‐ Dr. Leslie Van Romer is the author of weight‐loss, body‐best book, "Getting Into Your Pants," chiropractor, weight loss cheerleader, and feel‐good‐about‐you motivational health speaker. For more information contact her: 360‐683‐8844 or 888‐375‐3754 or visit:

www.gettingintoyourpants.com.


http://www.mysweetvegan.com


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Zel Allen ‐ When a focus on healthy eating opened a new door, the vegan journey led Chef Zel and her husband, Reuben, to publish Vegetarians in Paradise, an online vegetarian magazine. Together, they write and edit articles that provide a wide range of resources for the vegetarian community. Zel quells her curiosity about food history and nutrition by researching and writing food features for the magazine. The publication spotlights her humorous illustrations and her innovative recipes. Visit Chef Zel Allen at www.vegparadise.com.

Jason Wyrick ‐ Chef Jason Wyrick is the Executive Chef of Devil Spice, Arizona's vegan catering company, and the publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience. Chef Wyrick has been regularly featured on major television networks and in the press. He has done demos with several doctors, including Dr. Neal Barnard of the PCRM, Dr. John McDougall, and Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Chef Wyrick was also a guest instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program. He has catered for PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Google. Visit Chef Jason Wyrick at www.devilspice.com and www.veganculinaryexperience.com.


http://www.theveggiequeen.com


Mayra “Dr. Flavor” - Chef Mayra has been in the “healthy eating and cooking” industry for over 11 years and has certifications in sports nutrition, macrobiotic cooking, vegan and vegetarian, holistic, and feng shui cuisine. She started her career as a cook by learning and experimenting with French, Caribbean, Southern, Cajun, and West African cuisine. Chef Mayra is a chef instructor and conducts a variety of classes and demonstrations geared towards vegan athletes, personal trainers, and anyone who would like to live a healthier life. “Dr. Flavor” can make healthy cooking easier by becoming your personal chef! Visit chef Mayra at www.mychefmayra.com or call her at 702‐372‐4709.

Stephanie Heller ‐ Stephanie Heller, Chef / Owner of RIPE Personal Chef Services, a healthy whole food focused personal service located in Scottsdale, Arizona. A native New Yorker, Stephanie moved to Arizona in 2007 starting her culinary journey. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, she spent time honing her skills at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort in one of their fine dining restaurants. Her RIPE clients now include pro‐NBA basketball players, families, young professionals and anyone who desires to see the healthier side of life. www.ripepersonalchef.com

Eleanor Sampson – Eleanor is the editor for The Vegan Culinary Experience and an expert vegan baker with a specialty in delicious vegan sweets (particularly cinnamon rolls!) You can reach Eleanor at [email protected].


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The Author

Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen™ teaches people how to use what’s fresh and growing through her writing, cooking classes, speaking engagements and her websites http://www.theveggiequeen.com,

http://www.pressurecookingonline.com and her blogs http://www.theveggiequeen.blogspot.com and http://www.pressurecooking.blogspot.com. Jill’s favorite way to eat squash is to bake delicate halves and eat them sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon until she is quite full.


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Stephanie Heller, Chef / Owner of RIPE Personal Chef Services, a healthy whole food focused personal service located in Scottsdale Arizona. A native New Yorker, Stephanie moved to Arizona in 2007 starting

her culinary journey. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, she spent time honing her skills at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort in one of their fine dining restaurants. Her RIPE clients now include pro‐NBA basketball players, families, young professionals and anyone who desires to see the healthier side of life. www.ripepersonalchef.com


Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs) that can prevent the adhesion of certain of

bacteria, including E. coli, associated with urinary tract infections to the

urinary tract wall. The anti-adhesion properties of cranberry may also

inhibit the bacteria associated with gum disease and stomach ulcers.” 1

I have a love‐hate relationship with the end of year holiday season. I hate the responsibility of finding gifts or making gifts, making cookies, and the travel. In this country we start with Halloween, hit a speed bump for Thanksgiving, do a dance crazier than the Tarantella for Chanukah/Christmas/Kwanza, and end with New Year’s Eve. My personal experience of the holidays is different. I begin by a march around the ‘hood collecting implements of dental decay with a small skeleton, jam in my birthday and my husband’s, spend a day and a half chained to a small kitchen in someone else’s house creating food for 10 [minus frozen poultry], jam in our anniversary, endure the annual trial of traveling to and being a vegan with my in‐laws in the tinseled‐town of Omaha, jam in my son’s birthday, hide from the world while ringing in the New Year, jam in a holiday get together with my family, and end with an actually birthday party for my son in January. A blizzard in January comes as welcome relief. However, there is no denial that the seasonal foods are full of nutritional goodies to keep up with the pace. Many of them are better than the sum of their parts, while some parts of others do some heavy health lifting [Did you groan?]. [I got a million of ‘em] Here’s a list of some favorites and what they do best:

Cranberries – No, not the jellied cylinder in the can. These are the red pebbles that only show up in the grocer’s at this time of year. According to the Cranberry Institute, not only are cranberries everybody’s friend for clearing up urinary tract infections, but other infections as well.

The good news continues as British researchers found that LDL [Lousy cholesterol], is less like to form when cranberries are a part of the diet. Again, the properties of cranberries stop the adhesion of LDL to the vascular cell

wall. This helps decrease clogs in the vascular system.i A really good idea for avoiding strokes. It also maybe helpful at increasing HDL [Happy cholesterol]. Anti‐adhesion also aides in decreasing adhesion by cancer cells in the breast and free radical cells to brain cells. Free radicals can damage brain cells causing decrease cognitive functions which would put a crimp on ever finishing the New York Times

Crossword puzzle, even on Mondays.

Other health benefits attributed are increasing function of medications for ulcers, decrease in cavities, kidney stone formation, macular degeneration, and protect against herpes.ii All this and it looks gorgeous in a stuffed acorn squash.

Cinnamon Sticks – Containing this substance, Cinnaldehyde, cinnamon assists in preventing blood platelets from forming or clumping together. This is very important to maintaining blood flow.

It also has anti‐microbial properties. These properties not only can inhibit bacterial growth in the gastrointestinal tract in humans, but the essential oils can inhibit bacteria growth in foods. It was even better than the commonly used

Holiday Foods that Truly Give

By Marty Davey, RD, MS


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function in humans. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103(4):1024-9. [Abstract].

v Society of Chemical Industry (2007, March 12). Cocoa 'Vitamin' Health Benefits Could Outshine Penicillin. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/03/070311202024.htm.

vi Concept Fertility Center. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.conceptfert.com.au/glosse.htm.

vii Bordeaux B, Yanek LR, Moy TF, White LW, Becker LC, Faraday N, Becker DM. [2007, Fall]. Casual chocolate consumption and inhibition of platelet function. Prevention of Cardiology 10(4):175-80. [Abstract].

viii Wikipedia [2008]. Pepita. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_seed.

ix The George Mateljan Foundation. [2008]. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=72.

x American College of Gastroenterology (2007, December 10). Tips To Ease The Heartburn Of Pregnancy. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/12/071208145406.htm

xi Organic Facts. [2006]. Health Benefits of Peppermint Oil. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/natural-essential-oils/health-benefits-of-peppermint-oil.html.

xii University of California - Los Angeles (2008, May 2). Antidepressant Found To Alleviate Symptoms Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome In Adolescents. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/05/080501154222.htm.

xiii Center for Science in the Public Interest. Ten Super Foods for Better Health. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10foods_bad.html.

xiv Chen S, Oh SR, Phung S, Hur G, Ye JJ, Kwok SL, Shrode GE, Belury M, Adams LS, Williams D. [2006, Dec 15]. Anti-aromatase activity of phytochemicals in white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). Cancer Research, 66(24):12026-34. [Abstract]

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proliferation. Journal of Nutrition. 131(12):3288-93. [Abstract]

xvi Agricultural Research Service. [2008]. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/nut_search_new.pl.


It’s Thanksgiving time and you’re thinking about getting a veggie “turkey” for your table’s centerpiece. Maybe you want a traditional meal, done veggie style, or you’ve got guests coming over and you want to serve something that they are going to be more used to having for the holiday. Whatever the reason, a veggie “turkey” has come to the fore as your most viable option. That begs the question, how do I get one to my table? The answer to that is either to buy one or make your own. Below, we’ll talk about the most popular brands and then we’ll cover some recipes on how to make your own.

Tofurky is, by far, the most popular brand of unturkey. In fact, a lot of meat eaters I know have heard of Tofurky. While it definitely does not feel or taste like turkey, it’s still got a

good texture and it’s got a great flavor. It’s like a nice, smooth, firm piece of seitan with the sort of flavor you can expect from a good veggie broth. In addition, there’s a nice surprise in the middle because it’s all enfolded around a stuffing. As with all of the unturkey products, you will need to make your own basting sauce. I think the one on the box is decent, but not great. My favorite marinade I use for it is a shallot, brown sugar, and nutbrown ale mixture with a rosemary, sage, and thyme rub, heavy on the sage. The one big drawback for Tofurky is that it uses vital wheat gluten as its main ingredient, which a lot of people try to avoid. Tofurky is commonly available and can be purchased alone or as a full Thankgiving package. Whole Foods surprisingly has a good price on these as does Trader Joe’s. For more information about Tofurkey, go to www.tofurkey.com. The next one is Field Roast’s Celebration Roast. Similar to the Tofurkey, the Celebration Roast is primarily made of vital wheat gluten wrapped around a center of stuffing. However, because of the cooking

process, the Field Roast has a darker, more caramelized taste to it and the texture of the outer part of the Field Roast is wonderful. Because it is cooked in a cotton mesh, it doesn’t have one smooth outer skin, but rather ripples that tantalize the palate. The stuffing is also nice with a mix of squash, apples, mushrooms, and wine. This is definitely the high class version of the unturkey. If you’re looking to avoid wheat gluten, though, you’re out of luck here. While not as common as Tofurkey, you can usually find these at Whole Foods. My favorite marinade for this one is a grilled citrus and brown sugar broth with the grilled citrus removed from the broth and served with the Celebration Roast. For more information on this one, go to www.fieldroast.com.

Our last pre‐made unturkey is from Garden Protein. Similar to the Tofurkey, Gardein Veggie Turkey Breast is a smooth piece of seitan (wheat gluten) wrapped around a stuffing. I found this

version of the unturkey about as flavorful as the Tofurkey, but not quite as flavorful as the field roast. However, it does have a better mouth feel than either of the above two and has more of that “flakier” texture associated with turkey. One advantage of its flakier texture is that it sucks up more of the marinade flavor. My favorite marinade for this one consists of orange juice, chili peppers, rosemary, and a touch of molasses. Like the Celebration Roast, it is available primarily at Whole Foods. You can find out more information about this one at www.gardenprotein.com. If you want to experiment with making your own unturkey or you’re looking for a way to avoid the wheat gluten used in the commercial products, check out the recipes below. One does use wheat gluten, but the other two are made entirely from tofu.

Unturkey Choices By Chef Jason Wyrick


Unturkey 1 This recipe is similar to one I saw from Bryanna, who partially adapted her’s from Ellen’s Kitchen. The methods are the same, but I have spiced the unturkey rather differently and the basting broth is drastically different. This recipe is fairly labor intensive and has several lengthy steps to its preparation. If you’re willing to take the time, though, it will turn out quite well, with a similar texture to a Tofurky and an incredible flavor. When working with this one, don’t be shy with the spices. No one will complain! The Dry Unturkey Mix 2 cups of vital wheat gluten ½ cup of chickpea flour ½ cup f nutritional yeast 1 tbsp. of onion powder ½ tsp. of turmeric 1 ½ tsp. of garlic powder 1 tsp. of white pepper ¼ tsp. of salt 2 tsp. of smoked paprika If you like spicy, add in ½ tsp. of cayenne pepper! The Wet Unturkey Mix 12 oz. of firm tofu (the kind that comes packed in water, not in a box) 1 ½ cups of water 3 tbsp. of tamari 1 tbsp. of olive oil 2 tbsp. of tahini The Basting Broth 2 cups of nutbrown ale 1 tsp. of Liquid Smoke 6 shallots, minced ¼ cup of brown sugar 1 tsp. of salt 2 tsp. of fresh rosemary 2 tsp. of fresh thyme 1 tbsp. of fresh diced sage Combine all of the Dry Unturkey Mix in a medium sized mixing bowl. Blend all of the Wet Unturkey Mix until it is mostly smooth, leaving just a hint of texture from the tofu.

Add this to the Dry Mix and combine it until all of the Dry Mix is thoroughly mixed into the Wet Mix. You will probably have a bit of Wet Mix sitting at the bottom of the bowl. Cover this and allow it to sit for an hour and a half. Knead the rested mix for about ten minutes. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and lightly oil a large loaf pan. Warm the Basting Broth until the sugar dissolves. Press the mix into the loaf pan and pour the broth over it. Cover it with foil. If you do not have a large loaf pan, you can split the recipe up into two parts. Bake this for three and a half hours, turning the unturkey over in the loaf pan once every hour. Unturkey 2 Tofu Mix 5 lbs. of firm tofu 1 tsp. of turmeric ½ tsp. of salt 2 tbsp. of carrot juice 1 clove of garlic 2 tsp. of onion powder 2 green onions Basting Sauce ½ cup of toasted sesame oil ¼ cup of tamari 2 tsp. of paprika 1 tsp. of turmeric ½ tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of black pepper 1 tbsp. of fresh rosemary ¼ cup of orange juice 1 tbsp. of prepared brown mustard Blend together the turmeric, salt, carrot juice, garlic, onion powder, and green onions in a small blender. Mash this into the tofu by hand until it is thoroughly combined. Wrap the tofu mix in cheesecloth. Set this in your refrigerator with a weight on top and let it sit for three hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


Combine the toasted sesame oil, tamari, paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper, rosemary, orange juice, and mustard together. Lightly oil a loaf pan. Add about ¼ of the sauce to the bottom of the pan and press the tofu into the pan. Pour another ¼ of the sauce over the tofu. Cover it with foil. Bake this for one hour and thirty minutes, basting it every fifteen minutes. Unturkey 3 2 lbs. of extra firm tofu, cut into thick slices 3 tbsp. of tamari 2 tbsp. of sesame oil 1 tbsp. of chardonnay 3 tbsp. of water ½ tsp. of white pepper 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. of rosemary leaves Olive oil to brush the tofu while it bakes Freeze the tofu for at least 24 hours. This changes the texture of the tofu, making it “flakier” and more ready to absorb a marinade. Thaw it with a weight on top to press out the excess water. Mix together all the other ingredients. Cut the tofu into thick slices. Place the slices in the marinade and cover it. Allow this to sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Bake this on 350 degrees for an hour and half, flipping the tofu and brushing it with olive oil every thirty minutes.

The Author

Chef Jason Wyrick is an award winning vegan chef and the owner of Arizona's only vegan catering company, Devil Spice. Serving the state since 2004 as both a caterer and a prolific vegan culinary instructor, Chef Jason has garnered local and national attention. He was chosen as vegcooking.com's October, 2005 Chef of the Month and has been featured in the Arizona Republic and on ABC's local morning show, Sonoran Living Live. Formerly a diabetic, Chef Jason approaches vegan cuisine from both a health and ethical standpoint with an eye for taste and simplicity.


‘Tis the season to celebrate and eat…and eat and eat. It’s the holiday season and that’s what most of us do during the holidays – eat, adding pounds to our pounds and frustration to our frustration. And the scariest part ‐ those extra pounds often don’t come off by the time the next holiday season sneaks up and sabotages our well‐meaning, yearlong, weight‐loss intentions with another fat attack! Shock yourself this year. Follow these seven simple strategies and celebrate without a moment of guilt or an extra ounce of fat. In fact, stick to these guidelines all year long, and you’ll shed those extra layers, freeing you from the holiday weight‐gain blues.

1. Instead of “saving yourself” for the celebration dinner, eat a calorie‐low, nutrient‐high breakfast, and even lunch (if dinnertime is 4 to 5 o’clock or later). How many Thanksgiving days have you skimped on food or starved yourself all day so you could stuff yourself with as much feasting foods as your stomach could possibly hold? New holiday, weight‐loss tactic: graze on good‐for‐you, fresh fruits all morning long, enough to keep you full and satisfied. If dinner is later, eat a large, green‐leafy vegetable salad for lunch – plenty to fill you up. The more calorie‐low, nutrient‐rich fruits and vegetables you eat during the day, the less fat and fewer calories you will pack away at the big dinner.

2. Think outside the traditional Thanksgiving box and fill up on the best‐for‐you calorie‐

low foods first, and then eat your Thanksgiving faves. Vegetables contain very few calories but are power‐packed with all necessary nutrients. As the Thanksgiving chef, be sure to include vegetables in your meal. It makes perfect sense to load your plate with green‐leafy, vegetable salad, steamed broccoli (no cheese sauce please), and uncandied yams, for instance, and eat them first. Then enjoy the rest of your meal. No test of wills. No deprivation. No guilt. No self‐beatings. Just sensible eating. Filling up first on calorie‐low, nutrient‐high best‐for‐you foods will automatically keep those pounds off by leaving less room for foods that are more calorie‐dense. Hint: Think green and color. Traditional Thanksgiving meals are mostly brown, white, and overcooked muted colors. This year fill your Thanksgiving table with fresh vegetables and fruits – offering green and an array different colors!

3. If you’re invited to another home for Thanksgiving, graciously offer to bring a green‐leafy, vegetable salad and steamed vegetables of choice. Your goal is two‐fold: to help out the hostess and to be assured that calorie‐low vegetables will be available to fill you up, thwarting the temptation to overeat the traditional holiday fixings. If the hostess will not accept your offer, that’s okay. Simply eat

7 Weight-busting Strategies to Guiltless Holiday Feasting

By Leslie Van Romer


a salad and vegetables an hour or so before you go. You will still partake in the festivities, but you will already be full and satisfied with the best‐for‐you foods. Shhhhh – mum’s the word. Your hostess will never know.

4. Prepare only enough food for the holiday dinner and one meal of leftovers, and that’s all. Most of us go food crazy with the quantity of food we prepare for holiday meals. Once we sit down and look at the food‐spread on the table, how often do we comment, “This is enough food to feed an army.”? Too many leftovers give us too many meals of too many calories. Be vigilant this year and prepare enough food for one feast and one leftover dinner. If you invite guests and end up with extra food, by all means surprise them with to‐go packets of food as they head for home. They will be thrilled, but the big winner will be you when that number on the scale doesn’t hop up the next day.

5. STOP eating when your brain says, “Enough. I’m full.” This sounds like a no‐brainer, but as we all can attest to, it’s easy to ignore that flashing neon‐light in your brain, “Stop Eating!”, when that dinner is tasting so good. Remember, this is not your last meal (hopefully). More food will come your way to satisfy those demanding taste buds. So do yourself a favor – pay attention and stop eating when your brain tells you to, even if you have food left on your plate. Garbage disposals don’t gain weight, you do. As for the pie, why not save it for the next day when you won’t be seduced into overindulging. And one piece should do you.

6. Walk! First thing in the morning, before the busy‐ness of your holiday steals your entire day, take a long walk or engage in some kind of heart‐pumping exercise to burn some calories. However, this walk shouldn’t give you the free pass to pig out at dinner. It takes at least eleven miles to walk off one pound of body fat, so no matter how hard you exercise, extra cals are not your pals and are tough to burn off, especially after they turn into your body’s fat.

7. Trump the above six strategies by following the 80/20 Rule all year long. By far, the 80/20 Rule is the most powerful, weight‐busting strategy of all. If permanent weight loss and boosting health are your goals, center your meals around and fill up on the best‐for‐you foods 80% of the time. Eat your favorite, not‐so‐good‐for‐you foods no more than 20% of the time. If you follow this weight‐loss, body‐best strategy most of the year, there’s no reason why you can’t feast worry‐free on holidays and special occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries. Indulge on whatever foods you’d like and forget the other six strategies! Take heed! If feasting expands beyond one special meal to several days of meals before and after, there will be disappointing, body‐show‐all consequences. And what are the best‐for‐you foods that offer the most nutrition for the calorie buck? Whole, plant foods of course, as in fresh, whole fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, your weight warriors and health heroes. Fill up on your weight‐loss, body‐best heroes


all year long to earn the freedom to feast with family and friends with no restrictions, sacrifice, or guilt. But remember – get back to the 80/20 Rule the very next day. 80/20 is the key to stepping into your body‐dream‐come‐true, and staying there.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is the author of "Getting into Your Pants," chiropractor, weight loss cheerleader, and feel‐good‐about‐you motivational health speaker.

[email protected] www.gettingintoyourpants.com


Thanksgiving often translates as “large family gathering” and that’s a straight translation to “lots of work” for the host! Or is it? Having done numerous catering jobs for one hundred plus people by myself, I’ve learned a few tricks that to pass on to you that will make serving twenty a piece of pie. As you read this article and as you make your Thanksgiving meal plan, keep this one phrase in mind. “Pick recipes that are easy to mass produce.” I know, it seems like a no‐brainer, but often our ambitions and the excitement of serving some of our favorite recipes to impress our guests get in the way of this one simple idea and that’s what leads to holiday stress. The Keys to Mass Production – Large Pots, Large Baking Dishes a.k.a. Having the Right Equipment No one wants to do the same recipe over and over again, but sometimes that’s what happens if you don’t have the appropriately sized equipment to serve twenty people and that means taking two to three times as long to cook a recipe. Not fun! Make sure that you have at least a couple two plus gallon pots sitting around and a couple of long baking dishes and cookie sheets. This will allow you to make one batch of stuffing, one batch of soup, etc. It will give you enough room to boil or bake potatoes if you’re doing mashed potatoes, and if you need to cook a large number of items (for example, if you were going to do stuffed mushrooms), you can line them all up on a cookie sheet and set them in the oven. That’s a lot easier than sautéing one or two mushrooms at a time! Don’t worry. We’ll go over some of those recipe choices later in the article. For now, keep in mind that you’ll need the right sized equipment for the job. If you don’t have those kitchen items and you don’t want to go out and purchase them, you may have

to revise your meal plan, which we’ll go over down below. The All in One Choice The “All in One” choice refers to a dish that only requires one pot or baking dish or grill (you get the idea) to make. This grants you several benefits. First, you save burner space and that means you can do more recipes at the same time. If you’re using four pans to make one recipe, chances are you can’t cook anything else while that one recipe is cooking and that means you’ll be in the kitchen longer. The other benefit is that you will have a lot less dishes to clean and if you’re like me, you don’t want to spend extra time in the kitchen cleaning up. Recipes that meet the bill for this one include soups, stews, risottos, stuffing, rice, and big pots of pasta. If I’m doing pasta, I like to cook the pasta first, dump it into the colander, and then make the sauce in the pasta pot so I don’t have to dirty another pan. Not all of your recipes need to follow this guideline, but the more of them that do, the more time you will save. The Assembly Line The assembly line is a must if you are doing a dish with multiple components, like a stuffed portabella. Using this method generally halves the prep time for a multi‐component recipe. To get

Managing Thanksgiving for Twenty

By Chef Jason Wyrick

Thanksgiving and other big food holidays usually means stress, work, and general unfun for the unprepared host. Turn your gathering into a feast to be remembered well by choosing easy-to-make foods that can be produced in large batches.


this going, you need to have a large amount of counter space available. For this section, I’ll use the aforementioned stuffed mushroom as an example. After getting all of the components prepared (in this case, the mushrooms are baked, the stuffing is made, and the sauce is ready,) I lay all of the mushrooms face up on a big sheet of wax paper. I then proceed to scoop all of the stuffing in to each mushroom before moving onto the sauce. Next, each mushroom gets topped with the sauce, and then each mushroom gets garnished. I find this method moves me along much faster and my kitchen stays more organized than if I do one mushroom to completion before moving onto the next one. However, I try to keep the number of recipes I do this way down to one or two and the rest are the All in One variety. Long Cook Times Are OK, Laborious Cook Times Are Not It’s ok if you have something that takes a long time to make. For example, my Crispy Sage Mashed Potatoes generally take about two hours to make. However, the amount of work I put into them may only amount to fifteen minutes! The rest of that time, the garlic is roasting, the potatoes are boiling, or the mashed potatoes are baking. While they are in the oven, pot, etc., I can work on other recipes or do clean up. That’s a lot better than having to stand in front of your stove for hours on end. Make Recipes that Are Easily Multiplied This one simply means that you should choose recipes that require little more work to make for twenty than they do for four. For example, twenty cannoli take a lot of labor to make. You have to roll each one out, fry them in small batches, and then pipe the filling into each one. That’s a lot different than making, say, three pecan pies, which you can prepare by making one batch of filling in one pot and then pour the filling into three different pie shells and then throw them in the oven at the same time. Rice and pasta dishes are great for this. It’s OK to Cheat on the Ingredients

By this, I mean it’s ok to get already peeled garlic, canned pumpkin puree, pre‐packaged gnocchi, etc. While you may lose a small amount of flavor, you will more than make up for it in time and hassle saved. Menu Planning Now that you’ve seen some of the key principles in making a no‐stress holiday meal for a large gathering, it’s time to put those principles into action. Let’s plan a menu! First, I have to decide what kind of meal I want to serve. I think for this one I’m going to go with a semi‐traditional Thanksgiving set with a couple gourmet items thrown in. That means I’ll need mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a veggie “turkey.” It also means cranberry sauce, but since I don’t like cranberry sauce, I’m going to pretend I’ve never heard of it. For the gourmet items, I’m going to make a side and a dessert. The side is going to be a pumpkin soup with a sweet cashew mint cream swirled into it and the dessert is going to be a pumpkin “cheesecake” with a chocolate ganache drizzle on top. Let’s take a look at each recipe. Mashed Potatoes – This one hits the third, fourth, and fifth principles. It does violate the first one, but a pot in which only potatoes have been boiled can be cleaned in just a couple minutes and be ready to use for something else, so I’m not too concerned with that. Since these are going to be my Crispy Sage Mashed Potatoes, they don’t need gravy and that will save both dishes and time. I’m also going to roast already peeled garlic instead of taking the time to squeeze out each individual clove into the potatoes. These take about fifteen minutes of total labor. Stuffing – This one touches the first, third, and fourth principles and has the added bonus of being able to be served as both a side and as the stuffing


for the veggie “turkey.” Although this one is not one that can be allowed to sit and cook, requiring your attention, it also only takes about twenty minutes to put together, so no laborious cook time here. Veggie “Turkey” – This one uses the third, fourth, and probably the fifth and first principles. First, it only has about fifteen minutes of actual labor if you make your own even though it may take several hours to cook. It also is easy to make a large version of the recipe so that you can make one unturkey that can serve everyone. Just make sure you have a large baking dish! Of course, if you go to the store and buy one already make, you’ll be using the “It’s OK to Cheat on the Ingredients” principle and the “All in One” principle. If I use the cheat on this, it’s about five minutes of labor. Pumpkin Soup with Sweet Cashew Cream – This one takes just one pot and a blender, so it practically uses the first principle. It also uses the third, fourth, and fifth principles because it’s got a long cook time but little need to be in front of the stove, it is easily massed produced as it can be done in one large pot, and I’m going to cheat and use a canned pumpkin puree. Total labor time for this one is about ten minutes. Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache – This one is probably the most complex one, but then that’s not saying much with this menu set. The cheesecake uses the second, third, fourth, and fifth principles and almost the first because, even though it needs a baking dish and pot, the pot is incredibly simple to clean. To avoid using three different pie tins and to make the cheesecake slices easy to work with, I’m going to bake this in a large baking dish and then cut the cheesecake into squares. That means I’ll only need the one baking dish and by cutting the cheesecake into squares I can put them on an assembly line and dip the squares into a big bowl of chocolate ganache. I’ll also be cheating and using canned pumpkin. Total labor time is about twenty five minutes. Now there’s a nice gourmet/traditional meal that can be put together with minimal effort on my part for a lot of people. Total labor time for the menu?

Seventy minutes. The bonus? All of these can be made the day before. That’s a happy Thanksgiving! The Author

Chef Jason Wyrick is an award winning vegan chef and the owner of Arizona's only vegan catering company, Devil Spice. Serving the state since 2004 as both a caterer and

a prolific vegan culinary instructor, Chef Jason has garnered local and national attention. He was chosen as vegcooking.com's October, 2005 Chef of the Month and has been featured in the Arizona Republic and on ABC's local morning show, Sonoran Living Live. Formerly a diabetic, Chef Jason approaches vegan cuisine from both a health and ethical standpoint with an eye for taste and simplicity.


So you want to have a great Thanksgiving meal that doesn’t involve any cooking and still resembles a traditional holiday meal. Not an easy feat! This is especially true if you have guests that aren’t into living foods and particularly so if they aren’t even vegetarian. What to do? What to do? Honestly, it’s not as hard as it seems. With just a blender, a knife, and perhaps a dehydrator, you’ll be all set. In fact, if you live in the Southwest like I do, you can even get super traditional and sun dry many of your dishes like the Tuscans used to do. First, you’ve got to know your guests. If you’ve got a group of raw foodists, vegans, and vegetarians, you can probably get a little crazy and no one is going to complain. For this group, I would make a couple traditional type dishes and the sky’s the limit for the rest of them. However, if you’ve got a mixed group of meat eaters and non‐meat eaters, you’ll probably want to go with a mostly traditional set and show off your raw cuisine expertise. I’ve noticed people tend to be more surprised, pleasantly I might add, when you can make something akin to a dish they are used to eating and make it taste great, so that’s what we’re going to concentrate on. That means making a raw unturkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and some kind of pie, at the least. Since we’re going to concentrate in this article on how to serve a mixed group, all of the ideas will be geared towards that. There are a few things to consider when serving a mixed group as opposed to an all raw foods group. First, many of your guests will not find it easy to digest ingredients such as sprouted lentils and they will also have trouble with an overabundance of nuts and seeds (blended softer nuts like cashews are an exception to this) so go light on those ingredients. That means lots of veggie blends accented with nuts and sprouts. You will also need to not only provide great tasting cuisine, but you

Thanksgiving in the Raw

By Chef Jason Wyrick

Stuffing 2 tbsp. of diced onion 3 stalks of celery, sliced ½ tsp. of minced garlic ¼ cup of walnuts 3 tbsp. of fresh cranberries 1 tbsp. of minced parsley 2 tbsp. of sunflower seeds 2 tsp. of olive oil ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of black pepper ¼ tsp. of paprika Soak the walnuts for at least 4 hours. Roughly chop the walnuts. Mix everything together.

Mashed Potatoes ¼ cup of shredded sweet potato ¼ cup of shredded zucchini 2 tbsp. of cashew butter Water 1/8 tsp. of salt Combine enough water to the raw cashew butter so that you have a creamy butter, not a paste. Peel the sweet potato and zucchini. Shred the sweet potato and zucchini. Combine these with the cashew cream and salt.


should think of some of the darker flavors you can use as those will be more familiar to the palates of your guests. As always, texture will be very important. Of course, the less work your Thanksgiving set takes, the better it will be for you! For the main course, I like to go with the darkest flavors, which usually means a mix of nuts, olive oil, and some sun dried tomatoes. I like to blend these to an almost pate’ like consistency with a hint of apple cider vinegar. That combination gives it a rich, dark taste with an excellent consistency and you don’t have to load up on the nuts to get it like most raw unturkey loaves. My favorite way to serve it is by lightly oiling a ramekin, pressing the mix down into it, letting it chill for a couple hours to set, and then allowing it to come back to room temperature. You can then flip over the ramekin and let the raw unturkey slide out onto the plate. It will have a nice shape that way, requires no extra dehydrating, and is easily garnished. Sure, it may

not look like a slice of turkey, but then the standard raw nut loaves don’t really either. This is probably the one dish where you want to serve flavors that your guests are most familiar with as this is the centerpiece dish. The next recipe to consider is the stuffing. This one is also a tough one as it is traditionally made with bread and raw substitutes for bread tend to be way too heavy for a lot of people. This is one of those items where it’s better to make something that’s almost akin to a chopped salad and simply use a lot of the ingredients people are used to having in stuffing. That means a little bit of onion, some celery, and some soaked walnuts (soaking them takes the bitterness away.) I also like to add in a bit of sage and some nutmeg with a few sunflower seeds to enhance the richness of the stuffing. Touch it with just a bit of olive oil to get it moist and you’ll have a great tasting side with a lot of the familiar flavors in it. The next dish to consider is a side of mashed potatoes. These are probably the toughest ones to do because they can turn out very bland. The traditional way to do these raw is not with potatoes, but rather with cauliflower that has been slightly heated so that it can be blended in a food processor and not be grainy or chunky. However, I find these are better if you serve them more as a hash brown recipe than a pureed cauliflower recipe. You can add a bit of shredded potato and some shredded zucchini to great effect and then bind it all together with just a touch of cashew cream and a dash of salt. It’s so simple, yet the combination of the potato and zucchini is incredible. The last dish to consider is the dessert. The three most popular pies served during Thanksgiving are pumpkin, pecan, and apple. Since I tend to go for easy, I would do the apple pie. The apple pie also happens to be the one where you can show off the freshest spices and that’s always a bonus! For the crust, you’ll want to go lighter than the typical raw crust made with dates and dark nuts or seeds. Instead, use a light blend of dates with the bulk of the crust being coarsely chopped cashews, which have a much lighter, more neutral flavor than flax

Unturkey Centerpiece 1 cup of sundried tomatoes 1 tbsp. of olive oil ¼ tsp. of salt 1 clove of garlic 1 shallot, minced ¼ tsp. of black pepper ½ tsp. of apple cider vinegar ¼ cup of bean sprouts ¼ cup of soaked almonds 1 tsp. of diced sage Soak the almonds for 12 hours. Grind these with the sage until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Blend all of the other ingredients together until you have a rough paste. Stir in the chopped almonds. Lightly oil two ramekins. Press this mix into the ramekins. Allow it to set for at least an hour. Flip the ramekins over and tap out the mix. Garnish with fresh parsley.


seeds, pecans, or the like. Next, you’ll want to make a lemon water solution and dunk sliced green apples in this in order to keep the apples from browning. To simulate the sugary syrup that is in a traditional apple pie, mix some raw agave nectar with lots of fresh nutmeg and a couple ground cloves and mix this in with the apples. Allow it to chill for an hour or so and then get it ready to serve. Garnishing this pie with fresh mint is a nice touch. Now that you’ve got your guests eating a meal that has a lot of similar flavors to what they are used to having for Thanksgiving, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to show off some of your more creative dishes! They’ll definitely be more amenable to them. Of course, if you’ve got a big group of raw foodists, you won’t even have to worry about all of the traditional recipes. They’ll be expecting you to be creative! Here are the recipes mentioned above. There is very little dehydrating necessary with these. All you really need is a knife, a cutting board, and a blender. The Author

Chef Jason Wyrick is an award winning vegan chef and the owner of Arizona's only vegan catering company, Devil Spice. Serving the state since 2004 as both a caterer and

a prolific vegan culinary instructor, Chef Jason has garnered local and national attention. He was chosen as vegcooking.com's October, 2005 Chef of the Month and has been featured in the Arizona Republic and on ABC's local morning show, Sonoran Living Live. Formerly a diabetic, Chef Jason approaches vegan cuisine from both a health and ethical standpoint with an eye for taste and simplicity.

Apple Pie 2 cups of coarsely chopped cashews ½ cup of dates 6 green apples, sliced 1/3 cup of raw agave nectar ¾ tsp. of fresh nutmeg 1/8 tsp. of salt 1 cup of water Juice of 2 lemons Fresh mint for garnish Soak the cashews for 8 hours. Pulse the cashews a few times in a food processor until you have them coarsely chopped. Puree the dates. Mix the cashews into the dates until you have a thick cashew mix. Press this into the bottom of a pie dish. Juice the lemons and combine the juice with the water. Mix the agave nectar, nutmeg, and salt together. Core and slice the apples. Quickly dip each slice into the lemon water. Lay each slice on the crust. When you finish a layer, spread on ¼ to 1/3 of the agave mix. Repeat this until you are out of apples and agave mix. Allow this to chill for 1 hour.


What led you to start the Candle Café? Our little juice bar, the Healthy Candle, had been steadily growing and we needed to expand! Miraculously, we won the Take Five lottery, which gave us some of the seed money for Candle Cafe. Some wonderful friends chipped in too. The rest is history. Your restaurants are very successful and well known. What do you think was the key to your success? Passion for good food and treating our guests like family. Hard work and caring about every detail. And of course, the current trend towards green living has made it a little easier, finally! What obstacles have you faced as a vegan business owner and how did you overcome them? Finding the right people, those who share our work ethic and "get" our mission, has been challenging at times. We've learned to trust our instincts when it comes to hiring our team‐ we believe in polishing diamonds in the rough, and look for that "spark" and passion in a person‐ the rest can be taught.

What got you into being a vegan chef? Being a nutritionist, I recognized the healthy benefits of eating a plant‐based diet, and I became intrigued with finding ways to make vegan foods delicious! Our quest for living healthily and reducing our "footprint" goes hand in hand with vegan cuisine. We are also deeply respectful of all sentient beings. Was there a moment, a sort of epiphany, when you realized that this is what you want to do? There have been a series of "moments." Actually, I have one just about every day. It's truly humbling and gratifying to watch the face of a guest light up when they taste our food. It's wonderful when someone who is facing a frightening health challenge tells me that our food has helped them heal. What is your philosophy about vegan cuisine? Why do you do it and how do you approach others with it? We believe eating "green," "local," "vegan" and "organic" is one of the most powerful ways to reduce our carbon footprint and help rescue our environment.

An Interview with Chef Joy

Pierson of Candle Café and Candle 79


We approach each person who walks through our doors with respect and compassion, regardless of their own beliefs and dietary preferences. You might say we "teach with open arms." Our vegan cuisine speaks for itself, and people inevitably start thinking of food differently. Eventually, they start questioning their own choices and this can lead to major transformations in their lives. We are always glad to share our own experiences with guests, and are delighted when they ask. We've helped convert many a carnivore with our food at the Candles! We believe in the premise of Michio Kushi: "world peace begins in the kitchen." What new projects do you have on the horizon that you’re most excited about? What’s the future for Chef Pierson? We're currently at work on recipes for our Candle 79 cookbook, which is exciting. What really gets me going lately is our work with kids in the public schools‐ we work with a wonderful organization called the New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods. NYCHSF ( www.healthyschoolfood.org) works with the NYC Office of School Food—the 2nd largest food service operation in the country—to create and serve plant‐based entrees for the Future Leaders Institute, a school in Harlem, along with two other schools. This program also entails comprehensive nutrition education in the classroom and a once a month dinner with learning activities for the entire family. Twice a week, one of our chefs goes into the school and cooks a plant based entree for the kids. We also teach kids classes at the restaurant and do field trips to farmers markets with them. Some of these children

have never eaten a fresh vegetable! At a very young age, many are struggling with weight problems, behavioral issues, and sicknesses like asthma and even heart disease. It's vital to the health of our children to get junk food out of our schools. We encourage the kids to take an active role in their own health, and make sure the food we serve them is not only healthy, but delicious. For you, what is the key to having fun in the kitchen? Being adventurous and not following rules‐ and a good bottle of wine (or two) and good company always helps! Buy the freshest seasonal produce you can find from local farmers‐ try something new. And don't be afraid to experiment with herbs and aromatic flavors in your cooking. Make your dishes look beautiful with edible flowers or a scattering of fresh herbs‐ kids love to make "food art" in the kitchen. What kitchen equipment do you use the most at home and what is the one item you feel you can’t do without having(not counting a stove/oven!)? A blender or food processor is a must for vegan cuisine. I love making sauces and dressings in a flash so I can jazz up simple foods. Most chefs prefer gas powered stoves, but most home cooks use electric. Do you have any good advice for cooking on electric? We don't recommend electric stoves, but if you have no choice, you need to experiment a bit‐ watch food a bit more carefully to judge heat levels and cooking times. And always invest in the best cookware you can afford, which will help the heat conduct more evenly. What staples do you keep around your kitchen? Fresh and dried herbs and spices, grains, seeds like hemp and flax seed, nuts, beans, chutneys, mustards, and flavored oils (truffle oil is my favorite) and vinegars for quick splashes of flavor. I freeze organic local berries in summer and use them during the year for a special treat. And we


Candle 79’s Butternut Squash-Chestnut Soup with Balsamic Caramelized Pears

4 tbsp. of olive oil 2 large butternut squash, large dice 1 large leek, trimmed and rough chop 2 cups peeled chestnuts, fresh or frozen 1” piece of fresh ginger, rough chop 2 cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick 1 whole nutmeg cut in half 1 stalk of lemongrass, rough chop 1 dried chipotle pepper 2 tbsp. of fresh sage 2-3 tbsp. of pure maple syrup 1 tsp. of salt, more to taste if necessary 4-5 quarts of filtered water 1 small piece of cheesecloth For Caramelized Pear garnish: 2-3 pears, diced 1 tbsp. of grapeseed oil (or a flavorless oil like canola or safflower) 1 tbsp. of pure maple syrup 1 tsp. of cinnamon powder 2-3 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar

1. In large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. While leeks are sautéeing, place cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, lemongrass, cardamom pods, ginger and chipotle pepper in cheesecloth. Knot securely or tie with string and set aside.

2. Add butternut squash, chestnuts, cheesecloth pouch, sage and water to pot. Water should cover squash by about an inch to two inches. Allow to come to simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer for about 30-45 minutes or until squash is very tender and falls apart. Remove soup from heat.

3. While soup is cooling, in a sauté pan over high heat, heat grapeseed oil. When oil is hot, add pears and sauté for 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add maple syrup, cinnamon powder and balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes until pears are soft and vinegar has become syrupy and coats the pears. Set aside to cool.

4. Remove cheesecloth pouch from soup. Add maple syrup and 1 teaspoon salt to soup. With immersion blender (or a regular blender) puree soup until creamy. (**Be very careful when pureeing hot soup in a regular blender. It’s best for it to cool slightly so it doesn’t make a mess.) If soup appears to be too thick, additional water may be added to achieve desired consistency. Reheat to and add additional salt to taste, if necessary.

5. Garnish hot soup with caramelized pears. Enjoy!

usually keep a stock of tofu, tempeh, and seitan‐ the "holy trinity" of vegan proteins! How do you organize your kitchen? I make sure the things I use most are within easy reach, and organize my cupboards by category. How much time do you usually spend in your kitchen? Not as much as I'd like lately‐ the restaurants are just too busy! On weekends we sometimes steal away to the country and then I cook up a storm. I love spending time in the kitchen‐ it's the heart of the home. Do you allow other people to help you in your kitchen? But of course! The more the merrier. I especially love having kids in the kitchen to help.

What is the most amusing kitchen accident you’ve had at home? When I was very young, I decided to make muffins for the family. I mistook the salt jar for the sugar


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What led you to start DawnWatch and what exactly is DawnWatch? DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch. I keep an eye out for animal stories in the media and send them to people who have signed up on my website to the free list. The point is to encourage people to respond, with letters to the editor, or feedback to TV shows who have done animal friendly story‐lines. As for what led me to start it, well, that’s kind of long story I tell in the last chapter of Thanking the Monkey, as that chapter is about activism. And I tell it often when I speak to groups about reaching out to the media. The details are probably a bit more than we have room for here but I will say for now that I had worked in both print and television news media in Australia almost straight out of college, and had learned the impact of audience feedback. When I developed a keen interest in animal advocacy, I used what I had learned to help guide the media towards focusing on animal issues. What did you do before DawnWatch? After my time in the media in Australia, I traveled to New York with an interest in getting into TV news there. But I fell into personal fitness training while looking for a media job, and I absolutely loved it. And it was the perfect way to make a living when I started pursuing music somewhat seriously – playing the downtown music scene. Meanwhile my do‐gooder side was nourished at the Saint Francis Xavier Church where I worked in the soup kitchen every Sunday through most of the 1990s.

How did you get involved in the animal rights movement? I was always a person who loved animals. And I always had a taste for veggie food, partly because I was raised by an ex‐beauty queen weight conscious mother, who was married for a while to a heart attack survivor whose doctor had told him to cut down on meat. I had not officially cut meat out of my diet but when I moved out of college and started shopping and cooking for myself and my boyfriend, I just found myself heading towards almost exclusively vegetarian cooking. I lived that way, mostly vegetarian, on and off fish, through my twenties. Was there a defining moment for you when you knew this is what you wanted to do or was it a series of events? There were two clear defining moments. The first was when I received a blind mailing from the Humane Farming Association, which showed pictures of sows in gestation crates. The brochure told me that these huge, intelligent animals spent months on end, basically their whole lives, in those individual metal crates, too small for them to turn around, or even lie down with their legs outstretched. All they could do was stare straight ahead of them, chomping on the metal bars as they went mad from the boredom. I remember my reaction: shock, then immediate denial. I told myself, “Those crazy animal rights activists must have found one farm somewhere, probably in

An Interview with Karen Dawn of DawnWatch


some foreign country, which treats their pigs like that. And they’re trying to tell us this is typical.” A year or so later I got another mailing, this time from PETA. It was a brochure that included the first chapter of Peter Singer’s book Animal Liberation. I read the chapter standing in my apartment that night, mesmerized. I bought the book and read it over the next week, which was Christmas 2008. It depressed me profoundly. While I had known our society we ate and experimented on animals, the extent of the institutionalized cruelty was news to me – devastating news. I learned that those animal rights activists who had sent out that earlier brochure hadn’t found some especially egregious pig farm. Those hideous crates were standard industry practice. And innumerable other standard horrors. What kind of impact has this made in your life? How has it changed since you started DawnWatch? From the moment I learned the truth I felt like I had no choice but to pursue this work. I gave the animals my word that I would do my best to help them. And it is hard to put into words the blessing one feels when one knows one’s destiny and moves towards it. This work is hard, and sorrowful, and it can be depressing if you let it. But to wake up in the morning and get to my work, work driven by passion, and to feel like I get to be part of making at least some sort of difference, has had a beautiful impact on my life. It gives my life a layer of meaning it just didn’t have before I was involved in activism. You recently wrote a new book! Can you tell us more about it? What led you to write it and how has it been received?

Yes! “Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals.” I love to write, and have done a lot of writing over my years in animal advocacy, churning out my dawnwatch alerts. I have also done a lot of research, sifting through hundreds of animal media stories every day. From time to time somebody who enjoyed DawnWatch would ask me when I was going to write a book. But our movement already had beautiful books on the issues, and I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. Then a friend of mine changed jobs at a publishing company and was heading up the division aimed at “the 18‐35 celebrity driven market.” Click went the switch – our movement did not have a book aimed at that market! And so was born the idea of “Thanking the Monkey”, a handbook, or a mini encyclopedia of animal issues, presented in full color with a fun cartoon or fabulous piece of art, or a celebrity photo and quote on almost every double page. Harper Collins beat out my friends’ publisher and picked it up, and chose to publish it as a fancy paperback so the price could stay under $20 and appeal to the college market. It was designed as the perfect gift item. While the look of the book is fun and pop culture, and the text will give you a few good laughs, it will probably also evoke some tears, and hopefully a lot of thought. I am so pleased and proud that it has received shining reviews in prestigious papers such as the Washington Post, and glowing endorsements from the likes of Gloria Steinem and JM Coetzee, while also getting fun plugs from pop icons like David Duchovny, Bill Maher and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Do you have a personal philosophy that you try to follow and what is that? I have a few. One is that you cannot spread joy unless you are joyous. So while I take my work seriously and am committed to it, I also take it lightly, and am known in the movement as


somebody who throws fun parties, and loves fashion and cocktails and some fine living. We are not going to get converts to the veggie lifestyle by radiating misery! Along those same lines is my tendency to steer away from purity. The vegan lifestyle is just that for me, a lifestyle, not a religion. I think it is a fun and a kind way to live, so I do it. If I was incredibly strict about it, it wouldn’t be fun for me, or kind to the people around me. So while I respect others who are much stricter, you won’t find me checking to see if my wine was produced in a vegan style or if the restaurant’s bread includes honey or whey. To me it is not an issue of all or nothing, as nobody can do absolutely all, and nobody and do nothing. I find I can do an awful lot without too much inconvenience – especially when I compare my minor inconveniences to the suffering the animals go through. But if my inconvenience were to become a real joy‐killer ‐‐ like if I couldn’t go out for a drink or snack with friends without checking labels ‐‐ that would be past my personal limit. I would find it harder to have fun, to be joyous, and to spread the message that vegan living is both. I imagine, with all of the work you’ve done, that you have several touching stories. Is there one that really stands out for you? The book is actually full of some touching animal stories. One of everybody’s favorites is a personal story of my meeting with a turkey named Olivia. When I went to visit Poplar Spring animal sanctuary back in the year 2000, I knew nothing about turkeys, and had been told, like the rest of us, that they are stupid and feisty. What a shock when Olivia hobbled towards me on the lawn, then crawled into my lap and fell asleep. That story is told in much more detail in a piece that I read on Washington Post radio a few years ago, which is reprinted in Thanking the Monkey as “Thanking the Turkey Who Changed Thanksgiving.”

What obstacles have you encountered and how did you overcome them? Working with a huge mainstream publisher, Harper Collins, turned out to be quite an obstacle for somebody like me who has a strong vision of what they want. I guess I have overcome the obstacle by taking everything as a wonderful lesson. I am so excited that New World Library, who published “The Power of Now” and other spiritual classics, will publish my next book. What advice can you give our readers who want to become more active? The last chapter of Thanking the Monkey, which is headed, “Compassion in Action” is about 30 pages of advice! The much abbreviated version, the place to begin, would be to sign up for some alert lists such as my list, DawnWatch.com, or the Humane Society of the United States action alert lists. Go to www.HSUS.org and click on “legislation” and then “action alerts” for starters. You must be incredibly busy! Do you still find time to cook at home or are you more of the eat‐out type?


Both. I love to cook, and I love to eat out. Because I am a decent cook, when I eat out I go for the atmosphere as much as the food, or for food I could not or just would not make at home. My kind of activism involves taking our message far and wide, so I like going out to support lovely non veggie restaurants that have at least one good vegan main course on the menu, so that they see it sells and are encouraged to provide more. The Viceroy in Santa Monica is a perfect example. And I love Japanese food, and find it easy to enjoy sake and edamame, and seaweed salad and avocado rolls, and tofu dishes – all stuff that I don’t make at home. What do you like to eat when you’re at home (or even on the road?) On the road I eat a lot of Asian food! Thank heavens PF Changs is in so many cities. At home I shop more at my local farmer’s market than anywhere else. I eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables – salads and soups. I have a big hearty vegetable soup of some sort, with beans or tofu or soy chicken added, many nights per week.

You can visit Karen’s site at www.dawnwatch.com and check out her new book at www.thankingthemonkey.com. Thanks Karen!

Karen’s Famous Chili A lot of activists who live in Los Angeles have had and loved my chili. I whip up a huge pot in about half an hour whenever a bunch of folks are coming over. This is not haute cuisine but gosh it’s a good fast feed for a lot of people. I don’t actually have a recipe, but I do have an idea so I will give it a go. In a BIG pot, saute a large onion and a cup of chopped celery in some olive oil. Open a bag of organic baby carrots, chop them, and simmer them on the stove in just an inch or two of water at the same time, to add them to the chili a little later. Chop a package of “Gimme Lean” beef flavored soy protein meat into cubes, and add to the sautéed onions and celery. Add a package of “Smart Ground” taco mix. If I have a package of seitan in the house, that gets chopped up and added, too. I also chop up a packet of Yves Veggie dogs. (Between them and the molasses that I add later, my chili has a slightly smoky, baked beans South‐Western flavor.) Brown the “meats” a little. Add 2 jars of organic salsa (mild or hot according to your taste) Add a can of corn. Add 2 cans of mixed chili beans. Add that pan of now tenderized carrots, including the inch of water with all the nutrients. Add about a quarter cup of molasses. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste, stir well and simmer for a few minutes. You’re done, and it serves about twenty and took less than twenty minutes. Can you tell I used to work in a soup kitchen? Serve it with Sangria and pretend you are at one of our July Fourth celebrations! ‐ Karen


Tell us about Abbott on the Lake and tell us about yourself. Abbott on the Lake Bed and Breakfast is situated on the shores of beautiful Okanagan Lake in a quiet, heritage area, four blocks from city center where all of Kelowna's local restaurants, shops, and entertainment activities can be found. What did you do before Abbott on the Lake? I am a Home Economics graduate from the University of British Columbia and taught Foods and Nutrition classes in the local high school for 33 years. My passion is cooking and researching recipes. What led you to starting a vegetarian bed & breakfast? Because of my background in foods and nutrition, and my husband and I being vegans, we felt it only natural to offer vegetarian breakfasts to our guests. We serve hot beverages, fruit juices, a fresh fruit platter, home made fresh fruit scones, cinnamon rolls, mini fruit breads and a hot main course.

What sorts of challenges have you faced as a vegetarian business owner and how have you overcome them? In the nine years of my husband, Tom and I operating our bed and breakfast, we have only had rave reviews and compliments about our breakfasts. It seems that no one ever misses the bacon or sausages. The challenges that we do have are guests who are lactose or gluten intolerant. For them, I serve a homemade cooked or raw museli, blueberry rice flour pancakes, a wonderful rice flour bread, and use soya/almond/rice milk and soya cheese instead. Why did you choose Lake Okanagan? What features of the area drew you to it? My husband and I were both born in Kelowna, the heart of the Okanagan Valley and wine country. We love the city, the weather and natural beauty of the area. We feel so fortunate to live right on the lake with our own private sandy beach, and wharf to moor our boat. You have some beautiful wineries and produce in the area. What do you do to incorporate those

An Interview with Linda and Tom Atkinson of

Abbott on the Lake Bed & Breakfast


Muesli

5 cups rolled oats, not the quick oats 1 cup rye flakes 1 cup barley flakes 1 cup wheat flakes 1 cup raisins or crasins 1 cup ground flax 1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds 1 cup triticale flakes 1 cup bran flakes 1 cup millet 1 cup wheat germ 1 cup chopped almonds 1 cup chopped dried apricots and apples

Mix all ingredients with a large spoon and store in a sealed container in the fridge. To serve the muesli cold, pour into bowl and serve with soya milk or fruit juice and added sliced fresh berries or grated apple on top. You can also place muesli in saucepan and add about three times the amount of water. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Serve hot with fruit syrups or maple syrup or with soya milk and topped with fresh berries. A third alternative is to take your dry mixture out the night before and let a bowl of it soak overnight in the fried with soya milk or juice. In the morning, add more milk or juice and add fresh fruits or grated apples. Enjoy!!

into the bed & breakfast experience and do you have a favorite local wine?

Our wineries are some of the best in the world and guests from all

over love to tour and visit them. It would be difficult to choose one wine in particular as there are so many wonderful wineries in our area producing fabulous wines. We also support and purchase fruits and vegetables from our farmer’s market on Wednesdays and Saturdays and also visit local vegetable stands for wonderful, fresh produce. We make our own jams and jellies, grow edible flowers and herbs for use and garnishing and make our own cinnamon rolls, variety of fruit scones and breads. Take us through what a weekend at Abbott on the Lake would look like. Guests usually arrive mid‐ afternoon and either sip on a glass of wine and relax and unwind in the gazebo or in the lakeside gardens, or go for a swim and lay on the beach lounges in the sunshine. They can then walk to one of the many local restaurants for their evening dinner. The next morning, after a delicious home cooked breakfast, a local wine tour company will pick them up right at the door and take them for a full day or afternoon tour. Or they can walk four blocks into the city to explore Kelowna’s cultural district of art galleries, wine and orchard museums, boutiques and casino. Another day, guests could take a picnic lunch and enjoy a breath taking walking or cycling tour of the world famous Kettle Valley Railway section in the Myra Canyon. Another option would be a boat cruise on


Okanagan Lake for the afternoon and dinner on board or a visit one of our local apple orchards or lavender farm. Do your guests have a favorite vegan breakfast? Our guests’ favourite vegan breakfast would be our baked cooked muesli. The raw version was given to me by our local physician, Dr. Fromberg. I have since added variations to the recipe. Cook and serve it hot with maple syrup or our local fruit syrups make in the Okanagan and topped with fresh berries or fresh sliced fruits and milk. How do you win over your meat‐eating guests? We’ve never had anyone ever ask “where is the bacon or sausage?” as they are enjoying their vegetarian breakfast so much. What do you see in the future for Abbott on the Lake? Do you have any exciting new upcoming projects? We have loved operating Abbott on the Lake bed and breakfast for the past nine years and meeting and visiting with wonderful guests from all parts of the world. We look forward to this continuing in the many years to come. Contact Info Check out Abbott on the Lake at www.abbottonthelake.com and 1986 Abbott Street, Kelowna BC. (250) 762‐0221.

Linda and Tom Atkinson opened Abbott on the Lake Bed and Breakfast, a vegetarian B & B, in 1999 after their three children went off to university. Linda and Tom both graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC then became high school teachers for 33 years, Linda in Foods and Nutrition and Tom is Fine Arts. After completing her Masters in Educational Administration and Tom’s dream of owning an Inn and passion for gardening, it was a natural fit to open our b and b Our gardens received the Communities In Bloom Award and have been featured in Gardens West Magazine and on national television.


I first heard about this restaurant when I was in Fort Worth, Texas last year for a friend’s wedding and I thought it was a sister restaurant to a venerable Dallas‐area vegan restaurant called Veggie Garden. Despite the similarity in names, the two restaurants are, in fact, unrelated, though they both feature Asian style vegan menus. Fortunately, I got to try New Start Veggie Garden at the aforementioned wedding since the host of the wedding kindly provided the veggie dishes from them! They were so good, I had to go back on a later trip to Dallas/Fort Worth. Atmosphere Many Asian style vegan buffets have the same look on the inside of the restaurant. Hard white floors, deli style tables and chairs, and an almost clinical feel to them, dressed up with bamboo and various pieces of Asian art and nature pictures. New Start

Veggie Garden was no exception. What made this place stand out, though, was the incredibly warmth of the owner and host. Her presence brightened the restaurant and gave it a very homey, welcoming feeling that made me want to stay, chat, and take my time enjoying my meal. I was thoroughly impressed when she came around to the various tables and offered samples of her new veggie burger recipe, soliciting feedback from all the guests in the restaurant. Service New Start Veggie Garden sports a sizeable buffet, so service wasn’t much of an issue. The first time I was there, though, the owner took me around to all of the menu items and explained them to me, and that was top‐notch service.

2330 Royal Lane Suite 900 Dallas TX 75229

972-243-0507 Hours: Breakfast from 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Mon - Fri

Lunch from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Sun – Fri Dinner from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Thu – Fri & Sun

Closed on Saturday http://web.mac.com/newstartveggiegarden/Site/Welcome.html

Restaurant Review: New Start Veggie GardenReviewer: Jason Wyrick


Presentation There wasn’t any adornment to any of the dishes in the buffet line, which detracted from the food. Being a buffet, though, it really didn’t affect my dining experience much. Food New Start Veggie Garden was a unique experience for me. I’ve eaten at several Asian‐style vegan restaurants and if you’ve eaten at them, too, you’ll know that the food is typically fried, greasy, or overly processed. While New Start had its share of meat substitute dishes, none of the items presented felt heavy or oily. There was a surprising freshness to them that I think is the hallmark of truly good Asian cuisine. I’ve been to the buffet twice and I’ve seen a couple curries, several soups including a hot and sour soup, lots of veggie sushi, and usually a choice of three or four meat substitute dishes, and several tofu dishes. The sauces usually are semi‐sweet or brown savory sauces, though they tend to be fairly light. Expect to see some pasta dishes with quick stir fried veggies. The problem I had with New Start Veggie Garden was that everything was good! I’d recommend to you to try a curry, but then I’d also recommend the hot and sour soup, but then I’d recommend the soy beef, but then…you get the picture. At the very least, try any of the items with the black bean sauce. Fortunately, it’s a buffet, so you get to try it all! Overall If you haven’t made it down to New Start Veggie Garden yet, take the opportunity now! This is definitely a restaurant worth supporting and I hope to see more of them popping up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Rating: 4 out of 5

The Reviewer Chef Jason Wyrick loves to travel around the country and explore new restaurants. Willing to try the most adventuresome items on the menu, he is constantly

delighted by the incredible creativity of vegan friendly and veg-friendly chefs.


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him I was experimenting on him) and he really liked it! He’s not a mushroom fan, either, but he loved the mushrooms stuffed with the cheese and I had to stop making them so he didn’t eat all my Cheezly. I may have to hide it next time he visits! Where to Get It: Cheezly is sold at many of the online vegan stores and at Food Fight grocery, where I bought my block of garlic and herb cheddar cheese. How to Use It: The best way to use this is to slice it into 1/8” slices and place them in a garlic baker. Bake the cheese on 325 degrees for about 12‐15 minutes and then use it as a spread. If you don’t have a garlic baker, place the cheese in a covered pan and slowly soften it over a medium‐low heat. Stuff it in mushrooms, use it as a cracker spread, or crumble the softened Cheezly over your favorite dip. You can also check out the Redwood Co.’s website for recipes. Closing Comments: Cheezly has definitely piqued my curiosity and I’m looking forward to trying some of their other cheeses, especially if I can serve a vegan cheese to my non‐vegetarian friends and have them ask for more! Nutritional Information Serving Size 1 oz. Calories: 69 Fat 4.9g Carbohydrates 5.15g Protein 1g Salt 310mg

The Reviewer Chef Jason Wyrick is an award winning vegan chef and the owner of Arizona's only vegan catering company, Devil

Spice. Serving the state since 2004 as both a caterer and a prolific vegan culinary instructor, Chef Jason has garnered local and national attention. He was chosen as vegcooking.com's October, 2005 Chef of the Month and has been featured in the Arizona Republic and on ABC's local morning show, Sonoran Living Live. Formerly a diabetic, Chef Jason approaches vegan cuisine from both a health and ethical standpoint with an eye for taste and simplicity.


The Café Flora Cookbook, from one of Seattle’s most famous vegetarian restaurants, is a step into the world of gourmet vegetarian cuisine. Don’t be scared off by that, though! This book is what I classify as an intermediate level cookbook for preparing advanced cuisine. The recipes are laid out in a manner that, with a basic knowledge of cooking techniques, can teach you how to prepare haute cuisine with a minimum of fuss. Keep in mind, though, that not all of the recipes are vegan and while most of the vegetarian recipes are easy to veganize, doing so does require some advanced culinary experience. A nice touch to the book is that all of the vegan recipes are marked with a “v” in the table of contents. The book features an amazing two hundred and fifty plus recipes! Topics range from starters and snacks (great to see snacks show up in a gourmet cookbook!), soups, salads, dinners, pizzas (kudos again to Café Flora for this section), sandwiches, brunch, beverages, sides, and sauces. The obvious omission is a dessert section, but I’m not a big dessert eater and was happy to see that space taken up with other recipes. Don’t worry if you’ve got a sweet tooth, however, as there are sweet recipes scattered throughout the book. My favorite recipes include the Peanut, Yam, and Chipotle soup, Janine’s Wasabi Potato Salad, Spicy Grilled Polenta with Provencal Fennel Sauce, Herbed Tofu Ricotta, and the Café Flora Vegan Coffee Cake. The recipes definitely have a strong Southwestern and African influence with a bit of

Asian and French thrown in. If you’re a chipotle lover, you’ll find lots of inspiration in this book. Finally, there are some nice touches to this book (besides being packed with gourmet style food that I like!). Many of the recipes have chef’s notes that help personalize the recipe and explain the techniques behind some of the recipes. There are also little tidbits thrown into the directions to clarify a point and generally made life easier in the kitchen. Finally, because this is a gourmet cookbook, there are plenty of ingredients that, while available at places like Whole Foods, spice stores, etc., will probably not be found in the average kitchen. They’ve got unfamiliar names and unfamiliar looks. To help you understand what these ingredients are, the author has included descriptions of these ingredients, giving instructions on how to use them, what they look like, and how they taste and smell. All in all, this book is a great way to get introduced to gourmet vegan cuisine. The Reviewer Chef Jason Wyrick is an award winning vegan chef and the owner of Arizona's only vegan catering

Author: Catherine Geier Publisher: Penguin Books Copyright: 2005 ISBN: 1‐55788‐471‐4 Price: $25.95

Book Review: Café Flora

Cookbook Author: Catherine Geier

Reviewer: Chef Jason Wyrick


company, Devil Spice. Serving the state since 2004 as both a caterer and a prolific vegan culinary instructor, Chef Jason has garnered local and national attention. He was chosen as vegcooking.com's October, 2005 Chef of the Month and has been featured in the Arizona Republic and on ABC's local morning show, Sonoran Living Live. Formerly a diabetic, Chef Jason approaches vegan cuisine from both a health and ethical standpoint with an eye for taste and simplicity.


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was secured by Richard Craig, Competing Chef at University of Glasgow Hospitality Services. Richard Craig's starter, "Sweet Potato and Butternut Corn Cake with Minted Pea and Red Pepper Taster, Organic Herb‐Baked Crunch, Pesto and Fajita Salsa", was especially commended by the judges. The other high‐flying finalists were John Bayley, owner of Cashew ‐ Creative Vegetarian and Vegan Catering, in Lewes, East Sussex; Wayne Shooter, Chef at HMP Whatton near Nottingham; and Terry Woolcock, Executive Chef at Hatherley Manor Hotel. The Vegan Society 'Vegan Catering for All' project aims to improve the quality and availability of vegan food. Good vegan food is a great solution for caterers because it appeals to just about everyone ‐ it's tasty, healthy, ethical and cuts your carbon footprint. The Vegan Society offers free advice on getting the most from vegan food.

The Author Amanda Baker is the media relations officer for The Vegan Society. You can reach her at [email protected].


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Click on any of the recipes in the index to take you to the relevant recipe. Some recipes will have large white sections after the instructional portion of them. This is so you need only print out the ingredient and instructional sections for ease of kitchen use.

Recipe Page Recipe Page

Main Dishes Nutbrown Ale braised Tofurky BBQ Tofurky BBQ Sauce Smoked Mushroom Roulade Thanksgiving “Torte” Gnocchi in Pumpkin Sauce Quinoa stuffed Acorn Squash Raw Unturkey Raw Unturkey II Seitan‐based Unturkey Tofu‐based Unturkey “Flaky” Unturkey Soup/Stews Barley Lentil Lemon Soup Seitan & Potato Hot Pot Butternut Squash‐Chestnut Soup with Caramelized Pears Karen Dawn’s Famous Chili Side Dishes and Accompaniments Chai Sweet Potatoes Bourbon Laced Sweet Potatoes Curried Sweet Potatoes Cheesy Carrots Creamy Green Beans Spanish White Asparagus Crispy Sage Mashed Potatoes Fennel & Onions Mushroom Pierogie Kutia White Wine Stuffing Spiced Nuts Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage Vegetable Potato Pancakes Apple Mango Chutney Raw Stuffing Raw Mashed Potatoes

51 55 59 64 69 75

79 83 29 20 20 21 87 91 33

38

95 99 103 107 111 115 119 123 127 132 136 9 13 13 13 28 28

Breakfast Smoked Almond & Raspberry Waffles Lime & Pepper Pancakes Walnut Maple Pancakes Wheatberry Pumpkin Pancakes Pumpkin Scones Blueberry Almond Bread Muesli Drinks Glogg Cranberry Nog Ginger Barley Tea Hot Toddy Mulled Apple Cider Spiced Hot Cocoa Wassail Salads Raw Waldorf Salad Desserts & Sweets Baked Apples in Phyllo Dough Cinnamon Almond Cookies Gingerbread Cookies Haystacks Peppermint Cookies Rugelach Thumbprint Cookies Pumpkin Pie Icebox Pie Persimmon Pudding Mincemeat Pie Caramel Bar Cookies Caramel Popcorn Easy Raw Almond Crust Soufganiot (Hannukah Jam Donuts) Raw Apple Pie

140

144 148 152 157 161 40

165 169 173 177 180 184 188

192

196 200 205 209 213 217 222 226 230 234 238 243 247 9 13 30


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Nutbrown Ale Braised Tofurky Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 30 minutes Ingredients 1 Tofurky 1 bottle of nutbrown ale 1 tbsp. of chili oil (use olive oil if you can’t find chili oil) 3 tbsp. of tamari 1 tsp. of liquid smoke 12 cloves of garlic ¼ cup of loosely packed sage leaves 4 sprigs of rosemary ¼ cup of brown sugar 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper Instructions Place the Tofurky in a container or small baking dish (the more the dish conforms to the shape of the Tofurky, the better). Pour the nutbrown ale, chili oil, tamari, and liquid smoke over the Tofurky. Drop in the garlic, sage, rosemary, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and sugar. Allow this to marinate for at least a day in the refrigerator, but preferably two or three. Rotate the Tofurky 2-3 times a day. Place the Tofurky and all the marinade in a baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake it on 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the Tofurky from the marinade. Slice the Tofurky. Serve the remaining marinade from the baking dish as a sauce.



Low-fat Version Omit the oil from the marinade. Kitchen Equipment Baking Dish or Container (make sure you choose a container that won’t get stained) Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Foil Knife Cutting Board Presentation

Dress the plated Tofurky with some crispy sage leaves and/or fresh sprigs of rosemary.

Time Management It’s not necessary to do the long marinade, but it does infuse the Tofurky with a lot of flavor. Still, if you’re in a pinch, it’s ok to skip that part and go straight to baking it in the marinade. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of rosemary flavored bread and a bulb of roasted garlic. Where to Shop I purchase my Tofurky at Trader Joe’s. It’s usually only $10 there. That is also where I get the nutbrown ale (Samuel Smith brand). The rest of the ingredients are fairly common. Approximate



cost per serving is $3.50. How It Works The nutbrown ale has a rich, dark, sweet flavor which permeates the Tofurky (alcohol is great for penetrating dense foods) and carry with it a subtle flavor of each of the other marinade ingredients. The marinade time is long because Tofurky is fairly dense and the alcohol has to work to get into it. One of the nice things about this recipe is that the garlic will roast while the Tofurky roasts, giving the sauce a very rich nutty garlic flavor. Make sure to cover the Tofurky so it does not dry out in the oven. Chef’s Notes I vacillate between serving this recipe and serving my bbq Tofurky at Thanksgiving. Sometimes I give in and serve both! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1594.6 (398.6) Calories from Fat 392.6 (98.1) Fat 43.6g (10.9g) Total Carbohydrates 123.3g (30.8g) Dietary Fiber 13.4g (3.4g) Sugars 52.4g (13.1g) Protein 177.2g (44.3g) Salt 5571mg (1393mg) Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 16% (4%) Vitamin C 4% (1%) Calcium 257% (64.3%) Iron 65% (16.3%) Thiamin3% (0.8%) Riboflavin 6% (1.5%) Niacin 12% (3%)



Folate 0% (0%) Phosphorous 12% (3%) Potassium 11% (2.8%) Zinc 5% (1.3%) Magnesium 11% (2.8%) Copper 15% (3.8%) Interesting Facts Tofurky was created in the early 1990s by Seth Tibbott, owner of Turtle Island Foods.



BBQ Tofurky Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 2 hours Ingredients 1 Tofurky 2 cups of Chef Jason’s bbq sauce (see BBQ recipe) Oil for brushing the Tofurky Option: 2 cups of semi-sweet bbq sauce and ¼ cup of peanut butter Instructions Slather 1 cup of bbq sauce all over the Tofurky. Lightly brush it with oil. Set it aside. Light the grill using mesquite wood and allow the flames to die down. Place the Tofurky on the grill. If your grill is very hot in the middle, place the Tofurky on the side or wait awhile for the heat to die down even more. Close the grill lid to trap the smoke in the grill. The Tofurky will take 40-50 minutes to smoke and cook properly. Rotate the Tofurky every 10 minutes. When you rotate it, brush a bit of the bbq sauce onto it to keep it hydrated. Check the Tofurky when you rotate it to make sure it is not burning.



Low-fat Version Omit the peanut butter from the bbq sauce. Kitchen Equipment Plate or Container to hold the Tofurky Brush Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Grill Tongs Presentation

If you want to add some color, save some parsley from the bbq recipe, chop it, and sprinkle it over the plated and sliced Tofurky.

Time Management There is a lot of downtime in this recipe, so you’ve got plenty of time to make some companion recipes while the bbq sauce simmers and the Tofurky smokes. Complementary Food and Drinks My favorite side for this is roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Where to Shop Trader Joe’s has the best price on Tofurky at $9.99. The ingredients for the bbq sauce should be readily available, though you should find a peanut butter that only consists of ground peanuts.



If you purchase a packaged bbq sauce, make sure it does not contain natural flavors, which is often a euphemism for chicken or beef stock. Approximate cost per serving is $4.00. How It Works Adding peanut butter to the bbq sauce gives it a very deep, rich flavor and also thickens the sauce, allowing it to cling to the Tofurky better than it would without the peanut butter. The oil is brushed onto the Tofurky after the sauce is added to keep the sauce from drying out and also to somewhat keep the sauce from sticking to the grill. A low grill heat is used so that the Tofurky slow-cooks. This slow cooking time allows the Tofurky to pick up lots of smoky flavor. Chef’s Notes When I tell people I put peanut butter in my bbq sauce, I always get this surprised, and then excited expression from them. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1980.5 (495.1) Calories from Fat 490.5 (122.6) Fat 54.5g (13.6g) Total Carbohydrates 185.5g (46.4g) Dietary Fiber 17.0g (4.3g) Sugars 112.0g (28.0g) Protein 187.0g (46.8g) Salt 3860mg (965mg) Vitamin A 67% (16.8%) Vitamin B6 2% (0.5%) Vitamin C 165% (41.3%) Calcium 250% (62.5%) Iron 50% (12.5%) Thiamin 0% (0%) Riboflavin 0% (0%) Niacin 0% (0%)



Folate 0% (0%) Phosphorous 20% (5%) Potassium 0% (0%) Zinc 0% (0%) Magnesium 0% (0%) Copper 0% (0%) Interesting Facts Tofurky is the best selling meat substitute product in the U.S.



BBQ Sauce Type: Sauce - Miscellaneous Serves: Varies on how the sauce is used Time to Prepare: 30 minutes of labor, at least 3 hours in the slow cooker This recipe can be used as a sauce, a condiment, or as a marinade. Ingredients 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. of olive oil 10 roma tomatoes, grilled and smoked Olive oil for brushing the tomatoes 1 cup of brown sugar 3 tbsp. of molasses ½ cup of water ½ cup of prepared yellow mustard Juice of 2 lemons (2 tbsp.) 1 tbsp. tamari ¼ cup of peanut butter 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. allspice 2 tsp. crushed red pepper 1 sprig of parsley, chopped 1 tbsp. olive oil Options: 2 ½ cups of tomato sauce instead of 10 tomatoes, 1 tsp. of liquid smoke instead of grilling and smoking the tomatoes Instructions Grilling and Smoking the Tomatoes…

Heat up your outdoor grill. Brush the tomatoes with olive oil. Place on the edges of the grill rack, cover, and cook for ten minutes. After ten minutes, turn them over and cook them for another five minutes.



Making the Sauce… Sauté the onion in 1 tbsp. of olive oil on a medium-high heat until they brown. Add in the garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove from the heat and add 2 tbsp. of water to the still hot sauté pan and stir. Add this liquid with the onions and garlic into the slow cooker. Add in the rest of the ingredients, including the tomatoes and the last tbsp. of olive oil. Blend together with a hand blender until smooth. Cook on a low heat for at least three hours.

Using the Options… If you use the canned tomato sauce instead of the grilled and smoked tomatoes, you should add in 1 tsp. of liquid smoke. If you do not have a hand blender, you can put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor after they have cooled a bit, blend, and then transfer to the slow cooker.



Kitchen Equipment Cutting Board Chef’s Knife Slow Cooker Blender, Food Processor, or Hand Blender Sauté Pan Wooden Spoon to Use in the Sauté Pan Outdoor Grill Blunt Tongs for the Tomatoes Presentation

Since this is a sauce that’s meant to be used as a condiment or a marinade, presentation is not a factor.

Time Management If you plan on using the sauce the same day, try making it in the morning as the longer it sits, the better it is. You can also get the onions and garlic ready while you are grilling the tomatoes, so start with the tomatoes, and while they are cooking and smoking, sauté the onion and garlic so they are all ready to be put in the slow cooker at the same time. If you plan on making anything else to go with this, make this first, and then start on your other recipes well after the BBQ sauce has been in the slow cooker. Complimentary Food and Drinks Try this with shredded seitan or as a veggie burger topping instead of using something like ketchup. It also goes great spread across a slice of extra firm tofu. If you do it that way, add an additional tbsp. of olive oil to help it grill better and keep it from sticking too much. Lastly, you can use this as a tasty dip for French Fries!



Where to Shop All of the ingredients are common, so they should be found at any supermarket. For the wood chips, if you decide to use them, you may have to go to an outdoors store or a store that specializes in grills. How It Works BBQ sauces are traditionally tangy, especially the Texas style ones. That tang comes from the lemon juice and the vinegar from the prepared mustard. As this is also a Texas style sauce, it is a little on the sweet side, which is gotten form the molasses, the onion, and the brown sugar, all of go together to provide a layered sweetness since each have a unique taste. This sauce makes a good marinade since it is so acidic. Acids penetrate food easily. The peanut butter adds a little bit of smoothness and richness to the sauce and usually gets people talking as they try to figure out what the tasty uniqueness that is created by the peanut butter is. Finally, the long cook time allows the flavors to mingle together, which is further achieved by letting the BBQ sauce set overnight. Chef’s Notes Once the coals are smoldering, you can add a layer of mesquite and cherry tree chips to the outdoor grill for some extra flavor with the smoke. My favorite way to eat this is to make some shredded seitan and let that marinade in the BBQ sauce for at least and hour, which I put on a bun for BBQ sandwiches. Also, make sure that when you cook the sauce in the slow cooker, it is on low so that it does not burn the sugars in the sauce too much. If that happens, there’s a chance the sauce will become bitter. Nutritional Facts (does not include the options) Calories 1766 Calories from Fat 414 Fat 49g Total Carbohydrates 241g Dietary Fiber 9g Sugars 214g



Protein 34g Salt 2710mg Vitamin A 134% Vitamin B6 5% Vitamin C 331% Calcium 63mg Iron 3.9mg Thiamin .37mg Riboflavin .30mg Niacin 3.9mg Folate 15.2mcg Phosphorous 148mg Potassium 206mg Zinc .2mg Magnesium 68.2mg Copper .46mg Interesting Facts Most Southern style BBQ sauces have a sweet tomato base. While many cultures grill with a sauce, BBQ sauce is an American culinary invention that became prevalent in the late 1800s. There is a BBQ rivalry between Texas and Kansas City.



Mushroom Roulade Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes + 4 hours of marinade time Ingredients 2 cups of cubed French bread 1 stalk of celery, sliced ¼ of an onion, chopped 1 tsp. of olive oil ¼ cup of walnuts ½ of a green apple, diced 1 tbsp. of paprika ¼ tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of freshly ground pepper ½ cup of vegetable stock 4 very large portabella mushrooms 2 cups of red wine 8 cloves of garlic, minced ½ tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg Olive oil for brushing Pinch of salt Apple wood chips for smoking the mushrooms Toothpicks Option: ¼ cup of green olives stuffed with sundried tomatoes for the stuffing Instructions Remove the stems and gills from the portabellas. Mince the garlic. Mix the garlic, nutmeg, and red wine together. Marinade the portabella caps in the wine solution for at least 4 hours, covered. Soak the apple wood chips in water for at least one hour. Towards the end of the marinade, prepare the stuffing. Chop the onion, slice the celery, and dice the apple. Saute these on medium high heat in the 1 tsp. of olive oil until the onion starts to brown.



Add the cubed French bread, paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium. Saute this for about 5 minutes. Add in the vegetable stock. Cook this for another 10 minutes and remove it from the heat. Light up a charcoal grill with the soaked apple chips. Take the portabella caps out of the red wine marinade. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle on a touch of salt. Place these on the grill until they are soft and pliable. Wrap them around the stuffing. Pierce them with toothpicks at a diagonal to hold them together. Return them to the grill for another 5-10 minutes. Brush the mushrooms with the marinade every minute or so to keep them from dying out.



Kitchen Equipment Grill Smoke Box for the apple wood chips Tongs Toothpicks Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Medium Sized Pot Wooden Spoon Bowl for marinating the mushrooms Cutting Board Small Knife Presentation

This is a complex recipe and it deserves a good presentation, so take some time to lay the roulade along the side of the plate and drizzle some of the marinade over it. You can also take a balsamic vinegar reduction and place dots of that where the marinade does not fall. For an extra finish, top this with a lightly fried sage leaf. I propped the sage leaf up on this roulade by sticking it on one of the toothpicks. Finally, several whole cloves of roasted garlic

dressed in herbs looks very nice against the dark red of the marinade and roulade. Time Management This has a couple different parts to it, including grilling the mushrooms. I like to make the stuffing early and then light the grill about ten minutes before I’m done with the marinade. That makes it fairly easy to assemble. Also, if I have some stuffing left over from another recipe, I will sauté up the diced apple, mix it into the stuffing, and then let it warm on the grill while it’s wrapped in the roulade. Doing it that way makes this a very simple recipe to make. There are also a couple cheats to this recipe. First, you can forgo grilling the mushrooms and sauté them in a touch of liquid smoke. Even better is to sauté them in a bit of oil with some smoked



salts which can sometimes be found at places like Central Market and Whole Foods. In addition, you can forgo the marinade and sauté the mushrooms with a couple tablespoons of red wine and a couple cloves of garlic. With any of these cheats, you’ll lose some flavor, but you’ll save a whole lot of time. Complementary Food and Drinks Try this with a side of toasted bread brushed with oil and topped with a green olive, sundried tomato, and almond tapenade. For a different side, I like to go with my crispy sage mashed potatoes. Where to Shop Apple wood chips can be found at most gourmet food stores, kitchen stores, and places that specialize in grills and barbeque. I usually use a merlot for the wine which can be purchased just about anywhere. The toothpicks will probably be located in the baking aisle or with the other kitchen implements at your local market. All of the other ingredients should be easy to find. Make sure when you buy the mushrooms, though, that you get mushrooms that have around 6” or wider caps. How It Works Marinating the mushrooms obviously allows it to absorb some of the garlic and nutmeg flavored wine. Red wine is used so that it can compete with the dark, heavy flavor of the portabella. The gills and stems are removed so the portabella can more easily wrap around the stuffing. Apple is used in this traditional stuffing to give it a hint of sweetness and texture. The mushrooms are grilled so that they pick up a subtle smoky flavor. Apple wood chips are used as a mild flavoring agent. It’s something that may not be noticed right away, but would be missed if it was absent. Chef’s Notes This recipe takes a lot longer than I generally have patience for doing, but it is well worth the wait. I usually know I’m going to make these the day before I do, so I just put together the marinade in the morning and let the mushrooms hang out in it until I am ready to start cooking.



Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 464.2 (116.1) Calories from Fat 86.4 (21.6) Fat 10.0g (2.4g) Total Carbohydrates 64.9g (16.2g) Dietary Fiber 14.4g (3.6g) Sugars 16.4g (4.1g) Protein 29.6g (7.4g) Salt 227.2mg (55.8mg) Vitamin A 1% (0.3%) Vitamin B6 51% (12.8%) Vitamin C 44% (11%) Calcium 14% (3.5%) Iron 59% (14.8%) Thiamin 50% (12.5%) Riboflavin 192% (48%) Niacin 188% (47%) Folate 37% (9.3%) Phosphorous 98% (24.5%) Potassium 99% (24.8%) Zinc 47% (11.8%) Magnesium 30% (7.5%) Copper 228% (57%) Interesting Facts A traditional roulade is a thin piece of meat wrapped around a filling. Cremini mushrooms expand rapidly and become portabella mushrooms in three to four days.


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Zel Allen of Vegetarians in Paradise

Thanksgiving Torte Type: Main Dish Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 2 hours 30 minutes Ingredients 3 1/3 cups (800 ml) of water, divided 2/3 cup (160 ml) of wild rice 2 1/8 teaspoons of salt, divided ¾ pound (340g) of red or white rose potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1” (2.5cm) cubes 1 cup (240 ml) of water 1/8 teaspoon of salt (optional) ½ cup (120 ml) of coarsely chopped pecan pieces ¼ cup (60 ml) of coarsely chopped walnut pieces 1 (14-ounce) package of vegan ground sausage ¾ pound (340g) of portabella mushrooms, chopped (about 4 large mushrooms) 1 large onion, diced 1/3 cup (80 ml) water 2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp. of poultry seasoning ¼ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp. of hickory liquid smoke 1 ¼ tsp. of salt or to taste 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced Mushroom Gravy ½ pound 225g) sliced button mushrooms 1 ¾ cups (415 ml) plus 3 tbsp. of water, divided ¼ cup (60 ml) of soy sauce ¼ cup (60 ml) of dry red wine 2 tbsp. of lemon juice 3 tbsp. of cornstarch 3 tbsp. of water



Instructions Making the Main Part of the Torte

To make the torte, lightly oil a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, line the base with parchment paper (for easier cleanup), and set it aside. Combine 2 cups (480 ml) of the water, wild rice, and ¾ tsp. of the salt in a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and steam for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Drain any excess liquid and set the rice aside. Combine the potato cubes, 1 cup (240 ml) of the water, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt in a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl, mash them, and set them aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (Gas Mark 5.) Toast the pecans and walnuts in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over high heat, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer them to a dish to cool. Combine the vegan sausage, mushrooms, onion, the remaining 1/3 cup (80 ml) of water, olive oil, poultry seasoning, and pepper in a large, deep skillet. Cook over high for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is transparent, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or paddle to break up the sausage chunks. Drain and reserve any excess liquid. Add the remaining 1¼ tsp. of salt and hickory liquid smoke to the sausage mixture and mix well. Add the mashed potatoes to the skillet along with the toasted nuts and cooked wild rice. Mix well to combine the ingredients thoroughly. Adjust seasonings if needed.

Assembling the Torte Press the mixture firmly into the prepared springform pan, and attractively arrange the tomato slices over the top, covering most of the surface. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Allow the torte to stand for 15 to 20 minutes before removing from the pan.



Preparing the Mushroom Gravy While the torte is baking, combine the mushrooms, 1 ¾ cups (415 ml) of the water, soy sauce, red wine, and lemon juice in a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan. Bring this to a boil. Turn heat down slightly and simmer for 5 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and remaining 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and stir with a spoon to make a runny paste. Add the paste to the bubbling sauce, a little at a time, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, until the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency.

Serving the Torte Run a clean flatware knife around the edge of the springform pan, release the springform collar, and set the base with the torte on a platter.

Top the torte with the sliced tomatoes.



Kitchen Equipment Springform Pan Slotted Spoon Parchment Paper Sauce Pan Mixing Bowl Fork Skillet Oven Spoon Small Mixing Bowl Stirring Spoon Knife Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation

Add a gourmet touch by serving the torte on a footed cake plate and garnish the edges with sprigs of fresh herbs and orange slices. Serve the gravy in a gravy boat on the side.

Time Management To ease the feast-day preparations, make the torte the day before, store it in the refrigerator, and reheat it at 350 degrees (Gas Mark 4) for 15 to 20 minutes just before serving. The preparation comes together more quickly if you cook the wild rice before beginning the torte or even a day ahead.



Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a glass of red wine, a side of mashed potatoes, and a salad of dark greens and cranberries. Where to Shop There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but most of them can be found at your local grocery store. You may need to go to Whole Foods, Central Market, or Sprouts for the vegan sausage while Sprouts and Central Market will have the spices available in the bulk section. Buying the spices and nuts from bulk bins will reduce the cost of this recipe by quite a bit. Approximate cost per serving is $2.25. How It Works The torte is basically made from heavily spiced vegan sausage, wild rice, and a nut mix all held together by mashed potatoes. Each contributes a unique texture, giving the torte a complex mouth-feel. Toasting the nuts darkens their flavors and using wild rice also creates a deep flavor to the torte. The color of the rice and nuts also give the torte a dark look, imparting a warming feeling to the presentation. The torte is baked so all the flavors can meld and the torte can tighten. A springform pan is used so the pan can gently be removed from the torte, keeping it intact. Chef’s Notes An ideal vegan Thanksgiving dish, this elegant torte features the pleasing textures and savory flavors of wild rice, mushrooms, nuts, and sage. Served with a robust mushroom sauce on the side, it makes a lovely presentation, while adding a hearty main dish to the meal. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2231.6 (279.0) Calories from Fat 825.6 (103.2) Fat 91.7g (11.5g)



Total Carbohydrates 240.3g (30.0g) Dietary Fiber 34.3g (4.3g) Sugars 37.8g (4.7g) Protein 111.2g (13.9g) Salt 14,102mg (1763mg) Vitamin A 43% (5.4%) Vitamin B6 121% (15.1%) Vitamin C 139% (17.4%) Calcium 23% (2.9%) Iron 69% (8.6%) Thiamin 96% (12%) Riboflavin 205% (25.6%) Niacin 211% (26.4%) Folate 99% (12.4%) Phosphorous 187% (23.4%) Potassium 181% (22.6%) Zinc 104% (13%) Magnesium 134% (16.8%) Copper 243% (30.4%) Interesting Facts Torte originally referred to cakes, but the name now refers to some pies, as well.



Pumpkin Gnocchi Type: Main Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes + 12 hours for the cashews to soak Ingredients 4 cups of gnocchi 1 ½ cups of pureed pumpkin 1 ½ cups of almond milk ½ tsp. of nutmeg ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ cup of raw cashews ¼ cup of water ¼ cup of fresh basil ¼ tsp. of fresh pepper Instructions Soak the cashews in water for at least 12 hours. Drain them. Blend them together with the ¼ cup of water, basil, and pepper. This should have the consistency of a thick cream, meaning it should slowly drip off the spoon. Boil the gnocchi until they float and then drain them in a colander. Mix the pureed pumpkin with the almond milk, nutmeg, and salt. Simmer this for 5 minutes and add the gnocchi. Simmer it for another minute. Place the gnocchi and sauce on the plates. Add dots or swirls of basil cream to the top of the sauce.



Kitchen Equipment Blender or Food Processor Pot Colander Bowl to soak the cashews Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Large Pan Presentation

Save a few extra basil leaves and place those on top of the finished dish. I also like to sprinkle on some pepper for additional color. Finally, you can scatter some chopped smoked almonds around the sauce. Serve this in a shallow bowl.

Time Management If you want to save some time, blend the cashews and basil together while the sauce is simmering. Make sure to get the gnocchi done first though so they can rest and tighten back up before going into the pumpkin sauce. Complementary Food and Drinks Try this with a side of brown and wild rice mixed with roasted shallots and cuts of basil. Where to Shop Trader Joe’s has packages of gnocchi that are inexpensive and fairly good. You can also get pre-made gnocchi at Sprouts and some Whole Foods as well as most upscale markets. Trader Joe’s, again, has the best price on basil. For the raw cashews, I usually go to Sprouts or Whole Foods as I can get them there in bulk. If you purchase canned pumpkin, make sure not to get the



sweetened version! How It Works The almond milk adds a hint of sweetness to the pumpkin puree as well as thins it out. Cooking the gnocchi softens them and causes the molecular bonds to loosen. Allowing the gnocchi to rest brings those bonds back to a stronger state which means that when the gnocchi hits the sauce, they will stay tight and intact. Soaking the cashews softens them so they can be blended into a cream with the basil, which sets atop the sauce to add not only a shot of semi-sweet fresh herb, but also to give a contrasting color to the orange sauce. Chef’s Notes Although this is one of my Thanksgiving recipes, I enjoyed it so much I plan on having it year round! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1395.7 (232.6) Calories from Fat 183.8 (30.6) Fat 20.4g (3.4g) Total Carbohydrates 272.2g (45.4g) Dietary Fiber 12.1g (2.0g) Sugars 6.0g (1.0g) Protein 30.7g (5.1g) Salt 3482mg (580.4mg) Vitamin A 116% (19.3%) Vitamin B6 12% (2%) Vitamin C 29% (4.8%) Calcium 37% (6.2%) Iron 43% (7.2%) Thiamin 13% (2.2%) Riboflavin 17% (2.8%) Niacin 11% (1.8%)



Folate 14% (2.3%) Phosphorous 31% (5.2%) Potassium 29% (4.8%) Zinc 16% (2.7%) Magnesium 35% (5.8%) Copper 52% (8.7%) Interesting Facts The singular form of gnocchi is gnoccho. Gnocchi is sometimes classified as a pasta and sometimes as a potato dish depending on how they are served.



Acorn Squash stuffed with Curried Quinoa Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 50 minutes Ingredients 1 acorn squash 1 ¾ cups of water 2 tsp. of yellow curry powder ½ tsp. of salt 1 cup of quinoa 1 ½ cups of cooked black beans, rinsed ¼ cup of slivered almonds Instructions Roast the acorn squash on 450 degrees for 40 minutes. While the squash is roasting, bring the water to a boil. Add the curry powder, salt, and quinoa to the water. Stir everything together. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. The quinoa should cook in about 15 minutes. Once the quinoa is cooked, mix in the black beans and slivered almonds. Remove the squash from the oven when it is done roasting. Cut it in half along the length. Scoop out the seeds. Stuff it with the curried quinoa and serve.



Low-fat Version Omit the almonds and cook the quinoa with ½ tsp. of almond extract. Raw Version Use sprouted quinoa, which needs to soak for about 30 minutes and then takes about a day to spout. Mix this with the curry powder and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. Soak the almonds for a couple hours, dry them, and then chop them. Instead of using black beans, use sprouted lentils. You can still stuff this in an acorn squash for presentation purposes, or find something edible like a large pepper, young coconut, etc. Kitchen Equipment Small Pot with lid Oven Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Spoon Colander to rinse the beans Large Knife Cutting Board Presentation

I placed this on a bed of lettuce to give a contrast to the very yellow look of the quinoa and fleshy part of the squash. If you are having problems getting the squash to stay up, you can slice off a small part of the bottom of it so it lays flat on the plate.

Time Management It’s important that the quinoa is warm when it gets stuffed in the squash, so either keep it covered



when you take it off the heat or don’t start cooking it until the squash is mostly done roasting. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side salad dressed with lots of nuts and raisins. Both of those flavors will complement the curry in the quinoa. Where to Shop Quinoa has become quite popular over the last few years, so it can often be found in conventional markets. However, I like to shop at stores that have bulk bins so I can get exactly the amount I need. Sprouts and Whole Foods are both good options for that. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works Keeping the squash whole while it bakes ensures that it stays moist. As it bakes, the inside of the squash will steam. Since the squash is intact, that steam will be trapped inside the squash. Once the squash is done cooking, it is very easy to cut and easy to scoop out the seeds. Beans are used to add lots of protein to the dish (although the quinoa is already high in protein), for color, and for texture while the almonds are used for texture. Chef’s Notes I made a double batch of the quinoa stuffing so I could have some left over for snacks! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1352.0 (676.0) Calories from Fat 267.6 (133.8) Fat 29.7g (14.9g) Total Carbohydrates 220.2g (110.1g) Dietary Fiber 33.2g (16.6g) Sugars 1.8g (0.9g) Protein 50.9g (25.5g)



Salt 1248mg (624mg) Vitamin A 32% (16%) Vitamin B6 62% (31%) Vitamin C 79% (39.5%) Calcium 43% (21.5%) Iron 132% (66%) Thiamin 100% (50%) Riboflavin 67% (33.5%) Niacin 53% (26.5%) Folate 136% (68%) Phosphorous 129% (64.5%) Potassium 112% (56%) Zinc 67% (33.5%) Magnesium 175% (87.5%) Copper 129% (64.5%) Interesting Facts Quinoa is a seed, not a grain. During the early 1990s, quinoa was considered a potential crop to be grown for long-term, manned space flights.



Raw Unturkey Loaf Type: Main, Raw Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 12 hours to soak the nuts + 4 hours to let the loaf set + 10 minutes of prep time Ingredients 1 cup of pumpkin seeds 1 cup of cashews ½ cup of Brazil nuts 1 green onion 1 clove of garlic 5 stalks of celery ¼ cup of shredded carrot 1 tsp. of diced sage ½ tsp. of thyme ¼ tsp. of white pepper ½ tsp. of paprika ¼ tsp. of cumin Instructions Soak the seeds and nuts for 12 hours. Add the non-nut ingredients to a food processor and grind them until they are coarsely chopped. Set them aside. Blend the soaked nuts and seeds together until they are coarsely chopped. Combine the two blended sets. Lightly oil a loaf pan. Press the ingredients into the pan as firmly as you can get them. Refrigerate this for four hours with a weight on top of the loaf. Gently remove the loaf from the pan and cut it into slices.



Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl to soak the nuts Blender Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation

When I made this, I noticed that it definitely needed some red color. I didn’t have much around, but I did have a fresh red pepper, so I made red pepper slices and placed those against the loaf. Also, I shaped this particular one for an individual serving by placing it in a lightly oiled small ramekin. I then ran a knife along the edge to loosen it, turned it over onto a piece of lettuce, and tapped it out. Because this is so filling, the portion sizes are small.

Time Management You can cheat with this one and not soak the nuts. It will be more grainy, but it will save you a ton of time. You can also avoid the set time if you press the unturkey firmly into the loaf pan or ramekin. It may break apart, but it also saves you four hours. Complementary Food and Drinks This has a lot of flavor, but all of the nuts and seeds can feel heavy, so serve this with a side dish that has bright flavors. Consider a salad dressed with fresh lime juice and a bit of raw agave nectar. Where to Shop The best place to purchase the ingredients for this is at a place with bulk bins such as Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Central Market. You can purchase all of the spices, nuts, and seeds in bulk and get great organic herbs, too!



How It Works The nuts provide the bulk of the recipe and using the different seeds and nuts gives that “bulk” different textures and flavors which make this recipe interesting. The sage is there for a familiar Thanksgiving flavor and the celery provides a lot of depth to the unturkey. Allowing the nuts to soak makes them easier to blend and allowing the recipe four hours to set in the refrigerator tightens up the recipe without having to dehydrate it. Chef’s Notes I wasn’t sure how much I would like this recipe when I created it because I’m wary about nut loaves. They tend to be heavy and often bland. However, the blend of nuts and seeds made a big difference and the celery was absolutely integral! I was pleasantly surprised at how this one turned out. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2178.3 (363.0) Calories from Fat 1561.0 (260.2) Fat 173.4g (28.9g) Total Carbohydrates 87.5g (14.6g) Dietary Fiber 17.3g (2.9g) Sugars 5.8g (1.0g) Protein 66.8g (11.1g) Salt 226.2mg (37.7mg) Vitamin A 17% (2.8%) Vitamin B6 52% (8.7%) Vitamin C 36% (6%) Calcium 34% (5.7%) Iron 180% (30%) Thiamin 69% (11.5%) Riboflavin 46% (7.7%) Niacin 32% (5.3%)



Folate 63% (10.5%) Phosphorous 277% (46.2%) Potassium 84% (14%) Zinc 144% (24%) Magnesium 320% (53.3%) Copper 314% (52.3%) Interesting Facts Brazil nut trees can live up to five hundred years. Some Roman physicians used celery seed as a pain reliever.



Barley Lentil Lemon Soup Type: Soup Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 cup of barley ½ cup of lentils 4 cups of vegetable stock 1 tbsp. of lemon juice 1 tsp. of whole peppercorns ½ tsp. of salt 1 sprig of rosemary 1 cup of baby eggplants Instructions Remove the stems from the baby eggplants and cut them into bite sized pieces. Bring the vegetable stock and lemon juice to a boil. Add in the barley, lentils, peppercorns, rosemary, and baby eggplant and stir. Cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low. Allow this to cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and salt it. Remove the rosemary sprig.



Kitchen Equipment Medium Sized Pot Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Knife Cutting Board Presentation

Serve this in a bright bowl to match the bright color of the lemon juice. If you want some extra color, you can leave the rosemary sprig in the soup. Finally, you can top this with a long, curled strip of lemon zest.

Time Management If you want to cut a couple minutes off the cook time, start the veggie stock boiling and cut the baby eggplants while it is heating up. This soup will last several days in the refrigerator, but if you plan on saving some, add some extra liquid to the pot. Complementary Food and Drinks If you want to make this a centerpiece dish, serve it in a whole wheat sourdough bread bowl. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common. However, Sprouts has all of the ingredients in bulk. How It Works The veggie stock is there to give the soup a deep flavor while the barley and lentils are there to provide a bit of protein and two different textures. The eggplant is there to give the soup some



substance and a contrasting color. The rosemary sprig infuses the soup with its breathy flavor without overwhelming it, which may happen if the leaves are left in the soup. The peppercorns are there for spice and the lemon is there to brighten the flavor. Chef’s Notes This is a fairly simple barley soup with a just a few additions, namely the lentils, lemon, and eggplant, which give it an entirely new dimension. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1158.3 (289.6) Calories from Fat 35.0 (8.7) Fat 3.9g (1.0g) Total Carbohydrates 251.3g (62.8g) Dietary Fiber 40.6g (10.4g) Sugars 6.9g (1.7g) Protein 29.5g (7.4g) Salt 3445mg (861.3mg) Vitamin A 82% (20.5%) Vitamin B6 57% (14.3%) Vitamin C 18% (4.5%) Calcium 12% (3%) Iron 80% (20%) Thiamin 43% (10.8%) Riboflavin 29% (7.3%) Niacin 85% (21.3%) Folate 94% (23.5%) Phosphorous 84% (21%) Potassium 39% (9.8%) Zinc 52% (13%) Magnesium 55% (13.8%) Copper 58% (14.5%)



Interesting Facts The mixture of lemon and barley is sometimes made as a tea to soothe the stomach. Lemons can act as natural batteries, powering lights and other small gadgets!



Karelian Hot Pot Type: Main Dish Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 60 minutes Ingredients 2 onions, sliced 2 tsp. of olive oil 3 cups of seitan strips 3 cloves of garlic, minced 3 Yukon gold potatoes, sliced ½ tsp. of salt ¾ tsp. of black pepper ¾ tsp. of allspice Water Instructions Slice the onions thinly. Mince the garlic. Over a medium-high heat, sauté the onions in the oil until they are lightly browned. Remove the onions and set them aside. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the seitan and garlic to the pan and sauté these for another 3 minutes. Set them aside. Slice the potatoes into medallions. Place a layer of onions on the bottom of a baking dish or clay pot. Add a layer of seitan and garlic. Add a layer of potatoes. Repeat this until you are out of ingredients, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and allspice on top. Pour enough water into the pot to barely cover the top layer. Bake this, covered, on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.



Low-fat Version Brown the onions on a high heat without any water in the pan. When they start to brown, turn the heat down to medium-high and add a thin layer of water to the pan. They should cook for about five minutes after that. Replenish the water as needed, which will be often. Do not sauté the seitan and garlic, but just go directly to the step of adding ingredients to the baking dish or clay pot. Raw Version This recipe works very well with thinly sliced sweet potatoes instead of Yukon gold potatoes, almonds instead of seitan, and softened onions. To soften the onions, slice them and salt them. Place a heavy weight over them and allow them to sit for a couple hours. They should be ready after that. You will not need to add water to the “hotpot,” but you should toss all of the ingredients with the allspice before layering them. Kitchen Equipment Sauté Pan Spatula or Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Clay Pot or Baking Dish with Foil Oven Presentation

I serve this directly from the pot. It keeps it warm at the table and has that rustic feeling that goes along with this dish.



Time Management This dish keeps very well, so you can make it the day before, keep it refrigerated in the hotpot, and warm it in the oven just before serving. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve alongside rice and a hunk of bread to dip in the left-over liquid in the hotpot. Where to Shop Fresh & Easy and Trader Joe’s both have seitan strips, although they are usually called “beef” strips. Alternatively, you can make your own seitan. Look for wheat gluten powder at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Central Market for making your own seitan. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works Browning the onions caramelizes the sugar in them, giving them a rich flavor. This flavor will infuse the water as the hotpot cooks, creating a light onion broth. The seitan is browned so that it has a darker flavor. The potatoes are sliced thinly so the hotpot does not take overly long to cook. Allspice gives the dish an aromatic flavor associated with fall foods. Chef’s Notes This is one of those very simple dishes that turns out incredibly well. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1536.6 (512.2) Calories from Fat 196.6 (65.5) Fat 21.8g (7.3g) Total Carbohydrates 167.9g (56.0g) Dietary Fiber 24.5g (8.2g) Sugars 21.4g (7.1g)



Protein 167.1g (55.7g) Salt 1206mg (402mg) Vitamin A 1% (0.3%) Vitamin B6 58% (19.3%) Vitamin C 115% (38.3%) Calcium 10% (3.3%) Iron 137% (45.7%) Thiamin 19% (6.3%) Riboflavin 14% (4.7%) Niacin 34% (11.3%) Folate 46% (15.3%) Phosphorous 37% (12.3%) Potassium 74% (24.7%) Zinc 12% (4%) Magnesium 34% (11.3%) Copper 30% (10%) Interesting Facts This is a traditional dish of the Karelian people of Finland, Russia, and Sweden. Allspice acquired its name from the British, who thought it combined the scents of several other aromatic spices.


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Eleanor Sampson

Chai Sweet Potatoes Type: Side Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 60 minutes Ingredients 2 large sweet potatoes ½ cup of soy milk 1 tsp. of ground black pepper Pinch of salt 2 tsp. of freshly grated ginger 1 ½ tsp. of cloves 1 tsp. of cinnamon 2 tsp. of cardamom 2 tsp. of ground fennel seeds 2 tbsp. of sugar Instructions Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch thick rounds. Gently warm soy milk in saucepan – do not boil. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk mixture until sugar dissolves. Layer sweet potato rounds in casserole dish and pour chai sauce over it. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until completely tender.



Kitchen Equipment Small Pot Knife Cutting Board Shallow Baking Dish Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Presentation

If you have a few fresh greens left over from another recipe, you can decorate the potatoes with cuts of those. Both parsley and basil would work just fine with these spices as would fresh chives. Note that in this picture, yams are used instead of sweet potatoes, which can be used interchangeably in this recipe.

Time Management To save a few minutes of time, preheat your oven before you start putting together the spice mix and soy milk. Complementary Food and Drinks This would go well with a light lemon or pear spritzer and makes a nice complement with gnocchi or a cinnamon rice dish. Where to Shop I like to purchase the spices in bulk which I usually do at Sprouts or Central Market. If you can’t find sweet potatoes, yams make a perfectly good substitute. Remember that yams will be orange on the inside while sweet potatoes will be cream colored.



How It Works The spice mix is a simple chai masala used for making chai tea. The black pepper makes it spicy, the fennel, cardamom, and cloves give a strong aromatic quality, while the cinnamon gives a more mellow spice flavor. The soy milk should not be heated so that it does not form a film on top. In fact, it’s only being heated enough to make blending the spices into it easy to do and to dissolve the sugar. Chef’s Notes For something so simple, this dish packs a lot of flavor. It is also very well balanced with the sweet starch of the potato making a great carrier for the chai masala flavors. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 479.7 (80.0) Calories from Fat 21.6 (3.6) Fat 2.4g (0.4g) Total Carbohydrates 106.8g (17.8g) Dietary Fiber 11.6g (1.9g) Sugars 56.9g (9.5g) Protein 7.8g (1.3g) Salt 247.6mg (41.3mg) Vitamin A 5% (0.8%) Vitamin B6 33% (5.5%) Vitamin C 58% (9.7%) Calcium 21% (3.5%) Iron 14% (2.3%) Thiamin 14% (2.3%) Riboflavin 19% (3.2%) Niacin 8% (1.3%) Folate 14% (2.3%) Phosphorous 15% (2.5%)



Potassium 57% (9.5%) Zinc 6% (1%) Magnesium 20% (3.3%) Copper 26% (4.3%) Interesting Facts The residents of Benton, Kentucky honor the sweet potato during the Tater Day Festival, held on the first Monday of April every year. China leads the world in sweet potato production. Clove flavored gum became popular in the United States during Prohibition because the strong aroma helped mask the smell of alcohol on the breath.



Bourbon-laced Sweet Potatoes Type: Side Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 50 minutes Ingredients 2 large sweet potatoes 1 tsp. of allspice ½ tsp. of salt 1 ½ tbsp. of turbinado sugar 3 tbsp. of bourbon 12-15 pecan halves Instructions Slice the sweet potatoes into ¼” medallions. Toss the sweet potato slices with the allspice and salt. Place them in a baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar on top. Splash the bourbon over the sweet potatoes. Cover the baking dish. Bake the sweet potatoes on 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Scatter the pecans on the potatoes. Cover the baking dish. Return the sweet potatoes to the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven, allow them a few minutes to cool, and serve.



Low-fat Version Omit the pecan halves. You’ll be missing some texture and the extra flavor complexity, but the dish will have almost zero fat. Raw Version Shave the sweet potatoes very thinly. You can eat them as is, soak them in lemon juice and water for an hour, or dehydrate them for an hour and a half. Use half the allspice in the recipe and pour on 3 tbsp. of raw sweet agave nectar instead of sugar. Allow the potatoes to sit in the allspice and agave nectar for at least ten minutes. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Baking Dish Foil Measuring Spoon Presentation

I generally place these out on the table in the baking dish, but if you want to do individual servings or transfer it to a platter, get a very shallow, wide spoon, scoop the sweet potatoes with it, and gently slide them onto the serving dish. Make sure to cover them if you let them sit on a room temperature dish for more than ten minutes.

Time Management This is a dish that can be made at least a day ahead of time and then warmed in the oven. If you do this, make sure to cover it and warm it on 350 degrees for fifteen minutes.



Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this alongside a seitan, a veggie loaf, or a nut loaf. Where to Shop I prefer to use white sweet potatoes in this recipe, but if you don’t have access to them, orange ones are just fine and readily available. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works The sweet potatoes are sliced at ¼” so that they can cook fairly quickly and evenly as well as being the perfect size for the texture of a side dish. The bourbon not only infuses the fairly absorbent potatoes with its flavor, but also serves to keep them hydrated. This is also why they are covered with foil. The sugar will glaze over the potatoes as they bake and the glaze will pick up a lot of the allspice flavor. The pecans are added at the very end so that they do not burn. Chef’s Notes This is a side dish, although I could easily eat it for an entire meal. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 753.2 (188.3) Calories from Fat 151.6 (37.9) Fat 16.8g (4.2g) Total Carbohydrates 123.6g (30.9g) Dietary Fiber 14.1g (3.5g) Sugars 48.8g (12.2g) Protein 9.3g (2.3g) Salt 1298mg (324mg) Vitamin A 1384% (346%) Vitamin B6 53% (13.3%) Vitamin C 118% (29.5%)



Calcium 16% (4%) Iron 17% (4.3%) Thiamin 36% (9%) Riboflavin 24% (6%) Niacin 28% (7%) Folate 4% (1%) Phosphorous 25% (6.3%) Potassium 52% (13%) Zinc 15% (3.8%) Magnesium 31% (7.8%) Copper 43% (10.8%) Interesting Facts Bourbon is a highly regulated alcohol by the U.S., required to be no more than 160 proof, nothing but water added, aged only in new, charred barrels, and made from at least 51% corn.



Sweet Potatoes with Curried Onions & Raisins Type: Side Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 60 minutes Ingredients 2 orange sweet potatoes 1 small onion, sliced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp. of oil 2 tsp. of yellow curry powder 3 tbsp. of water 3 tbsp. of raisins Instructions Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil. Bake them on 450 degrees for 45 minutes. While they are baking, slice the onion thinly into about 2” long strips. Mince the garlic. Over a medium heat, sauté the onion in the oil until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and curry powder, sautéing these for another 3 minutes. Add the water and raisins. Stir everything together. Allow the curry sauce you just created to reduce around the onions. Once the potatoes are done baking, allow them to cool until you can safely handle them. Slice them in half along the length. Scoop out a bit of the inside. Stuff the potato halves with the curried onion and raisin mix.



Low-fat Version Omit the oil when sautéing the onion. Use a thin layer of water and sauté the onion over a medium-high heat in the water. When you add the garlic and curry powder, reduce the heat to medium. Raw Version You may need to make your own raisins. To do so, leave grapes out in the sun if you live in a hot climate or dehydrate them at 110 degrees until they shrivel into raisins. Instead of stuffing the sweet potatoes, peel them and slice them very thinly. You can eat them as is or you can soak them in water for a couple hours to make them more pliable. Use half the onion and garlic called for in the recipe. Kitchen Equipment Oven Foil Measuring Spoon Sauté Pan Stirring Spoon Presentation

Don’t pack the onion mix into the sweet potatoes too tightly. This allows them to rise above the potatoes, creating a small mound of curried onion and raisins. Height is one of the cornerstones of good presentation.

Time Management Don’t start the onion until the sweet potatoes have about ten minutes left go in the oven. This ensures that the onion mix will still be warm when you stuff the sweet potatoes.



Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this alongside a nutloaf made from almonds, hazelnuts, and spiced lentils. The colors will complement each other and the textures of the two dishes go well together. Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be readily available at your local market. Note that the orange sweet potatoes may be labeled as yams in the U.S. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works Orange sweet potatoes instantly evoke a holiday feeling since that is usually when they are served. They are baked so that they soften and so the sugar in the sweet potatoes caramelizes. It is important to cover them so that the outside of the sweet potatoes does not dry out. The curry is cooked onto the onions before water is added to the pan so that they volatile oils in the curry activated properly. This will not happen if the curry powder is simmered instead of sautéed first over a direct heat. The raisins add extra sweetness, texture, and color to the dish. Chef’s Notes Simple sides are important to me when I’m making a holiday meal because I spend so much time on the main dish, which is why this recipe is so easy to do. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 388.2 (97.1) Calories from Fat 45.7 (11.4) Fat 5.1g (1.3g) Total Carbohydrates 79.0g (19.8g) Dietary Fiber 10.4g (2.6g) Sugars 40.8g (10.2g) Protein 6.6g (1.7g)



Salt 90mg (22mg) Vitamin A 876% (219%) Vitamin B6 42% (10.5%) Vitamin C 89% (22.3%) Calcium 13% (3.3%) Iron 13% (3.3%) Thiamin 21% (5.3%) Riboflavin 18% (4.5%) Niacin 19% (4.8%) Folate 7% (1.8%) Phosphorous 18% (4.5%) Potassium 42% (10.5%) Zinc 6% (1.5%) Magnesium 20% (5%) Copper 24% (6%) Interesting Facts Curries were spread by the British to many other parts of the world, including Africa, Europe, and North America.



Cheesy Carrots Type: Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 55 minutes + 12 hours to soak the pine nuts Ingredients ½ cup of nutritional yeast ½ cup of soaked raw pine nuts ½ cup of water Option: ¼ cup of canola oil mixed with 1 tbsp. of flour and ¼ cup of water instead of the pine nuts and ½ cup of water 1/8 tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of ground white pepper 1 tsp. of onion powder ¼ tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes Option: 1 tsp. of miso for a sharp cheesy flavor 3 cups of baby carrots 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 cups of bread crumbs Instructions Soak the pine nuts for at least 12 hours and then discard the water. Blend them together with ½ cup of water. Stir in the nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, red pepper, and white pepper until they are thoroughly combined. Option: Mix the canola oil into the flour and stir until smooth, then blend this with the water and nutritional yeast until thoroughly combined. Option: Blend the miso with either the pine nuts or the canola oil and flour. Mince the garlic. Spread the carrots in a baking dish and mix them with the minced garlic. Pour the cheesy sauce over them. Top with the bread crumbs. Bake this on 375 degrees for 40 minutes covered, uncovering them for the last 15 minutes.



Kitchen Equipment Bowl to soak the nuts Blender or Small Food Processor Baking Dish Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Foil Presentation

The breadcrumbs will crisp nicely in the oven and give this a tantalizing appearance, so serve it in the dish in which it was baked. Otherwise, it will fall apart and the nice browned bread crumb topping will fall into the cheesy carrots.

Time Management Get the oven heated before you start blending the cheesy sauce together and this will shave a couple minutes off of your cook time. While they bake is a great time to clean up or do another quick recipe. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve these with a spicy stuffing and a glass of dry white wine. It also goes well with dishes that feature some of the heavier tasting green herbs like sage and oregano. Where to Shop Nutritional yeast can be found at most stores that have a bulk section and those that have a healthy eating section, like Sprouts, Central Market, and Whole Foods. You can also order it online from Red Star. For the pine nuts, again, check out the places with bulk sections or head to C ostCo and purchase their rather large, inexpensive bag of these goodies.



How It Works The pine nuts provide a creamy texture to the cheesy sauce with the nutritional yeast providing the backbone of the flavor. It also gives it a yellow cheddar color. Soaking the pine nuts gets them soft enough to become creamy when blended. Finally, the breadcrumbs on top give this a contrasting crispness to the creaminess of the sauce. Chef’s Notes This is a staple of my mother’s Thanksgiving table, which I have happily turned into a tasty vegan version. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1207.1 (301.8) Calories from Fat 385.6 (96.4) Fat 42.8g (10.7g) Total Carbohydrates 153.4g (38.4g) Dietary Fiber 29.0g (7.3g) Sugars 16.0g (4.0g) Protein 52.0g (13.0g) Salt 304.4g (76.1g) Vitamin A 2298% (574.5%) Vitamin B6 1031% (257.8%) Vitamin C 22% (5.5%) Calcium 43% (10.8%) Iron 97% (24.3%) Thiamin 1358% (339.5%) Riboflavin 1174% (293.5%) Niacin 821% (205.3%) Folate 55% (13.8%) Phosphorous 102% (25.5%)



Potassium 68% (17%) Zinc 81% (20.3%) Magnesium 79% (19.8%) Copper 88% (22%) Interesting Facts Nutritional yeast is incredibly high in B vitamins and often fortified with B12 grown from a bacteria culture. Most carrots eaten before 50 years ago had a purplish color.



Creamy Green Beans Type: Side Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients ¼ cup of slivered almonds, toasted 3 tbsp. of minced shallot ½ tsp. of olive oil 3 cups of green beans, ends trimmed 2 tbsp. of Better than Cream Cheese Option: 3 tbsp. of cashew butter instead of the Better than Cream Cheese 1/3 cup of water ½ tsp. of freshly ground pepper 1/8 tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg 1/8 tsp. of salt Instructions On a medium heat, toast the almonds for one minute, shaking the pan every 10 or so seconds. Remove them and set them aside. Mince the shallots. Add the olive oil and minced shallots. Saute this until the shallots start to brown. Add in the green beans and water. Simmer these until the green beans soften. Add in the Better than Cream Cheese (or cashew butter,) salt, toasted almonds, and spices. Simmer this for another 3 minutes.



Kitchen Equipment Medium Saute Pan Wooden Spatula Small Knife Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Bowl to hold the toasted almonds Presentation

Make sure that if you let this sit, you reconstitute the creamy sauce with a touch of water and warm it up as it will set and solidify if left unattended for more than fifteen minutes.

Time Management Get the green beans trimmed if necessary before you start cooking and it will save you some hassle. This is also a dish that gets better as it sits, so feel free to make it ahead of time and then warm it in the oven on about 350 degrees until the sauce becomes creamy again (it will solidify as it sets.) You can also cheat and get some canned green beans so you don’t have to simmer them, but the taste will be far inferior. However, if you do that, cut the water down to ¼ cup. Complementary Food and Drinks This goes very well with a side of rice that has been dressed with a hearty helping of smoked paprika. If you don’t have that available, rice mixed with sweet paprika and roasted garlic would be perfect. Where to Shop The Better than Cream Cheese should be readily available at most places that have a



vegetarian/healthy eats section. Trader Joe’s has the best price on it, but you can find it at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Central Market, and even some Fry’s and Krogers. The other ingredients should be easy to find. However, I suggest purchasing the cashew butter in bulk (if you use that option) because it will be significantly cheaper that way. You should be able to find that at Sprouts and Central Market. How It Works The shallot gives a bit of onion depth to the sauce and also a hint of sweetness. The almonds are toasted first in the pan so they can be set aside and added later without having to dirty another pan. The sauce will also pick up some of the residual almond flavor left on the pan. The green beans are simmered in the water to soften them, which will cook down the water, and then the Better than Cream Cheese or cashew butter is added to that water to make a cream sauce to coat the green beans. Chef’s Notes I’ve had a similar dish to this that used fried and breaded onion strips, but I much prefer the shallots. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 512.7 (85.4) Calories from Fat 269.7 (45.0) Fat 30.0g (5.0g) Total Carbohydrates 43.6g (7.3g) Dietary Fiber 16.1g (2.7g) Sugars 7.5g (1.3g) Protein 17.2g (2.9g) Salt 425.9mg (71.0mg) Vitamin A 57% (9.5%) Vitamin B6 18% (3%) Vitamin C 65% (10.8%) Calcium 29% (4.8%)



Iron 37% (6.2%) Thiamin 17% (2.8%) Riboflavin 33% (5.5%) Niacin 19% (3.2%) Folate 37% (6.2%) Phosphorous 35% (5.8%) Potassium 43% (7.2%) Zinc 18% (3%) Magnesium 52% (8.7%) Copper 39% (6.5%) Interesting Facts Green bean is a term that refers to several different types of beans, all of which have long green pods. French shallots are long and thin compared to the more widely available bulbous shallot.



Espárragos Blanco Type: Side Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 2 tsp. of olive oil 1 bunch of white asparagus (about 12 stalks) 1 tbsp. of white wine vinegar ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper Instructions Bring the olive oil to a medium-high heat. Add the asparagus to the pan. Sauté the asparagus for 3-4 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Sauté the asparagus for another 1-2 minutes and serve.



Low-fat Version Omit the olive oil and marinade the asparagus in the other ingredients for an hour. Raw Version Use raw apple cider vinegar and marinade the asparagus in the other ingredients for an hour. Kitchen Equipment Sauté Pan Spatula Measuring Spoon Presentation

Fan the asparagus out over a plate of leafy greens.

Time Management This cooks very quickly, so make sure the oil is hot before the asparagus hit the pan. This dish is best served fresh. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of bread, olive oil, and green olives. Where to Shop I had to go to an upscale, gourmet market to purchase my fresh white asparagus. While white



asparagus can frequently be found jarred, it is better to use fresh green asparagus. Approximate cost per serving is $1.75. How It Works White asparagus has a clean, mild taste. It is briefly sautéed so that it softens, but does not lose all of its crispness. Note that the season for white asparagus will vary greatly depending on your location. In some areas, it may be late spring, in others it may be early fall. The vinegar lightens the flavor of the asparagus. Chef’s Notes This is a traditional Spanish recipe. I wasn’t sure how the vinegar would turn out in the recipe, since I typically don’t like cooking with it, but it was quite good. I think lemon juice would do just as well. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 129.8 (43.3) Calories from Fat 81.0 (27.0) Fat 9.0g (3.0g) Total Carbohydrates 7.7g (2.6g) Dietary Fiber 3.7g (1.2g) Sugars 3.0g (1.0g) Protein 4.5g (1.5g) Salt 1128mg (376mg) Vitamin A 41% (13.7%) Vitamin B6 7% (2.3%) Vitamin C 24% (8%) Calcium 4% (1.3%) Iron 9% (3%) Thiamin 20% (6.7%) Riboflavin 15% (5%) Niacin 10% (3.3%)



Folate 66% (22%) Phosphorous 10% (3.3%) Potassium 12% (4%) Zinc 7% (2.3%) Magnesium 7% (2.3%) Copper 15% (5%) Interesting Facts White asparagus is created by feeding the plant ultraviolet light instead of visible light. Asparagus was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians.



Crispy Sage Mashed Potatoes Type: Side Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 60-70 minutes Ingredients 3 lbs. of potatoes 8 oz. of Better than Cream Cheese 4 bulbs of roasted garlic 2 tbsp. of vegan margarine or olive oil 1 tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of freshly ground pepper ¼ cup of sage leaves Option: Use 1/3 cup of cashew butter instead of Better than Cream Cheese Instructions Boil the potatoes for 40-50 minutes until the skins start to split. While they are boiling, cut the tops of the garlic bulbs off, dress them with a touch of olive oil, and cover them with foil. Bake the roasted garlic on 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the water and allow them to drain for a couple minutes. Remove the garlic bulbs from the oven, unwrap them, and allow them to cool. Remove the skins on the potatoes (they’ll be hot, so you may want to wear oven mitts.) Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out into a mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes with the roasted garlic, margarine, Better than Cream Cheese, salt, and pepper. Place the mashed potatoes in a baking dish. Slice the sage and sprinkle it on top of the potatoes. Bake them on 425 degrees for 15 minutes.



Kitchen Equipment Foil Knife Cutting Board Baking Dish Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Potato Smasher Presentation

Don’t turn the potatoes over when you scoop them onto your guests’ plates. I know it’s easier, but if you take the time to cut servings with a spatula and then slide them onto the plate, you keep the browned top with the crispy sage intact and that looks delicious!

Time Management If you have overly large potatoes, you can cut them in halt to shorten the cook time. You may want to do that regardless of the size of potatoes you have, just watch them to make sure they don’t absorb too much water. A good indicator is if they begin to puff out. If you see that, remove them immediately. Complementary Food and Drinks Rather than serve this with a gravy, allow the sage and other flavors in the potatoes to stand on their own and serve this instead with something like a roasted onion.



Where to Shop Better than Cream Cheese can be found in most markets that have a healthy eats/vegetarian friendly section. My favorite margarines to use are Willow Run and Earth Balance, both of which can be found at similar places. Try Whole Foods, Sprouts, or Trader Joe’s. The other ingredients are common enough to be purchased anywhere. How It Works Boiling the potatoes obviously softens them up and gets them ready for mashing. Mixing in the other ingredients while the potatoes are warm softens the Better than Cream Cheese and melts the margarine, making them easier to incorporate. Sprinkling the sage on top and not mixing it in allows it to crisp and lose its bite, which is not always palatable to everyone. Baking the potatoes also crisps the potatoes on top. Chef’s Notes These potatoes are my favorite mashed potatoes ever! It’s a bit of extra time to bake them, but so worth it. If you want to watch out for the fat on these, cut out the Better than Cream Cheese and possibly the margarine and mash the potatoes with a bit of soy milk or almond milk. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2167.6 (361.3) Calories from Fat 622.4 (103.7) Fat 69.2g (11.5g) Total Carbohydrates 342.7g (57.1g) Dietary Fiber 27.8g (4.6g) Sugars 10.0g (1.7g) Protein 43.6g (7.3g) Salt 3367mg (561.2mg) Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 297% (49.5%)



Vitamin C 362% (60.3%) Calcium 36% (6%) Iron 39% (6.5%) Thiamin 86% (14.3%) Riboflavin 22% (3.7%) Niacin 103% (17.2%) Folate 35% (5.8%) Phosphorous 84% (14%) Potassium 165% (27.5%) Zinc 39% (6.5%) Magnesium 85% (14.2%) Copper 152% (25.3%) Interesting Facts Potatoes came to Ireland via Spain. Sage infusions are said to ease sore throats.



Fennel and Onions Type: Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 60 minutes Ingredients 1 medium sized bulb of fennel 2 red onions 2 tbsp. of raisins Juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 cup) ¼ tsp. of salt 8 pieces of star anise 2 tbsp. of diced mint Instructions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop the fennel and onion into large pieces (1 to 1 ½”). Mix these with the raisins. Juice the orange. Place the fennel, onion, and raisin mix in a baking dish. Pour the orange juice over it. Sprinkle on the salt and star anise. Cover it with foil. Bake it on 425 degrees for 50 minutes. While it is baking, dice the mint leaves. Serve each portion. Sprinkle on the fresh diced mint.



Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Baking Dish Foil Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Juicer (optional) Large Mixing Bowl Presentation

This dish looks great on a warm colored plate. Orange complements the flavors of the dish very nicely while a subdued earthy green will showcase the colors of the recipe more than a bright dish. You can put a cut of mint on the side of the plate for garnish if you’ve got some left over.

Time Management This can be made well ahead of time and then reheated in the oven on 350 degrees. If you do that, though, don’t add the mint until you are about to serve it. Complementary Food and Drinks This is a great side to a thick pasta dish like gnocchi or fettuccine. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are easy to purchase and should be available at your local market.



How It Works The fennel has a licorice taste which mellows into a light sweet taste as it bakes. The onions will caramelize as they bake, adding a contrasting dark sweetness and the raisins will give yet another layer of sweetness. The orange juice will infuse all of the ingredients with a sweet citrus taste that will enhance all of the other flavors. The salt is there to accent the sweetness of the dish and the star anise is there to reinforce the flavors of the fennel. Finally, the mint is diced so that small tastes of mint are achieved instead of overwhelming bites of mint which would happen if the leaves were left whole. Chef’s Notes I created this recipe because I wanted to take a few simple ingredients and see what I could create without changing them too much. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 272.8 (68.2) Calories from Fat 8.6 (2.2) Fat 1.0g (0.3g) Total Carbohydrates 59.4g (14.9g) Dietary Fiber 10.8g (2.7g) Sugars 27.8g (6.9g) Protein 6.6g (1.7g) Salt 707.7mg (176.9mg) Vitamin A 7% (1.8%) Vitamin B6 21% (5.3%) Vitamin C 118% (29.5%) Calcium 17% (4.3%) Iron 14% (3.5%) Thiamin 9% (2.3%) Riboflavin 8% (2%) Niacin 11% (2.8%)



Folate 32% (8%) Phosphorous 22% (5.5%) Potassium 46% (11.5%) Zinc 6% (1.5%) Magnesium 18% (4.5%) Copper 19% (4.8%) Interesting Facts The Greek word for fennel is marathon, after which the town was ostensibly named. Fennel was sometimes used as an insect repellent during the Middle Ages.



Mushroom & Sauerkraut Pierogies Type: Appetizer Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 50 minutes Ingredients The Dough

2 cups of flour ½ tsp. of salt ½ cup of water Flour

The Filling 1 onion, sliced thinly 8 oz. of mushrooms, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 cup of sauerkraut 1 tsp. of olive oil

Instructions Combine the flour and salt. Mix in ½ cup of water, adding any extra water needed to create a tight dough. Knead the dough until it is elastic (about 8 minutes). Set the dough aside, covered with a towel. Slice the onion thinly. Chop the mushrooms. Mince the garlic. Over a medium heat, sauté the onion in the oil until the onion is slightly browned. Add in the mushrooms and continue sautéing these until the mushrooms have reduced in sized by about half. Add the sauerkraut and garlic, sautéing these for another 5 minutes. Lightly flour a flat working surface. Roll the dough out into a thin sheet. Using a wide glass, small bowl, etc., cut circles out of the dough (about 3-4 inches in diameter). Separate the circles into two equal batches. Place a couple tablespoons of filling in the middle of each circle for the first batch.



Wet the edges of these circles. With the other batch of circles, cover the filled halves and press along the edges of the pierogies to seal them. Crimp the edges with a fork. Option 1 (Boiling): Bring lightly salted water to a boil and boil the pierogies for about 5 minutes. Option 2 (Steaming): Steam the pierogies for 10-15 minutes. Option 3 (Pan-frying): Lightly oil a pan. Fry the pierogies over a medium heat until they are lightly browned on both sides. Option 4 (Deep-frying): Bring enough oil to cover the pierogies to 375 degrees. Fry the pierogies for about 4 minutes.



Low-fat Version Do not sauté the onion, mushrooms, and sauerkraut in oil. Sauté all of them together over a medium-high heat in a large pan or wok using a thin layer of water. Raw Version Salt the onion slices and mushrooms and place a weight over them, allowing them to sit for a couple hours. Mix this with raw sauerkraut. Slice eggplant very thinly, salting that and placing a weight over it for an hour or two. Rinse the eggplant. Wrap the stuffing in the eggplant slices, holding these together with a toothpick. Eggplant is used because it is wide enough to hold a couple tablespoons of filling. Kitchen Equipment Pan or Wok Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Large Pot Basket to remove the pierogie from the boiling water Presentation

I like to dress the pierogie with a salt and pepper mix. Place them on a platter, but do not lay them over each other. Chances are they will stick together.



Time Management The larger the pot you use, the more pierogie you can fry or boil. If you make a lot of these, you should cover the ones you finish with a slightly damp towel before they go into the water. This will keep them from becoming crusty while you work through the batch. Complementary Food and Drinks I serve these with a freshly cracked pepper and kosher salt blend for the pierogies and alongside an appetizer of mashed potatoes and chives that have been scooped into balls with a melon scooper. Where to Shop The ingredients for this are readily available at most stores. Approximate cost per serving is about $.50. How It Works The onion and mushrooms are sautéed to intensify their flavors before they are wrapped in the dough. The edge of the bottom layer dough is wetted so that it becomes glue-like, keeping the top layer of dough in place. It is then crimped with a fork not only to create the nice lines around the edges, but to finish sealing it closed. This is important so that the filling does not spill out into the water or oil. Chef’s Notes After making the first batch, I thought these would be even better with a garlic flavored dough. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1068.7 (133.4) Calories from Fat 71.5 (8.9) Fat 7.9g (1.0g) Total Carbohydrates 214.3g (26.8g) Dietary Fiber 15.0g (1.9g)



Sugars 12.2g (1.5g) Protein 35.0g (4.4g) Salt 2127mg (266mg) Vitamin A 1% (0.1%) Vitamin B6 33% (4.1%) Vitamin C 57% (7.1%) Calcium 12% (1.5%) Iron 83% (10.4%) Thiamin 148% (18.5%) Riboflavin 128% (16%) Niacin 115% (14.4%) Folate 136% (17%) Phosphorous 52% (6.5%) Potassium 40% (5%) Zinc 22% (2.8%) Magnesium 27% (3.4%) Copper 61% (7.6%) Interesting Facts Pierogie is the plural of pierog. This style of pierogie is a Polish holiday tradition.



Kutia Type: Salad Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 3 hours 30 minutes Ingredients 1 cup of wheat berries 3 ½ cups of water ½ cup of poppy seeds ½ cup of sliced almonds ¼ cup of raisins ¼ cup of sweet agave nectar ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of cinnamon Instructions Simmer the wheat berries in the water for 2 hours, replenishing the water if needed. Drain away the excess water. Immediately add the rest of the ingredients. Allow it to sit for at least an hour. Option: Once all the ingredients have been mixed together, bake the kutia, covered, at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.



Low-fat Version Omit the almonds and add in dried apricots. It won’t taste the same, but the apricots will add bulk and flavor back into the salad. Raw Version Sprout the wheat berries, combine all the ingredients, and allow them to sit overnight. Kitchen Equipment Pot Colander with small holes Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Presentation

This should be placed in a big bowl and served family style, but I loved the way my wooden bowl looked, so I served the kutia as an individual serving in that!

Time Management You can speed the cooking process by boiling the wheat berries instead of simmering them and then serving the salad immediately after you mix the ingredients together. The wheat berries won’t be quite as tender and the flavors won’t be melded, but you can get away with making this salad in about thirty minutes.



Complementary Food and Drinks I like serving kutia alongside a lentil and potato stew. Not only do the flavors complement each other, but the combination creates a good mix of carbohydrates and protein. Where to Shop Wheat berries can be purchased at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Central Market. Since such a large amount of poppy seeds are called for, check out stores that sell their spices out of bulk spice jars. Any of the above-mentioned stores are appropriate. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works Simmering the wheat berries cooks them evenly and ensures that they are very tender. The other ingredients are added just after the wheat berries are drained so that the warmth in the wheat berries can slowly release the flavors of the poppy seeds, raisins, and almonds. Once these flavors are released and the salad cools down, it sits for a while longer so those flavor can meld. Chef’s Notes This salad turned out to be heartier than I expected, so I increased the serving size from three to four. Very tasty! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1885.3 (471.3) Calories from Fat 633.3 (158.3) Fat 70.4g (17.6g) Total Carbohydrates 260.0g (65.0g) Dietary Fiber 40.0g (10.0g) Sugars 96.5g (24.1g) Protein 53.0g (13.3g) Salt 1147mg (287mg)



Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 53% (13.3%) Vitamin C 5% (1.3%) Calcium 127% (31.8%) Iron 92% (23%) Thiamin 103% (25.8%) Riboflavin 57% (14.3%) Niacin 70% (17.5%) Folate 29% (7.3%) Phosphorous 152% (38%) Potassium 57% (14.3%) Zinc 99% (24.8%) Magnesium 169% (42.3%) Copper 144% (36%) Interesting Facts Kutia is a popular eastern European holiday dish, especially around Poland and the Ukraine. Other countries sometimes use rice instead of wheat berries.



White Wine Stuffing Type: Side Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 white onion 2 or 3 stalks of celery 1 cup of mushrooms ½ cup of walnuts ½ loaf of French bread ¼ cup of white wine 2 tsp. of olive oil ½ tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of paprika (smoked paprika is wonderful here) ½ tsp. of freshly ground nutmeg 1 tbsp. of chopped sage Instructions Cube the French bread, slice the onion and celery, and quarter the mushrooms. Saute the onion and celery on a medium high heat. When they are soft, add in the mushrooms and walnuts and sauté for another 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the French bread, sage, and spices and quickly toss everything together. Add the white wine to keep everything moist and extra water as needed to attain the level of moisture in the bread you desire. Saute this for another 10 minutes.



Kitchen Equipment Medium Sized Pot Cutting Board Chefs’ Knife Bread Knife (Serrated Knife) Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Wooden Spoon Presentation

Leave a few whole sage leaves and adorn each serving with a sage leaf. If you want to darken the color, you can lightly fry it for about 10 seconds. If you want to shape the stuffing, put it in a small ramekin, press down on it, turn it over, and tap it out onto the plate. Of course, it’s stuffing, so it can also be placed inside a pumpkin, wrapped in a mushroom, etc.

Time Management If you’re good at managing your veggies, you can cut the bread while the onions and celery cook. This will save a couple minutes of cook time. Just make sure to not let your veggies burn! Also, the French bread is even better if you leave it out overnight and let it get hard because it will suck up all of the surrounding flavors even more that way. Complementary Food and Drinks You can top this with a light brown gravy made from shallots, a couple mushrooms, pepper, and a bit of flour. That combination will work just right for the flavors in the stuffing. It is also great when it is stuffed inside a seitan roulade (a thin piece of seitan rolled around the stuffing) or in a portabella roulade.



Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be fairly common. For the wine, check out Trader Joe’s, Central Market, Whole Foods, or any wine shop. I generally go with an inexpensive, decent tasting chardonnay. How It Works Softening the onion and celery gets their juices released and ready to be absorbed by the French bread. The white wine gives the stuffing a full body while the walnuts give it depth and texture. The bread absorbs all of the flavors and also binds everything together. Sage is a great winter herb and its deep flavor goes well with walnuts with the white wine bringing out even more of the sage flavor. Chef’s Notes I love trying different stuffings, but I always seem to go back to this one. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1263.1 (157.9) Calories from Fat 470.4 (58.8) Fat 52.3g (6.5g) Total Carbohydrates 152.7g (19.1g) Dietary Fiber 176g (2.2g) Sugars 10.8g (1.4g) Protein 35.4g (4.4g) Salt 1541mg (192.6mg) Vitamin A 3% (0.4%) Vitamin B6 39% (4.9%) Vitamin C 30% (3.8%) Calcium 33% (4.1%) Iron 63% (7.9%)



Thiamin 81% (10.1%) Riboflavin 71% (8.9%) Niacin 100% (12.5%) Folate 88% (11%) Phosphorous 67% (8.4%) Potassium 46% (5.8%) Zinc 37% (4.6%) Magnesium 52% (6.5%) Copper 115% (14.4%) Interesting Facts White wine is white because the wine is fermented with minimal contact with the skin of the grapes. Walnuts are a good source of omega3 fatty acids.



Smoked Almond and Raspberry Waffles Type: Breakfast Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 25 minutes Ingredients ½ cup of unbleached white flour ½ cup of whole wheat flour ¼ tsp. of baking soda ½ tsp. of salt 1 ½ tbsp. of sugar 2 servings of EnerG Egg Replacer with half the liquid called for on the package 1 tbsp. of melted margarine 1 ¼ cup of soy creamer ½ tsp. of lemon juice Vegetable spray ½ cup of chopped smoked almonds 2 cups of raspberries 1 tbsp. of sugar ¼ cup of water Instructions Place the smoked almonds in a food processor and pulse them until they are coarsely chopped. In a mixing bowl, combine the almonds, white flour, wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In another mixing bowl, whip together the EnerG Egg Replacer mix and add the margarine, soy creamer, and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine them thoroughly. Give the waffle iron a quick spray with the oil. Add the batter to your waffle iron (amount depends on your iron) and cook the waffles until they are golden brown. Heat the raspberries in a small pot along with the sugar and water. Give the raspberries a couple of smashes while they are cooking to release their juice. Top the finished waffles with this sauce.



Kitchen Equipment 2 Mixing Bowls Whisk Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Food Processor Waffle Iron Small Pot Spoon to stir and smash the raspberries Presentation

Save a few fresh raspberries to add to the top of the finished waffle. If you want to add a bit more color, you can also add something like lime zest strips to the top of the waffle.

Time Management If you want to store these waffles, you can cook them and then freeze them. Make sure to keep them tightly wrapped and they will last up to six months in your freezer without losing much of their texture! Complementary Food and Drinks If you want to serve this with a side, check out Light Life’s smoked tempeh strips. That will create a unifying smoky theme throughout the breakfast. Where to Shop Smoked almonds can be found in most places that have bulk bins, such as Sprouts and Whole Foods. You can also find the EnerG Egg Replacer at those places. All of the other ingredients



should be fairly easy to find. How It Works The EnerG Egg Replacer uses a couple of starch powders and gums to hold together the other ingredients and keep them tight while they cook in the waffle iron. The baking soda will help keep them a bit fluffy. Adding the whole wheat flour to the white flour gives them a nuttier, richer taste without making them too heavy. Finally, the smoked almonds give the waffle a unique taste and a lot of texture and the raspberries provide the obvious sweet topping to the dish. The dark red of the raspberries goes quite well with the smoky almonds, which is true of most dark red sweet fruits. Note that you can test your waffle iron to see that it is ready by splashing a couple drops of water on it. If the water dances before evaporating, your iron is ready. Chef’s Notes I’ve had almonds in waffles before, and I always enjoyed the taste. However, I had a feeling that a smoky almond would turn this into a “wow!” dish and my expectations were well met. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options, serving sizes are based on a small individual portion waffle iron) Calories 1492.4 (248.7) Calories from Fat 639.7 (106.6) Fat 71.1g (11.8g) Total Carbohydrates 179.5g (29.9g) Dietary Fiber 34.0g (5.7g) Sugars 51.9g (8.7g) Protein 33.7g (5.6g) Salt 1479mg (246.4mg) Vitamin A 16% (2.7%) Vitamin B6 23% (3.8%) Vitamin C 103% (17.2%) Calcium 34% (5.7%)



Iron 56% (9.3%) Thiamin 46% (7.7%) Riboflavin 63% (10.5%) Niacin 62% (10.3%) Folate 52% (8.7%) Phosphorous 68% (11.3%) Potassium 39% (6.5%) Zinc 39% (6.5%) Magnesium 89% (14.8%) Copper 62% (10.3%) Interesting Facts Waffles sprung up in the middle ages as a religious food. Traditional waffles, like many European style ones, are leavened with yeast, not baking powder.


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Richard Barnett of The Veggie Barn

Pepper & Lime Wholemeal Pancakes Type: Breakfast Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients 125g self-raising wholemeal flour (or use plain with 2tsp. of baking powder) 250ml soya milk (about 1 cup and a tbsp.) 1 dessert spoon (just under 2 tsp.) of lime juice 1 tsp. of sea salt 1 tsp. of fresh black pepper (omit for sweet pancakes and substitute with a small quantity of your favourite sweetener) Groundnut oil for frying Instructions Simply mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then slowly add the milk, stirring all the time to avoid lumps. Heat a small frying pan and when it's really hot pour in a teaspoonful of oil. Add 2 tablespoons of the mixture to the pan and swirl around to get an even coating. Cook for around a minute until the edges start to brown and the surface appears dry. Ease round the edge with a spatula and then flip over. Cook for a further minute. Serve hot with whatever you have prepared.



Low-fat Version Use water instead of soya milk for the lowest fat possible. Kitchen Equipment Frying Pan Spatula Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Whisk Knife Cutting Board Presentation

Dress these with a few pine nuts and some grated lime zest.

Time Management These pancakes are best served fresh, but if you need to make a big batch ahead of time, keep them in the oven or even a tortilla warmer to keep them warm. Complementary Food and Drinks Try these with a semi-sweetened black tea with a touch of soy creamer.



Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be readily available at your local market. Approximate cost per serving is $.50. How It Works The soya milk adds just a touch of fat to the pancakes which makes them tender while also adding a very mild creamy flavor. The lime juice coupled with the soya milk creates a flavor similar to buttermilk, but much more effervescent. The pepper gives the pancakes a spicy kick. Chef’s Notes These pancakes are wonderfully versatile. I find them much easier to make and handle than traditional, dairy based ones. They can be served with either sweet or savoury fillings. If you like a thicker texture, just add a bit more flour. You can also add dried fruit or blueberries to the mixture before cooking for an interesting variation. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 704.4 (88.1) Calories from Fat 180.0 (22.5) Fat 20.0g (2.5g) Total Carbohydrates 106.4g (13.3g) Dietary Fiber 7.0g (0.9g) Sugars 5.7g (0.7g) Protein 24.7g (3.1g) Salt 1739mg (217mg) Vitamin A 34% (4.3%) Vitamin B6 16% (2%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 52% (6.5%) Iron 49% (6.1%)



Thiamin 67% (8.4%) Riboflavin 38% (4.8%) Niacin 40% (5%) Folate 57% (7.1%) Phosphorous 89% (11.1%) Potassium 14% (1.8%) Zinc 13% (1.6%) Magnesium 23% (2.9%) Copper 26% (3.3%) Interesting Facts Limes are full of vitamin C, giving them strong disease-fighting properties.



Walnut Maple Pancakes Type: Breakfast Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients 2/3 cup of flour 1/8 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking powder 2/3 cup of soy milk ½ tsp. of vanilla extract 2 tsp. oil +1/2 tsp. for oiling the pan ¼ cup of chopped walnuts ¼ tsp. of cinnamon Instructions Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a metal bowl until they are combined. Mix together the soy milk, vanilla extract, and 2 tsp. of oil. Add these to the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Chop the walnuts. Coat them with the cinnamon. Toast them on a medium heat in a dry sauté pan for about 2 minutes (until they lose their bitterness.) Stir these into the batter. Lightly oil a pan. Heat it up to a medium heat. Pour ¼ of the pancake batter onto the middle of the pan and cover it. When the top side bubbles and is mostly firm, flip the pancake over. Keep this on the heat for another minute to a minute and a half. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Top with the maple syrup.



Kitchen Equipment Pan Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Whisk Food Processor or Mortar and Pestle for the walnuts Spatula Presentation

I like to add a few extra crushed walnuts to the top of the pancakes after I pour the syrup on them. I also find a white plate makes the nicest backdrop for this recipe. If you want to add a splash of color, sprinkle a green herb around the plate, like rosemary or mint.

Time Management Toast the walnuts in the same pan as you plan on making the pancakes. That will save you a dish to clean up later on. It also has the benefit of adding just a touch of extra walnut flavor to the pancakes. Complementary Food and Drinks If you want to try something interesting, you can make a tofu scramble and wrap the pancakes around the tofu scramble. For a drink, this goes very well with a cup of Earl Grey tea that heavily features bergamot. It’s the perfect morning drink and the bergamot will complement the walnuts and maple syrup very nicely. Where to Shop You can find soy creamer at Sprouts and Whole Foods, but if you don’t have access to one of



those stores or aren’t fortunate enough to have a store around you that sells it, you can easily substitute soy milk for the creamer. Baking soda is usually found in one of two places, either on the baking aisle or with the spices. As for the maple syrup, keep in mind that the better quality syrup you buy, the better the taste (you will definitely notice a significant difference.) The brand I used in this recipe came from Stonewall Kitchen. How It Works The baking soda, when mixed with liquid, activates and creates tiny gas bubbles, helping the pancake to expand and become fluffy. The oil makes the batter smooth. The walnuts should be toasted because they have a slight bitter taste when eaten raw and they are mixed in to the finished batter instead of added in the beginning because it is easier to combine all of the batter ingredients without having chunky walnuts in the way. Chef’s Notes These pancakes were so good, I wanted to eat them all, but with the walnuts mixed into them, they became incredibly filling and I could only manage to eat two! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 656.5 (164.1) Calories from Fat 293.0 (73.3) Fat 32.6g (8.1g) Total Carbohydrates 73.2g (18.3g) Dietary Fiber 5.3g (1.3g) Sugars 4.1g (1.0g) Protein 17.7g (4.4g) Salt 1387mg (346.8mg) Vitamin A 6% (1.5%) Vitamin B6 5% (1.3%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 75% (18.8%) Iron 32% (8%)



Thiamin 46% (11.5%) Riboflavin 27% (6.8%) Niacin 26% (6.5%) Folate 33% (8.3%) Phosphorous 37% (9.3%) Potassium 10% (2.5%) Zinc 7% (1.8%) Magnesium 14% (3.5%) Copper 16% (4%) Interesting Facts The traditional topping for pancakes in England is lemon juice and sugar. Many former regions of the British Empire have a special day called Pancake Day which corresponds to Mardi Gras. The official name for the day is Shrove Tuesday.


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick & Char Rogers

Wheat Berry and Pumpkin Pancakes Type: Breakfast Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes (15-20 minutes with a large griddle) Ingredients 1 cup of wheat berries ¾ cup of whole wheat pastry flour ½ tsp. of salt 1 tbsp. of baking powder 1 tsp. of baking soda 1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice 1 serving of EnerG Egg Replacer 2 cups of soy creamer or almond milk ½-1 cup of water 3 tbsp. of oil (walnut oil is preferable) ½ cup of pureed pumpkin Oil for the griddle Options: Dried fruit, sliced bananas, pecans, toasted walnuts, maple syrup, sweet agave nectar Instructions In a blender, food processor, or mill, grind the wheat berries on a high speed until they become flour-like (they will still feel grainy, but should be ground to a coarse powder). Combine the wheat berry flour with the whole wheat pastry flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice, setting the mix aside. Whip up the EnerG Egg Replacer according to the instructions. Add to the Egg Replacer the soy creamer, ½ cup of water, and oil. Combine these together thoroughly. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, creating a batter. Mix the pureed pumpkin into the batter. Add more water, if needed, to create a batter that easily pours out of its container. Lightly oil a griddle or sauté pan. Turn the heat to medium and allow the pan to fully heat. Pour about ½ cup of batter onto the pan and quickly rotate the pan to get as disk-like a shape as possible with the batter.



Cook the bottom for about 3 minutes and flip the pancake. Cook the other side for about 2 minutes. Remove this from the pan and set it aside. Repeat this process until you are out of batter. Options: Top the pancakes with any of the optional ingredients.



Low-fat Version These can be cooked on a dry, non-stick griddle over a medium heat. Make sure that you completely loosen the pancake before flipping it since there will be no oil to create a slick barrier between the pancake and the griddle. You can omit the oil in the pancake batter and replace it with soy creamer. Raw Version Use sprouted wheat berries (soak them for eight hours and then sprout them in a sprouting jar; they should be ready after a day). Grind the sprouted wheat berries. Substitute almond flour for the whole wheat pastry flour. Combine the spices and salt with the almond flour. Mix this into the ground wheat berry mix. Add just enough water or coconut water to make a stiff dough. Spread the dough into pancake shapes on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate them for about three hours, flip them, and then continue dehydrating them for another two hours. Serve with pecans. Omit any ingredients not listed in this section. Kitchen Equipment 2 Mixing Bowls Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Blender or Grinder for the wheat berries Whisk Griddle Spatula Presentation

I chose a tan platter for this because it shows off the color of the pancakes quite well, can hold a lot of them if needed, and reminds me of fall in the Southwest.



Time Management The wider the griddle or sauté pan, the more pancakes you can cook at once. The batter only takes a few minutes to put together, so most of the time is spent waiting for pancakes to cook and then flipping them over. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with semi-sweet, cinnamon spiced coffee. Where to Shop Wheat berries, as well as the Egg Replacer and soy creamer, can be found at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Central Market, and most health food stores. The rest of the ingredients should be available at your local market. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works The baking powder activates when it is mixed with liquid, causing the two compounds in it to combine and release tiny amounts of gas. This keeps the pancakes light. The baking soda keeps them cake-like, which is necessary because of the pureed pumpkin. Soy creamer is used for flavor and the oil in the batter makes the pancakes tender. Wheat berries are used for their incredible flavor. Whole wheat pastry flour is used to smooth out the pancakes, which would be too crunchy with just the wheat berry flour (you can exchange the pastry flour for more wheat berry flour if you have a very powerful blender like a VitaMix). Chef’s Notes Pancakes aren’t known for their complex flavor, but this recipe is an exception. There’s flavor from the soy creamer, the pastry flour, the wheat berries, the spices, and the pumpkin. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1830.6 (228.8) Calories from Fat 703.8 (88.0)



Fat 78.2g (9.8g) Total Carbohydrates 243.9g (30.5g) Dietary Fiber 37.9g (4.7g) Sugars 34.7g (4.3g) Protein 37.8g (4.7g) Salt 1703mg (213mg) Vitamin A 382% (47.8%) Vitamin B6 47% (5.9%) Vitamin C 9% (1.1%) Calcium 12% (1.5%) Iron 62% (7.8%) Thiamin 78% (9.8%) Riboflavin 28% (3.5%) Niacin 83% (10.4%) Folate 20% (2.5%) Phosphorous 90% (11.3%) Potassium 37% (4.6%) Zinc 53% (6.6%) Magnesium 98% (12.3%) Copper 66% (8.3%) Interesting Facts A wheat berry is the kernel of wheat, making them incredibly high in fiber. Hotcakes are a type of pancake made with a mixture of cornmeal.



Pumpkin Walnut Scone Type: Bread Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients ¼ cup of walnuts 1 ¾ cups of whole wheat pastry flour ¼ cup of sugar 1 tsp. of baking powder ¼ tsp. of baking soda 1 tsp. of freshly grated ginger 1 cup or pureed pumpkin ¼ cup of chilled vegan margarine or chilled walnut oil Instructions Chop the walnuts. Combine the walnuts, flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Grate the ginger. Combine that with the pureed pumpkin in a separate bowl. Cut the margarine into the flour until you have lots of crumbles. Combine the pumpkin ginger mix with the flour until everything is thoroughly combined. Knead the dough about 10-12 times. Form it into a circle about 2-3” thick. Place it on a baking stone or cookie sheet. Bake it at 425 degrees for 12-15 minute. Cut it into four triangular pieces.



Low-fat Version Omit the margarine and use a like amount of soy creamer instead. The scones won’t be nearly as tender, but they won’t have all the fat. Kitchen Equipment 2 Mixing Bowls Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Grater Baking Stone or Sheet Presentation

Serve these on a platter adorned with candied ginger and maple syrup.

Time Management Make sure to get the pumpkin and ginger mixed together before taking the margarine out of the refrigerator. This will keep the margarine chilled for as long as possible, which helps the scone stay flaky. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve these with maple syrup in which to dip the scones and ginger apple cider for a drink.



Where to Shop All of the ingredients for this should be commonly available, most of which will be found in the baking aisle. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works It’s important to mix the pumpkin and ginger together so that it can immediately be mixed into the crumbly flour and margarine mix. This limits the amount of time that the margarine will sit out before the scones go in the oven. Kneading the dough quickly again limits the time the margarine has to melt (this makes the scones a bit flaky) and creates a very minor gluten structure. The structure traps the gas released by the baking powder, causing the scones to rise. Chef’s Notes I used to be afraid to bake biscuits and scones even more so, but after doing recipes like this a few times, I discovered how fast and easy it was. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1602.4 (400.6) Calories from Fat 556.2 (139.1) Fat 61.8g (15.5g) Total Carbohydrates 225.1g (56.3g) Dietary Fiber 34.7g (8.7g) Sugars 50.2g (12.5g) Protein 36.4g (9.1g) Salt 1282mg (320mg) Vitamin A 805% (201.3%) Vitamin B6 52% (13%) Vitamin C 18% (4.5%) Calcium 48% (12%) Iron 77% (19.3%)



Thiamin 74% (18.5%) Riboflavin 39% (9.8%) Niacin 73% (18.3%) Folate 35% (8.8%) Phosphorous 104% (26%) Potassium 47% (11.8%) Zinc 51% (12.8%) Magnesium 102% (25.5%) Copper 84% (21%) Interesting Facts Scones used to be cooked on the griddle and were much denser than they are today. Scones are Scottish in origin.



Blueberry Almond Bread “Snail” Type: Sweetbread Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 3 hours 30 minutes Ingredients 2 ½ tsp. of active yeast ½ cup of soymilk ¼ cup of vegan shortening ¼ cup of sugar ½ tsp. of salt 2 to 3 cups of flour 1/3 cup of blueberry jam ¼ cup of sliced almonds with 1 tbsp. reserved Soymilk Instructions Scald the soymilk and pour it over the shortening. Add the sugar and salt and cool until the mix is tepid. Pour this over the yeast and allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until bubbly. Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, incorporating each addition thoroughly. The dough will be soft, but firm enough to handle. Knead the dough on a floured surface until elastic and smooth (about 10 minutes). Turn the dough into a well oiled bowl and let it rest 1 ½ hours, until double in size. Punch the dough down and, on a floured surface, roll it out into a snake about 18 inches long. With a rolling pin, flatten the snake to three inches wide. Spread blueberry jam evenly over dough and sprinkle with sliced almonds, reserving one tablespoon. Roll the dough to enclose filling, then gently transfer the tube to a greased baking sheet. Coil the tube into a loose spiral to allow room to rise. Cover it and place it in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour. Gently brush the top of snail with soymilk and sprinkle the reserved almonds on top. Bake the bread in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.



Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Pot Rolling Pin Dish Towel Spatula Presentation

Serve this whole with a knife available for everyone to cut their own piece. It preserves the nice coiled look of the bread. Also, if any of the nuts burned, make sure to remove those from the bread.

Time Management This recipe has quite a bit of downtime while the dough rises, so take that time to do clean-up or make another recipe. Obviously, this recipe makes a great breakfast, but it’s a bit long to feasibly make in the morning. You can make it the night before and store it in an airtight bag for eating it the next day. Complementary Food and Drinks A cup of almond flavored coffee goes perfectly with this bread. Where to Shop All of the ingredients should be easy to find except for the vegan shortening. The most commonly available brand is Spectrum and can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and most health food stores. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25.



How It Works The scalded soymilk will melt the shortening, creating a smooth mix for the bread. The fat of the shortening is what makes the bread tender and the amount used keeps this a semi-soft bread. Allowing the dough to rise twice creates a smooth gluten structure within the bread, meaning it will trap the gas bubbles of the yeast, but won’t be stiff like recently kneaded dough. One of the reasons to allow the tube to rise is so that the coil expands into itself, creating a tight coil similar to what is found in a cinnamon roll. Chef’s Notes This recipe originally started out with a cherry filling, but the blueberry filling sounded too good to pass up! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2093.4 (348.9) Calories from Fat 662.8 (110.5) Fat 73.6g (12.3g) Total Carbohydrates 320.3g (53.4g) Dietary Fiber 12.3g (2.0g) Sugars 99.2g (16.5g) Protein 37.4g (6.2g) Salt 1272mg (212mg) Vitamin A 7% (1.2%) Vitamin B10% (1.7%) Vitamin C 16% (2.7%) Calcium 34% (13.8%) Iron 83% (13.8%) Thiamin 138% (23%) Riboflavin 108% (18%) Niacin 81% (13.5%) Folate 114% (19%) Phosphorous 47% (7.8%)



Potassium 22% (3.7%) Zinc 23% (3.8%) Magnesium 48% (8%) Copper 50% (8.3%) Interesting Facts Blueberries are native to North America and grow quite well in cool climates.



Glögg Type: Drink Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes Ingredients 1 bottle of red wine 3 sticks of cinnamon 3” piece of ginger, sliced 3 strips of orange peel 10 cardamom pods 10 whole cloves ½ cup of sugar 1/3 cup of raisins ¼ cup of slivered almonds Option: 3 tbsp. of Madeira Instructions Wrap the cinnamon sticks, ginger, orange peel, cardamom, and cloves in cheesecloth and tie it closed. Bring the wine to a very low simmer. Add all the ingredients to a pot. Simmer this for 40 minutes. Option: Add the Madeira after the wine is done simmering. Option: Light the glögg with a match or lighter after serving it.



Raw Version Make sure to purchase an organic wine. Mince the ginger. Use a teaspoon of cardamom seeds instead of the pods. Grind the seeds. Place the ginger and spices, except for the cinnamon, in a cheesecloth bag. Squeeze the bag tightly. Add the cinnamon sticks to it. Place it in the wine and let it sit for about four hours. Use sweet agave nectar instead of sugar. Kitchen Equipment Measuring Spoon Cheesecloth and String Pot Small Knife Cutting Board Presentation

The presentation is all about the mug. I like using a glass mug to show off as much of the rich color of the wine as possible.

Time Management This is a great holiday drink, so you may want to make a large batch of this and then store it in your refrigerator. It can be warmed in just a few minutes, ready to drink. Complementary Food and Drinks Glögg is fairly potent, being both strong in alcohol and sweetness. That means it will reduce the flavor of other sweets, so I tend to serve this with savory snacks instead of sweet ones.



Where to Shop Look for cheesecloth in the baking aisle. My favorite wine to use with this recipe is pinot noir. Approximate cost per serving heavily depends on the cost of your bottle of wine! How It Works The spices are all very aromatic spices, giving this drink an dessert-like quality. They are wrapped in cheesecloth so that they do not fall into the mugs when you pour the wine. It is important to not bring the wine to a boil because that will change the flavor of the wine too drastically. Chef’s Notes I usually make my glögg less sweet than this, but that is because I have lost much of my sweet tooth. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1393.6 (348.4) Calories from Fat 163.1 (40.8) Fat 18.1g (4.5g) Total Carbohydrates 140.2g (35.1g) Dietary Fiber 6.0g (1.5g) Sugars 124.6g (31.1g) Protein 9.0g (2.3g) Salt 44mg (11mg) Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 7% (1.8%) Vitamin C 2% (0.5%) Calcium 19% (4.8%) Iron 23% (5.8%) Thiamin 10% (2.5%) Riboflavin 21% (5.3%) Niacin 9% (2.3%)



Folate 1% (0.3%) Phosphorous 24% (6%) Potassium 27% (6.8%) Zinc 10% (2.5%) Magnesium 35% (8.8%) Copper 43% (10.8%) Interesting Facts Mulled wines, of which glögg is the Scandanavian version, are very popular throughout northern Europe.



Spiced Cranberry Nog Type: Drink Serves: Time to Prepare: 5 Ingredients 1 ½ (360 ml) cups of fresh cranberries 2 cups (480 ml) of vanilla soymilk ½ cup (120 ml) plus 2 tbsp. of maple syrup 1 tbsp. of lemon juice 1 ½ tsp. of ground cinnamon 1 tsp. of vanilla extract ½ tsp. of ground allspice ¼ tsp. of ground nutmeg ¼ tsp. of guar gum 1/8 tsp. of ground cloves Instructions Rinse the cranberries in a strainer under running water and place them in the blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high speed for a full minute or until the cranberries are completely broken down and the nog becomes creamy and thick. There may still be tiny flecks of cranberries visible even after blending thoroughly. Pour the nog into a pitcher and chill until ready to serve.



Low-fat Version Use rice milk instead of soy milk. Raw Version Use raw almond milk instead of the soy milk. Kitchen Equipment Strainer Blender Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation

This should be served in a mug and topped with a pinch of cinnamon.

Time Management Refrigerated, the Spiced Cranberry Nog will keep for 2 to 3 days. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with pumpkin bread spiced with cloves and cinnamon.



Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be easily found at most grocery stores. If you want richer cranberry nog, use a soy creamer instead of soy milk. Approximate cost per serving is $.75. How It Works The cranberries should go in the bottom of the blender so that they have the easiest time becoming pureed. The guar gum binds everything together, giving the drink a bit of thickness. The lemon juice brightens the drink and curdles the soy milk just a bit, making it like traditional egg nog. The spices give the drink a heavy aromatic quality. Chef’s Notes A knock-your-socks-off festive holiday beverage, this unique take-off on eggnog lights up with a tangy edge and an inviting powder puff pink color thanks to the season’s bountiful cranberry harvest. The nog is quickly assembled in the blender, but you may want to plan ahead for multiple batches when serving a crowd. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 803.4 (160.7) Calories from Fat 66.6 (13.3) Fat 7.4g (1.5g) Total Carbohydrates 172.2g (34.4g) Dietary Fiber 8.0g (1.6g) Sugars 140.0g (28.0g) Protein 12.0g (2.4g) Salt 211mg (42mg) Vitamin A 23% (4.6%) Vitamin B6 3% (0.6%) Vitamin C 14% (2.8%) Calcium 75% (15%)



Iron 30% (6%) Thiamin 5% (1%) Riboflavin 66% (13.2%) Niacin 2% (0.4%) Folate 0% (0%) Phosphorous 2% (0.4%) Potassium 15% (3%) Zinc 64% (12.8%) Magnesium 30% (6%) Copper 11% (2.2%) Interesting Facts Cranberries grow in bogs. Egg nog was a drink for the aristocracy in pre-industrial England since the ingredients were so expensive.



Ginger Barley Tea Type: Drink Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 35 minutes Ingredients ½ cup of barley 1 ½” piece of ginger, sliced 4 cups of water 2 tbsp. of lemon juice ½ tsp. of lemon zest 2 tbsp. of sweet agave nectar Option: 3 tbsp. of sugar instead of agave nectar Instructions Peel and slice the ginger. Simmer the water, ginger, and barley for 30 minutes. Strain the barley, reserving the liquid (a mesh colander is good for this). Zest a lemon and then juice it. Mix the lemon juice and agave nectar with the barley water while it is hot.



Kitchen Equipment Cutting Board Small Knife Pot Strainer Spoon Presentation

Although this uses four cups of water, the barley will absorb just over half of it, so this drink should be served in a small tea cup or coffee cup. I particularly liked the way this purple coffee cup and saucer looked with the drink.

Time Management This is a great drink to make if you are going to cook and use barley for something else as you can cook the barley for one recipe and save the liquid for this drink. Of course, you’re barley will need to be done in the ginger flavored water. Complementary Food and Drinks Take the left over barley from this drink and mix it with some caramelized onion, mushrooms, and lots of thyme. Wrap it in some phyllo dough and bake it. It’s a perfect complement to this warming winter drink. Where to Shop These ingredients are commonly available everywhere.



How It Works Boiling the barley infuses the water with a deep, nutty flavor. The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the barley. The zest gives it a pop and the ginger makes it spicy which is nice for the cold winter months. Finally, the sweet agave nectar takes the edge off of the lemon and smoothes the drink out. Chef’s Notes This is a variation on a classic lemon and barley tea, which I found surprisingly good the first time I tried it. This version is even better! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 215 (108) Calories from Fat 9 (5) Fat 1g (.5g) Total Carbohydrates 51g (26g) Dietary Fiber 4g (2g) Sugars 32g (16g) Protein 3g (1.5g) Salt 3mg (1.5mg) Vitamin A n/a (n/a) Vitamin B6 4% (2%) Vitamin C 46% (23%) Calcium 1% (n/a) Iron 5% (2.5%) Thiamin 10% (5%) Riboflavin 2% (1%) Niacin 5% (2.5%) Folate 1% (n/a) Phosphorous 5% (2.5%)



Potassium 6% (3%) Zinc 4% (2%) Magnesium 8% (4%) Copper 6% (3%) Interesting Facts Barley tea is sometimes used to ease stomach pains. Ginger is used frequently during cold months for its spicy quality, which gives a warming quality to a dish without imparting true heat.



Hot Toddy Type: Drink Serves: 1 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes Ingredients 1 tbsp. of sweet agave nectar or brown sugar ¾ cup of hot water ¼ cup of Scotch 1 squeeze of lemon Option: 1 cup of chamomile tea instead of whiskey for a non-alcoholic version Option: Brandy instead of whiskey Option: a squeeze of orange instead of lemon Option: 4 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1/8 tsp. of fresh nutmeg Instructions Heat the water until it is steaming. Stir in the sweetener. Stir in the whiskey and the lemon juice. Option: Brew the tea, stir in the sweetener, and then stir in the lemon. Option: Add the cloves and cinnamon to 1 cup of water and simmer it for ten minutes. Stir in the sweetener, then the whiskey, nutmeg, and lemon juice.



Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Pot Whisk or Spoon Presentation

This is a sipping drink, which means it needs to be served in a cup that will retain heat over at least fifteen minutes. That can be glass or ceramic as long as the cup is thick. A nice looking thermal cup also does quite well (obviously!)

Time Management If you are having a lot of guests over, you can make a big pot of the water, whiskey, and sweetener and then give a squeeze of fresh lemon into each cup when you serve them. Don’t add the lemon to the pot as the heated lemon juice will lose its fresh flavor. Complementary Food and Drinks Try this drink with a cinnamon walnut scone or other spiced, but unsweetened bread. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are easy to come by except for the sweet agave nectar, which can be found at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Central Market, and other places along those lines. How It Works The water and sweetener comprise a light syrup which cuts the power of the whiskey and smoothes it out. The fresh lemon brightens the entire drink.



Chef’s Notes Leave it to the Scots to come up with one of the world’s most popular whiskey drinks. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 215.7 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0g Total Carbohydrates 18.7g Dietary Fiber 0.2g Sugars 13.4g Protein .2g Salt 6mg Vitamin A 0% Vitamin B6 2% Vitamin C 47% Calcium 1% Iron 1% Thiamin 1% Riboflavin 0% Niacin 0% Folate 2% Phosphorous 0% Potassium 3% Zinc 0% Magnesium 2% Copper 2% Interesting Facts The “toddy” part of the name of the drink is supposedly a wink to Tod’s Well near Edinburgh. The word whiskey is derived from the Gaelic “uisage,” the name for water.



Mulled Cardamom Apple Cider Type: Drink Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 quart of apple cider 1” piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly 1 stick of cinnamon ½ tsp. of whole cloves 1 tsp. of whole allspice berries 2 tsp. of coriander seeds 2 tsp. of whole white or green cardamom pods Option: 2 tbsp. of brown sugar Option: Peel of one orange Instructions Peel and slice the ginger. Place all of the ingredients in a medium sized pot. Simmer the cider for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm.



Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Medium Sized Pot Ladle Presentation

I like to place this on a platter and the cup surrounded by a mix of the fresh mulling spices. It’s a nice touch that brings an extra visual dimension to what would otherwise look like a cup of hot apple juice.

Time Management This gets better and better as it sits, so if you are serving this for lots of people, simmer the cider for about fifteen minutes and then let it sit out the rest of the day. Complementary Food and Drinks A slice of ginger pound cake is a wonderful complement for this delicious drink. Where to Shop I try to get freshly squeezed apple juice at Central Market or Whole Foods, though you can use a premade one if those stores aren’t available to you. I strongly urge you not to get one made from a concentrate as the flavor will be lacking quite a bit. For the spices, check out your local spice store or head to Sprouts, which has an excellent selection of spices in bulk. How It Works Simmering the cider causes the spices to release their flavors as they become agitated by the heat



and it also allows the cider to more readily accept those flavors (warm foods almost always accept flavors better than cold ones.) The cinnamon and coriander seed are used for depth while the cardamom, cloves, and allspice are used for an aromatic quality. The ginger is used to add spice to it. Chef’s Notes I like mulled apple cider, which generally features cinnamon and cloves, but the addition of all the other spices to this one has spoiled me and now I’m addicted to this version! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 476 (119) Calories from Fat 9 (2.5) Fat 1g (n/a) Total Carbohydrates 116g (29g) Dietary Fiber 1g (n/a) Sugars 104g (26g) Protein (n/a) Salt 30mg (7.5mg) Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 15% (3.75%) Vitamin C 15% (3.75%) Calcium 7% (1.75%) Iron 20% (5%) Thiamin 10% (2.5%) Riboflavin 8% (2%) Niacin 5% (1.25%) Folate 0% (0%) Phosphorous 7% (1.75%) Potassium 34% (8.5%) Zinc 2% (.5%) Magnesium 7% (1.75%) Copper 11% (2.75%)



Interesting Facts Ciders are traditionally fermented drinks, though in the U.S. that type of drink is now referred to as a hard cider. White cardamom has a brighter flavor than green or black and is typically used in Northern Europe.



Spiced Hot Cocoa Type: Drink Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 6 tbsp. of cocoa powder 4 strips of orange peel 2 cups of soy milk ¼ tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg 1 tbsp. of cherry syrup Option: 1 tsp. of powdered vanilla Instructions Combine the soymilk and orange peel in a pot. Warm it for around 5 minutes, but do not let it boil. Combine the nutmeg and cocoa powder, adding equal parts to the bottom of two dried cups. Slowly stir in the warmed soymilk. Stir in the cherry syrup. Option: Sprinkle ½ tsp. of powdered vanilla on top of each finished cup.



Low-fat Version For a low fat version of this drink, you can use water or rice milk instead of the soy milk. Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Pot Spoon to stir Zester with the Strip Attachment to get orange peel strips Presentation

If you want to get fancy, sprinkle on the vanilla powder and then prop up a cinnamon stick inside the cup. Make sure the cinnamon stick is at least half as long as the cup is tall. You can also put this on a saucer and sprinkle the saucer with bits of shaved chocolate.

Time Management This recipe goes so quickly, there is very little time management to it. Complementary Food and Drinks This is a drink meant to be served alone. Where to Shop I like to shop at Whole Foods for my cocoa powder as I can get organic, fair trade, good quality chocolate. I particularly enjoy the Dagoba cocoa powder. The other ingredients should be fairly easy to find.



How It Works The nutmeg adds an aromatic flavor to the drink while the orange peel gives it the spring of orange zest. The cherry syrup is added in a small amount to provide a subtle, dark accent to the drink. The nutmeg and chocolate are mixed together dry in the bottom of the cups and then the heated soy milk is added so that the dry mix does not clump. Finally, the orange peel is heated with the soy milk so that it infuses the soymilk with a bit of orange zest. Chef’s Notes Just a few small flavors change this from an average cup of hot cocoa to something truly special. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 363 (181.5) Calories from Fat 122 (61) Fat 14g (7g) Total Carbohydrates 41g (20.5g) Dietary Fiber 16g (8g) Sugars 16g (8g) Protein 19g (9.5g) Salt 72mg (36mg) Vitamin A 3% (1.5%) Vitamin B6 12% (6%) Vitamin C 1% (.5%) Calcium 6% (3%) Iron 44% (22%) Thiamin 41% (20.5%) Riboflavin 24% (12%) Niacin 8% (4%) Folate 5% (2.5%) Phosphorous 48% (24%) Potassium 43% (21.5%) Zinc 22% (11%)



Magnesium 62% (31%) Copper 87% (43.5%) Interesting Facts Raw cacao seeds are not brown, but rather pink or purple. Almost 70% of the world’s cacao crop is grown in West Africa, even though it originated in Central America.



Wassail Type: Drink Serves: 24 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients 6 very small apples ½ tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg 8 slices of ginger 3 whole cloves 3 whole allspice berries 3 cinnamon sticks 1 cup of brown sugar or sweet agave nectar 1 ½ gallons of apple cider Option: 1 cup of brandy Option: 2 quarts of Madeira Option: 1 orange stuck with whole cloves Instructions Peel and slice the ginger. Simmer all of the ingredients except for the apples for 20 minutes. Float the apples in the wassail. Option: If you want to do a smaller batch of this, you can slice a few apples and float apple slices in the wassail. You will also need to slice the orange and float in the orange slices without the cloves stuck in them.



Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Nutmeg Grater Large Pot Small Knife Cutting Board Large Spoon to stir the wassail Presentation

If you are making the full batch of wassail for which this recipe calls, serve it in a nice crystal bowl after it cools down a bit. If you are doing individual servings, float an apple slice and an orange slice in each cup.

Time Management The longer the wassail sits, the better it gets. If you’re going to make a large batch, make it the night before and then let it sit in your refrigerator. Complementary Food and Drinks Wassail is very much a party drink, so it should be served with other party foods. Try some shortbread cookies or slices of cinnamon flavored pastries. Where to Shop Apple cider should be available at most markets during the winter time, though I suggest getting freshly squeezed cider for maximum flavor. You’ll have to check your local markets to see who serves that. For small apples, you may have to go to a gourmet grocery store or simply slice up larger apples. As for the spices, I prefer to buy them in bulk from Sprouts, though you can find



them pre-packaged just about anywhere. How It Works The ginger makes the wassail spicy while the cloves and allspice give it a heady aromatic quality. However, they are not added in large enough qualities to overwhelm the cider, simply enough to enhance it. Orange is added for sweet citrus and sweetener is added to smooth out the drink. Chef’s Notes When I make this, I usually omit the sweetener, even though it is part of the traditional recipe. It makes it to syrup like for my tastes. I also think the orange looks like a colorful mini-Sputnik! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 3,418 (142) Calories from Fat 59 (2.5) Fat 7g (n/a) Total Carbohydrates 836g (35g) Dietary Fiber 6g (n/a) Sugars 765g (32g) Protein 4g (n/a) Salt 179mg (7mg) Vitamin A 1% (n/a) Vitamin B6 91% (4%) Vitamin C 101% (4%) Calcium 57% (2%) Iron 123% (5%) Thiamin 63% (3%) Riboflavin 52% (2%) Niacin 31% (1%) Folate 1% (n/a) Phosphorous 45% (2%)



Potassium 216% (9%) Zinc 14% (n/a) Magnesium 56% (2%) Copper 87% (4%) Interesting Facts Wassail is a shortened way to spell and say “was hale,” which is Old English for “to your health.” While the above recipe is the modern version of wassail, the Medieval version consisted of spices and sugar over which was placed toast and then either beer or hard cider.



Raw Waldorf Salad Type: Salad, Raw Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 6 hours to soak the pine nuts + 10 minutes of prep time Ingredients ½ cup of chopped walnuts 2 stalks of celery, sliced ½ cup of red grapes 1 red apple, chopped ¼ cup of pine nuts ¼ cup of water ½ tsp. of miso 1 tbsp. of lemon juice 1/8 tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of black pepper 2 cups of chopped lettuce Option: You can use cashew cream instead of the water and pine nuts Instructions Soak the pine nuts for 6 hours. Blend them with the water until you have a pine nut cream. Blend into the cream the miso, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Slice the celery and chop the walnuts and apple. Combine the pine nut cream with the other chopped ingredients. Place on top of the lettuce.



Kitchen Equipment Bowl to soak the nuts Small Blender Knife Cutting Board Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation

I used butterleaf lettuce in this one because it’s got broad leaves that I can arrange around the plate to make a secondary plate of lettuce. The only problem with this is that it does make the lettuce harder to eat, but the inside of the salad is really the feature of the recipe.

Time Management If you want to save a lot of time, take some raw cashew butter and mix that with enough water to make a thick cream. This turns this into a truly ten minute recipe. Complementary Food and Drinks This salad is so filling, I would eat it by itself. For a drink, though, I’d serve some water flavored with mint and lemon. Where to Shop All of these ingredients were easy to find except for the miso, which can be purchased at any Asian market, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Central Market, and any other health oriented store. To save money on the pine nuts, head to Sprouts or Whole Foods and get them from the bulk bin.



How It Works A traditional Waldorf salad consists of mayonnaise and lemon juice as the dressing. The miso in this recipe gives the dressing a tang and is mixed with blended pine nuts, which turns into a lush nut cream and forms the base of the dressing. The celery adds depth, the apples add a fresh crunch, the walnuts add a robust flavor, and the grapes contribute dark sweetness. Chef’s Notes While the dressing does not really taste like mayonnaise and lemon juice, it still has a great taste all on its own. However, if you don’t like the miso, apple cider vinegar is a great substitute for it. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1047.5 (349.2) Calories from Fat 675.6 (225.2) Fat 75.1g (25.0g) Total Carbohydrates 64.5g (21.5g) Dietary Fiber 14.9g (5.0g) Sugars 30.5g (10.2g) Protein 28.5g (9.5g) Salt 480.6mg (160.2mg) Vitamin A 11% (3.7%) Vitamin B6 34% (11.3%) Vitamin C 93% (31%) Calcium 15% (5%) Iron 52% (17.3%) Thiamin 49% (16.3%) Riboflavin 18% (6%) Niacin 22% (7.3%) Folate 50% (16.7%) Phosphorous 62% (20.7%) Potassium 43% (14.3%) Zinc 35% (11.7%)



Magnesium 72% (24%) Copper 95% (31.7%) Interesting Facts The Waldorf salad was created in 1896 by the maitre d’hotel at the Waldorf-Astoria. The original Waldorf salad did not contain walnuts.



Baked Apples in Phyllo Dough Type: Dessert Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes Ingredients 2 apples 18-20 sheets of phyllo dough 1 tsp. of cinnamon ¼ tsp. of allspice 1 tsp. of cardamom 2 tbsp. of flame red raisins 2 tbsp. of sweet agave nectar Instructions Mix together the dried spices. Core the apples. Slice them thinly. Toss them in the spice mix and then the agave nectar. Mix in the raisins. Place three phyllo sheets atop each other. Place 1/6 of the apple mix in the middle of the phyllo sheet. Fold the sides over the apples, starting with one side, then folding over the opposite end, then folding the other two sides (it should make a rectangle.) Place these in a glass baking dish. Bake this on 350 degrees for 30 minutes.



Kitchen Equipment Glass Baking Dish Knife Apple Corer Measuring Spoon Small Mixing Bowl Small Spoon Presentation

When you serve these, sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon so they’ve got some color. You can also get fancy and add some curled apple slices or some rose petals to the plate. The plate should be small if there is not garnish, but can be larger with garnish as long as the garnish is also used to decorate the plate.

Time Management If you are making a lot of these, place the apple slices in chilled water with a bit of lemon juice. The cold and the acid will keep the apples crisp and fresh. Complementary Food and Drinks This makes a nice end to a large meal as the dessert is flavorful without being overly sweet and the phyllo dough is flaky, making this a semi-light dessert. Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be available at your local market, though you can get organic phyllo at Sprouts for a good price. For the phyllo, look in the frozen section. It may also be spelled filo or fyllo.



How It Works The raisins give a contrasting texture to the apples and also provide a dark sweetness to the dessert while the sweet agave nectar provides a honey like taste to it. The agave is also used to keep the apples moist as it will coat the apples and keep in some of the steam released during baking. The spices are there to provide a full bodies aromatic quality to the dessert and cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice always go well with sweetness. Chef’s Notes I’ve been playing around with phyllo dough recently and this is the first dessert I’ve created with it. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1068.1 (178.0) Calories from Fat 66.1 (11.0) Fat 7.3g (1.2g) Total Carbohydrates 233.0g (38.8g) Dietary Fiber 13.0g (2.2g) Sugars 62.8g (10.5g) Protein 17.5g (2.9g) Salt 949.6mg (158.3mg) Vitamin A 3% (0.5%) Vitamin B6 10% (1.7%) Vitamin C 2% (0.3%) Calcium 3% (0.5%) Iron 46% (7.7%) Thiamin 4% (0.7%) Riboflavin 3% (0.5%) Niacin 3% (0.5%) Folate 1% (0.2%) Phosphorous 5% (0.8%)



Potassium 13% (2.2%) Zinc 1% (0.2%) Magnesium 4% (0.7%) Copper 9% (1.5%) Interesting Facts Phyllo dough used to be made by hand by delicately rolling out small balls of dough into paper thin sheets that would often stretch across a kitchen table. Apples originated in Kazakhstan.



Cinnamon Almond Cookies Type: Dessert Serves: 24 Time to Prepare: 1 hour, 30 minutes Ingredients 2 ¾ cups unbleached white flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder 1 cup margarine, softened at room temperature 1 ½ cups white sugar 1 ½ tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer 2 tbsp water 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp almond extract 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ cup slivered almonds 3 tbsp sugar 1 tsp cinnamon Instructions Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl and set aside. Cream the margarine and sugar together with an electric mixer or wooden spoon until light. Whisk the Ener-G Egg Replacer with the water and beat into the margarine mixture. Beat in both the vanilla and the almond extracts. Beat in the first teaspoon of cinnamon. Turn the mixer to medium low and slowly add the flour mixture just until it is uniformly incorporated. Using a large wooden spoon, fold the slivered almonds into the dough, being careful not to over mix. Cover or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350. Combine the 3 tablespoon of sugar with the second teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Divide dough in half, leaving one half in refrigerator. Divide that half of dough into 12 equal portions and roll into approximately 1-inch round balls. Space evenly on a baking sheet, leaving about an inch and a half between each ball.



Using the bottom of a glass, press the balls down until slightly flattened. Sprinkle the individual cookies with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Allow to cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.



Kitchen Equipment Electric mixer Large wooden spoon Sieve 2 large mixing bowls 1 small mixing bowl Measuring cups and spoons Baking sheets Plastic wrap Flat-bottomed glass Spatula Presentation

If you are not plating these up with other cookies, place them on a white plate and then sprinkle a bit of extra cinnamon around the edge of the plate for additional color.

Time Management This dough can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, for up to three days or frozen for a month. Make up the second pan of cookies while the first is baking to save some time. Complementary Food and Drinks These cookies go very well with hot coffee or a tall glass of soymilk. Where to Shop Most of the ingredients are available at a regular grocery store. You may have to go to a store like



Whole Foods or Sprouts for vegan margarine and the egg replacer. How It Works The egg replacer helps bind the cookie together, while the fat makes it tender. Chilling the dough allows the gluten to rest, which yields a more tender cookie as well. The almond extract gives the entire cookie a subtle nutty taste. Chef’s Notes These cookies have a very nice texture with a deep nutty flavor contrasted with the height of the cinnamon. They are also incredibly easy to make, and that’s always a good thing. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 3997.4 (166.6) Calories from Fat 1406.4 (58.6) Fat 156.3g (6.5g) Total Carbohydrates 605.1g (25.2g) Dietary Fiber 12.5g (0.5g) Sugars 337.5g (14.1g) Protein 42.6g (1.8g) Salt 3535mg (147.3mg) Vitamin A 164% (6.8%) Vitamin B6 11% (0.5%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 17% (0.7%) Iron 96% (4%) Thiamin 136% (5.7%) Riboflavin 75% (3.1%) Niacin 106% (4.4%) Folate 135% (5.6%) Phosphorous 55% (2.3%)



Potassium 19% (0.8%) Zinc 23% (1.0%) Magnesium 39% (1.6%) Copper 47% (2.0%) Interesting Facts Cinnamon was imported to Egypt from China as early as 2000 BCE. Almonds are actually a seed, not a nut, and is a close cousin to peaches.



Gingerbread Cookies Type: Dessert Serves: 24 Time to Prepare: 2 hours (including 1 ½ hours chill time) Ingredients 3 cups unbleached white flour ¾ tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg ¼ tsp ground cloves 1 ½ tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer ½ cup margarine, softened at room temperature ½ cup sugar 2/3 cup blackstrap molasses 3 tbsp freshly grated ginger Instructions Sift together the flour, baking soda, all the spices (except the ginger), and the egg replacer. Cream margarine and sugar in an electric mixer or with a large wooden spoon until light. Beat in the molasses and the fresh ginger. Turn the mixer to medium low and add the flour mixture slowly, beating just until the dough is uniformly smooth. Cover or wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 350. Divide dough in half, leaving one half in the refrigerator. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray, then place a piece of parchment paper on sheet. Place dough in the middle of the parchment paper, and flatten a little with your hands. Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper, then roll out with a rolling pin until dough is approximately ¼ inch. Cover rolled dough and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow it to firm up. Cut gingerbread shapes with cookie cutters, and peel away excess dough. Try to get as many shapes out of one pan as possible. If desired, decorate cookies with raisins or candies. Bake for 8-10 minutes (dough will be very dark when raw but lightens as it bakes). They are done when cookies are still soft and the edges are just beginning to brown.



Low-fat Version You can replace half the fat in this recipe with a like amount of apple sauce for a lower fat cookie, though it will be denser than a regular gingerbread cookie. Kitchen Equipment Electric mixer Wooden spoon Two 11x17 inch baking sheets Non-stick spray Grater for the ginger and nutmeg Non-stick cooking spray Parchment paper Rolling pin Cookie cutters Presentation

The gingerbread men pictured here are decorated simply with a few raisins. However, you can go crazy with icing and candies. You can make full shirts of icing, chocolate dips for shoes, peppermint candy buttons, etc. Go wherever your imagination takes you!

Time Management This dough can be kept three days in the refrigerator and up to a month in the freezer. Make sure it is in a fully sealed plastic bag so it does not pick up any other scents. Complementary Food and Drinks I like to have these with a spicy glass of chai tea with just a bit of soy creamer added into the drink.



Where to Shop Earth Balance and Willow Run are both great vegan margarines to use for baking, both of which can usually be found at Sprouts and often Trader Joe’s. When choosing the ginger, do not choose ginger with hard, shriveled ends. Look for a crisp, plump look and a crisp smell. How It Works Most gingerbread recipes call for ground ginger, which is spicier and more bitter than fresh ginger. Using fresh ginger in this cookie gives it an almost floral bouquet, and the taste is quite different (and better!) than traditional gingerbread. The blackstrap molasses in this recipe is what gives the gingerbread men their dark appearance and deep flavor. The baking soda and fat is what makes them nice and fluffy! The dough can be soft and sticky, so that's why you use the parchment paper and chill it before cutting. Chef’s Notes The flavor of these gingerbread men is softer and more floral than the harder, spicier gingerbread men that are more commonly sold. That made for an incredible cookie experience! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2905.7 (121.1) Calories from Fat 659.8 (27.5) Fat 73.3g (3.1g) Total Carbohydrates 521.7g (21.7g) Dietary Fiber 10.5g (0.4g) Sugars 197.8g (8.2g) Protein 39.7g (1.7g) Salt 2213mg (92.2mg) Vitamin A 82% (3.4%) Vitamin B6 86% (3.6%) Vitamin C 3% (0.1%)



Calcium 199% (8.3%) Iron 315% (13.1%) Thiamin 151% (6.3%) Riboflavin 101% (4.2%) Niacin 124% (5.2%) Folate 146% (6.1%) Phosphorous 52% (2.2%) Potassium 170% (7.1%) Zinc 33% (1.4%) Magnesium 142% (5.9%) Copper 254% (10.6%) Interesting Facts China produces about 25% of the world’s ginger. Ginger “root” is actually a rhizome, which is a stem that grows underground.



Butterscotch Haystacks Type: Dessert Serves: 24 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/3 cup soy creamer 3 tbsp margarine 2 tbsp dark corn syrup 2 tbsp scotch 1 tsp vanilla 3 cups chow mien noodles Optional: flaked coconut (to make snow covered haystacks) Instructions Melt the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the sugar, corn syrup and creamer, and stir gently until the sugar melts. Bring to a slow boil. Lower heat and boil gently, stirring often, until sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 7-10 minutes, or until a candy thermometer reads 270-290 F. Remove from heat and stir in scotch and vanilla. Immediately add the chow mien noodles and stir until coated. Using two spoons, dish out the coated chow mien noodles onto baking sheets, working as quickly as possible (this sets up fairly fast). Try not to make the haystacks bigger than a bite or two, or the cookies will be too unwieldy to eat. Let the haystacks cool to room temperature before moving to an airtight container.



Kitchen Equipment Saucepan Large wooden spoon Two regular spoons Baking sheets Candy thermometer Presentation

I call the version you see in this picture “Snow Covered Haystacks.” Once they cooled, I plated them and then sprinkled them with lots of shredded coconut.

Time Management This recipe is fairly quick, partly because you have to work quickly once the sauce is ready. Although there is some stovetop cooking, these are no-bake cookies that don’t require the use of an oven. These can be made up to three days in advance, if stored in an airtight container. Complementary Food and Drinks These cookies are sweet and fun to eat, and go perfectly with a tall glass of icy cold soymilk. Where to Shop All of the ingredients should be available at your local grocery store, though you may have to visit a liquor store to get scotch.



How It Works The butterscotch sauce absorbs into the noodles and holds everything together. The sauce is cooked to the soft crack stage, so it hardens nicely as it cools, though the soy creamer keeps it from turning into hard candy. Chef’s Notes If you don’t have scotch handy, any type of whiskey will do. Bourbon has a complex flavor that would be delicious in this recipe. Alternatively, you could use dark rum, or omit the alcohol altogether. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2083.2 (86.8) Calories from Fat 656.2 (27.3) Fat 72.9g (3.0g) Total Carbohydrates 327.7g (13.7g) Dietary Fiber 5.3g (0.2g) Sugars 247.7g (10.3g) Protein 11.6g (0.5g) Salt 1105mg (46.0mg) Vitamin A 33% (1.4%) Vitamin B6 10% (0.4%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 24% (1%) Iron 59% (2.5%) Thiamin 40% (1.7%) Riboflavin 30% (1.3%) Niacin 41% (1.7%) Folate 31% (1.3%) Phosphorous 28% (1.2%)



Potassium 28% (1.2%) Zinc 16% (0.7%) Magnesium 35% (1.5%) Copper 45% (1.9%) Interesting Facts Though there isn’t actually any scotch in traditional butterscotch, we sure do like it in this recipe! Instead, the “scotch” is likely derived from “scorch”, referring to the way the sugar is cooked. 4,000 year old noodles have been excavated from an archeological site in Qinghai, China.



Peppermint Sugar Cookies Type: Dessert Serves: 24 Time to Prepare: 1 hour, 30 minutes Ingredients 2 ¾ cups unbleached white flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder 1 cup margarine, softened at room temperature 1 ½ cups white sugar 1 ½ tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer 2 tbsp water 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp peppermint extract 24 peppermint candies Instructions Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl and set aside. Cream the margarine and sugar together with an electric mixer or wooden spoon until light. Whisk the Ener-G Egg Replacer with the water and beat into the margarine mixture. Beat in both the vanilla and the peppermint extracts. Crush the peppermint candies in a zip top baggie with a rolling pin until they are in small pieces. Turn the mixer to medium low and slowly add the flour mixture just until it is uniformly incorporated. Using a large wooden spoon, fold the peppermint pieces into the dough, careful not to over mix. Cover or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350. Divide dough in half, leaving one half in the refrigerator. Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Divide unrefrigerated dough into 12 equal portions, and roll each portion into a 1-inch ball. Space dough balls evenly on a baking sheet, leaving an inch and a half of room around each one. Flatten each ball slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling. While first sheet of cookies is baking, use refrigerated dough to prepare a second sheet.



Low-fat Version You can reduce the fat content in ¼ by substituting 1 1/8 cups of applesauce for a like amount of the margarine. The texture will definitely not be the same, but then neither will the calories! If you use this option, make sure to use pastry flour instead of regular unbleached. Kitchen Equipment Electric mixer Wooden spoon Two 11x17 inch baking sheets Non-stick spray Baggie in which to crush the peppermint Presentation

These cookies are perfect for imprinting before they go in the oven. The cookie in this picture has a slight pinwheel pattern, but any pattern can be added. Just lightly imprint the cookies before they go into the oven.

Time Management The dough can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated. Alternatively, freeze the dough for up to one month. To save a bit of time, you can sift the flour while the butter and sugar are creaming together. And, since this is a sugar cookie, you can use some of the dough to make other types of cookies by taking off a few pieces before you mix in the peppermints! Complementary Food and Drinks A glass of soy milk!



Where to Shop All of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store, though you may need to go to a store like Whole Foods or Sprouts to find vegan margarine. You will find a good range of peppermints at a candy store. How It Works The EngerG Egg Replacer binds the ingredients together while the fat makes the cookies tender. Allowing the dough to rest for an hour relaxes the gluten in the cookie, keeping them tender. Peppermint extract is used to give an overall tincture of flavor while the crushed candies give shots of flavor in each bite. Chef’s Notes Don’t let these cookies bake too long. They are very easy to overcook, so it is better to pull them a minute too early than a minute too late. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 4127.0 (172.0) Calories from Fat 1283.4 (53.5) Fat 142.6g (5.9g) Total Carbohydrates 674.0g (28.1g) Dietary Fiber 9.3g (0.4g) Sugars 403.7g (16.8g) Protein 36.9g (1.5g) Salt 3575mg (149.0mg) Vitamin A 164% (6.8%) Vitamin B6 9% (0.4%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 10% (0.4%) Iron 90% (3.8%)



Thiamin 133% (5.5%) Riboflavin 64% (2.7%) Niacin 101% (4.2%) Folate 133% (5.5%) Phosphorous 42% (1.8%) Potassium 13% (0.5%) Zinc 17% (0.7%) Magnesium 20% (0.8%) Copper 31% (1.3%) Interesting Facts Archeological evidence shows mint being used as a medicine at least 10,000 years ago. Compounds in peppermint have a wide variety of uses, including as a topical anesthetic, to reduce nausea, as a decongestant, and as a pesticide against tracheal mites infesting honey bees.



Rugelach Type: Dessert Serves: 24 Time to Prepare: 2 hours Ingredients 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted ½ cup margarine, softened at room temperature 4 ounces Better Than Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature ¼ cup Sour Supreme ½ tsp vanilla extract ¼ cup sugar Soy milk Sugar Filling: 2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ cup finely chopped walnuts ¼ cup raisins 2 tbsp packed brown sugar ¼ cup raspberry or apricot preserves Instructions Cream the margarine, Better Than Cream Cheese, and sugar in a mixer at medium speed, or by hand with a large wooden spoon until light. Beat in the Sour Supreme and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour, mixing just until uniformly smooth. Cover or wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all the filling ingredients except the fruit preserves in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Spoon the preserves into a second bowl and stir until easily spread. Divide the dough into two, leaving one half in the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour, and roll the dough into about a 9-inch round. Spread two tablespoons of the fruit preserves onto the dough, going almost to the edge. Then, sprinkle half of the filling over the dough, again going close to the edge.



Cut the dough round in half, then in quarters. Cut each quarter into thirds, so that you have 12 pie wedge shaped pieces. Starting at the wide end, roll up cookies and place them on a baking sheet, seam side down. Return baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes, until firm. Brush the tops of the cookies with soy milk, and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden.



Kitchen Equipment Electric mixer Large wooden spoon Three mixing bowls Spoon Measuring cups and spoons Plastic wrap Rolling pin Sharp knife or pizza cutter Pastry brush Presentation

These can be served as part of a cookie spread or on their own. If serving them on their own, sprinkle them with a dash of cinnamon and a few cuts of mint for extra color on the plate.

Time Management The dough can be stored, covered or wrapped, for up to three days in the refrigerator or for a month in the freezer. The filling ingredients are all nonperishable, and can be put together up to a week in advance. Or, you can make the filling while creaming the sugar, Better That Cream Cheese, and margarine. If possible, make the second pan of cookies when you have returned the first to the refrigerator to chill again; that way, the second pan should be done chilling at about the time the first comes out of the oven. Complementary Food and Drinks This is a fairly sturdy cookie that holds up to other strong flavors, and goes wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee.



Where to Shop Almost all of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. A store like Whole Foods or Sprouts should carry both the Better Than Cream Cheese and Sour Supreme, as well as vegan margarine. How It Works The Better Than Cream Cheese, margarine and Sour Supreme make a rich and decadent dough that is not too sweet. The real sweetness comes from the filling. The fruit preserves help the filling stick to the dough, as well as keep the cookie moist. When rolling the dough out, make sure there is plenty of flour on the counter, and rub flour on your rolling pin as well to keep it from sticking. Chef’s Notes When cutting the dough into wedges, use either a very sharp knife or (my favorite) a pizza cutter. Apricot preserves are probably the most traditional, though raspberry preserves are also very nice. Consider substituting different combinations of preserves, dried fruit and nuts, such as pistachios with dried cranberries and orange marmalade, or almonds with dried cherries and cherry preserves. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2106.4 (87.8) Calories from Fat 909.1 (37.9) Fat 101.0g (4.2g) Total Carbohydrates 277.7g (11.6g) Dietary Fiber 4.3g (0.2g) Sugars 140.8g (5.9g) Protein 21.6g (0.9g) Salt 2153mg (89.7mg)



Vitamin A 85% (3.5%) Vitamin B6 4% (0.2%) Vitamin C 14% (0.6%) Calcium 9% (0.4%) Iron 34% (1.4%) Thiamin 49% (2.0%) Riboflavin 33% (1.4%) Niacin 37% (1.5%) Folate 55% (2.3%) Phosphorous 18% (0.8%) Potassium 10% (0.4%) Zinc 6% (0.3%) Magnesium 11% (0.5%) Copper 18% (0.8%) Interesting Facts Rugelach comes from the Yiddish word for “creeping vine”. Rugelach is of Ashkenazic origin. Famous Ashkenazic Jews include Albert Einstein, Anne Frank, and Groucho Marx.



Thumbprint Cookies Type: Dessert Serves: 24 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes 1 hour for the dough to rest) Ingredients 1 ½ cup margarine, softened at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 tbsp. vanilla extract 1 tbsp. Ener-G Egg Replacer 3 cups unbleached white flour Filling options: ¼ cup chocolate chips, melted with 2 tbsp. soy milk ¼ cup Better than Cream Cheese, mixed with 2 tbsp. sugar ¼ cup of your favorite jam or jelly Instructions Sift together the flour and Ener-G Egg Replacer. Cream the margarine and sugar until light in an electric mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon. Beat in the vanilla. Turn mixer to medium low speed, slowly add the flour mixture, and beat just until uniformly smooth. Cover or wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350. Divide dough in half, leaving one half in the refrigerator. Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Divide unrefrigerated dough into 12 equal portions, and roll each portion into a 1-inch ball. Space dough balls evenly on a baking sheet, leaving an inch and a half of room around each one. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or fingertips, and fill to the top with one of the fillings. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling. While first sheet of cookies is baking, use refrigerated dough to prepare a second sheet.



Low-fat Version You can reduce the fat content in ¼ by substituting 1 1/8 cups of applesauce or mashed bananas for a like amount of the margarine. The texture will definitely not be the same, but then neither will the calories! If you use this option, make sure to use pastry flour instead of regular unbleached. Kitchen Equipment Electric mixer Wooden spoon Two 11x17 inch baking sheets Non-stick spray Presentation

You can arrange these with other cookies or make a platter of them by themselves. Try not to stack them when they are too warm, though, or the warm chocolate will smear on the cookies.

Time Management The dough can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated. Alternatively, freeze the dough for up to one month. Complementary Food and Drinks These cookies are rich, buttery, not too sweet, and go very nicely with hot tea. Where to Shop All of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store, though you may need to go to a store like Whole Foods or Sprouts to find vegan margarine.



How It Works The EngerG Egg Replacer binds the ingredients together while the fat makes the cookies tender. Allowing the dough to rest for an hour relaxes the gluten in the cookie. Agitated gluten molecules make for a tough cookie or bread! The cookies are baked at 350 so they do not heat too fast, which would result in the outside being crisp and the inside being underdone. Chef’s Notes Cook times are different because each oven is different, so you will have to pay attention to how rapidly your oven cooks baked goods. I prefer to err on the safe side and take them out earlier rather than later if I am not sure about the oven. A cookie can always be baked longer, but if it bakes too long, it will be hard and that can’t be undone. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 4380.3 (182.5) Calories from Fat 2257.0 (94.0) Fat 250.8g (10.4g) Total Carbohydrates 489.0g (20.4g) Dietary Fiber 10.1g (0.4g) Sugars 199.8g (8.3g) Protein 41.8g (1.7g) Salt 3218mg (134.1mg) Vitamin A 243% (10.1%) Vitamin B6 10% (0.4%) Vitamin C 1% (0.04%) Calcium 16% (0.7%) Iron 99% (4.1%) Thiamin 149% (6.2%) Riboflavin 101% (4.2%) Niacin 111% (4.6%)



Folate 145% (6.0%) Phosphorous 49% (2.0%) Potassium 15% (0.6%) Zinc 18% (0.8%) Magnesium 24% (1%) Copper 31% (1.3%) Interesting Facts Cookies are thought to have originated in Persia around the 5th century. The word “cookie” comes from the Dutch word koekje, which means “little cake”.



Pumpkin Pie Type: Dessert Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 15 minutes + 2 hours for the pie to rest Ingredients 12 oz. firm, silken tofu 16 oz. of pumpkin puree 1 cup of brown sugar 2 tbsp. corn oil 2 tbsp. molasses 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt ¾ tsp. ginger, freshly grated ½ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated 9” pie shell Option for Crust: 2 cups of crushed graham crackers, ¼ cup of melted margarine or almond oil Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend all of the ingredients together (except for the pie shell, of course!) Pour the mixture into the pie shell, leaving about 1/3 of an inch between the lip of the shell and the top of the mixture. Bake the pie for one hour or until cracks start to appear on the top. Let the pie chill for at least two hours before serving. Option for Crust: Crush graham crackers until you have two cups of coarse crackers. Fill this into the baking dish and pour the melted margarine on it. Press the margarine into the crushed crackers until the margarine and crackers are combined and pressed firmly into the bottom of the dish. Bake the crust for 10 minutes on 375 degrees. * This replaces the pie shell.



Kitchen Equipment Food Processor or Blender Spatula Pie Dish Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Nutmeg Grater Grater for the ginger Presentation

Make sure you give it at least two hours to set, otherwise it will still be mushy and fall apart. Also, you should dip your knife in water before you cut into the pie so that the inside does not stick to the knife. Do this between each serving and it will help you cut cleaner pieces. Finally, this one was decorated with Soyatoo whip cream.

Time Management The pie takes very little time to put together, but it does have a long cook time and an even longer set time, so plan on making this early in the day or even better, the night before you serve it. Complementary Food and Drinks A semisweet ginger ale goes well with this. I say semisweet because if it’s very sweet, the sweetness of the pie will be lost. It also goes well with a cup of almond flavored coffee. Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be easy to find. Note that the tofu used is the kind that comes in a box, not in a package packed with water. If you decide to make your own crust, look for graham crackers that aren’t made with milk and honey. Usually, a market’s generic brand will fit the bill.



How It Works The tofu, because it is a blended protein, will bind all of the other ingredients together and will firm when baked. The ginger gives it a spicy aromatic quality while the nutmeg gives it a breathy feel. A touch of oil is added to smooth out the filling (fats help smooth out blended foods.) Salt is added because a touch of salt enhances sweetness. Chef’s Notes I wasn’t sure about the tofu when I first made this pie because I’m always wary of mixing tofu into a dessert. However, I had a feeling it would be similar to the mousse that I make and the tofu would be bland enough to get lost amongst the other ingredients. It turned out very well, indeed! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2487.9 (311.0) Calories from Fat 854.1 (106.9) Fat 95.0g (11.9g) Total Carbohydrates 371.3g (46.4g) Dietary Fiber 15.9g (2.0g) Sugars 249.9g (31.2g) Protein 37.0g (4.6g) Salt 3583mg (447.9mg) Vitamin A 2161% (270.1%) Vitamin B6 37% (4.6%) Vitamin C 53% (6.6%) Calcium 82% (10.3%) Iron 116% (14.5%) Thiamin 32% (4%) Riboflavin 48% (6%) Niacin 33% (4.1%) Folate 33% (4.1%) Phosphorous 34% (4.3%)



Potassium 84% (10.5%) Zinc 16% (2%) Magnesium 74% (9.3%) Copper 107% (13.4%) Interesting Facts Canned pumpkin is usually not pumpkin at all, but rather butternut squash. Pumpkins are used across the world, from the U.S. to Thailand.



Fluffy Icebox Pumpkin Pie Type: Desserts Serves: 12 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes + 12 hours to set Ingredients 1 cup of pureed pumpkin 1 cup of Sour Supreme (sour cream substitute) 2 cups of vanilla icing 16 oz. of extra firm silken tofu (the kind that comes in a box) 1 tsp. of cinnamon ½ tsp. of freshly grated ginger ¼ tsp. of cloves ¼ tsp. of nutmeg Soyatoo whipped topping to top the pie 1 graham cracker crust Instructions Grate the ginger and nutmeg. Whip together the pumpkin, Sour Supreme, vanilla icing, tofu, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg until it is thoroughly combined. Pour this into the crust. Allow it to refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Top with the whipped topping just before serving.



Kitchen Equipment Food Processor or Blender Spatula Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Grater Presentation

You can cover the top of the pie with the whipped topping or you can put star shaped dots of the topping across the pie. Make sure to let it sit the full time so that the pie can solidify. If not, it will drupe down on the plate. If you cover it completely and you have some

graham crackers, crush them and sprinkle them on top. Time Management The longer you let this pie sit, the better it will cut. If you can let it sit for a full day, it will stay together even better! Complementary Food and Drinks To keep the pumpkin theme going, try this after a meal of pumpkin ravioli with a sauce tinged with nutmeg. Where to Shop Mori Nu makes the most common silken tofu, which should be available in most stores. The Sour Supreme can be purchased at places like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Central Market, and even many supermarkets. When purchasing the icing, make sure to check the ingredients to make sure it doesn’t have any cream.



How It Works The tofu gives the pie structure without adding any taste to it as the silken tofu is rather bland. The icing makes the pie fluffy while the Sour Supreme mellows out the intense flavors of the pie while giving it taste that contrasts its sweetness. Allowing it to sit for so long gives everything a chance to stick together, allowing it to retain its shape when cut. Chef’s Notes My mom used to make this pie for Thanksgiving when I was young and I’ve always wanted to do a vegan version of it. However, upon finding out just how decadent it is, I cut the serving size down! It is a very powerful, luscious dessert, definitely worth having in small amounts. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 4182.1 (348.5) Calories from Fat 1692.5 (141.0) Fat 188.1g (15.7g) Total Carbohydrates 576.6g (48.1g) Dietary Fiber 11.2g (0.9g) Sugars 413.0g (34.4g) Protein 45.8g (3.8g) Salt 3197mg (266.4mg) Vitamin A 1188% (99%) Vitamin B6 11% (0.9%) Vitamin C 17% (1.4%) Calcium 20% (1.7%) Iron 67% (5.6%) Thiamin 15% (1.3%) Riboflavin 29% (2.4%) Niacin 30% (2.5%) Folate 29% (2.4%) Phosphorous 43% (3.6%)



Potassium 25% (2.1%) Zinc 10% (0.8%) Magnesium 26% (2.2%) Copper 30% (2.5%) Interesting Facts Sour Supreme is sometimes called Better than Sour Cream. The vanilla bean is actually part of an orchid indigenous to Central America.



Persimmon Pudding Type: Side or Dessert (see option) Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 2 hours Ingredients 4 ripe persimmons 2 cups of soy creamer or water 5 oz. of firm silken tofu 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of cinnamon 1 tsp. of baking powder 1 tsp. of baking soda Option: 1 cup of brown sugar Instructions Trim the tops off the persimmons. Boil the persimmons for about 1 hour (this time will vary depending on how ripe your persimmons are; boil them until they are soft). Blend the boiled persimmons with the soy creamer or water. Blend the tofu into the mix next. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Transfer this to a baking dish. Bake this at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Option: For a sweet pudding, add the sugar in with the tofu.



Raw Version Slice the persimmons very thinly. Dehydrate them for 2 hours. Soak them in water until they rehydrate. Blend them with the spices and salt, a cup of almond meal, and enough raw almond milk or water to create a thick pudding. Allow this to sit for at least 30 minutes. Kitchen Equipment Pot Blender or Food Processor Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Baking Dish Oven Presentation

Choose a deep baking dish so you can leave the pudding in it to serve. I prefer glass so the entire pudding can be seen. Once the pudding cools, you can decorate the sides with fresh mint, orange peel, etc.

Time Management In certain parts of the U.S., persimmon pulp is available for purchase, which obviates the need to boil fresh persimmons. Complementary Food and Drinks For the savory version of the pudding, serve this with baked mashed potatoes and stuffed squash.



Where to Shop Firm silken tofu usually comes in a small, unrefrigerated box. The availability of persimmons will heavily depend on where you live, since they are such a seasonal ingredient. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works Boiling the persimmons softens them enough to be blended into a smooth sauce. The flour thickens the pudding and gives it a cake-like texture, turning this into more of a European style pudding. The baking soda also gives it a cake-like texture while the baking powder causes the pudding to rise in the oven. Chef’s Notes The taste of this recipe reminded me of pumpkin pudding, but with a little more sweetness. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1482.8 (494.3) Calories from Fat 86.4 (28.8) Fat 9.6g (3.2g) Total Carbohydrates 302.5g (100.8g) Dietary Fiber 53.6g (17.9g) Sugars 1.2g (0.4g) Protein 46.6g (15.5g) Salt 2397mg (799mg) Vitamin A 219% (73%) Vitamin B6 76% (25.3%) Vitamin C 84% (28%) Calcium 45% (15%) Iron 69% (23%) Thiamin 95% (31.7%)



Riboflavin 41% (13.7%) Niacin 81% (27%) Folate 26% (8.7%) Phosphorous 117% (39%) Potassium 67% (22.3%) Zinc 58% (19.3%) Magnesium 111% (37%) Copper 98% (32.7%) Interesting Facts While persimmons originated in China, they are now grown all over the world, mostly in warm climates. Persimmons ripen by exposure to light.



Mincemeat Pie Type: Main Dish Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 2 hours + time for the filling to marinade Ingredients The Seitan 1 ½ cups of wheat gluten powder ½ tsp. of salt ½ cup of apple cider ¾ cup of water 2 tbsp. of oil The Filling

2 green apples, diced ½ cup of raisins ½ cup of turbinado sugar 2 tbsp. of brandy Zest of 1 lemon Juice of ½ of a lemon ½ tsp. of nutmeg ½ tsp. of cinnamon ½ tsp. of pepper ¼ tsp. of cloves ¼ tsp. of salt 2 ½ cups of diced seitan

The Crust 3 cups of whole wheat pastry flour ¼ tsp. of salt ½ cup of chilled vegan margarine 3-4 tbsp. of chilled water



Instructions Making the Seitan

Combine the gluten powder and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients to it and knead the seitan until everything is thoroughly combined. Option 1: Lightly oil a baking dish, press the seitan into it, cover it, and bake it on 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Option 2: Simmer the seitan in salted water for an hour and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes once it is done boiling. Cut the seitan into ¼” pieces.

Making the Filling Dice the apples. Combine all of the ingredients together. Option 1 (the quick way): Smash the ingredients by hand for about 5 minutes to release the juices from the apples and quickly meld the flavors. Option 2 (the traditional way): Jar the ingredients and allow them to sit in your refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

Making the Crust Combine the flour and salt. Cut the margarine into the crust with a fork until the flour is crumbly. Gently and quickly mix the water in by hand until you have a thick dough. Smear the dough on a flat, clean working surface to finish combining all the ingredients. Lightly flour your working surface. Separate the dough into two pieces. Roll them into balls. Gently roll out each piece of dough until you have disks slightly larger than your pie dish.

Assembling the Pie Lay the first dough disk into the bottom of a pie dish. Fill it with the seitan/apple filling. Lay the other piece of dough over the top. Crimp the edges together. Score the center of the top piece of dough with a knife in an X pattern. Bake the pie at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.



Low-fat Version Omit the oil from the seitan and replace it with water. If you use this method, you should boil the seitan, otherwise it will not be tender. Omit the margarine from the crust. It will not be flaky, but it will not have all the fat calories, either. Raw Version First, omit the seitan and use chopped, soaked almonds instead. For the crust, go with a mix of one part mashed dates, one part ground hazelnuts, and a couple teaspoons of orange zest. Don’t do the top layer of crust. You should allow the filling to sit for at least a day before loading it into the crust. Kitchen Equipment 3 Mixing Bowls Knife Cutting Board Pot or Oven and Baking Dish Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Pie Dish Presentation

Typically, I would serve this as is straight from the baking dish. In this photograph, I left off the top piece of crust so you could see what the inside of the pie looks like.



Time Management This pie takes a very long time to cook, even though there is not a lot of labor involved with it. You can mitigate most of that time by purchasing pre-made mincemeat. Most modern mincemeats are only a fruit and spice mix. To this, you can add your own chopped seitan. If you use pre-packaged seitan, again another huge time-saver, simmer it in a half water, half apple juice solution for about 30 minutes. You can save time by purchasing a vegan pie crust. Of course, you’ll lose out on a lot of flavor by using the pre-made ingredients, but you’ll also cut down on the time dramatically. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a glass of apple cider or pear cider. Where to Shop Wheat gluten powder can be purchased at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Central Market. Earth Balance is one of my favorite brands of vegan margarine. It is available at all of the above stores and is also starting to make an appearance in many conventional markets. The same is true for the turbinado sugar, which you may also seen sold as Sugar in the Raw. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works The filling is made from traditional fall aromatic spices like cloves and cinnamon. Both the sugar and salt will draw out moisture from the apples and together, balance each other. The lemon juice lightens the flavor of the filling, preserves it, and accelerates the softening of the apples. The filling is supposed to sit for two weeks so it can completely blend. Apple cider is used in the seitan because the traditional recipe has meat simmered in cider. Chilled water and margarine are used in the crust so that little pockets of margarine develop in the dough. These pockets of margarine melt while the pie bakes, creating space between pieces of the crust. This is what causes it to be flaky. Chef’s Notes This is a traditional mincemeat pie, combining in equal parts fruit and “meat.”



Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 3748.6 (468.6) Calories from Fat 1009.7 (126.2) Fat 112.2g (14.0g) Total Carbohydrates 501.8g (62.7g) Dietary Fiber 63.2g (7.9g) Sugars 165.7g (20.7g) Protein 182.9g (22.9g) Salt 3256mg (407mg) Vitamin A 85% (10.6%) Vitamin B6 74% (9.3%) Vitamin C 44% (5.5%) Calcium 28% (3.5%) Iron 198% (24.8%) Thiamin 118% (14.8%) Riboflavin 57% (7.1%) Niacin 120% (15%) Folate 42% (5.3%) Phosphorous 140% (17.5%) Potassium 77% (9.6%) Zinc 72% (9%) Magnesium 142% (17.8%) Copper 100% (12.5%) Interesting Facts Mincemeat pie recipes can be found all the way back to the 15th century.


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Mayra “Dr. Flavor”

Caramel Bar Cookies Type: Dessert Serves: 12 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Ingredients ½ cup of margarine 1 cup of brown sugar 1 tsp. of salt 2 cups of quick oats 1 tsp. of baking powder Instructions Melt the margarine over low heat. Mix in the brown sugar and salt. Mix in the oats and baking powder. Press the mix onto a greased 9 x 13" cookie sheet. Bake the dough until light brown, about 8 minutes. Watch carefully that they don't burn! Cut the cookies into squares while they are warm. Options: You can add pecan, vegan chocolate chips, caramel, shredder raw coconut, and of course melted dark good quality chocolate with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top to look like snow.



Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon 9” x 13” Baking Sheet Knife Small Pot Mixing Bowl Presentation

It’s easiest to cut these into squares and are easy to serve on a huge platter, making them the perfect party food.

Time Management These cook fast and burn easily, so make sure you start watching them after about five minutes. Turn the light on in your oven and when they become a little brown, take them out. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this good stuff with party food, hard spiced punch, and lots of vegan sweets. This is a great cookie to eat with fruit or a nice cup of tea, ooh yeah! Where to Shop The ingredients can be found just about any groceries store; best to buy organic and local if possible. And of course when I say margarine in my mixes, I recommend soy margarine. Approximate cost per serving is $.80.



How It Works The margarine and sugar combine to make a caramel sauce, which binds the oats together and also provides the bulk of the flavor for the cookies. Salt is added to provide a counterpoint to the sugar. Because a caramel sauce is the binder for the cookies, the cookies bake very quickly (sugar cooks fast). Chef’s Notes Where I come from, these are called carmelitas (caramel) or bars. This recipe is just so yummy. Very simple and versatile, fun and fast. Get the kids involved! And may I add these cookies are also great for gift giving. Desserts are fun, but also keep in mind a fit vegan is a sexy vegan. Eating raw veggies and fruits are just what we were designed to do! Enjoy and to your health. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2097.1 (174.8) Calories from Fat 708.3 (59.0) Fat 78.7g (6.6g) Total Carbohydrates 324.6g (27.1g) Dietary Fiber 15.0g (1.3g) Sugars 214.1g (17.8g) Protein 22.6g (1.9g) Salt 2559mg (213mg) Vitamin A 82% (6.8%) Vitamin B6 11% (0.9%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 56% (4.7%) Iron 67% (5.9%) Thiamin 60% (5%) Riboflavin 14% (1.2%) Niacin 8% (0.7%) Folate 0% (0%) Phosphorous 90% (7.5%)



Potassium 39% (3.3%) Zinc 37% (3.1%) Magnesium 125% (10.4%) Copper 63% (5.3%) Interesting Facts Oats were originally considered weeds. Because oats contain a high amount of soluble fiber, they contribute to a feeling of satiety.



Caramel Popcorn Type: Snack Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients ½ to ¾ cup of brown sugar 3 tbsp. of water 1 tbsp. of vegan margarine ½ tsp. of vanilla extract 1 bag of popcorn (about 6 cups of popped popcorn) Instructions Pop the popcorn. In small sauce pan, bring the water, margarine, and brown sugar to a boil on medium-low to low heat. Cover this and let it boil 2-3 minutes. Remove the sauce from heat, add vanilla, and let it cool just slightly (a minute or so), stirring constantly (it will thicken slightly, and won't melt the popcorn when you pour it on). Pour the popped popcorn into a big mixing bowl; pour caramel sauce over popcorn, and fold in with spatula or wooden spoon until popcorn is evenly coated. Let the caramel popcorn cool slightly or completely if you want it crunchy. Enjoy! Options: You can add walnuts, macadamias, pecans, peanuts, dark melted chocolate (ooh wow) to the mix if you like …make it your own.



Kitchen Equipment

Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Small Saucepan Spatula

Presentation

When it has cooled enough (if you can wait that long ☺) break it into pieces and put in a container or get a bowl AND ENJOY! Perhaps this might be a snack that you could share if you want to …. Get sexy back on your Snack. Add a little cinnamon can make you feel like a queen or a king.

Time Management This is great fresh, but you can keep it for several weeks in an airtight container. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a cup of cinnamon tea or cinnamon flavored coffee. Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be readily available. Earth Balance makes a great margarine for this recipe. Approximate cost per serving is $.75. How It Works Caramel sauce is basically a sugar sauce boiled down so that the sugar becomes a deep brown color. The oil in the sauce adds a rich flavor to it and also helps keep the sugar from burning.



Chef’s Notes Caramel popcorn makes a great gift that is sure to be appreciated. This Popcorn can be a great Holiday Home Made present. Get cleat gift bags, some pretty color ribbon and a nice gift card or put in fancy tin containers or fun boxes that you can find at craft stores. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, make a batch for your honey or that someone special! And share the sweet sensation of caramel. Keep it vegan; keep it sexy. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 961 (240) Calories from Fat 153 (38) Fat 17g (4g) Total Carbohydrates 188g (47g) Dietary Fiber 15g (4g) Sugars 106g (26g) Protein 14g (3.5g) Salt 50mg (12.5mg) Vitamin A n/a Vitamin B6 n/a Vitamin C n/a Calcium 9% (2.25%) Iron 12% (3%) Thiamin n/a Riboflavin n/a Niacin n/a Folate n/a Phosphorous n/a Potassium n/a Zinc n/a Magnesium n/a Copper n/a



Interesting Facts Caramel is produced by sugar oxidizing over heat. Sucrose caramelization occurs when a molecule of water is added to the sucrose, causing it to split into glucose and fructose.


Holiday Meals 249|November - December 2008

http://www.veganculinaryexperience.com

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