Squilly
entree
It’s cold outside. Cold and windy! There’s snow on the ground, ice on the roads, and it’s still coming down. Well, maybe not where I live, but winter comfort food is what we all tend to want this time of year. So this is what we had for dinner last night. We call this “Squilly”, short for Squash Chili. It’s a hearty, vegan, chili that is warm, filling and just makes you feel good!
It’s flu season! Where I live, it isn’t really bad yet, but I saw a report on the news the other day that said it has hit some other areas pretty hard. While just about everyone gets the flu once in a while, the best way to get over it quickly is to make sure your immune system is in tip-top shape! With that in mind, this is what we had for dinner last night.
This Citrus Vinaigrette is delicious on Berry Delish Salad, and other salads. Citrus Vinaigrette Yield 1 cup Prep Time 10m Cook Time 10m Equipment Required stand mixer Ingredients 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1⁄4 teaspoon thyme, dried 1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt pinch black pepper pinch red pepper, crushed 2 cloves garlic, minced 5 tablespoons olive oil Directions Whisk together all ingredients.
I’ve been making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies since 1987. This is the first year, however, I’ve made a gluten free version! I’m so happy that it worked out, because these cookies have become part of our family’s holiday traditions. I invented the original recipe based on a cookie purchased at Smith’s grocery store. (I don’t even know if the store still exists!) The original cookie was a pumpkin “cake” cookie with the chocolate chips.
Tuesday was MIL’s birthday! We took her out to dinner (she loves to eat out) and we gave her this as a gift. No, it’s not just a box. It contains an assortment of amazing raw chocolate confections! Here is what is hiding under the two big ones. Don’t those look luscious! DH and I made these, from scratch, over several days as a special treat for his Mom for her birthday.
Traditional Black Forest Cake is made in layers of chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. While this version certainly isn’t traditional, it does pay tribute to the basic concept. It also contains much healthier ingredients. I was originally going to add just beet pulp. I juiced 3 medium beets, which was all I had on hand, and it didn’t make enough pulp, so I added in the carrot pulp to get a full cup.
I’m working on raw treats right now! In particular, I’m looking at various cake ideas. I found a recipe for Hummingbird Cake on the internet. Although my version deviated from the original, it’s still based in the tropical flavors, and it’s really yummy! It uses the same concepts as my Raw Carrot Cake, the mix is made, then it’s pressed into a mold to make “squares”. I used my favorite mold for this type of treat, the Wilton silicone brownie mold.
Last Saturday, DH had his first raw chocolate adventure. He made this: I call it Raw Chocolate Bliss, because when I eat it, it makes me feel so HAPPY! It is a combination of raw cacao paste, raw cacao butter, vanilla powder, pure maple syrup, coconut nectar, walnuts and hemp seeds. Many commercial chocolates give me a residual head ache. They also make me feel over-caffinated. Raw chocolate doesn’t have this effect, and it’s actually healthy!
Along with the waffles, which I posted the recipe for yesterday, we had an Orange-Blueberry Sauce which I made the night before. This is a great sauce to serve on waffles and pancakes. It also works well on top of raw cheesecake and ice cream! It’s not difficult to make, you just have to be patient enough to allow the liquid to reduce and thicken. Conclusion This is yummy stuff!
DH made waffles for breakfast on Sunday! I made blueberry-orange sauce for them the night before, so it was ready to go in the morning. These came out chewy, crispy and really yummy! How much batter to add and how long to cook it for depends entirely on your waffle iron. For mine, this recipe makes enough for two, 4-rectangle waffles. It is possible to mix up the batter the night before and store it, covered, in the refrigerator so it’s ready the next morning.
This is a basic, gluten free, “sweet” flour combination. To actually use it, it needs to be combined with starch and xanthan gum. Gluten Free Waffle Flour Mix Yield 2 cups Prep Time 10m Ingredients 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Brown Rice Flour 1⁄2 cup Bob’s Red Mill GF Sorghum Flour 1⁄2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa Flour Directions Measure flours first, then starches.
Thanksgiving 2012
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This year is our first totally vegan Thanksgiving dinner! We actually made our dinner on Tuesday, so that we could share it with MIL. Here’s what we had. From left to right: Carrots cooked in a sauce of orange juice, vegan butter and parsley Pickled Green Beans (served hot) Foxbarrel Blackberry Pear Cider (to drink) Mushrooms and onions sauteed in olive oil, with white wine, rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning and basalmic vinegar, then stir fried with temph Roasted potatoes, onions and yams with the sour cream from the coleslaw and chives Kale, rainbow chard, spinach salad (with other veggies) and a home made vinaigrette For dessert, DH made apple cranberry pie with a pecan crunch top, which was served with sweet cashew creme.
We call this stuff “chezee”, since it’s not cheese, but it’s a vegan version! It’s comparable to a fresh, soft goat cheeze, mixed with herbs and can be used in recipes in place of it. This is really easy to make, since the nuts can soak on the counter and once that’s done, it only takes a few minutes in the blender. But, if you don’t have a Vitamix, you may want to peek at the notes, first!
Whether your party is formal and fancy, or just a group of friends and relatives watching the Sunday afternoon game, this pate is a great crowd pleaser! The taste is rich and meaty, and can be used as a spread on crackers or bread. It’s not hard to make. Here’s my setup. After cooking, the mushroom mixture looks like this. Add parsley and walnuts, and process until completely smooth.
When you think of football parties, does pizza come to mind? Well, here’s a vegan twist that you can make the night before: Pizza Hummus! It’s a healthy, delicious, pizza-flavored dip or spread you can happily add to your game day celebrations! Making this is easy! Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until everything is in smaller pieces and mixed together. Add 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the chick peas and 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the dried tomatoes.