Pumpkin Pie with Maple Glazed Pecan Topping - Vegan Gluten Free

With the holidays very quickly approaching, I find myself craving the indulgences that I was once able to enjoy that now send me into the land of tummy pains and food-baby bloating. I love pie but there's the crazy issue of pie crust. In addition to my gluten free way of eating, I am also working towards a full transition to veganism. This week marks my one year anniversary of going vegetarian. I have tripped up and stumbled, but am making continuous progress and am hoping to be a full convert soon.

When I prepare foods, I do my very best to create meals and dishes that will appeal to vegetarians and omnivores alike. Such is the case with these little gems of holiday delectable goodness. I have been craving something pumpkin-y lately. Don't we all around this time of year? I first thought about making a pumpkin loaf, but I haven't done much baking yet with GF flour mixes. Earlier in the week, I bought a container of Pillsbury brand gluten free pie crust without an actual plan, so I decided on making little pumpkin pies with it. The pie crust browned beautifully and served its purpose well, although I may continue to search other GF prepared pie crusts or recipes, just to compare the flavors. I am happy with this one and it is perfect for someone who wants a little short cut.

Speaking of short cuts, my tortilla press came in real handy for this recipe. I used it to press heaping T doughballs of piecrust dough into circles of crust that were appx 4" in diameter. Alternately, you can roll the dough out onto a flat surface and cut 4" circles, or roll individual balls into circles. You could even roll it out and cut into squares. I think they look beautiful, simple and rustic and there is room for lack of perfection. The best advice I can give you about handling the dough circles is to handle them gently. They tear rather easily. It took me a couple tries on the first crust and then I got the hang of it. You'll see, it isn't that bad.

To fill all 12 muffin cups, you will need appx 3/4 of a container of Pillsbury Gluten Free Pie Crust, which is the equivalent of 1 1/2 crusts. You can always use regular pie crust if gluten isn't an issue with you. In fact, go ahead and use your own favorite recipe!

I live in the middle of a pecan orchard and this has been a record year for the harvest. We have 100's of pounds of pecans everywhere. Bagged, sold, or still on the ground. This led me to dream up this crunchy topping for the mini pies. Definitely a good decision. The pecan topping is a perfect complement to the creamy pie.

The biggest challenge in all this was waiting for the pies to cool off enough to eat. Taste testing is the BEST! In fact, I'm on my third tester as I write.

 

Pumpkin Pie with Maple Glazed Pecan Topping - Vegan Gluten Free

 

Preheat oven to 425

 

For the crust:

1 container prepared gluten free pie crust

-or- regular prepared pie crust

-or- one recipe for pie crust that makes enough for two crusts

 

Roll out into 4" circles and placed into muffin tins. See picture above.

 

For the filling:

 

In a bowl, thoroughly whisk together the following ingredients:

 

1 15 oz can pumpkin

4 T maple syrup

1 t pumpkin pie spice

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

3 T cornstarch

 

Spoon appx 2 T filling into each little piecrust. I used a larger cookie scoop that holds a little over an ounce.

 

For the topping:

1/2 c chopped pecans

2 t maple syrup

1 T granulated sugar

 

Stir the maple syrup into the pecans, then add the sugar and toss to coat. Evenly sprinkle a little of the pecan mixture over each pie.

 

Place pan into hot oven on the middle rack. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 5 more minutes.

 

Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove pies from tin and place on a cooling rack to let them finish cooling.

 

Lovely. The pies are nothing short of lovely! Enjoy!

 

 

Lentil Butternut Stew with Greens

I don't know what gets into me sometimes. I love to eat nourishing healthy foods. They make me feel good. No, scratch that, they make me feel GREAT! But sometimes, knowing the right foods to eat, I get all reckless and choose to eat crappy foods. Even when they make my tummy feel terrible. Such has been the case these last few days. It's possible I have been a victim of circumstance, wild swings on the pendulum of hormones. It could be the cold blustery weather that makes me feel lazy and want to curl up and watch TV. It could also be my family's insanely busy schedule with work and real estate school and two daughters that together play three basketball games a week with tournaments on Saturdays. Who knows? I just throw my hands up in exasperation and eat something convenient and unhealthy, and then plan to prepare a highly healthy, nutrient dense plant based meal that will counter the effects of the abuse I've done on my body.

I went to the farmer's market today in between basketball games and found some gorgeous butternut squash. This is certainly one of my favorite winter veggies, so versatile and packed with vitamins and fiber. See this article for more info on butternut squash. I grabbed a couple and started thinking about what delicious creation to make with them. I got some lentils at the grocery store earlier this week, and I happened to have a bunch of chard leaves in my fridge that I picked from the garden the other day. Since beans and legumes go perfectly with greens, and the sweetness of butternut and other orange winter squashes complements the earthiness of the beans and greens, I figured I'd throw them together and see what would happen. It was a success. Oh, yeah. This recipe calls for few ingredients, all readily available, and takes less than an hour from start to finish (not counting soaking the lentils).
Serve it up with some cornbread (I made gluten free vegan cornmeal drop biscuits) and you have a full winter meal that will fill your tummy and warm your heart.

 

Lentil Butternut Stew with Greens

 

1 lb brown lentils, soaked for at least 4 hours up to overnight

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium butternut, peeled, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces (be careful!)

10 -12 chard leaves, stemmed and cut into bite sized pieces (can sub another tender green such as spinach or baby kale.

3 quarts of water or vegetable stock. (if using water, add 4 vegetable bouillon cubes or 3 t vegetable soup base)

2 t dried sage

lemon wedges, if desired

 

In a large heavy bottomed soup pot, sautee onions and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil or in a bit of water or stock, if oil free. Add drained lentils, squash, and stock (or water with bouillon cubes or base, if using) and 1 teaspoon of sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30- 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the lentils to see if they are tender. Check every 5 minutes or so until they are just right. Add the rest of the sage and chard and cook an additional 5 minute till the greens are wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve with a lemon wedge. The lemon juice gives it an amazing bright flavor that perfectly complements the soup. That's it! Enjoy and notice your body feeling nourished!

 

*This makes a huge pot of soup...perfect for a holiday soup course, feeding a crowd, or sharing with an elderly neighbor.

 

 

 

 

 

Caldo Verde

It's hard to contain myself sometimes. It really is.

Soup is my favorite food. Almost every single meal that I have fond childhood memories is soup. Every ailment, from tummy trouble to cold and flu to emotional stress is nicely remedied by a piping hot bowl of soul warming soup. You can clean out your fridge with it, visit different cultures with it, feed a crowd with it, and so on and so forth.

I have always paid attention to food, the flavors, textures, simplicity of fueling and nourishing our bodies with taste bud tantalizing ingredients. Several years ago, I delightfully discovered kale. Ever since, I've made it a point to seek out recipes using the amazing nutrient dense green. I stumbled upon a recipe called Caldo Verde and have been making it for years. In my pre-vege days, I added some nice locally made garlic sausage, but now I happily make it without. It is hearty and satisfying, and my kids and hubby have always loved it, usually leaving very little for leftovers. Fine with me!

I have simplified this recipe into a quick and easy meal that can take as little as 30 minutes to cook, from start to finish. The good thing is the ingredients are readily available and you probably have most of them on hand.

Whip up a pot of this amazing soup and enjoy!

 

Caldo Verde

 

1 onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and 1/2-3/4" diced (I usually use one small-med potato per person eating)

1 bunch kale, stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces

1 quart vegetable stock plus 1 quart water

salt and pepper

1 T olive oil, omit if you are oil free, and sub a bit of water or stock

 

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat up oil (or water or stock) and sautee onions till translucent, adding garlic about 3 minutes in. Add potatoes, stock, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook till potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash in about 3/4 of the potatoes. this will thicken the broth but still leave some chunks to chew on. Add kale and cook an additional 5 minutes, more if you like the kale cooked a bit more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Voila! Perfect for a blustery winter day.

 

 

Papas y Frijoles Rancheros

In my pre plant-based days, one of my favorite breakfast foods of all time was huevos rancheros. Whenever I made huevos rancheros, I also made fried potatoes, refried beans, bacon and tortillas to go with the eggs and ranchero sauce.

Those days are over! (Of course, if you eat eggs and meat, you can still use the recipe I am going to share with you).

Ranchero sauce is amazingly simple to make and keeps well in the refrigerator, ready to be slathered on whatever you choose, all week long. This makes an outstanding Saturday or Sunday brunch offering. This has always been a special occasion meal for us, served on special occasions like Father's Day, Hubby's birthday, and Christmas morning.

 

Papas y Frijoles Rancheros

 

For the Ranchero sauce, you will need:

 

1 onion, thinly sliced

1-2 (or more) jalapenos, thinly sliced (you can seed these if you don't want too much heat)

1 15 oz can diced, sliced, or whole tomatoes

1 vegetable bouillon cube dissolved in 1/2 can (appx 1 c) water

1 t olive oil (omit if oil free and use a bit of water)

 

In a skillet, heat olive oil and add onions. Sautee till the onions become translucent and start to caramelize a bit. Add the jalapenos and the can of tomatoes and water w bouillon. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Keep simmering till the liquids begin to thicken and the color of the tomatoes deepens to a rich red. With a potato masher, mash in the larger chunks of tomatoes. You want the sauce to be liquidy enough to ladle over your food and chunky enough to have some texture. Taste it and adjust to your liking. If it turns out a little too thick, you can thin it with a bit of water. If it seems too runny, continue to simmer a few more minutes till it's just right.

 

I serve this sauce over tacos made with fresh corn tortillas, pinto beans, and fried potatoes. For the hubs, I make him a couple of over easy eggs from our beautiful backyard hens. Top with avocado or eat it just like that.  Enjoy!

Curried Red Lentil Coconut Stew

Well hello, there! It's been a while! Life has been a little nutso over here. I've been in Real Estate School two days a week and basketball season is in full swing with my daughters, between them there are three games a week plus occasional tournaments. Recipe development has kind of taken the back burner lately, only because I've been making old faithful standbys that I've already shared with you.

Our lovely temperate South Texas has experienced a nice little cold snap. I'm talking about near freezing temps at night and much cooler daytime weather, complete with brisk northern winds. While I am not afraid of a little cold wind, I definitely stayed in Texas after moving from Maine for a reason. I prefer the temperature to be a little warmer, like say 50 at night and high 70's to low 80's by day. In a perfect world, I suppose!

I haven't made my family spaghetti in a while, so this evening I made them one pot spaghetti (includes meat, I can share that unique recipe later). Since I don't eat pasta or meat, I went ahead and whipped up a new creation that turned out to be very satisfying and warming. This turned out to be the sort of comfort food that will be standard fare in my home. Or at least on my lunch table. :) The ingredient list is short and it takes very little time to cook, fast food at its finest!

 

Curried Red Lentil Coconut Stew

 

you will need:

 

1 T coconut oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2" cubes

1 1/2 c red lentils, rinsed

16 oz water

15 oz can coconut milk

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 t garlic paste or 2 cloves minced garlic

1-2 T curry paste or powder

1/2 c unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

1 t salt

1 T maple syrup

1 t cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 lb frozen peas

 

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat coconut oil. Add onions and sautee till fragrant. Add garlic, potatoes, and lentils, along with the water and salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes then add the coconut milk, the curry paste, optional cayenne pepper. If using, add coconut. Continue to simmer till the potatoes and lentils are tender and the stew is nice and thick. If desired, add maple syrup for a little sweetness. I like to do this with curries. Taste it first and see what you think before adding sweetener. At the end of cooking, add the frozen peas and stir through. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with a little chopped cilantro, if you have some on hand.

 

I thought I had ginger in the fridge, but I didn't. I think it would be a great addition, just add 2 t minced ginger when you add the onions and garlic. I think that would be a nice tough.

 

Enjoy!