Pumpkin Pie-four ingredient vegan

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1 1/4 cups raw soaked cashews
1 cup maple syrup
1 can organic pumpkin puree (16 ounces) (or use fresh puree)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
a bit of grated nutmeg

optional: 1/2 tsp salt to taste (depends how much salt you soaked your cashews in)

ingredients notes: using high quality spice is helpful. Also, I prefer grade B maple syrup for its rich amber tones and caramelized flavor – but grade A works too.

One standard vegan pie crust.

1. Soak about one cup of raw cashews in about 2 1/2 cups of water in a large bowl. Add about 1/2 – 1 tsp of salt to the bowl – mix to dissolve. The salt allows the water to absorb more efficiently into the cashews and also adds some salt for your recipe

2. Soak this cashew bowl overnight in the fridge. You want well-soaked cashews so that your pie mix blends up perfectly creamy. I soaked my cashews for about 18 hours. At least 8 is optimal. Don’t soak for more than two days or the cashews can get grimy in my opinion.

3. The day of your actual pie making allow at least 3 hours from the time you start to the time you wish to serve the pie. I like a cool time of at least 2 hours.

4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

5. Drain the water from your cashews. They should be very soft to bite and a slight purplish dark hue. This is normal. Add 1 1/4 cups of cashews to your food processor – or even better, a Vitamix or high speed blender.

6. Add pumpkin to blender. Next, add in the maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice. Blend on low -> high for about 3-5 minutes until the mixture is completely creamy. If your mixture is a bit thick for some reason – you can add in a few teaspoons of either water, maple syrup or even non-dairy milk. After blending, do a taste test and add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt if needed. I added in about 1/3 tsp extra salt. But taste before adding.

7. Pour your mix into a par-baked vegan pie shell, doc crust, add al foil and pie weights bake for 15 min, remove foil and weights and bake for additional 10-15 min).

8. Add filling and bake pie at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes – or until the edges look fluffy and a darker caramel orange tone. Use a toothpick in center if unsure. The tooth-picked filling should come out slightly wet – but very thick and dark. It is important to remember that your pie will firm up significantly upon cooling and chilling in the fridge.

9. Remove pie from oven. Cool on counter for at least 30 minutes. Then place in fridge until ready to serve. At least 2 hours cooling and/or chilling time is my preference. A warm pie will be tasty, but still a bit “wet” to slice.

10. I serve chilled with a swirl of my vegan coconut whip on top!!

Jane Grigson’s Celery Soup from food52.com

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  • 4fc5fbd0-b1b7-44ee-8bc7-7df3b3140ad6--2014-0107_genius_simple-soup-0161/2 pound celery, chopped (outside stalks or celeriac — about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup diced potato
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups veggie stock
  • 1/2 to 1cups milk (optional)
  • About 1teaspoons dill weed (2 teaspoons for fresh dill)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons cream
  1. Stew celery, onion, and potato gently in the butter in a covered pan for 10 minutes. Don’t let the vegetables brown. Add stock or water and 1/2 teaspoon of dill weed. Simmer for 20 minutes if you have a blender, 40 minutes if you use a food mill.
  2. Blend or purée the soup. Pour through a strainer into a clean pan (to remove the last few threads of celery), adding a little milk if too thick. Bring slowly to just under the boil, seasoning with salt, pepper and more dill weed if required.
  3. Put the cream into the soup dish, and pour the soup in on top. Swirl round with the ladle before serving, to mix in the cream.

 

Smoked Bluefish Pâté, foodandwine.com

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  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1/2 medium red onion, minced
  • 4 to 6 dashes of hot sauce
  • 1/4 cup minced chives
  • 1/2 pound skinless, boneless smoked bluefish, flaked
  • Toasts or crackers, for serving
  1. In a bowl, blend the cream cheese with the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, parsley, onion, hot sauce and half of the chives. Fold the smoked bluefish into the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining chives on top and serve with toasts.

MAKE AHEAD

The pâté can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee, foodandwine.com

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  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces
  • One 8-ounce wheel of ripe Camembert in its wooden box, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon walnut oil
  • 3/4 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed, caps thinly sliced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 large sage leaves, minced
  • Sourdough toasts, for serving
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
  2. Remove the Camembert from the box and unwrap it. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set it on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until soft.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 minutes longer. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and sage; season with salt and pepper.
  4. Invert the Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon over the cheese. Serve with the toasts.

Mushroom and Fontina Crostini, foodandwine.com

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  • HD-201003-r-crostiniFour 1/2-inch-thick slices of peasant bread, halved diagonally
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 pound Fontina cheese, coarsely shredded (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toast for 12 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Turn the broiler on. 
  2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the mushrooms. In a large skillet, cook the butter over high heat until lightly browned, 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the mushrooms and cook undisturbed until the mushrooms are browned on the bottom, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 10 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic and thyme, lower the heat to moderate and cook until the shallots are tender, 5 minutes. Add the water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then cook for 3 minutes longer. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. 
  3. Spoon the mushroom mixture on the toasts and sprinkle the cheese on top. Broil for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Transfer the crostini to a platter, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Italian orzo tomato spinach soup from littlespicejar.com

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This soup is loaded with classic Italian flavors and it’s simple to make! Orzo tomato spinach soup is completely vegetarian friendly and it’s so warm and comforting! The perfect soup so serve on a chilly day.
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  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1//2 cups chopped onions
  • 1¼ cup carrots, sliced into ½ inch rounds
  • 1 cup celery
  • 6 cloves of roasted garlic (see notes)
  • 6½ cups of vegetable stock
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1½ tablespoons pesto
  • 1½ cups orzo (whole wheat or regular)
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 3 cups baby spinach, packed
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté them for 4-5 minutes until they get soft. Add the carrots, celery, and roasted garlic and continue to sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Add the stock, along with the tomatoes, pesto, orzo, thyme, Italian seasoning, and oregano, stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and let the orzo pasta cook to al-dente, about 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
  2. Just before serving, add the baby spinach and continue to cook for 1 minutes or until the spinach gets nice and bright green and wilts down. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
To roast your own garlic: Heat an oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Peel off most of the paper from the garlic, leaving the head intact with the cloves attached. Trim the top off the head of garlic by ¼ inch. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed surface, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and bake for 40 minutes. Check the garlic, it is done when the center clove is completely soft with pierced with a paring knife. Continue roasting for an additional 5 -10 minutes to help deepen the golden color and caramelize further. Exact roasting time may vary due to size. Garlic can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and frozen for up to 3 months.

Ottolenghi’s Very Full Roasted Vegetable Tart

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1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
about 6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 2-inch dice
salt and black pepper
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
11 oz pie crust dough
8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1/3 cup ricotta
4 1/4 oz feta
7 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a small serrated knife to cut around the stem of the peppers and lift it out along with the seeds. Shake the peppers to remove all the remaining seeds; discard the stems and seeds. Place the two peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little oil and put on the top shelf in the oven.

Mix the eggplant in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread in a large baking pan and place in the oven on the shelf beneath the peppers.

After 12 minutes add the sweet potato dice to the eggplant pan and stir gently. Return to the oven to roast for another 12 minutes. Then add the zucchini to the pan, stir and roast for a further 10 to 12 minutes. At this point the peppers should be brown and the rest of the vegetables cooked. Remove all from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Cover the peppers with foil and cool, then peel and tear roughly into strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Saute the onions with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn brown, soft and sweet. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves and set aside.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. Roll out the pie crust dough to a circle roughly 1/8 inch thick and large enough to line the pan, plus extra to hang over the rim. Carefully line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners and leaving the excess hanging over the top edge. Line the dough with a large sheet of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the paper with the weights, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until it turns golden brown. Remove and allow to cool a little.

Scatter the cooked onion over the bottom of the crust and top with the roasted vegetables, arranging them evenly. Scatter half the thyme leaves over. Next, dot the veg with small chunks of both cheeses and then with the tomato halves, cut-side up.

Whisk the eggs and cream in a small bowl with some salt and pepper. Carefully pour this mix into the tart; the top layer of tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the filling sets and turns golden. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before releasing the tart from the pan and serving. Serves 4-6

Nekisia Davis’ Olive Oil and Maple Granola

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NOTE I did not use anything raw except pumpkin seeds

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips or regular
1 1/4 cup raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped (use a variety of nuts)
3/4 cup pure maple syrup (use less)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (use less)
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar(use less)
coarse salt
Add oat bran

Heat oven to 300° F.

Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.

Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Makes about 7 cups

Creamy basil parmesan Italian soup from carlsbadcravings.com

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  • Creamy-Basil-Parmesan-Italian-Soup-5substitute faux chicken or just leave out
  • 2 cups uncooked small macaroni
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 5 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 2 14.5 oz. cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (with garlic), NOT drained
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
  • Dash – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups heavy cream or half and half*
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Garnish
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • fresh basil
    1. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
    2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven/soup pot over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until almost cooked through. Remove to a plate.
    3. Melt butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in the now empty pot and heat over medium high heat. Add onions and carrots and cook, while stirring, for 4 minutes.
    4. Add 1 more tablespoon olive oil, celery, red bell peppers and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and cook, while stirring, for 3 minutes (it will be thick). Gradually stir in chicken stock followed by tomatoes, sugar, bay leaves and all remaining herbs and spices. Bring to a boil; cover, and reduce to a gentle simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is completely cooked through.
    5. Stir in Parmesan cheese until smooth followed by heavy cream/half and half. Stir in pasta. If you would like a less “chunky” soup, stir in additional broth or cream/half and half.
    6. Garnish individual servings with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and basil (optional) and season with salt and pepper to taste.
    NOTES
    *Soup will not be as creamy if you use half and half but still delicious!

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin by fatfreevegan.com

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  • 2 cups brown or green lentils, uncooked
  • 8 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, thickly sliced
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 2 large gold or red potatoes, cut into large cubes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (use if water is used instead of broth)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Additional seasonings: 1/4 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 2 cloves minced garlic
  • salt, to taste
  • 4 ounces fresh spinach (chopped if large leaves)
  • 2 teaspoons Red wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • chopped parsley
Instructions
  1. Pick over the lentils and rinse well.
  2. Start the water or broth heating in the pressure cooker while you chop the vegetables. Add all ingredients except the additional seasonings, salt, spinach, and vinegar into the pan and bring to a boil.
  3. Add more water if it seems too thick. Remove the bay leaves, and add the additional seasonings, salt, and spinach. Check the seasonings, adding more cumin and coriander as needed. Cook for just a few minutes to wilt the spinach. Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice and serve. Serves: 8