Winter came to Minnesota yesterday and as the seasons have changed, so has my pizza dough recipe. Some of the renovations included a gradual increase in the ratio of whole wheat to white flour, I moved to warm water and regular yeast and now only let the dough rise once. You can check out my first recipe here, but I may never change again! I hope this doesn’t mean winter will never go away because I’d like to sit out on the patio again one day.

THE BEST PIZZA DOUGH EVER – All in the name of JUICING!

In the interest of increasing enzymes in my diet, I’ve turned to sprouted grains. Since changing my eating habits last summer to a more raw foods diet, I have a hard time eating heavy breads and grains, and this includes the pizza that had been coming out of our backyard behemoth! The last couple months, our baking parties have become sparse, but that won’t be true anymore. Last week I ordered some sprouted wheat flour, milled to order, from To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co., and experienced complete bliss. This flour made the most amazing pizza dough!

The first thing I noticed about the dough was that it was incredibly easy to stretch and shape. Other doughs have always been stretchy and easy to shape, but this was amazing. We were actually able to stretch it so thin that we made some fourteen-inch pizzas out of the same size dough ball normally used to use for a ten-inch. Other doughs have sometimes tended to tear when they start to get thin, but not this one. The gluten held together like a rubber band! It came out of the oven thin, crisp and chewy perfection. I suspect this was due to the fact that the flour is fresh, milled to order and has a nice moisture balance because of that.

The flavor was spot on and the dough seems to leave me feeling a little less full.

This recipe is really easy to make in a stand mixer. Once the dough is mixed, all you need to do is form twelve balls, set them on a proofing pan or cookie sheet and leave them covered in the refrigerator until about two hours before baking. Two hours before baking, set the dough out to rise. Remember, pizza dough is a tiny bit sticky so you’ll need a little flour to form it on a peel.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups warm water
• 2 tsp. regular yeast
• 3 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 7 cups sprouted whole wheat flour
• 3 cups white flour

Directions: Using the mixer paddle, mix yeast, water, oil, honey and salt together until dissolved. Next mix in three cups of the whole wheat flour. (If using a stand mixer, switch to the hook at this point.) Add the rest of the flour one cup at a time and let the mixer run for seven or eight minutes. If you are hand mixing be careful not to add too much flour. The trick with the stand mixer is to watch to see that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl yet sticks to the bottom. If the dough is too sticky, add a small spoon of flour one at a time until it is the right consistency. If it is too dry, add a few dribbles of water.

Once the dough becomes smooth and the gluten has lined up, remove it from the bowl and form into a large ball. With a pastry blade, cut the dough into twelve equal pieces. I form the dough into a round flat disk, cut it into fourths, and then each fourth into thirds. I can see where a scale might be nice if you want your pizzas uniform.

Roll or knead each piece into a ball, coat it lightly with flour and place it on a cookie sheet. Once you have all twelve pizza doughs prepped, cover the tray with plastic wrap and return to the fridge until two or three hours before baking. Set the dough out on the counter at room temperature to rise. The balls will soften and become very easy to work.

While the dough rises, preheat your oven stone and prep your toppings. Enjoy!

I make this in a large bottle and store it in the pantry – no need to refrigerate. Makes approximately one quart.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups olive oil
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup honey
• 3 tsp. salt

Nothing like a little taste of the tropics on a frosty fall morning in Minnesota! A friend of mine started juicing and making smoothies a few weeks ago and made an interesting comment. She said, “It’s like this stuff just wants to burn fat!” So true and so amazing. All the enzyme action of the fresh fruit and veg will have the pounds melting off before you know it. What are you waiting for? Let’s take on this obesity epidemic with some really simple and delicious foods.

Don’t forget “smoothie” means you make it in the blender. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• 1 banana
• 1 pear
• 2 cups Vitacoco coconut water
• 6-8 ice cubes

Cheezy title, I know, but the grapefruit made me think of Florida, so there you have it! This is a beautiful silken juice that will definitely brighten your day! The grapefruit flavor comes through strong and the apple and carrot give it a nice sweetness. Look at all that vitamin A and C! Simply prep the fruits and veg and run through your juicer. This recipe makes about 32 ounces of juice. Drink as much as you like or share it with a friend! If you want to lose weight, drink the juice as a meal replacement.

Ingredients:

• 2 grapefruit, peels cut off
• 8-10 large carrots
• 4 whole apples

This was breakfast. Not breakfast for six people – breakfast for two. Can you imagine the workout trying to eat all this veg in one sitting? It’s a daunting task to think about, but not if you’re a juicer. I juiced this lovely bowl of veg this morning for breakfast and with that was able to get closer to my body’s daily requirement for vegetables. You see, I found out the hard way, exactly how many fruits and vegetables we really need to stay healthy and fit – it is a lot!

The hard way? You ask. Let me back up.

I recently discovered I suffer from inflammation which over the years has caused my body to fight against itself. My cells have been attacking the high acidic foods I eat so my white blood cells, in constant combat position have had no time build my body’s immunity. Over time, my body began to show symptoms that something was wrong. I began to gain weight – especially belly fat, I often had migraine headaches, I had trouble waking up in the morning, I was grumpy much of the time and I developed red tingly toes. If you google red tingly toes, they’re a symptom of many illnesses like obesity, diabetes, lymes disease, heart disease, nerve damage, depression and inflammation.

Since my husband has Lyme’s Disease, I decided to start with a visit to the doctor in order to rule that out as well as other concerns like allergies, a possible thyroid problem, vitamin or mineral deficiency issues or some unidentified ailment. Blood tests and other diagnostics showed that according to mainstream thought I had nothing wrong with me. My doctor was left stumped and unable to provide an answer. I knew from my obsessive love of food that diet can often be the underlying cause of diseases and ailments, so I decided to take treatment into my own hands.

At the same time I was experiencing these weird symptoms, Jeff’s Lyme’s disease was causing him to suffer excessive fatigue and pain. In researching how to help him, we both stumbled across information regarding ph neutral diets and the connection to decreased inflammation. Diet, not buckets of medication, seemed to be the answer. I also watched a couple of food documentaries that prompted me to address my symptoms with diet – they were, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Forks Over Knives and Crazy Sexy Cancer. It seems that there are a couple of factors that come into play when you eat a mostly raw diet. First you feed your immune system lots of vitamins and minerals and secondly you are getting enough enzymes to aid digestion. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is very high acidity and low enzyme and that seems to be what causes most of our ailments – everything from type two diabetes, heart disease and many cancers.

So here I am today, twenty pounds lighter, unbelievably happy, and symptom free! And, it was easy thanks to green juice and smoothies! I love vegetables, but I’ve always reached for breads or other grains first to satisfy hunger. Juicing helped me to cut all food cravings out of my life. I find the juice so satisfying that I don’t need much else. I started with a juice fast of about ten days. I wasn’t a purist about it as I had a few salads and a couple of sprouted grain veggie sandwiches over the course of those ten days, but overall, I drank freshly made vegetable juice and I drank as much as I wanted.

During that phase of the plan I also drank HUGE amounts of water and a cup of Smooth Move tea each day. I had read that some people get constipated when they first start a juice fast, and part of the idea is to remove all the toxic build up from your body. You want to sweat it out, flush it out and brush it off your skin, so exercise, drink lots of water and exfoliate the skin. Two days into the fast I felt happier than I had felt in years and I began to lose weight right away! It was very exciting as I had never been able to successfully diet in my life.

Once the fast was over, I simply continued to juice using juice as a meal replacement for breakfast and lunch. For dinner we eat huge salads with greens, chopped veg, nuts and my homemade balsamic dressing. Fats are important to consume so oils from nuts and seeds, olive oil and avocado are all completely acceptable and necessary. Notice the diet is mostly raw foods, however we do eat roasted cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes as well as a variety of cooked beans. I have found that a small amount of sprouted wheat breads don’t bother me, so I love to eat hummus sandwiches with sprouts, avocado and tomato. I’m sure as the winter months approach we’ll be adding soups to our diet as well.

I cannot express enough how satisfying and liberating this style of eating is. Menu planning is simple, grocery shopping is simple and food preparation is a breeze, but the most amazing thing is how good we feel. This has not been a diet for me, but a lifestyle change.

Here’s the quick and dirty of what I learned and what I do:

Cut Out:

• most grains (except a small amount of brown rice, quinoa and wild rice)
• potatoes
• sugar
• coffee
• alcohol
• dairy products
• animal products
• any processed food
• any food containing white (white flour, white rice, white pasta, white tortillas, etc)

Eat Organic:

• fresh vegetables and fruits – as many as you want
• nuts and seeds
• sprouts
• olive oil
• green tea and herbal teas

Do:

• Meal replacement with freshly made juice or smoothies
• Make your own sprouts
• Exercise 3-5 times per week

Green Juice Recipe I

Ingredients:

• 4 apples
• 2 peeled lemons
• 1 bunch curly kale
• 1 bunch bok choy
• 2 zucchini
• 1 small chunk fresh ginger

Green Juice Recipe II

Ingredients:

• 4 apples
• 1 lemon
• 1 fennel bulb with stems and fronds
• 1/2 bunch celery
• 1/2 head cabbage

Directions: Wash and prep the vegetables then run through a juicer. (We have a Breville Juice Fountain Ikon.)

These bad boys fall into the dessert category for me, so I wouldn’t normally encourage anyone to have such treats around the house, but my dad’s honey is just the most amazing thing, and I wanted to come up with a way to really highlight its sweetness.

In an effort the last few months to stay away from grains, raw almonds have found their way into our pantry along with a few other nuts and seeds like cashews, pumpkin and sunflower. Apparently when eaten in small quantities, these powerhouses of life provide healthy fats, omega-3 as well as a myriad of other vitamins and minerals. That is when they are raw. Turning them into dessert by toasting them probably diminishes much of the health benefits. Regardless, these brittle bars are a really tasty snack made from all whole foods. If anything, they are a good source of energy for your average marathoner or long-distance biker. Since Jeff completed 72 miles this morning, I think I’ll encourage him to have a few of these!

Once these cool, they do become brittle, however as they rise to room temperature the honey begins to soften. I would recommend cutting them and storing them in the freezer in an airtight container.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs. coconut oil
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1 cup whole cashews
• 1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup large flake coconut
• 1 tsp. flaked kosher salt

Directions:

In a non-reactive sauce pan slowly melt the coconut oil. Add the honey and bring it to a simmer. Stir frequently and allow the mixture to simmer for about ten minutes.

While the honey simmers, toast the nuts separately as the small ones will burn if you try to toast them together. After each batch is toasted pour them out onto plates to cool in a single layer.

Once the nuts are all toasted and the honey has simmered and evaporated for ten minutes, pour the honey mixture over the nuts and mix well.

Pour the mixture out into a 9×9 square baking pan lined with parchment paper. The bars will be about an inch thick in this pan. Use another sheet of parchment on top to press the mixture firmly together.

Place in the refrigerator to cool.

Cut into squares and store in airtight container in freezer.

Here’s the local beat in Minnesota right now: mint busting out of its pots and rhubarb galore! Why not have a tart little midsummer cool-down treat.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups rhubarb, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large sprigs mint
• 1 sprig oregano
• 1 Tbs. triple sec
• 1 Tbs. Grenadine Syrup

Directions:

1. Simmer rhubarb, water, sugar and herb sprigs until the rhubarb is soft and begins to break down.
2. Refrigerate until the mixture cools.
3. Remove herb sprigs.
4. Puree mixture and add triple sec and Grenadine.
5. Freeze in ice cream maker.
6. Transfer to freezer container an allow to freeze for at least four hours.

The only way to get my son to run errands with me is to bribe him. As you can imagine, this can sometimes be costly and frustrating! But getting him to the coop is easy and free…all I need to do is remind him of the samples! He usually lingers by my side in the fresh foods area picking out bananas and other fruits, but as soon as we turn the corner, he beelines to the deli for samples of cheese, spreads, crackers and salads. The other day he came running up to me with a little cup filled with some sort of a kale salad.

“Here Mom, this is for you. I thought you’d like it. It has kale.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a kale and golden beet salad from the deli.”

“Did you try it?” I asked incredulously thinking the coop had cast some sort of spell over the boy who hates vegetables.

“Of course not! It has kale. I got it for you.”

What a sweet boy and what a sweet salad. I knew from the first taste, something like it would need to come out of my kitchen. The coop salad had the same general flavor devised with sesame oil, sesame seeds and ginger that my recipe includes, but did not have raisins. Somehow a little sweet seems like a good pairing for the beets and carrots. I think some fresh fruit like chopped nectarines, mangoes or apples would also cut the bill. (What does that mean, anyway?)

Ingredients:

• 3 large carrots grated
• 1 large golden beet, peeled and grated
• 1 bunch curly kale, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs. sesame oil
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• a few splashes of rice vinegar (2-3 Tbs.)

Directions:

Long grate the carrots by cutting them just the length of the food processor feed tube. Empty into mixing bowl. Next grate the beets the same as the carrots. I chose to quickly saute the golden beets in about a tablespoon of sesame oil as they were a titch bitter when raw. Leave them a little crunchy to the bite.

Mince the garlic, jalapeno and ginger in a food processor and add to carrots and beets in mixing bowl.

Remove the stems from the kale and chop the greens into fine pieces. The kale can be massaged to soften, steamed or sauted.

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and season to taste. Serve at chilled or at room temperature.

Oh, the flavors! Oh, the warmth! Oh, the kale! I can’t get enough of the stuff! I’ve consumed four large bunches and another of swiss chard this week – almost entirely on my own! Once I started eating it, I couldn’t get enough! The same happened with beets, and I think sweet potatoes must be right up there in the Gotta Have It department. While the rest of you “Master” cleanse, juice and go raw, I’m focusing on ROY G. BIV and powerful spices warmed to perfection!

In this recipe:

• Red – tomatoes
• Orange – sweet potatoes
• Yellow – cauliflower
• Green – kale
• Blue/Indigo/Violet – last seen in Beety Tweety Bird Nests
• Powerful Spices: Ginger, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, hot peppers

Ingredients Chickpea Curry:

• 2 Tbs. coconut oil
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, mince
• 1 Serrano pepper, minced
• 3 fresh tomatoes, blended
• 3/4 can light coconut milk
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. whole brown mustard seed
• 2-3 tsp. Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 cups chickpeas, pre-cooked
• 1 bunch kale, finely chopped

Directions: Cook chickpeas or use canned. On medium heat, melt coconut oil. Add red onion and saute until translucent. Add cumin, brown mustard seed and Garam Masala to the oil for a quick toast. Next add garlic, ginger and chile pepper. All these ingredients should be cooked for a minute or so, just until the aromas are released. Next, add the pureed tomato, coconut milk and chickpeas. Allow to simmer on very low heat for about 5 minutes. Right before serving, mix in the kale cooking it just past raw to bright green.

Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes in Madras Peanut Curry Sauce:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1/4 can coconut milk
• 2 Tbs. creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tbs. Madras style curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Warm the coconut milk and the peanut butter in a small pot. When the peanut butter begins to melt, whisk the two ingredients together. Add spices and mix well. Toss in cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Allow to steam on low heat for a few minutes until vegetables are tender.

Note: I tried roasting the veggies with the sauce at 450 degrees. They cooked, but did not crisp at all. I love the idea of serving the cauliflower roasted like I did here. Next time.

It’s the time of year that my mind wanders off to Honduras, Ecuador and Mexico. I dream of warm weather, tropical foliage and platanos! Platanos are particularly important in the diet of Coastal Ecuadorians, and I don’t believe I ever had a meal that did not include them in some form. They usually eat the plantains green either fried, baked or mashed to make empanada dough. My favorite way to eat the platano is fried and smashed in what they call, “Patacones.” In other parts of Latin America fried and smashed plantains are called, “Tostones.” They are an acquired taste as they tend to be quite dry, but the minute I tasted them topped with hot and spicy Aji, I couldn’t get enough. Aji is a hot chile, cilantro and lime condiment served everywhere in Ecuador.

An Ecuadorian custom from the highlands  is to serve a light soup as a first course for the mid-afternoon meal, and it’s common to see a few platanos floating around the broth with diced potatoes and a sprig of cilantro. Slices of avocado, toasted hominy and Aji were always served with the soup.

Today’s recipe combines an Ecuadorian platano fetish with my never-ending quest for maximum nutritional value. Here you will find copious quantities of kale! And don’t even think about eating the soup without the Aji. Yes, it’s a condiment to be served on the side, but it without it, you’ll feel like you’re eating mashed potatoes without the gravy.

Ingredients:

Soup

• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, diced
• 1 large Yukon gold potato, diced
• 2 plantains, peeled and sliced
• 1 bunch curly kale, deveined and chopped
• 8 cups water
• 1 Tbs. cumin
• 2 tsp. salt
• avocado and lime as garnish

Aji

• 4 Serrano peppers
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 lime juiced
• salt to taste
• splash water

Blend together in food processor or blender.

Directions:

Be careful not to overcook this soup. Serve immediately.

Heat oil in a stock pot. Add onions and cook until they are crispy. Next add the garlic and stir it until fragrant. Add water, cumin, salt, potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are almost tender. Add plantains and cook for a few minutes until the potatoes and plantains are tender. Add the kale just before serving. It should just wilt and turn bright green. Serve with Aji, avocado and lime on the side.

Last week when I went for groceries, the goal was to make the cart look like a CSA box. Midwinter legumes, grains and soups have been great, but this time of year you may feel your body craves the vitamins from more rainbow-colored foods. At the grocery two things particularly caught my attention: beets and greens. I bought four hefty deep purple roasters as well as mounds of kale and swiss chard. Last week’s Beet Sweet and Kale Soup was so satisfying, I’m loving the look of the ruby-red long grated strands, so having two of the beets already roasted in the fridge made this warm salad really easy to make. I filled the nests with a Greek yogurt seasoned with salt, pepper and a bit of minced ginger, but can imagine them stuffed with sautéed mushrooms and goat cheese, humus, or just shaved pieces of Pecorino Romano.

This will make approximately two dozen nests depending on how large the beets. The beets I had were big ones – about four inches in diameter!

Ingredients:

• 2 large beets roasted then grated
• 1 inch chunk fresh ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs. minced red onion
• salt/pepper
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/2 cup semolina flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions: Preheat oven 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients and spoon into greased muffin tins. Use the back of a spoon to form an indentation in each mound of beets. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the nests immediately from the muffin tins or they may stick.

Enough of the death dirge already!  I hear you. A few of my “fans” have been concerned that the black shroud and “Mock Chicken” was a sign of death to the blog. Perhaps I was one of those bloggers not quite willing to come right out and wrap it up, you thought. Truth be told, I never intended to be away so long, but in all my moments of cooking, have had little to motivate. Summer’s end brought me back to work with no weekly CSA and little motivation. The family plate reverted to our standby Mexican stuffed burritos with a variety of salsa, simple soups or stir-fries. Not much that was blog-worthy, I’m afraid.

Today, the sun is shining brightly over Minnesota, and this winterized body is craving some vitamins. A stop at the grocery, and the fridge is filled with chard, kale, beets, broccoli and a variety of fruits. Here’s what I came up with for Vitamin Supplement Number One:

Ingredients:

• 2Tbs. olive oil
• 2 large beets, peeled and grated
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, grated with beets
• water to cover veggies
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tbs. Garam Masala
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch curly kale, deveined and sautéed in olive oil
• Slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

1) Wash and devein kale. Chop and saute in a splash of olive oil. Cook until just wilted and still bright green.

2) Grate sweet potatoes and beets. Place in large stock pot with olive oil and water to cover. Add salt and pepper, vinegar, honey, garam masala. Bring to slow simmer and cook until beets are just tender.

3) Toast slivered almonds in a dry skillet. Keep the almonds moving, and toast until the edges start to brown. Turn the toasted almonds out onto a cool plate.

3) Serve in large bowls with greens and toasted almonds on top.

I’ve often wondered how mock duck was made. I knew what it was – wheat gluten – but never knew what the process involved. I finally decided to do a little research only to realize that mock duck is basically a dumpling. It’s also very easy to make. I found a recipe on a site called,  Ma Cooks! and used this as the springboard for this recipe.You’ll notice by the garlic, cumin and oregano, that this mock duck is destined for a Latin American theme. In fact, I hope to use it to make green chile enchiladas.

Jeff returned yesterday from a conference in Albuquerque and upon my most pointed request, carried with him five giant tubs of frozen chiles. If you have never used frozen New Mexican chiles before, I highly recommend urging any friend traveling to the Southwest to traffic for you as much as they can carry. The Bueno Foods website will deliver six small containers for $25 dollars plus a $50 dollar delivery fee! I’m sure there are many New Mexican transplants who are willing to pay this exorbitant fee.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups wheat gluten (I used Bob’s Red Mill.)
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp. salt

Stock:

• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Mix the gluten, rice flour, salt and water together. Knead briefly until the gluten strands develop. Let the dough rest while you prepare the stock.

Use a stock pot to saute onions in the canola oil until translucent, add garlic and spices. Cook for a minute until the spices and garlic are lightly cooked and giving off aroma.

Add four cups of water to the stock pot and bring to a boil.

Lightly knead the mock duck dough and break into six to eight pieces. Once the stock comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, place the mock duck dough into the water, cover and slowly simmer for about an hour.

Once it is finished, it can be sliced and added to any dish calling for chicken. I would caution you not to use it in really wet dishes as the texture gets a little mushy.

My aunt Susy makes the best stuffing in the world! Even as a kid I loved the big chunks of whole wheat, bits of sage and crispy edges. Every time I celebrate one of the holidays with her I insist she make it, and often eat not much more than the stuffing. The other holiday food item I love are Brussel sprouts. One of my dads made them a few years ago slow roasted to the point of caramelization, and this time of year they are all I think about. Every time I see the handmade clay casseroles in the cupboard, memories of stuffing and Brussel sprouts are conjured as those are the customary baking dishes for these two delicacies.

Since Auntie Susy is in charge of making stuffing, I have actually never made it. Today was my first. I had a container of frozen, diced and par-boiled sweet potatoes left over from the CSA, as well as the remnants of a loaf of whole wheat baguette from who-knows-when in the freezer. I must have had stuffing on my mind because last week I bought some fresh sage and a huge bag of Brussel sprouts. I started off today with the idea of making soup, but it turned into stuffing! Max won’t be happy, I am sure. I bet if you make this for your Thanksgiving table, your vegetarian friends will be happy!

Ingredients:

• 1 large red onion, diced
• 1/2 stick butter (vegan option – 2 Tbs olive oil)
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups sweet potato, diced
• 2 pounds Brussel sprouts, halved
• 1 large bunch fresh sage, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 4 cups cubed wheat bread (crusty loaves like baguette work nicely)
• 1 cup apple cider

Directions:

1) Saute the onion in the butter or oil until translucent. Add garlic, the halved Brussel sprouts and the sweet potatoes. Saute until the potatoes begin to tenderize and the Brussel sprouts begin to brown. You won’t need to fully cook the potatoes and Brussel sprouts as they will spend some time in the oven as well.

2) Next add the sage, salt and pepper. Once these are combined, add the walnuts, chopped apple and cubed bread. Mix together. Add the apple cider last making sure that everything is moist, but not soupy. You may need to add a bit more cider if you used a real crusty bread.

3) Move stuffing into a covered casserole dish, cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Living the vegan lifestyle is a concept that I both accept and deny. I love vegetables and cannot imagine eating animal flesh, yet when in comes to the satisfying creaminess of cheese, ice cream and other dairy products, the thought of giving them up, causes my head to involuntarily shake out a most-emphatic, “NO!”

I’ve found with a pizza oven in the back yard, dairy product consumption is at an all-time high around our house, and has given me a little pause. And although we’re still topping our little wood-fired babies with fresh mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, and Gorgonzola, I’ve begun to wonder about vegan alternatives to cheese.

I’m not yet ready to take the dive, but thought I would start experimenting with vegan cream sauces. This recipe has as it’s base walnuts, olive oil and tahini and when mixed with a little soymilk, turned white and creamy and sweet. I was surprised by how sweet my plain soymilk made the dip, so to make it savory for the cucumber sticks, I added garlic, white wine vinegar and Garam Masala. As you can see I served it with vegetables, but it’s very satisfying spread on crackers as well. I might try it another time, sans savories, as the cream filling for a chilled fruit tart.

Ingredients:

Sweet:

• 2 cups walnuts
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup plain soymilk

Savories to add to Sweet:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Garam Masala

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add more or less soymilk depending on how thick you want the dip.