Tag Archives: pumpkin puree

Nov 30 2012
30 Comments
Brunch, Entertaining, Giveaway, Main Dishes, Tofu, Virtual Vegan Potluck, Virtual Vegan Potluck Blog, Virtual Vegan Potluck Website

Savory Pumpkin Pie with Shiitake Mushroom Streusel

Savory Pumpkin PieIf you’ve had your fill of sweet pumpkin pie already, you might want to try this one.  Nothing sweet (save for a hint of maple syrup) here.

This recipe is an adaptation of one from the November 2012 issue of Cooking Light.  The vegan gruyere cheez is a very slight variation of a recipe I snagged from The Culinary Confessions of Betty Rocker.  I’d never seen oatmeal used in a vegan cheez recipe and therefore had to try it immediately.  I didn’t change it enough to warrant including the recipe here, however, and I encourage you to check out Betty’s site.  Feel free to use your favorite vegan cheez as a substitute for the gruyere (cheddar would be quite nice) – or leave it out entirely.

One year ago today: Roasted Eggplant Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions & Roasted Tomato Sauce

Savory Pumpkin Pie with Shiitake Mushroom Streusel
Serves 8

Filling:
1 recipe for single whole wheat pie crust (I use the recipe on the back of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour bag)

2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup silken tofu
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
ground black pepper, to taste

~2/3 cup vegan gruyere cheese, shredded or chopped, divided

Shiitake Mushroom Streusel:
5 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1/4 cup white wine or water
1/4 cup “bacon” bits, optional (I use Wayfare Foods’ Pig Out Whole Grain Bacony Bits)
1/2 cup whole wheat panko or bread crumbs
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. Liquid Smoke or use a dash of smoked paprika
ground black pepper, to taste

Make the filling:
Preheat the oven to 425F.  Line a 9″ pie pan with the whole wheat crust and set aside.

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the pumpkin puree and the silken tofu.  I processed the tofu in a blender prior to adding it to the pumpkin puree.  Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a splash of vegetable broth, Bragg Liquid Aminos or water to the pan.  Saute the celery and garlic until soft and then stir in the poultry seasoning, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Cook for 1-2 minutes and remove pan from the heat.  Stir the celery mixture along with 1/3 cup of the vegan gruyere into the pumpkin mixture.  Set aside.

Make the mushroom streusel:
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a splash of vegetable broth or water.  Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until tender.  Add the wine and cook until has just about evaporated.  Now stir in the “bacon” bits, panko, maple syrup and Liquid Smoke or paprika and ground pepper.  Stir and let the mixture dry out a bit.  The topping will brown up and crisp in the oven, so no need to let it completely dry out in the pan.  Remove from heat, stir in the remaining 1/3 cup vegan gruyere and set aside.

Assemble the pie:
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie shell and smooth out the top.  Crumble the mushroom topping over the filling and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is baked through and the mushroom topping is crisp and browned.  Let the pie rest for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.  Also tasty served at room temperature.

Savory Pumpkin Pie

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Nov 07 2012
50 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads, Virtual Vegan Potluck

Spiced Pumpkin Flatbreads

Stack of FlatbreadsThis time of year I always seem to have dribs and drabs of pumpkin puree in my refrigerator.  With the exception of pumpkin pie, most recipes call only for a portion of a can and certainly not a whole pumpkin’s worth.  As a result, pumpkin puree finds its way into lots of things: smoothies, pancakes, cookies and the morning oatmeal.

For this recipe, I’m using the pumpkin not only to add a nice color to the bread, but to replace some of the oil.  The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of olive oil – some for the dough and the remaining amount for the spice blend.  I’ve replaced the olive oil with the more fragrant and trendy coconut oil.  The end result is toasty golden flatbreads run through with dashes of cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika that have a crisp exterior and a nice chew.  The technique creates very thin layers of bread and it smells wonderful while cooking.  Perfect with Indian food.

If you haven’t done so, please take some time to email me your selections for the best recipes (one per course) from the Virtual Vegan Potluck.  You can also now follow the VVP blog by visiting the News page and entering your email address.

One year ago today: Open-faced Sandwich: Curried Garbanzo Bean Spread w/ Tomato Chutney, Avocado & Sprouts
One year ago and one day ago: Noon Rogani (Cinnamon Turban Bread)

Spiced Pumpkin Flatbreads
Makes 12

2 1/2-3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
~1 1/4 cups water
3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. coriander

Make the dough:
In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and water.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and then add the pumpkin mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.  Add more water if dough seems dry; more flour if it is too wet and sticky.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for about 15 minutes.  Place dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the coconut oil and spices.  Set aside.

Form the flatbreads:
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.  Flatten a piece of dough and roll it out into a very thin disk – about 9″ round.  Keep remaining dough balls covered.  Spread about 1 tsp. of the coconut oil mixture onto the flattened dough and then roll it tightly into a long cylinder (much like in the Cuban cigar Seinfeld episode).  Coil the cylinder into a tight spiral, gently press and then transfer to a large piece of parchment paper.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and proceed with the remaining dough.

Dough Round

Cook the flatbreads:
Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-heat. Tape a large piece of parchment paper onto a work surface and roll out one of the spirals to a 6″ or so round.  Plop into the skillet and cook until puffy and brown, then flip and cook the other side.  This takes only a few minutes.  Transfer to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm.  Continue with the remaining spirals.

Eat the flatbreads.
No instructions necessary.

Flatbreads, Hand

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Feb 19 2012
13 Comments
Breakfast, Pancakes

You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby (Pumpkin-Carrot Cake Ginger Pancakes)

Stack of PancakesLong ago, when Mikey liked Life cereal, when it was okay to wear an orange plaid shirt with brown cords and when, as my mother describes it, “the whole family looked as if it had the flu for a decade,” pancakes came in one flavor.  Pancake (a.k.a. Bisquick) flavor.  Sometimes you got crazy and chopped up some apples to add to the batter, or if you felt really wild you’d sprinkle on a few blueberries as the ‘cakes were cooking.  And then you looked around to make sure the neighbors hadn’t seen you do it.  Now there are all kinds of ways to make pancakes – you can even make them savory and eat them as dinner with yummy things stuffed inside of them.  (Some might be tempted to call these crepes, but I’m not talking about that flimsy cousin of the pancake.)  No one even thinks you’re nuts to do it.  This recipe certainly isn’t the craziest of the crazy, but compared to 1970s-era pancakes, they are downright zappy.  And I think you can dig it.

Pumpkin-Carrot Cake Ginger Pancakes
Makes 12

Plate of Pancakes1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of cloves
dash of ground ginger
1 tsp. powdered stevia
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped or microplaned
1 – 1 1/4 cup “buttermilk” (soy milk + apple cider vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups grated carrot
cooking spray

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cloves, ginger and stevia.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the fresh ginger, “buttermilk,” vanilla extract and pumpkin puree and mix until smooth.  Stir in the grated carrot.  If the batter seems to thick, add a little bit more soy milk.  Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200F and put your plates in there to warm.  Warm your griddle or pan as well.

When the griddle is hot, lightly spray with oil and spoon on about 1/4 cup or so of batter.  You may have to nudge the batter to get an even layer – bits of carrot will stick out – that’s okay.  Flip the cakes when you start to see bubbles on the surface.  Cook for a few more minutes and transfer the cooked cakes onto a plate and put in the oven.  Continue with the remainder of the batter.

Serve with your favorite pancake accompaniments.  You already know that my faves are chunky natural peanut butter, toasted nuts and sliced bananas.

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Feb 12 2012
9 Comments
Beverages

Maple Pumpkin Spice Latte (for the Slow Cooker)

Cup of Pumpkin Spice LatteAs soon as I cracked open The Vegan Slow Cooker, by Kathy Hester, I knew I’d be spending a lot of time with this cookbook.  Yeah, there are the crock pot standards, the soups, the stews (which are great, don’t get me wrong), but there’s some really interesting stuff inside – especially towards the back of the book.  The first recipe I had to try immediately was this one for maple pumpkin spice latte.  Sure, Starbucks serves up a pumpkin latte every fall and winter, but I’ve never been tempted to take the bait.  I don’t know what’s in theirs, but I would guess there’s a whole lot of sugar going on and not much real pumpkin.

I had Kel unearth the 1.5 quart crock pot from somewhere in the barn (why he had one, brand new, still in it’s box – I don’t know, but I don’t care.  I love that man.) and I brewed up a cup of Rimini Coffee’s superb Pastore espresso, opened a can of pumpkin puree and got to work.  While I was doing the grocery shopping at Walmart, that adorable little slow cooker was making cold weather magic.  The pumpkin puree creates a slightly thick yet velvety smooth texture and the coffee tempers the spices.  Two steaming mugs were served up with several Maple Nut Cookies.  A great team.  Bonus: with the leftover pumpkin, I’m makin’ pancakes this morning.

Maple Pumpkin Spice Latte
Serves 2

1 cup fresh brewed coffee
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. pumpkin puree
2-4 tbsp. real maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. clove

Whisk together the pumpkin puree and the soy milk.  This helps keep the pumpkin from settling to the bottom of the slow-cooker.  Add this mixture along with all of the other ingredients, set the cooker to Low and come back about 3 hours later for a delicious, beverage that will take off the chill.

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Feb 01 2012
8 Comments
Cookies and Bars

Gluten-free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies That Passed the Cowboy-Carnivore Test

Plate of CookiesI started baking this batch of cookies just as a guest – a true Oklahoma cowboy – arrived to meet with Kel.  As they sat at the kitchen table talking about the drought, feral hogs and wild mustangs, I mixed and shaped and baked and the kitchen filled with the scent of chocolate and spice.  I let the cookies cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before offering them to our guest.  He took one, remarking that he’d never eaten a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie before.  A few bites.  Then he said, “These are good!”  I decided to test him to see if he was just being polite, so when he finished, I asked him if he’d like another.  He did.  Unbeknownst to our carnivore friend, the two cookies he’d just enjoyed were not only gluten-free, but were also completely absent of animal products.  I decided not to mention it.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 18

Cookie Ingredients1/2 cup water
3 tbsp. flaxseed meal
2 cups whole grain gluten-free flour mix (I used King Arthur Flour’s Gluten Free Whole Grain mix)
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 tsp. powdered stevia
1/3 cup maple sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond butter (or other nut butter; I used Trader Joe’s Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds)
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the water and flaxseed meal; set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and powdered stevia.  Set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal mixture, maple sugar, vanilla extract, almond butter and pumpkin puree.   Pour this mixture into the dry mixture and stir to combine.  I had to add about a 1/2 cup of water to get the consistency right – thick, but not as thick as say, brownie batter.

Stir in the chocolate chips and the walnuts.

Drop batter by the tablespoonsful onto the baking sheets and bake cookies for about 14 minutes, switching pans halfway through so that they all get evenly cooked and browned.  Let cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

(This recipe comes from VegNews.  I completely omitted the sunflower oil – with the almond butter, flaxseed meal and pumpkin puree – the added oil wasn’t necessary.  I also used walnuts instead of the 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips in the original recipe.  I’ve never been a fan of white chocolate chips: there’s no chocolate in them.)

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Jan 14 2012
3 Comments
Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Sweet Potato-Pumpkin Pie with Pecan-Maple Sugar Crumble

Big Slice of PieThe taste of this pie is a little bit different from what you might expect from the usual sweet potato concoction.  With the addition of coconut milk, lime juice and rum along with the usual suspects of cinnamon, ginger and allspice – there’s a definite island kind of tang.

The basis of this recipe comes from the sweet potato Brazil nut pie in the delicious cookbook, Vegan Pie in the Sky, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.  Not being a fan of Brazil nuts, I used pecans instead.  Other changes I made were adding pumpkin puree – I didn’t have enough roasted sweet potato but had leftover pumpkin puree; swapping out a 1/2 cup refined sugar for stevia; using maple sugar instead of brown sugar and totally changing the crust.  I used my low-fat Grape-Nuts crust – doubling the recipe – to avoid the additional fat.  I also reduced the sugar by half in the crumble topping and used maple sugar again instead of brown.

Sweet Potato-Pumpkin Pie with Pecan-Maple Sugar Crumble
Serves 8

Crust:
2 cups Grape-Nuts cereal
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp. water (whisk together and let sit for a minute)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon

Bowl of Mashed Sweet PotatoFilling:
1 1/2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup + 4 tbsp. coconut milk
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup maple sugar
1/2 tsp. powdered stevia
1 tbsp. rum
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt

Crumble Topping:
1/4 cup maple sugar
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. vegan butter/shortening
pinch of salt

Make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the Grape-Nuts, pecans and cinnamon in a food processor and process until finely ground.  Some larger pecan pieces may be visible – that’s okay.  In a bowl, stir together the Grape-Nuts mixture with the apple juice, flaxseed meal mixture and vanilla extract.  Pour the “dough” into a deep-dish pie pan and gently pat until it’s evenly distributed along the bottom and up the sides.

When the oven is to temperature, bake the crust for about 15 minutes.  It will have browned a little and the smell in your kitchen will be a beautiful thing.  Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the crumble topping and pie filling.

Make the crumble:
In a small bowl, combine the vegan butter and maple sugar, then stir in a pinch of salt and the pecans.  Set aside.

Pecan Maple Sugar Crumble

Make the pie filling:
Put all of the pie filling ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove pie from the oven and gently top it with the pecan crumble.  Put the pie back in the oven for another 30-35 minutes.  The nuts should be nice and toasty and the pie filling will feel slightly firm.

Cool the pie for at least a couple of hours before slicing and serving.  Top with tofu whipped cream, if desired.

Pie in Green Plate

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Dec 16 2011
3 Comments
Cakes and Cupcakes, Desserts

Pumpkin-Carrot Spice Cake

Slice of Pumpkin Carrot CakeCarrot cake is the homiest of desserts: warm, cinnamon-y, moist and with a little bite from the shredded carrot.  This is the first veganized version of carrot cake I’ve made and it includes pumpkin puree – an ingredient that not only adds to the color and texture – it helps whittle the amount of added fat or oil.  This recipe has a mere tablespoon of canola oil and I’ve dialed down the refined sugar; in fact, there is no refined sugar in it.  The flavor is classic carrot cake.   The “frosting” that I made was quite simple: silken tofu, vanilla extract, lemon juice and maple syrup.  Eat this plain or decorate with your favorite vegan version of cream cheese frosting.

Cup of Shredded CarrotsPumpkin-Carrot Spice Cake
9″ two-tier cake

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. stevia powder
1 cup canned pumpkin
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 cup soy milk
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp. water (whisk together and let sit for a minute)
2 1/4 cups shredded carrots
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray two 9″ cake pans (you could make a sheet cake instead) with cooking oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cayenne and powdered stevia.  Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, applesauce, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and flaxseed meal mixture.  Pour into the flour mixture and stir until just combined – then fold in the carrots and pecans.

Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  The edges of the cakes should have pulled away from the pan.

Let sit in the pans for a few minutes, then gently remove and cool the cakes on wire racks.  Apply your favorite frosting.

Cakes Cooling on Racks(I found this recipe in an issue of VegNews.  I didn’t change too much: swapped out the 1 cup total refined sugar for the stevia powder, reduced the maple syrup from 3 tbsp. to 2 tbsp. and added the applesauce to add bulk.  Instead of a commercial egg replacer product, I used flaxseed meal.  And I did not use the frosting recipe that went along with it.  It had too much fat for my liking.)

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