Stuffing

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup finely chopped leek
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 1/3 cup butter
* 4 cups french bread cubes (about two small baguettes)
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
* 1/4 to 1/2 thyme
* veg broth

Preparation:
Sauté leek and celery in the butter until softened. Combine leek mixture with bread, pepper, eggs, salt, sage and thyme in a large mixing bowl. Stir in broth until well moistened. Bake in a greased covered shallow casserole at 325° for about 35 to 45 minutes. Take the cover off the last 5 minutes to brown.

(The three of us devoured this amount of stuffing in one sitting. Granted, it was Thanksgiving, but in the future make at least double this amount so we have some leftover.)

Apple Tart with Teff-Walnut Crust

I love teff. What I discovered about the teff peanut butter cookies we made earlier in the week is that teff is so loaded with protein and iron and other mighty vitamins that it is impossible to have a sweet binge on things made with it. This is coming from a person who can easily sit down with a plate of cookies, mind you. Two teff cookies, three tops, and one is totally satisfied, thinking, maybe I'll read some difficult poetry instead of lying on the couch to stare at the ceiling fan in a carb and sugar coma.

So this crust is similarly exhilarating, and crumbly... holds together a little bit better after the whole pie has been baked and has had some time to cool in the refrigerator, but tastes deep and rich-- without overwhelming the fruit.

Filling:

5-6 apples, peeled and sliced (I used honeycrisp)

2-3 T Earth Balance

1 T cinnamon

Crust:
1 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c sunflower oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup teff flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Crust:
Mix ingredients in Vita Mix blender (dry attachment) on lowest setting until consistency resembled coarse meal. Press mixture into bottom of lightly oiled 9-inch tart pan.
Bake 12 minutes, or until crust becomes a smidge darker.

Filling:
In a large bowl, toss apple slices with cinnamon. Heap the apple mixture into the tart pan. It creates quite a mound, but they cook down considerably. Dot the pie with Earth Balance. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

**Even better with almonds instead of walnuts and pears instead of apples!

Cranberry Sauce

Super easy, quick and delicious.

8 oz. fresh cranberries
3/4 c orange juice
1/4 c sugar

Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced – stirring occasionally. You’ll hear the cranberries popping – don’t worry, that’s what you want them to do. Remove from heat and serve.

Happy Gluten-free Thanksgiving

This year we were able to dictate a Thanksgiving menu all our own because we put ourselves under family quarantine. Our colds didn't stop us from putting on a feast for the three of us, however, and with zero pressure about timing and entertaining of guests, J and I, well, mostly J, whipped up a spread that was entirely gluten-free, healthy, and vegan-- except for the turkey and the goat cheese.

J roasted a 10 pound bird (and I discovered that I have converted to the dark side... dark meat, that is). He also made mashed potatoes with Earth Balance butter and soy milk; a yummy stuffing made of corn meal, onions, celery and herbs; a salad of roasted beets with goat cheese and olive oil and balsamic vin. And in the interest of using all of the bird, J made a gravy comprised of all the ugly bits which, though I'm not a gravy fan, was deeply flavorful and yum.

I contributed a roasted butternut squash drizzled with date syrup, roasted brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and an apple tart with a teff-walnut crust.

While we kept our nation's promise to overeat this evening, the meal didn't leave either of us feeling "logi," a term we use to mean leaden, bloated and immobile.

Of course, we regret not spending the day with either of our families. The only other time we were not at his family's table for Thanksgiving, or mine, was one year we lived out East and couldn't afford to fly back. Now that we're all in the same state it seemed unlikely that would ever happen again, but the prospect of hauling a congested toddler all over town we we weren't feeling up to snuff ourselves had us call it off early in the week. I'm sure our family members are thankful we weren't around them sharing our germs! And J is thankful he was able to eat everything on the table.

Cheers!

Pumpkin Pie

This uses coconut milk so it's dairy-free. I used an extra 1/4 to 1/3 c of pumpkin that I had leftover, so it's more spicy and pumpkin-y than it is sweet and creamy rich. But in a good way.

1 frozen pie shell (I like Whole Food's whole wheat brand), thawed
3 large eggs, stirred
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounces canned pumpkin
1 cup coconut milk

Mix the filling ingredients together. Pour the mixture into the thawed frozen pie shell. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees.

*I went a little heavy on the spices and a little light on the sugar, both of which I would play with next time I'm making this. I might also bump up the coconut milk to 1 1/2 cups so it's a little creamier. J said the pie would be perfect as is with some sweet whipped cream on top. At least it didn't feel super decadent when I finished off the last huge slice at 2 a.m. this morning!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk and Ginger

There isn't more to it than the title implies. I roasted 5 sweet potatoes in the oven for an hour at 400. Then masked them up with 1/2 can of coconut milk (full fat, not light... rrrrow) and a tablespoon of minced ginger. And whoa. I've been eating it in the evenings when I get a sweet craving because it's quite dessert-y. I guess for official dessert I could add eggs and make it a custard next time. But this is a good T-giving/X-mas variation next time we're bringing a dish. Makes 5-6 servings.

Xmas Baking parts two and three

Made another coupla batches of the curried nuts (almonds and pecans, though the pecans still work the best, hold onto the spices more).

Then J made homemade soy nog!

Then I made chocolate-dipped gingerbread biscotti. Then we had extra melted chocolate so covered whatever else we had on hand in chocolate: pear slices, piles of walnuts, fingers, hands.

Then we watched the Bells of St. Mary's.

(Next day: woke up with chocolate hangovers)

Gelato Break

While I don’t entirely envy the standstill that’s become Colorado this week, what I wouldn’t give for a coating of the powdery stuff this weekend. J and I are intent to go X-country skiing and/or sledding this year and taking G out on Xmas day for latter would be the most after-present aftermath fun I could imagine. I have been enjoying the unseasonable (how long before this word is redundant?) 40s all week and getting a last bit of outdoor running in, including a record-smashing 6 miles to the Bahai Temple and back on my lunch hour the other day fueled by a sugar tide of mid-morning office cookies. The office cookies, which a week and a half ago were pleasant novelties freely indulged in, have incrementally become my nemesis as their volume has spread to all-you-can-eat cookie buffet. And I must try one of each, even if they spring forth from a vacuum-packed tin. The daily pre and post lunch dosage has created a bodily response, a physical need that simple avoidance of sweets fails to banish from my thoughts.

So today, feeling my body ring its sugar bell after lunch, I skipped the uniform shortbreads and decided to quell the beast head-on. This meant heading downstairs to the place I’ve only ever considered a coffee shop in my building for fear of courting the slippery slope that is the gelato break. The coffee shop is a local mom and pop establishment, seemingly holding its own against the franchise coffee place across the street. Their espresso is good and they don’t appear to put any artificial goop in any of their drinks.. Plus, they sell little bottles of bubbly water. Nevermind the jewel-like case of gelato that meets one at the door and behind which all employees stand. I treat it as décor- never meeting its gaze- arcing my espresso order over it like a badminton birdie. In the three months since this business moved in, I’ve never once allowed my coffee break to be encroached upon my what is, in my opinion, dessert. I had seen how easily my coworkers transformed the coffee break into the gelato break, a similar ritual that occurs at 3 o’clock everyday. I had tasted this café’s gelato goodness with the free bite-size samples they lovingly push and I knew that’d be playing with fire. After all, I’ve only just recently begun to accept soy ice cream.. backing it up to full-on dairy plus egg yolks would be a dramatic turn.

Today the drama ensued. I entered and placed my order for one diminutive scoop of hazelnut, in a cup, but the college girl behind the counter looked regretful and informed me that they only serve 3 scoops at a time.. for 3 dollars. Now that’s a value. One can mix and match. She recommended I also try the tiramisu flavor. The scoops were on the small side. And the chocolate was dark dark dark and, I’d soon discover, habitat to some high percent cacao little shards. I wish I had photographed this triumvirate that was so humbly squished into a Styrofoam cup. It was a palette of dark, medium and light brown heaven. Instead I slunk back to my desk where, if half the office weren’t already out on vacation, one may have witnessed a specific ecstasy amidst the cubicle beige.

Meanwhile, the warmer temps are giving us a second straight day of rain. Back on the treadmill for me. Let’s see if I can do another 6 miles while watching Paula Dean make her heart-stopping chocolate bread pudding. As for the snow, I’ll have to settle for powdered sugar this year.

T-Day

As we enter our thirties, J and I are making gradual progress in finally wresting control of a holiday or two from our mothers. Part of this year's negotiations that vaulted me to several courses of Thanksgiving- a great leap forward from the Mother's Day brunch slot I've tenaciously held on to for three years and running now- is that the feasting would occur at my parents' house with M handling all cookery of beasts, cranberries, stuffing and yams; grandma doing her ravioli and meatballs; and other guests encouraged to bring desserts.

The way I figured it, this still left me:

-antipasti of marinated artichoke hearts, crusty bread, Sicilian olives, tomatoes, and chickpea bruschetta
-winter squash and apple bisque (a sneaky vegan version at that!)
-green bean casserole (from scratch)
-sauteed rapini with garlic
-roasted root vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips) with garlic, fresh thyme and pine nuts
-roasted beets with an orange and pomegranate glaze
-J made a Vesuvius of mashed potatoes with whole milk and loads of butter (which started our saying "one stick or two?")
-lemon ricotta cake with fresh fruit

A day and a half of preparation and pre-cooking made this movable feast go off without a hitch. Somehow all of this food was able to be cooked, finished or reheated in the limited oven space and four-burner real estate available in M's kitchen. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of the finished smorgasbord because I was still aproned and managing the last of the fires when guests with plates formed a buffet line and dug in. This pleased me to no end though.. I'm beginning to understand the grandmotherly compulsion to love people with food, and feeding two table's full of in-laws, aunts, uncles and cousins was my way of expressing how much treasure everyone who was there that day.

Things calmed down long enough between dinner and dessert for me to snap this picture of the dessert buffet, though you can discern an eager eater already standing by the apple pie. On display we have: apple pie, pumpkin pie, rum cake, lemon ricotta cake and fruit salad, and in the foreground, one of my favorite indulgences of the day, a gooey pecan pie.