Easy Thanksgiving Dinner

Yesterday was probably my easiest and best Thanksgiving ever.  I swore after last year that I would never spend all day (12 hours) in the kitchen...cooking and cleaning.  And as much as I love cooking--it's just not worth it.  My menu yesterday took 4 1/2 hours from start to finish (prep, cooking, eating and cleanup)!  So instead of starting to cook at 8:00am, I slept in, had a relaxing breakfast with my husband reading the paper, surfed the web, played games, went for a walk and then at 1:00pm I started my first prep!  So here's what I served:

• Autumn Wild Rice Salad:  This salad is gluten free.  I used a combination of wild rice, brown basmati rice, red quinoa, diced butternut squash, carrots, celery, sage, thyme, pomegranate seeds and a pomegranate vinaigrette.  I made a similar salad last year using whole grain couscous.  This salad can be served at room temperature or chilled.
• Blue Lake Green Beans with Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette:  I blanched the green beans in salted boiling water for 1-1/2 minutes and then shocked in ice water, drained and set aside.  I then made a quick vinaigrette with minced garlic, shallots, thyme, whole grain mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, white balsamic, grapeseed oil and olive oil.  Just before serving I sauteed the beans with some of the vinaigrette to heat through.
• Smashed Baby Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic & Chive Cream:  This couldn't be simpler--no potatoes to peel...I made a quick roasted garlic-cashew cream sauce (soaked cashews, water, 1 roasted garlic bulb, salt and pepper and blended it together).  I cooked the potatoes in salted boiling water, drained, smashed, added vegan butter, roasted garlic cream sauce and salt and pepper to taste. 
• Roasted Shallot Gravy:  This is a delicious gravy made in 30 minutes using no cornstarch or butter.  I thinly sliced 5 large shallots (about 3 cups), along with 6 oz of sliced cremini mushrooms.  I sauteed them in olive oil for about 10 minutes until caramelized and then added minced garlic, fresh thyme and deglazed with ruby port wine.  I cooked the wine off and added 4 cups of vegetable stock and reduced for 20 minutes.  I blended everything together along with 3 tbsp nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste.  
• Field Roast (Celebration): I braised the roast for about 35-40 minutes in a small casserole dish with vegetable stock, fresh sage, fresh thyme sprigs and olive oil.  I browned the top the last few minutes of cooking, sliced to desired thickness and poured remaining broth over top upon serving.

That's pretty much it except that I purchased freshly made cranberry-orange chutney and a vegan pumpkin pie from my work.  As much as I like baking and making pies--it takes too long.  Yes, it is a little bit more expensive, but the time savings is well worth it!  Oh and I can't forget the wine to round out the meal...I served Talbott Kali Hart 2010 Pinot Noir from Monterey.  It complimented the meal beautifully!  

And tonight is another easy cooking night...can't wait to eat the leftovers! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving--I really did! 

Summer Melon Fruit Salad

Wow, it has been so long since my last post--four months to be exact!  I've just been really busy working.  I'm a chef at a vegan cafe and I love cooking and being around vegan food everyday!  I am really very fortunate that I get to do something that I love for a living!

Anyway, last year for the 4th of July I made an elaborate spread, but this year since I only have a few days off I wanted to keep it simple.  Hubby and I are just grilling some vegan dogs and I made this really delicious melon salad that I wanted to share with you.  

You can use any type of melons--just make sure that you add all the other ingredients to give it lots of crunch and plenty of spice.  I guarantee that if you take this to your next BBQ, or picnic that people will devour it in no time.  Plus it's really beautiful to look at!

For my salad I used a combination of:  cantaloupe, watermelon, jicama, English cucumber, white corn, jalapeno, mint, lime juice, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper.  Cilantro would be a good addition too.  Just so fresh--I could eat this everyday during the summer months! 

Until my next post--Happy 4th everyone!

 

Roasted Beet, Farro & Kale Salad

My father-in-law's name was Valentine but everyone called him Val for short.  I wonder if he was ever teased as a child for having such a unique name.  And I wonder if he knew that his name came from the Latin word Valentinus, derived from Valens, which means "strong and healthy".  

Most of us go though life without ever giving much consideration to our beating hearts, until one day we wake up with clogged arteries and need a triple by-pass.  But by eating a whole foods, plant-based diet, I know that I'm doing everything I can to diminish the possibility of getting heart disease later in life.  But that doesn't mean that on Valentine's Day I won't enjoy a glass of red wine, or a eat piece of dark chocolate because both contain flavonoids, which are considered to be "heart healthy".  But to balance it out, I'll definitely make sure to eat a healthy salad like my Roasted Beet, Farro & Kale Salad and go for a brisk walk.  Remember, Valentine's Day isn't just for that special person in your life--it's also for you and your "heart" and keeping it "strong and healthy"! 

Ingredients:

1 cup farro, cooked, rinsed and drained well
2 red beets, cooked until tender, peeled and diced
2 golden beets, cooked until tender, peeled and diced
1 fennel bulb, shaved thinly on a mandolin
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 cups thinly sliced kale leaves
1-2 tbsp minced basil leaves

Maple-Sherry Vinaigrette:

3 tbsp aged sherry vinegar
Juice of 1 orange
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chipotle powder (optional)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (more or less to taste)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Add sherry, orange juice, mustard, garlic and chipotle to a blender and blend on high until combined.
• Slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified and then blend in maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste.  
• Pour over salad to moisten--you may have extra vinaigrette left over.

 

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Saffron Couscous

We are having beautiful spring-like weather in the Bay Area--68 degrees today and 72 tomorrow and I have spring-fever big time!  Spring always reminds me of carrots and so I couldn't pass up getting a bunch of beautiful tri-color (purple, cream and orange) carrots at the market today.

With carrots this sweet and tender I didn't want to cook them and so I shaved them into thin ribbons and tossed them with a Moroccan Vinaigrette made with freshly squeezed orange juice, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, cumin, coriander, paprika, ginger, garlic, cilantro and olive oil.  I then made a whole wheat couscous with saffron, dried apricots, almonds, pistachios, oil cured olives, preserved lemon and chickpeas.  So easy, fresh and delicious--perfect for a day like today!

A Single Serving of Good Luck

I've always considered myself a lucky person and there's not a day that goes by that I'm not reminded about how fortunate I am.  But I really lucked out when I met my husband 28 years ago.  He's definitely one of a kind.  So here were are on New Year's Eve and he's watching the Boston U and Notre Dame ice hockey game and I place a bag of black-eyed peas in front of him and ask him to count out 365 (well 366 because it's a leap year) for our New Year's day dinner.  He didn't complain, especially since I was interrupting his ice hockey game, but more importantly he doesn't think I am nuts for asking him to do this.  So we both sat there in front of the TV counting out black-eyed peas to bring us good fortune and good luck during the new year.  Very fortunate indeed...

Now, I'm sure you are aware of this folklore or superstition from the south that eating black-eyed peas on New Year's day will bring you good luck for the coming year.  And it's usually in the form of a dish called Hoppin' John; but I wanted to make something that was a little fresher and lighter.  So as the story goes...you should eat one black-eyed pea for each day of the year.  The peas represent coins, the collards represent green money, and the cornbread represents gold, (which I decided not to make because I want to eat healthy).  Also, for additional good luck you are supposed to place a coin under the pot while cooking the black-eyed peas and a coin under each dinner plate while eating.  Well, I forgot this part and so hopefully, counting out the peas has us covered for the entire year.

I was not born and raised in the south.  I grew up in Maryland which is considered a boarder state, but I did grow up eating black-eyed peas and collard greens.  However, I never quite understood why everyone cooks the crap out the peas, as well as the collards.  Most recipes call for cooking the peas for 1-1/2 hours and for braising the collards for that amount of time as well.  I do not find eating mushy beans/peas or army green collards very appealing and so this is a really quick and healthy dish that can be made in 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, New Year's day has come and gone, but you can still get all the health benefits from eating black-eyed peas, farro and collards anytime, and that is what's really important!

Black-Eyed Pea and Farro Salad:
(Single Serving of Good Luck)

1/2 cup black-eyed peas (or 363 for the remainder of the year...:-), soaked for four hours, rinsed and cooked until tender, about 18-20 minutes, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pearl farro, cooked for 20 minutes until tender, rinsed and drained
1/2 organic red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
2 green onions, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Chipotle-Maple Vinaigrette (below)

Chipotle-Maple Vinaigrette 

1 tbsp Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp filtered water
1/2 tsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard
1/4-1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder (more or less to taste--I like it spicy)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp pure maple syrup
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the organic collard greens, I sliced them into thin ribbons, rinsed them and steamed them for about 1 minute until bright green.  I then tossed them with a little lemon juice and sea salt and black pepper.   Just delish and so healthy!!!

Ooey-Gooey-Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

Growing up macaroni and cheese was a staple at our dinner table.  Except my mom never purchased the boxed stove-top version.  She always made it from scratch using a blend of aged white and yellow cheddars, along with parmesan and a creamy bechamel sauce.  It was a killer mac and cheese (seriously--it's a wonder my family doesn't have heart disease), but it was my most favorite dish growing up as a kid.

So when Anna of Green Talk sent me a message a couple of weeks ago asking me what soy cheese I use to make macaroni and cheese I told her I would send her my recipe.  She said that her kids really don't like fake cheese substitutes and I guaranteed her that they would love this version using Daiya cheese.  By the way, Anna's site is phenomenal--anything and everything you ever wanted to know about eco-friendly, green-living is all in one place on her website.  I use it as a reference all the time--great articles and very informative!  And Anna if you're reading this, definitely let me know if your kids like the recipe!

So getting back to the mac and cheese--this recipe is really versatile.  You can dress it up or dress it down depending on who you're serving it to.  If making it for kids, just use yellow cheddar and skip the herb-panko topping and of course serve it with an organic ketchup.  For a spicy version, use both cheddar and pepper-jack cheese, along with a couple splashes of your favorite hot sauce, and for a more sophisticated adult version, add minced rosemary, or chopped black truffles and a drizzle of white truffle oil.

Now I have to be honest, I have never made this recipe without using my Vita-Mix for the cashew cream.  So if you don't have a high-speed blender you really need to soak the cashews overnight and blend them for about 4 minutes and then strain afterwards.  This will help prevent the cheese sauce from separating if the mac and cheese sits out for any extended period of time--but I don't think that will be an issue.  Also, this is a non-bake version and so cook your noodles until completely done--no al dente here.  And no, I don't recommend using another nut milk other than cashew.  Soy milk imparts a strange flavor, almond milk has too much of a distinct flavor and rice milk is just too thin.  You want it creamy without using any flour or cornstarch and I find that since cashews have a high-fat content they work best...now on with the recipe already!

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 large head of garlic, roasted (see instructions below)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced fresh thyme, optional
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 1/3 cups cashew cream (see instructions below)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric 
1-2 tsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard, depending on taste
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (more or less to taste), plus more for cooking noodles
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds, divided
Herb-panko crumb topping (see recipe below), optional
1 lb macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
2 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks

Method:

• In a small sauce pan add olive oil, onions, garlic and thyme and cook for about 10-15 minutes until really tender.  Add vegetable stock to keep onion mixture from burning, but cook until stock is evaporated.
• Once onions are soft, add cashew cream and roasted garlic puree to the pan and heat until scalding--you do not want to boil the cream or it will get too thick.
• Immediately pour the mixture into a blender and add turmeric, salt, pepper, mustard and 1 cup of Daiya cheese and blend until smooth.  If too thick add a little more cashew cream if needed.  Keep mixture covered and warm.
• Cook macaroni noodles per package instructions in salted boiling water, drain really well, place in a large bowl and stir in Earth Balance Butter until melted. 
• While noodles are still hot, add warm/hot cashew cheese mixture, along with another cup of Daiya cheese and mix well to combine.  The Daiya will start melting and the noodles will start absorbing the sauce.   
• Check for salt and pepper and add more if necessary.  
• Cover and keep warm until ready to serve or serve immediately.
• Top with herb-panko topping if desired.
• The macaroni and cheese can be reheated in the microwave.  If too thick add a little more cashew cream to thin it out.

Cashew Cream:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, drained, blended and strained
2 cups filtered water

Method:

• Drain cashews and place in a blender, along with filtered water and blend on high for about 4 minutes until creamy.
• Strain mixture and measure out 2 1/3 cups cashew cream for the recipe.
• Reserve remaining cashew cream in case you need to thin out the recipe.  
• Cashew cream can be frozen and used for another recipe.  Thaw in the refrigerator and blend before using.

Roasted Garlic Puree:

1 large head garlic, top cut off
Olive oil to drizzle
Kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut off top of garlic and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrap in foil.
• Roast in the oven for about 60-75 minutes until soft and caramelized, checking after 45 minutes.
• Let garlic cool to touch and then squeeze out puree and set aside.

Herb-Panko Topping:

1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp assorted minced fresh herbs of choice:  parsley, thyme, chives, rosemary
Kosher salt and black pepper


Method:

• In a small saute pan, heat olive oil and add minced herbs and cook for a couple of minutes to soften.
• Add bread crumbs and cook for a couple of minutes until lightly golden brown.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a bowl to cool.

 

Acorn Squash with Cinnamon, Maple & Fried Sage

This side dish for Thanksgiving couldn't be easier.  It's also delicious and makes for a beautiful rustic presentation for your dinner table.  The hardest part about making this dish is cutting the squash and Mother Nature makes that simple for you too by providing you with predefined ridges on the surface.  Acorn squash is my favorite winter squash because of its sweet yellow-orange flesh.  And by roasting it and tossing it with maple syrup it makes it absolutely irresistible.    

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash, blemish free, washed, cut, seeds removed and sliced into wedges
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, divided
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Fried sage leaves (see below)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a large bowl toss squash with cinnamon, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp maple syrup and salt and pepper.
• Divide squash between two sheet trays and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, rotating trays and turning over squash half way through the cooking process until soft, caramelized and golden brown.
• Remove from oven and place on serving platter and drizzle with sage oil, 2 tbsp maple syrup and crumbled fried sage leaves.

Fried Sage Leaves:

6 sage leaves
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Method:

• In a small sauce pan, heat oil on medium, add sage leaves and cook for about 1 minute until crispy, turning over once.
• Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with a little salt.
• Pour sage oil over roasted squash and garnish with minced fried sage leaves.

Mushroom Duxelles & Spinach Phyllo Strudel

This is a nice appetizer to serve your guests for Thanksgiving or anytime you entertain.  During the summer I make this with a Spanakopita filling and serve it with Tzazaki, but decided that a mushroom duxelles would be more appropriate for fall.  I served these with a cabernet sauvignon mushroom sauce, but a simple lemon aioli or porcini aioli would work just as well.   Also, you can shape the phyllo pastry into mini triangles or cigar shapes for a different presentation.
 

Mushroom Duxelles Ingredients:

1 lb cremini mushrooms, washed and roughly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 tbsp finely mined fresh thyme
1/2 cup Maderia wine
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Place sliced mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely minced, be careful not to puree them.
• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil and diced onions and cook for about 10 minutes until onions are soft.
• Add minced mushrooms, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper to taste and cook mushrooms until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.  This takes about 30 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with Maderia wine and cook for about another 30 minutes, stirring frequently until all liquid is absorbed and the mushroom mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Check for seasonings, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Sauteed Spinach:

2 large bunches of organic spinach, roughly chopped and washed
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan to medium-low, add olive oil and garlic and cook garlic for a couple of minutes until it starts to sizzle, stirring and making sure that it doesn't burn.
• Immediately add chopped spinach (you may not be able to add all of it at once until it cooks down), and salt and pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Remove from pan and strain away liquid, pressing with the back of a spoon or spatula to remove excess liquid.
• Wrap spinach in a dish towel and squeeze to remove any remaining liquid.
• Place spinach on a cutting board and chop finely.
• Cool to room temperature and set aside.

 

 

 

Other Ingredients/Assembly:

Makes 2 logs

 

1 pkg frozen phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator

3 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, melted
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk butter and oil together in a small bowl.
• Remove phyllo from package and unroll.
• While working with phyllo, keep it covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel so that it doesn't dry out.
• Working with one sheet at a time with the longest edge facing you, brush the entire surface lightly with the butter/oil mixture.
• Repeat this process for a total of 4 sheets.
• Divide the duxelles mixture in half and place mixture evenly along the bottom edge leaving about 1/2" boarder along the bottom and a 1" along the sides.
• Divide spinach mixture in half and place on top of the duxelles mixture.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Carefully lift the bottom edge and roll the phyllo into a smooth log, brushing lightly with more butter mixture, until all the phyllo is wrapped.
• Score the phyllo lightly on a bias at 1-1/2 - 2" intervals.  You should have about 9 pieces per log.
• Place strudel logs on two separate sheet trays covered with parchment or silpats.  Bake in the oven for 16-20 minutes (depending on oven), turning/rotating trays half way through the cooking process until puffy and lightly golden brown.
  
  

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins & Pine Nuts

While in Portland last week we went to a restaurant called Lovely's Fifty Fifty.  It's not a vegan restaurant, but the chef prepared for us a vegan pizza that was out of this world.  The pizza was wood fired and was covered with chanterelle mushrooms, grilled winter squash, radicchio/escarole and a red sauce that brought it all together.  The flavors were amazing and I was so glad that they didn't use any fake cheese products on the pizza.  The food was fresh, seasonal, organic and even though they are not a vegan restaurant, they had no problem creating a special dish for us--that's what I love so much at Portland.  You can basically eat anywhere and find vegan options on the menu, or the chef/cooks will create something delicious for you.
 

 
In addition to the pizza, we ordered a wonderful appetizer made with roasted cauliflower, currants, golden raisins and pine nuts.  Cauliflower, raisins, pine nuts/almonds are a match made in heaven and I thought that it would be a great side dish (not to mention super easy to make) to serve at Thanksgiving. 

Ingredients:
(Serves 6)

2 heads of cauliflower, broken or cut into florets
1 tbsp fresh minced thyme
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup currants or regular raisins
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, tossing half-way through the cooking time.
• Remove from oven and place in a large bowl, along with currants, golden raisins and pine nuts.
• Add warmed sauce, parsley and toss to coat.
• Serve immediately.

Sauce:

2/3 cup good quality, low-sodium vegetable stock, reduced to 1/4 cup
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp fresh minced thyme
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Method:

• While cauliflower is roasting, add vegetable stock, garlic and thyme to a small sauce pan and reduce to a 1/4 cup.
• Add lemon juice to taste and whisk in olive oil.
• Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to use.

 

Herb-Focaccia Chestnut & Cranberry Dressing

Hands down, dressing/stuffing or whatever you want to call is by far the most favorite Thanksgiving side dish...yes, even favored over mashed potatoes.  You don't see someone standing in the kitchen at 8:00am the day after Thanksgiving eating cold mashed potatoes for breakfast, nope they're scarfing down cold leftover dressing (if there's any leftover) and loving every bite of it.  I guess it's America's love affair with anything and everything made of bread.  

There couldn't be a simpler dish to serve to make people happy on Thanksgiving and there are so many different ingredient combinations to choose from.  This is a rustic, peasant dish and you can add whatever you like and it will still taste fantastic.  If you don't like chestnuts, then add walnuts or pecans.  If you don't like dried cranberries, then add currants or golden raisins.  And if you you don't like apples, then add pears, or a combination of all of the above.  There is no right or wrong--there is no recipe.  The only thing you need to keep in mind when making dressing/stuffing is the flavor and texture of the croutons you will be using because this will determine how much seasoning you need to add, and the amount of veg stock that you will be using.  Even though it's just baked bread you want it to be flavorful and you want it to have the right consistency--nothing could be worse than eating a boring, dry or gummy dressing/stuffing, especially on a special occasion like Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:
(Serves 8-10)

12 cups Whole Wheat Herb-Focaccia, cut into 1" cubes and dried
4 1/2 cup vegetable stock (I used 2 cubes of Rapunzel Vegan Bouillon, No-Salt Added and 4 1/2 cups filtered water to make my veg stock)
1/4 cup vegan chicken flavored seasoning (found in the bulk section of Whole Foods), optional
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, diced and washed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 1/2-2 cups diced celery, about 3 large stalks
1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp minced fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 large granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped, peeled roasted chestnuts
1 cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Note:  I baked off two separate focaccia recipes and cut the bread into 1" cubes.  I placed the cubes on two sheet trays and let them sit out for about 15 hours or overnight.  I preheated my oven to 200 degrees and I baked the cubes for 1 hour until they were dried out and crunchy.  I let them cool and then measured out 12 cups of croutons for my dressing, and froze the remaining so that I can use in soups or salads.  If you don't have time to make your own focaccia, purchase a couple of loaves of fresh focaccia (depending on the size) and cut into cubes, or to make it really simple just purchase your favorite pre-made bread cubes.  Just make sure that they're vegan and don't contain a lot of additives.

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a small sauce pan, heat vegetable stock just to a simmer and whisk in vegan chicken flavored seasoning.  Remove from heat and set aside. 
• Add focaccia croutons to a large bowl and set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan on medium-low and add olive oil, leeks, onions, celery, garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary, poultry seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste and saute for about 7-10 minutes until soft.  
• Add diced apples and cook about 3 minutes longer.
• Turn off heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Add leek-onion-celery mixture to croutons, along with cranberries and chopped chestnuts and stir well to combine.
• Add two cups of vegetable stock and stir well.  Let sit for a minute or so before adding another 1 cup of stock and stir well.  Repeat adding about 1/2 cup of stock at a time until the croutons are soft, but still hold their shape.  You want them to be moist, but not mushy or dry.  Because my croutons are made with whole wheat, they are denser and I used the entire 4-1/2 cups veg stock.  If you purchase store-bought croutons or use white bread you may use less veg stock.
• Check for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
• Butter a 12x9 or similar size casserole dish with Earth Balance and spoon dressing into dish and distributing evenly.
• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove the foil, rotate the dish and bake another 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
• Serve immediately.

 

Whole Wheat Herb-Focaccia with Bistro Oil

Every year for Thanksgiving I serve a Herb-Focaccia & Roasted Chestnut Stuffing.  I usually purchase the focaccia already made, but this year I decided to make my own from scratch and wanted to test out a whole wheat version.  After two experimental tries the focaccia came out great and so I will definitely be using this recipe for my Thanksgiving Stuffing and will post the entire recipe next week.  In the meantime, I had to put the focaccia to good use and so I made a Bistro Oil for dipping...really delish!
 

 

Herb-Focaccia:

1 medium russet potato, about 9 oz, boiled, peeled and grated

1 package of instant dry yeast

1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup warm water (110 degrees), divided

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl

Note:  Because of the whole wheat four, this focaccia when cooked is not as thick as regular focaccia made with only white flour.  The dough will be about 3/4"-1" in thickness.  However, the texture and flavor is amazing.

Topping:

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp minced fresh sage leaves or 2 tsp dried sage

1 tbsp course sea salt

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

• Boil the potato in plenty of water until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove potato and let cool slightly, peel and then grate on a box grater.  You should have 1 1/3 cups grated potato.  Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees) and 1 pk of yeast.  Mix well and cover for 30 minutes while potato is cooking.
• Add to the proofed yeast mixture the olive oil, the remaining 1/2 cup warm water, the grated potato, the remaining 1 cup of white flour, all the wheat flour and the kosher salt.
• Using the paddle attachment, mix until combined and then switch to the dough hook.
• Knead on medium speed for about 15-20 minutes until smooth.  Using whole wheat flour requires a longer kneading time and it will take some time for the dough to come together.
• Remove dough, form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size about one hour.

• Generously oil a 15x10 baking sheet will olive oil and press the dough evenly into the pan.  If the dough has a hard time going into the corners, let it rest (covered with plastic wrap) for a few minutes and then continue.
• Lightly oil plastic wrap and drape lightly over the dough/baking sheet and let rise until doubled in volume and puffy, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees and position oven rack in the lower-middle position of the oven.
• Using your fingers, create evenly spaced dimples in the dough.
• Drizzle with olive oil and spread lightly with your fingertips.
• Sprinkle with herbs and sea salt and bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, turning once half way through the cooking time until lightly golden brown.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly and then remove focaccia from baking tray and cut into desired shapes.

Bistro Oil:

1/4-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Note:  This recipe is just a guideline.  You can add whatever amounts of ingredients and switch up the herbs by adding fresh basil instead of rosemary.  Also, I like a more acidic dipping oil and so I add a little more balsamic, but you may like more olive oil. 

Roasted Garlic & Chive Mashed Potatoes

I can't tell you the last time that I made mashed potatoes.  For the past two or three years I've served potato gratins for Thanksgiving and so it has been awhile.  Growing up my mom was the expert on mashed potato making and my sister and I lived in fear of making lumpy mashed potatoes, seriously...:-)  According to my mom, there is a process for making creamy mashers and if you don't get the first several steps right you are doomed for failure.

Well, mom would be quite disappointed if she knew that my mashed potatoes were a little lumpy because I do not own a food mill, potato ricer, or even a potato masher, and I had to use a small pastry cutter to mash five pounds of potatoes!  Quite the chore...Of course, the flavor of the potatoes made up for the texture and I actually prefer a little texture anyways.  If mashed potatoes are too smooth it kind of reminds me of a school cafeteria and the scoops of potatoes they used to dish out...not a good memory!  
 

 

Ingredients:

5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 3" large chunks

1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks

2 large heads of garlic, roasted, pureed

2 cups cashew cream (more or less depending on desired consistency), heated

1 bunch fresh chives, minced

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Mashed Potatoes 101:

• Always use russet potatoes, never boiling potatoes, unless of course you are making "smashed potatoes".
• Cut potatoes in even chunks so that they cook evenly.
• Always start the potatoes in plenty of cold, salted water.
• Never overcook the potatoes or they will become waterlogged.  You want them to be cooked through, but still be firm.  I cooked my potatoes about 25 minutes.  Test after 15-20 minutes of cooking time.
• Drain potatoes really well and run through a food mill or potato ricer while still hot.
• Once potatoes are completely smooth, stir in room temperature butter.
• Next, add heated garlic cream mixture and then add the remaining cream a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
• Stir in herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately, or keep potatoes warm until ready to use by tenting with aluminum foil and placing over a pot of barely simmering water.

Cashew Cream:

• Soak 1 cup of cashews for a minimum of four hours or overnight in filtered water.
• Drain water and place cashews in a blender, along with 3 cups filtered water and blend until smooth, about four minutes on high.
• If you have a high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix then you don't need to strain; otherwise, strain and set aside.  You will need about 2 and 1/4 cups for the recipe.
• Note:  Cashew cream/milk works the best for mashed potatoes because of the high-fat content.  You can also use a full-fat plain soy, but I find that it gives a strange taste and color to the potatoes.  I do not recommend using almond or rice milk as a substitute.

Roasted Garlic:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the tops off of two large heads of garlic and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for one hour until soft.
• Remove from oven and let cool before squeezing out tender cloves.
• Place cloves in a blender with 1 cup of cashew cream/milk and blend until smooth.
• Remove from blender and set aside.

Tangerine Glazed Carrots with Fried Ginger

Here's another simple side dish for Thanksgiving and one of my all-time favorites.  The combination of sweet citrus and spicy ginger is amazing.  The tangerine glaze also works well with roasted butternut squash or sweet potatoes.  I roasted my carrots in the oven, but if you're short on oven space, then caramelizing them on the stove and then steaming until tender works just as well. 
 

Ingredients:
(Serves 6-8)

3-4 bunches of carrots, peeled and oblique-cut (see note below)
1 cup freshly squeezed tangerine or orange juice
2 tbsp agave syrup
1/4 cup peeled, julienned ginger root
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp finely minced parsley
Note:   I prefer purchasing carrots in bunches with the leafy carrot tops attached and removing them when I get home.  To oblique-cut the carrots, place a peeled carrot on a cutting board and holding the knife at a 45 degree angle, make the first cut.  Roll the carrot a half turn and make another cut.  The result is a wedge-shaped piece with two angled sides.

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
• In a small sauce pan add orange juice and agave syrup.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid has reduced to a 1/4 cup.  Remove from heat and set aside.
• Peel and julienne the ginger root, avoid using the thick, fibrous center of the root when cutting.  Use thin slices from the outer sides.
• In a small sauce pan, heat olive oil to medium heat and add ginger.  Cook until ginger is lightly golden brown and crispy, stirring constantly to prevent burning.  Using a fork, remove fried ginger and drain on a paper towel.  Season with kosher salt.  Reserve ginger infused olive oil.
• Prep carrots and add to a large bowl.  Toss with ginger infused olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and toss to coat.
• Place on a sheet tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, tossing half way through the cooking process, until lightly charred and tender.
• Place roasted carrots back in the bowl and toss with hot tangerine glaze to coat.
• Arrange carrots on a serving platter, drizzle with any remaining glaze, and garnish with minced parsley and fried ginger.