Hot Corn Dip

If you're having a New Year's Day party and are looking for an appetizer, this one might be a nice addition to the table.

Hot Corn Dip

Adapted from Trisha Yearwood recipe

            Cooking spray to grease

1          11-ounce can Mexican corn w/black beans, drained

1/2       green pepper, small dice

2          green onions, diced

1          cup vegan cheese (we mixed cheddar Daiya and vegan Trader Joes' mozzarella )

1/4       cup soy parmesan cheese

1/2       cup vegan mayonnaise

            chilli powder (to taste)

            hot sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease casserole dish.

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Spread mixture into prepared casserole dish and bake uncovered until bubbly around the edges.  Approximately 20 minutes.  Serve dip warm with corn chips.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms, Rice and Pistachios

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms, Rice and Pistachios

Adapted from Whole Living Magazine

2            acorn squash (1 pound each), halved crosswise, seeded and bottoms

              trimmed to lie flat, if necessary salt and pepper

3            tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2         pound cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed and diced small

1            medium yellow onion, diced small

3/4         teaspoon dried thyme

1            cup brown rice or long-grain white rice

2            cups vegetable stock

              Pistachios,  approximately 1/4 cup for each squash (optional)

1/2         cup soy parmesan or bread crumbs mixed with soy butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, season cut sides of squash with salt and pepper, drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, and turn cut sides down.  Cover sheet tightly with foil and roast until tender, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium straight-sided skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium high.  Add mushrooms, onioin and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are golden, 8 minutes.  Add rice and broth and bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook until liquid is absorbed  20-30  minutes.

Remove squash from oven and heat broiler. Carefully scoop out 2 – 3 tablespoons flesh from each squash half and stir into rice, season with salt and pepper. 

Divide rice mixture among squash halves, add a layer of pistachios and top with either soy parmesan or breadcrumbs cut with soy butter.  Broil until melted – 2 minutes

Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

I discovered this recipe on a new site  www.vorts.com/veganism/.  The creator of this recipe graciously allowed me to share it with you.  This is the first time I’ve actually roasted and peeled my own red peppers and it’s was so easy.  There is also a pesto cream sauce that can be drizzled over the soup which can be found on her site.

Roasted Red Pepper Bisque- Positively Vegan Blog    positivelyvegan.blogspot.com

http://positivelyvegan.blogspot.com/2012/11/roasted-red-pepper-bisque.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PositivelyVegan+%28Positively+Vegan%29

4         large red bell peppers

1         onion, chopped

2         stalks celery, chopped

2         tablespoons olive oil

2         tablespoons soy butter

1/2      cup fresh basil, packed

1         box (32 oz.) almond milk

1/2      cup raw cashews, soaked for 20 minutes or more and drained

1         tablespoon garlic powder

1/4      teaspoon red pepper flakes ( more if you like spicy)

1         teaspoon salt

1/4      teaspoon white pepper

1/4      teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

3         tablespoons tamari

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise, tear off the stems, and clean out the seeds.  Place on an oiled cookie sheet, skin side up, and flatten with your hand.  Broil the peppers until the skins turn black.  Quickly place the blackened peppers in a paper bag, or a bowl, and cover tightly so the peppers can steam.  After about 15 minutes, remove the blackened skins from the peppers, and chop them coarsely. 

Heat the oil and soy butter in a soup pot over medium heat, and add the onions and celery. Cook until the onions begin to soften and look translucent – about 5 minutes.

Stir in the roasted peppers, then add all other ingredients.

Pour the soup into your blender- in two or more batches if necessary – and blend until smooth.

Spiced Pumpkin-Raisin Cookies

I plan to make these again and add to a few gift baskets, they're so pretty.  You can't go wrong with a Giada recipe.

Spiced Pumpkin-Raisin Cookies

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/spiced-pumpkin-raisin-cookies-recipe/index.html

1            cup all-purpose flour

2/3         cup old-fashioned oats

1            teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2         teaspoon baking soda

1/2         teaspoon fine slat

1/4         teaspoon ground allspice

3/4         cup raw sugar, plus additional sprinkling

1/2         cup canned pumpkin puree

1/3         cup vegetable oil

1            tablespoon pure maple syrup

1            teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2         cup raisins

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and allspice.  Stir to blend well.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, syrup and vanilla; whisk to blend.  Using a flexible rubber spatula, gradually stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the raisins.

For each cookie, drop 1 generous tablespoon of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the rounds about 1 inch apart.  Using moistened fingertips, flatten each to 2-inch diameter round.  Sprinkle each cookie with a bit more raw sugar.

Bake the cookies until brown and a bit firm to the touch, 17 to 20 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.

Tempeh and Onion Paprikash

Found a recipe in a magazine that sounded scrumptious so I changed out a few items to make this dish. Good on a cold winters night!

Tempeh and Onion Paprikash

1          pkg. Tempeh

            salt and pepper

3          tablespoons soy butter

1          medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/2       red/orange or yellow pepper, diced

1          28 oz. can whole tomatoes

2          tablespoons sweet or smoked paprika

3/4       cup vegetable stock (less if you want thicker sauce)

1/3       cup soy sour cream

            cooked noodles for serving

            fresh parsley or dill, chopped for dressing

Cut the Tempeh in half then cut the halves into triangles then slice each triangle in half to make thinner.

Heat soy butter and oil into sauté pan and fry until golden, flipping once.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add more soy butter and oil if needed and add sliced onions.  Cook until soft.  Add diced pepper and sauté a few minutes.  Take knife and cut tomatoes in can to break up, drain most of the liquid and set aside.  Add tomatoes with a bit of juice and paprika.  Cook for a few minutes then add broth.  Cook until slightly thickened.  Add soy sour cream.  Mix well then add Tempeh pieces and heat through.  Add parsley or dill then serve over cooked noodles.

Pumpkin Vegan Cheesecake

Even though this recipe is called “Cheesecake”, it really tastes more like pumpkin pie and the texture is more pie-like.  I liked it because some of the other vegan pie recipes tend to turn out a little too soft and I think the soy cream cheese helps to keep this firm.  This recipe actually makes more filling than for just one pie so  I saved the filling and made another pie the next day since there weren’t any pie leftovers from Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Vegan Cheesecake

http://www.vegweb.com/recipes/ultimate-pumpkin-cheesecake

1           12 oz. package firm silken tofu (Mori Nu)

1            8 oz. container vegan cream cheese

1            cup pumpkin puree

1            cup granulated sugar (I used evaporated cane sugar)

3            tablespoons flour

1/2         teaspoon ground ginger

1/2         teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2      teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4         teaspoons ground cloves (I didn’t use)

1/2         teaspoon baking soda

1            crust recipe below ( made pecan crust – fantastic)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, puree all ingredients in a food processor.

Pour into the crust  (recipe below)

Bake for 50 minutes (or longer if still not set).  Let cool and refrigerate.

Pecan Crust

The Joy of Vegan Baking CB by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

3/4            cup pecan halves

3/4            cup quick-cooking oats

3/4            cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2            teaspoon cinnamon

                 pinch of salt

1/4            cup canola oil

3               tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a 9-inch pie plate.

Spread the pecans on a cookie sheet.  Toast for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the smell of nuts fill s the kitchen.

Combine the oats, flour, toasted pecans, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor bowl.  Pulse until the mixture becomes a coarse meal.  Pour in the oil and maple syrup and pulse until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined.  Press this mixture into the prepared pit plate.  Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.