Happy Thanksgiving!

I really wanted to get a few more Thanksgiving recipes posted for those celebrating the holiday tomorrow, but the impending end of term has kept me very busy with non-food related business.  I'm sure you already have your meals planned, but just in case you need to fill in a few dishes, here are some suggestions:

Main Dishes:
Roast Tofu and Veggies
Apple Cider Tofu (with Roasted Pears!)
Harvest Pies
Seitan Roast with Wild Rice and Chestnut Stuffing
Winter Vegetable Mini Pies
Maple Apple Cider Tofu

Baking and Dessert:
Pumpkin Pull-Apart Rolls
Rustic Pumpkin Bread
Apple Tart
Apple Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Pumpkin Spice Sweet Rolls
Pumpkin Custard
Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Cake

Roast Tofu and Veggies

Good gravy, do I love the taste and texture of roasted potatoes!  They bring me back to Sunday dinners of yore and good times spent with family.  This dish could be your meat-free answer to traditional Thanksgiving fare, or it could be enjoyed throughout the winter months with plenty of gravy.  What follows is not a recipe per se, but more a list of possible ingredients and a method.  I am partial to mushrooms and tofu together, but you may decide against it or even swap out the tofu for beans.

INGREDIENTS
Choose some or all of the root veggies below:
- potato (large chunks)
- carrot (thick slices/chunks)
- turnip (cubed)
- parsnip (thin slice)
- rutabaga (cubed)

- celery (thinly sliced)
- leek (halved and thickly sliced)
- fresh or dried thyme, sage, marjoram, savoury
- salt and pepper
- olive oil

- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 8-10 slices firm or extra firm tofu
- salt and pepper
- sliced onions
- sliced mushrooms

- vegetable stock, or water

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Cut up as many veggies as you see fit to use, or will fit in your roasting pan.  You can use a traditional pan, if you have it, but I use a 9x13 enamel-coated cast iron baking pan covered with a cookie sheet.  Mix veggies together with celery, leek, and herbs.  Toss with enough oil to coat well and season with salt and pepper.  Place into the roasting pan but hollow out a place in the centre for the tofu.
 2. Heat oil and margarine over med-hi heat in a large frying pan.  Season both sides with salt and pepper and fry 2-3 mins per side, until golden brown.  Remove from pan and place into the hollowed out spot in the veggie pan.  The idea here is to have the tofu roast away admist the veggies, not on top of them.  I did two rows of 5 slices each, with the top of each tofu slice overlapping the bottom of the previous slice so they could all fit. The mushroom and onion flavour will seep into the tofu as it roasts.
3. Add onions slices to the pan and cook for about 2 mins, or until just beginning to release their water, then add mushroom slices and cook for another 2 mins, or until their water is beginning to release.  Top the tofu with mushroom and onion slices.

4. Add vegetable stock or water to the pan, about 1/4" deep.  Cover pan tightly and roast for 60-90 mins (it will depend on how big your veggies are).  Check the veggies about halfway through and add more stock if they are drying out.  Baste veggies with stock from the bottom of the pan.  I like to remove the lid for the last 15 mins of roasting to brown up the veggies a bit.
5. Serve tofu slices topped with onion and mushroom, and with your favourite gravy if that is your thing.

Apple Cider Tofu with Butternut Squash and Roasted Pears

Another recipe for all y'all having Thanksgiving in November, or for the rest of us who want a tasty fall meal.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 8 portions
- 8 slices butternut squash (from the top end), about 1/8-1/4" thick, trimmed to the same size as the tofu
- 24 pear slices (i.e. peel pear, cut in half lengthwise, core, then slice vertically)
- olive oil
- salt
- sugar

- 1 pkg firm or extra firm tofu, vertically cut into 8 slices
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 1/2 cup apple cider

- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups diced cooking apple
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- salt and pepper

Cider Reduction
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 tbsp margarine
Bring cider to boiling in a small saucepan, and let reduce over med-hi heat for about 40 mins, until reduced to about 1/3 cup.  Whisk in margarine, and serve warm.

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Toss squash slices, and then the pear slices, in a drizzle of olive oil (just enough to lightly coat).  Place squash and pear slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle the squash lightly with salt and bake for 20 mins. Turn over all slices, then lightly salt the squash and sprinkle some sugar (about 1 tsp) on the pears.  Bake for another 20 mins, or until cooked and golden.
2. While the squash is baking, season both sides of the tofu slices with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil and margarine over med-hi heat, then fry tofu for 3-4 mins per side, or until golden brown.  Add 1/4 cup of cider, reduce heat to medium, and cover.  When cider is absorbed, flip tofu over and add remaining 1/4 cup of cider.  Cover, reduce heat to med-lo, and cook until cider is gone.  Keep warm until needed.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic for 7-10 mins, until lightly golden.  Add apple and fry for 2 mins.  Add cider, cranberries, and herbs.  Cook until apples are soft and liquid is reduced (5-7 mins).  Season to taste.
4. Assemble: tofu slice, then squash slice topped with apple-cranberry mixture and 3 pear slices.   Drizzle cider reduction over top before eating.

Apple Pumpkin Spice Donuts

These are the perfect autumn treat.  Enjoy whilst looking at falling leaves and sipping coffee.  


INGREDIENTS
Makes at least 12 donuts and donut holes
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree 
- 2 tbsp vegetable shortening
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp warm soy creamer (or milk)
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 2.5 to 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup grated (peeled) cooking apple
- canola oil for frying

NOTE: You can make these without the apple, if you so desire.  Increase the pumpkin puree to 3/4 cup, and reduce flour to 2 1/4 -2 1/2 cups.

METHOD

1. Heat puree, shortening, salt, and sugar in the microwave, or on the stove, stirring regularly until shortening melts. Set aside.

2. Whisk flax into creamer. Let sit a few minutes, then whisk again until thick. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together yeast and flour. Add pumpkin and flax mixtures, and the grated apple. Mix together into a rough dough, then gently knead until smooth, adding more flour as needed to make a nice soft dough that is tacky but not sticky. Remember that the apple will keep releasing water into the dough if you work it too hard.  Also, a tacky dough makes for a chewy and tender donut.

4. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 60-90 mins, until doubled in size.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with oil.

6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 3/8" thick. Cut with a donut cutter, setting the donut holes aside. Dough scraps can be re-rolled and cut. Place on prepared baking sheet, spray with oil, and cover. Let rise for 1/2 hour.

7. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry donuts in batches (about 60 seconds per side) until golden, drain on paper towel or paper bags, then let cool on wire rack. Let fully cool before glazing.

8. Fry the donut holes and immediately toss in a cinnamon-sugar mix.  Cool on a wire rack. 

Glaze

INGREDIENTS

- 3 tbsp soy milk

- 1.5 cups icing sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp ground ginger

METHOD

1. Heat the soy milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling.  Whisk in icing sugar, then vanilla and spices.  Turn off heat, but keep the pan on the stove.  Dip in donuts and let cool.  

NOTE: These freeze very well, glaze and all.

French Apple Tart

Apple pie is the quintessential American dish, but maybe you want something a little different this Thanksgiving.  This is a French apple tart, a fairly simple and delicious dessert that showcases the wonderful flavour of apples.  Unclouded by spices and excessive sugar, this tart lets seasonal apples shine through.  The recipe is veganized from Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Baking, but it is a pretty classic and standard dish: a baked apple sauce on the bottom and glazed sliced apples on top.  It is essential that you use baking apples (I used Royal Gala) so that they maintain some texture and don't reduce to total mush.  Then, you can use this basic recipe and go crazy: apple-cranberry-pecan tart, for example.  Feel free to add some cinnamon or nutmeg, or some brandy to the roasted apples.

Tart Pastry
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 cups (200g/6.5 oz) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60g/2 oz) icing sugar
- 1/2 cup (125g/4 oz) cold margarine (Earth Balance)
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 2-3 tbsp cold coconut milk (or soy creamer/milk)

METHOD
1. Whisk together flour and sugar.  Cut in margarine until mixture has large crumbs the size of peas.
2. Sprinkle flax over the water and 2 tbsp of the coconut milk, then whisk until goopy.  Add to flour mixture and mix with a fork until it comes together into a soft dough, dribbling in more milk if needed.
3.  Press dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour and as much as overnight.
4. When pastry is cooled, roll out into a 12-13 inch circle on a floured surface.  Carefully place dough into a 9.5 inch tart pan, letting the excess hand over the sides.

Trim overhanging dough to 1/2 inch.  Fold overhang into the pan and press dough into the pan to make a smooth and uniform shell.


5. Place shell in the freezer and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. When oven is a heat, line shell with aluminium foil and fill with dried beans.

Bake for 15-20 mins, or until crust has dried out.  After 15 mins, pull back some of the foil and check if it is wet/oily.  If it is, replace the foil and check again in two mins.
7.  Once dry, remove foil/beans, reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake for another 3-5 mins, until very lightly golden (you only want to partially bake the crust).  Let cool on a wire rack.


Apple Tart
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs cooking apples (about 5), peeled, cored, and cut into uniform chunks (about 1 inch)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp margarine, melted

- 2 cooking apples, peeled cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp margarine, melted
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup apricot jam

METHOD
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Mix together apple pieces, sugar, lemon juice and melted margarine in a large bowl and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 mins, or until soft and mash-able.  Mash until chunky and set aside to cool.
2. When cooled, spread into the cooled tart crust.

3. Layer sliced apples over the apple sauce like you see in the pic below.

Remember that the apples will shrink when cooked, so don't space them too far apart.  Brush lightly with melted margarine, then sprinkle sugar over top.  Bake for 45-50 mins, unit apples are soft.  Let cool on a wire rack for 30 mins.
4. Heat apricot jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve, then brush gently over the apples.  Serve at room temp.