(see also the Thanksgiving dessert recipes below , including Vegan Pumpkin Pie and Bourban Pecan variation, Fool-Proof Vegan Pecan Pie, and more!)
Also:
The Thanksgiving File includes these recipes: • Choice of one of the three salads*
• Large or Small Squash with Wild Rice and Chanterelle Stuffing*
• Tofu Pot Pie*
• Soy and Seitan “Turkey” (newer version of this recipe below) Photo by Fireweed
OR Tofu "Turkey" with Bread or Cornbread Stuffing* • OPTIONAL: Maple Baked Beans*
• OPTIONAL: Causa (Peruvian layered potato salad)*
• Rich Brown Yeast Gravy*
• Plain Mashed Potatoes or Green Onion Mashed Potatoes, or other variation*
ALSO: THREE VEGAN MOLDED (JELLED) SALAD RECIPES!
Our Thanksgiving feast, Oct.'04; photo by Fireweed
• Cranberry Sauce with Variations*
• Succotash (Native American bean and corn mixture)*
• Wholewheat Dinner Rolls*
OR Perfect Cornbread*
OR Thanksgiving Pumpkin Braid*
BRYANNA'S NEW VERSION OF SOY AND SEITAN "TURKEY" (WITH STUFFED"TURKEY", STUFFING RECIPE, AND FAT-FREE GRAVY) (March 15, 2002)
Makes about 3 lbs.
The combination of tofu and soy or chickpea flour with the gluten makes a seitan that is tender, not rubbery, and which slices easily, even in VERY thin slices. The long kneading, resting, and slow-cooking method partially adapted from recipe by Ellen from http://www.ellenskitchen.com gives an incredible juicy, tender meat-like texture. This recipe makes outstanding sandwich material.
DRY MIX:
2 c. pure gluten powder (instant gluten flour; vital wheat gluten) 1/2 c. full-fat soy flour or chickpea flour 1/2 c. nutritional yeast flakes 2 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. garlic granules 1/4 tsp. white pepper
WET MIX:
12 oz. firm regular (NOT silken) tofu 1 and 1/2 c. water 3 T. soy sauce 1 T. olive oil
BASTING BROTH: 2 c. hot water 1/3 c. "chicken-style" vegetarian broth powder 2 T. olive oil OPTIONAL: 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1/2-1 tsp. poultry herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary), crushed well
1) For the Wet Mix, in a blender, blend all the ingredients until very smooth.
2) Mix the Dry Mix ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer with dough hook attachment, or place them in the bread machine in the order given. Add the Wet Mix and knead for about 10 minutes. (If your bread machine has a dough cycle-two kneads with a long rest in between-use that cycle. Otherwise, just run it through the kneading part and then unplug it and let it rest in the cover container, then plug it in again for another knead, then remove it,) Let rest for about 1 hour, covered. You can make your Cooking Broth at this time and have it ready. Then knead it for 10 more minutes.
3) (NOTE: You can knead by hand, too, but it's tougher than bread dough. You may want to let the seitan dough sit for a while to soak up the liquid more thoroughly before you starting hand-kneading.)
4) The dough should be quite shiny and smooth. Avoid breaking it up when you take it out of the bowl. NOTE: I like to line the pan with cooking parchment to avoid sticking and tearing, and make the loaves easier to turn, by whichever method.
5) COOKING METHOD #1.) Flatten the dough out into a long piece. Form the dough into one large loaf. Place into a oval greased clay cooker or claypot that has been soaked for 15 minutes in cold water (bottom and cover), and lined with cooking parchment. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN. Pour the cooking broth over the roast, and cover. Place in oven and turn to 325 degrees. F. Bake for 3 and 1/2 hours, turning the roast over twice (ALTERNATE TO THIS METHOD: If you don't have a clay cooker, you can use an ordinary oval meat or turkey roaster, medium size, with a cover. PREHEAT THE OVEN FIRST WITH THIS PAN.)
6) COOKING METHOD #2.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Flatten the dough out into a long piece and cut in half equally to make two rectangles. Form into 2 loaves. Place each loaf in an oiled 8 and1/2" x 4 and 1/2" loaf pan and press down a bit with your hand. Mix the Cooking Broth ingredients in a small bowl and pour 1/2 over each loaf. Cover each loaf pan with foil and place in the oven. Immediately reduce the oven heat to 200 degrees F. Bake for 3 hours. Turn the loaves over, carefully loosening around the edges and from the bottom with a small, thin spatula first. The loaves will have puffed up quite a bit by now, but they will flatten out as they cook further. Turn heat back to 325 degrees F. Cover loaves and bake for 30 minutes. Turn them over again, cover and bake 15 minutes. Turn them over again and bake 15 more minutes, covered. Turn them over one last time and bake 5-10 minutes.
7 ) Either way, the loaves should almost completely soak up the broth by the end of the cooking time. If they don't, cook until they do. There will be a bit of sticky "sauce" left in the bottom, which you can use to glaze the loaves. Remove from the pans and serve, or let cool. Seitan is generally better when cooled first, then reheated-it firms up. So, it's a good idea to make it a day or more before serving. Can be frozen.
8) IF YOU WANT A "SKIN" ON THE "TURKEY", bake the "turkey as directed above. Then it has to be bake again with the "skin", but the pre-baking can be done several days ahead of time.
You will need 2-4 large sheets of dried or fresh (probably frozen) Chinese beancurd skin (yuba in Japanese). This product is simply the "skin" that forms on the top of soymilk when it is heated (just as it does with ordinary milk). The "skin" is lifted off and dried, and is considered a delicacy in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. In its dried form, it keeps for a long time, as long as it is stored airtight. When reconstituted, wrapped around tofu or other fillings, and baked, it becomes delicately crispy.
Soak the dried beancurd skin in warm water to cover while you make the assemble the "turkey". If you are using fresh or frozen, fresh yuba, thaw it out, if necessary. If it is pliable, you can use it "as is". If it seems a bit dry and hard to fold, etc., then dip it in warm wate for a minute—just to soften. If you leave it in the water too long, it will start falling apart.
Oil a baking pan that the "turkey" fits into with a little room to spare, or a cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan) with the Chinese sesame oil. Line another pan, such as a cookie sheet, with the prepared beancurd skin, overlapping if necessary to make it big enough to cover the whole "turkey". (There will be overhang—this is good.) Place the roasted "turkey" on top. Fold the overhanging beancurd skin over the "turkey" to cover. Brush with olive and/or Chinese roasted sesame oil. Now invert th ewrapped "turkey" onto the prepared baking pan. If made ahead, cover the pan and refrigerate until baking time.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the "Turkey", uncovered, for about 1 hour, or til golden and crispy, basting now and then with oil (olive/sesame oil combination). Loosen the edges carefully and slide it onto a serving plate.
It’s best to bake stuffing on the side, in another pan,UNLESS YOU ARE MAKING A ROULADE (see below).
9) TO MAKE "TURKEY" ROULADES:
Cut the dough in half. Roll each half of the dough on a clean kitchen counter covered with a large pieces of plastic wrap (don’t use flour—if it sticks, it’s better to wet the counter, plastic wrap, your hands and the rolling pin with a bit of water) into a 10 x 15" rectangle. Spread 2 to 2 and 1/2 c. of your Stuffing over the dough, leaving a 1/2 an inch of dough uncovered on the short sides and 1 inch of dough on the long sides. Press the stuffing down into the seitan a bit and spread evenly. Using the plastic wrap as a guide, but not getting it wrapped up in the roulade (!!), roll the seitan and the stuffing into a tight roll. Smooth the "seam" so that you can hardly see it, using wet hands, and pull the seitan on the ends up, pinching together and smoothing so that there are no gaps or tears (you don’t want the Basting Broth to soak into the stuffing through any holes in the dough—make sure that it is "watertight")
Bake in two pans as directed above in method 1 or 2.
(Pack whatever extra you have after stuffing the seitan roulades into an 8" tube pan oiled with Asian sesame oil. You can use any sort of casserole or loaf pan, actually. Pack down and drizzle the top of the stuffing with more sesame oil. Cover with foil. This extra can be baked with the seitan roulades during the last 45 to 60 minutes of cooking.)
To reheat the roulades whole, wrap them in a double wrapping of foil and bake again in a roasting pan at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Another way to serve it is to slices the roulades into even pieces about 1/2" thick and arrange them in a pleasing pattern on foil-covered baking pans (if your serving platters are round, use pizza pans). Cover with double foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until heated through. You can shift the slices onto serving platters by carefully lifting and sliding them along with the bottom layer of foil. Cut the excess foil from around the outer edge of the slices.
YOU CAN ALSO ENCASE THE ROULADES IN A YUBA "SKIN" AS DIRECTED ABOVE.
BRYANNA’S BREAD STUFFING: Makes about 7 c.
1 T. olive oil 1 large onion, chopped
1 c. celery and tops, chopped about 3/4 lb. bread cubes or cornbread cubes, or a mixture about 1 and 1/2 c. vegetarian broth about 1/2 tsp. EACH of sage, thyme and savory or to taste OPTIONAL: pinch of dried rosemary salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste (you won't need salt if the broth is salted)
To make the stuffing, saute the onion and celery in a large lightly-oiled or non-stick frying pan in the oil until softened, adding a little broth if necessary to keep from sticking. Remove from heat and add the remaining stuffing ingredients. The bread should be moist. Mix well. Grease loaf or tube pans, or a casserole dish, with Asian sesame oil. Pack in the stuffing. Brush with more sesame oil. Cover with foil. Bake at 325-375 degrees F. for about 1 hour.
STUFFING VARIATIONS: Everyone has very personal likes and dislikes when it comes to stuffing. Obviously, I like a basic sage and onion one with celery and other herbs. Feel free to add your favorite ingredients. Here are some suggestions: chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herbs; soy bacon bits; chopped apples, cranberries or pears; dried fruit; vegetarian sausage; chestnuts; a bit of brandy, whiskey or wine in place of some of the broth; some cooked wild rice in place of some of the bread; sauteed mushrooms (any kind)-- if you used to be fond of oyster stuffing, use oyster mushrooms and maybe a bit of Chinese vegetarian "oyster" sauce (which is made with mushrooms, but tastes quite "oystery").
BRYANNA’S RICH BROWN (FAT-FREE!) YEAST GRAVY
Makes about 2 and 1/2 c.
2 and 1/2 c. water (OR use 2 cups water and 1/2 cup dry sherry, port or Marsala) 1/3 c. unbleached white flour 1/3 c. nutritional yeast flakes 2 T. soy sauce 1/2 tsp. salt
Add sauteed mushrooms to the gravy, if you like.
OPTIONAL: a few shakes of gravy browner, such as Kitchen Bouquet
In a heavy saucepan over high heat, whisk the yeast and flour together until it smells toasty. Off the heat, whisk in the water, soy sauce, salt and Kitchen Bouquet, if using. Stir constantly over high heat until it thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-5 minutes. This can be made ahead and reheated.
MICROWAVE OPTION FOR GRAVY:
In a 1 and 1/2 qt. microwave-proof bowl, mix the flour and yeast. Toast this in the microwave on HI for 3 minutes, uncovered. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. Whisk. Cover and cook again for 3 minutes on HIGH. Whisk. Or, make 1/2 the recipe in a 4 c. microwave-safe glass measuring container, and cook as above, but in 2 minute increments.
BRYANNA’S NEW IMPROVED RELIABLE VEGAN PECAN PIE
Makes one 9” pie
NOTE: I use cornstarch or wheat starch because they are the most reliable as far as results go.I have not tried this with arrowroot or kuzu, so I can’t say what the results would be with either of them.
9” pie crust, unbaked (see my low-fat oil pastry below)
1-2 c. toasted, unsalted pecan halves
FILLING:
You have two choices for the sweetener:
1.) 3/4 c. water plus 3/4 c. white beet sugar or light unbleached cane sugar AND 1/2 c. brown
sugar (packed) or Sucanat (granulated sugar cane juice)
OR 2.) 1 and 1/2 c. maple syrup
****************
3/4 c. water
pinch salt
1/4 c. cornstarch (can be organic) (or wheat starch)
mixed with 4 and 1/2 T. cold water OR rum or bourbon
2 T. vegan margarine, such as Earth Balance or Soy Garden
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Poke the pie crust all over with the tines of a fork and pre-bake for 3 minutes.Remove from oven to a rack.
In a medium saucepan combine either the water and sugar mixture OR the maple syrup with the second 3/4 c. water.Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.Add the salt and the dissolved cornstarch, whisking vigorously.Stir and cook over high heat just until the mixture thickens and is clear.Remove from heat and stir in the margarine and vanilla—stir til the margarine is melted.The mixture will still be fairly liquid.
Pour this into the pre-baked pie shell.Arrange the pecan halves on top, pressing them down into the mixture a little.Place the pie in the middle of the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees F.Bake 30 minutes.The filling will still be “jiggly”—don’t worry; it will set as it cools.Cool on a rack for about 1 and 1/2 hours, then refrigerate until thoroughly cooled and set.Serve with vanilla non-dairy “ice cream” such as Tofutti, Soy Delicious or Soy Dream.
VARIATIONS:
1.)Maple Syrup Pie or “Sugar Pie”:Use the maple syrup and either don’t add nuts or use walnuts.
2.)Use mixed nuts, or macadamia nuts, or toasted coconut.
BRYANNA’S LOW-FAT OIL PASTRY
Makes one 9" crust
Although this crust does contain fat, it has about half that of ordinary pastry, and it uses oil rather than hard fat.Divided into 8 servings, each piece with either a bottom OR a top crust (not both) and a fat-free filling will contain 5 g of fat.
The pastry flour and soured soymilk make a tender crust that no one will guess is low-fat!
1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 c. MINUS 1 T. wholewheat pastry flour
3 T. oil
3 T. soymilk with 1/2 tsp. lemon juice added
3/8 tsp. salt
3/8 tsp. baking powder
3/8 tsp. sugar
Mix the flours in a medium bowl with the salt, baking powder and sugar.Whisk together the soured soymilk and oil in a cup until well blended.Pour this into the flour mixture and mix gently with a fork until it holds together in a ball.(If it's too dry, sprinkle with a TINY bit of water.)If you have time, place the dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate it for an hour before rolling out.Roll out and bake as you would an ordinary crust.
BRYANNA’S VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE (can be soy-free)
I don’t like pumpkin pie made with tofu. This filling has a cleaner taste, in my opinion, and no one ever suspects this one doesn’t contain eggs.One caution— make this the day before serving.It’s needs a day to set really well, I find.This is a spicy filling—use less spices if you like it milder.Omit molasses if you like it lighter, too (use white beet sugar instead of brown if you like it really light).
Serve with a good vanilla non-dairy frozen dessert, such as Purely Decadent Soy Delicious (Purely Vanilla or Praline Pecan).
Try cutting out some of the extra pastry into leaf shapes and decorate the rim of the pie with them.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Have ready, one 9” unbaked pastry crust (your favorite, or see two recipes above)
Blend in blender until smooth:
2 c. solid-pack canned pumpkin (one 14-15 oz. can)
(NOTE: if you use home-cooked pumpkin, drain it for several hours hanging in a cloth bag, so it’s thick like canned pumpkin; measure after draining.)
1 c. non-dairy milk (preferably a rich soymilk or nut milk)
3/4 c. brown sugar or Sucanat
3-4 T. cornstarch (depending on how firm you like it)
1 T. molasses or blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. EACH ground ginger, nutmeg and salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice or cloves
Pour the filling into the pastry and bake 60 minutes, covering the edges with foil if they begin to brown too quickly.Cool on a rack, then refrigerate overnight before serving.
BRYANNA’S BOURBON-PECAN PUMPKIN PIE VARIATION:
Make a Bourbon-Pecan Pumpkin Pie by spiking the pumpkin mixture with about 3 T. of Jack Daniels (it's vegan) -- a real American touch! either crust recipe above. There are various ways to make a pecan topping for the pie:
1.) Mix together:
1/4 c. brown sugar (packed)
2 T. cold Earth Balance
1 tsp. finely-grated organic orange zest
3/4 c. pecan halves
Sprinkle evenly over the pumpkin mixture and bake as usual.
2.) or make it a streusel mixture by adding 2 T. flour to the above mixture and using 1 c. chopped pecans instead of the pecan halves.
3.) If you really want to get fancy and dramatic, try this on the already baked and cooled pie:
FLAMING BOURBON PECAN TOPPING
2 T. Earth Balance
1/4 c. Brown sugar; firmly packed
1 c. Pecan halves
1/4 c. Jack Daniels Bourbon; divided
Combine Earth Balance and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan; cook
over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolved. Add pecans and 2 tablespoons bourbon, stirring to coat. Spoon mixture over the pie.
Heat the remaining bourbon in a saucepan just long enough to produce fumes (do not boil); remove from heat, ignite, and pour over already baked and cooled pie. Serve pie when flames die down.
ALEJANDRO'S FAVORITE STEAMED PUMPKIN-DATE PUDDING WITH LIQUOR SAUCE Serves 6-8 From my book “The Fiber for Life Cookbook”.
This is a light steamed pudding that my father, Alejandro Urbina, loved. It's easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and is not as heavy as many steamed puddings.
Pudding Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 c. wholewheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. soft wholewheat breadcrumbs (from a light wholewheat bread)
1 c. canned pumpkin ((or 1 c. homemade pumpkin puree, hung in a cheesecloth bag until thick like the canned variety, measured after hanging)
1 c. chopped pitted dates
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1 and 1/2 T. oil, or melted margarine
1/2 c. non-dairy milk
Liquor Sauce Ingredients:
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
pinch salt
1 c. water
1 T. vanilla
3 T. whiskey, brandy or dark rum
optional: 2-4 T. good-tasting non-dairy margarine (such as Earth Balance)
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Mix in the sugar, breadcrumbs, dates, and walnuts. In another bowl, beat together the pumpkin, vanilla, oil, and milk. Mix this into the dry ingredients and mix just until it's mixed well-- don't beat. Spoon this batter into a greased 8 and 1/2 x 4 and 1/4" loaf pan or a pudding mold, filling 2/3 full. Cover the pan tightly with foil and steam over simmering water in a covered pot for 1 and 1/2 hours. Cool for 5 minutes before loosening the sides with a knife and inverting on a plate. Serve immediately, with Liquor Sauce, or re-steam for 30 minutes before serving to re-heat.
To make liquor sauce:
Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in a small saucepan. Stir constantly until it comes to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla, liquor, and optional butter or margarine.Serve hot.
BRYANNA’S EASY PUMPKIN TOFU-CASHEW CHEESECAKE
one 8" cheesecake
(Adapted from a recipe in my book “Soyfoods cooking for a Positive Menopause”.
This is a small cheesecake for the simple reason that we usually overeat the big, thick ones (you are supposed to eat a small slice of those, but who ever does?).This tofu cheesecake is relatively low in fat, but is creamy and rich, and very easy and quick to make.We thought it the best tofu cheesecake we'd ever tasted, and the fat-free crust is excellent.
The recipe may be doubled for a deeper pan.In that case, bake for 50-60 minutes.
Crumb Crust:
3/4 c. gingersnap cookie crumbs
3 T. corn syrup or brown rice syrup
Filling:
1 (12.3 oz.) box extra-firm silken tofu
1/3 c. raw cashew pieces, ground finely in a mini-chopper or coffee/spice mill
half of a 14 oz. can pumpkin (or 1 c. homemade pumpkin puree, hung in a cheesecloth bag until thick like the canned variety, measured after hanging)
6 T. light unbleached sugar or white beet sugar
6 T. brown sugar, maple sugar, or Sucanat
1 and 1/2 T. lemon juice
2 T. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the gingersnap cookie crumbs with the syrup and press onto the bottom and sides of a lightly-oiled 8" pie pan.
Place the filling ingredients (make sure that the cashews are ground as directed) in a food processor or blender and blend until very smooth (be patient).Pour into the crust.Bake 25-35 minutes, or until the filling is set and slightly cracked around the edges.Cool on a rack, then refrigerate for about four hours before serving. Top with a nondairy whipped topping of your choiceor Whipped Tofu Creme (see at link above).
