© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2005 No reproduction of the following material without permission from the author.  If you would like to share any of my recipes with others, or on a forum, or another site, let me know, and please credit me, my website and the book the recipe appeared in, if I note that in the recipe.  You are welcome to link to this page from your site.  Thanks!  RECIPE ARCHIVES ARCHIVE #8 RECIPE LINKS: There are no archives missing-- I missed a few weeks when I was super-busy, and some of the holiday recipes are on special pages that will go back on line when the holidaysroll around again! SEPTEMBER 27, 2004-- DELICIOUS VEGAN BEET RECIPES OCTOBER 20, 2004-- VEGAN MUSHROOM RECIPES NOVEMBER 14, 2004-- VEGAN CHRISTMAS TREATS; GET A HEADSTART!! DECEMBER 14, 2004-- VEGAN MINCEMEAT TREATS JANUARY 3, 2005-- NEW LOWFAT VEGAN BREAKFAST TREATS! JANUARY 22, 2005-- VEGAN RYE BREADS FEBRUARY 7, 2005-- LUNAR NEW YEAR, VIETNAMESE-STYLE, AND AN ASIAN VALENTINE'S DAY DESSERT! FEBRUARY 21, 2005-- VEGAN FAUX "FISH"   MAY 4, 2005-- VEGAN MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH SEPTEMBER 27, 2004-- DELICIOUS VEGAN BEET RECIPES Beautiful beets are a rich source of  antioxidants.  According to this article: "The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color--betacyanin--is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent. Beets' potential effectiveness against colon cancer, in particular, has been demonstrated in several studies. " There are many other reasons for adding beets to your diet, as the above article will show.  One reason is taste-- if you've only ever had boiled or pickled beets, you'll be surprised when you try some of the recipes below! EASY IDEAS FOR BEETS:   1.) One of my favorite ways to cook fresh smaller beets is to scrub and peel (if necessary), slice them, steam them, and also steam the chopped up greens (separately).  Then mix the beets and greens together, salt and pepper to taste and dress with tofu sour crème.   2.) With bigger beets, you can grate them and mix them with an equal amount of grated carrots and grated rutabagas, then cook them with a little melted Earth Balance or olive oil in a large pan, cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Uncover, salt as desired and stir-fry over high heat just to evaporate any juices.  Delicious and pretty!       ROASTED BEETS, ITALIAN-STYLE   From my book, “Nonna’s Italian Kitchen”.   Once you taste roasted beets, you'll never boil a beet again!  Roasted beets are so sweet, with a slightly smoky taste.   To roast beets, wrap small beets, or chunks of large ones (unpeeled) in two layers of aluminum foil.  Bake them on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for about two hours, or until tender when pierced with a fork.  If you have a woodstove or wood heater, you can place the foil packets of beets right in the coals of your fire-- this gives them an extra-special flavor.               Our favorite way to serve them is to peel them (under cold running water) and slice them while they are still hot.  The beets slices are spread out on a platter and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, freshly-ground pepper, and chopped fresh Italian parsley or mint.  Add a little balsamic vinegar, too, if you like.  Serve at room temperature.           BRYANNA’S MEATLESS TSAR’S ARMY BORSCH     serves 8   From my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook".     This is a meatless version of borsch that originally was made with beef.  The original recipe came from an old cookbook (I can’t even remember the name now) by a Russian woman, who claimed that her recipe was the one used in the Tsar’s army.  Who knows?  Anyway, I replaced the beef with soy sauce (for “meaty” flavor) and protein and fiber-rich split red lentils.  The lentils disintegrate in the soup,  but give it fiber and more body.  You grate a raw beet in the last five minutes before serving, to revive the bright color.  This is a wonderful soup!   1 and 1/2 T. extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 T. roasted (Asian) sesame oil 2 large onions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, chopped a handful of chopped celery leaves 8 c. water 14 oz. canned tomatoes (diced or whole, chopped), with juice 1/2 a small head green cabbage, shredded 2 peeled, diced beets 1/2 c. soy sauce 1/2 c. split red lentils salt (though you probably won’t need it) and freshly-ground black pepper to taste 1 small raw beet, peeled and grated   Heat the oils in a large heavy soup pot.  Stir-fry the onion, garlic, and celery leaves over medium-high heat until the onion starts to soften.  Add the remaining ingredients, EXCEPT salt and the grated raw beet.  Simmer, covered, for about 4 hours.  Taste for seasoning.  Five minutes before serving, add the grated raw beet for color.     Serve with a dollop of tofu sour crème.     BRYANNA’S MEATLESS UKRAINIAN BORSCHT     Serves 10   2 c. boiling water 1/2 oz. dried mushrooms (Chinese or shiitake are fine, but boletus are best) 1 c. minced onions 2 medium beets, trimmed, peeled and cut into thin strips 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips 2 stalks celery, diced 1 small turnips, peeled and cut into thin strips 1 medium boiling potato, peeled and cut in 1/2" dice 6 c. vegetarian broth 3 c. shredded cabbage 1 c. lemon juice salt and pepper to taste   Soak the mushrooms in the boiling water for about 1 hour, or until tender.   In a large, heavy pot, lightly oiled, steam-fry the onions until soft and slightly browned.  Add the vegetables, broth and mushroom soaking liquid.  Trim any tough stems off the mushrooms, chop the mushrooms, and add to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  Add the cabbage and cook for 10 minutes more.  Stir in the lemon juice and taste for salt and pepper.  If the broth seems too bland, add a bit of soy sauce and/or a bit more lemon juice.  Serve with tofu sour crème.       BRYANNA’S TOFU SOUR CREME (OR YOGURT)     Makes 1 and 1/2 c.        Silken tofu makes a smooth, rich-tasting mixture which can be used anywhere you would normally use sour cream, including cooking.   1 (12.3 oz.) box extra-firm SILKEN tofu 3 T. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. unbleached sugar 1/4 tsp. salt OPTIONAL:  for a richer mixture, add 1-2 T. olive oil             Process in a food processor or blender until VERY smooth.  Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.                   BRYANNA’S ARUGULA AND BEET SALAD WITH BALSAMIC DRESSING AND WALNUTS     serves 4 to 5                 Arugula (also known as rocket) is a dark green, peppery green which has finally gained the popularity it deserves.  It's still expensive to buy, but it grows easily, especially in spring and fall, so if you have any tiny patch of ground, I recommend that you grow some (it grows like a weed, so you don't have to have a green thumb).   1/2 recipe Balsamic Vinaigrette (make this ahead of time)   SALAD: 5 c. of cleaned and trimmed arugula leaves 1 and 1/4 c. julienned Italian-Style Roasted Beets, above 1/2 c. chopped, toasted walnuts OPTIONAL:   1 crisp, red apples, or pears, or Asian pears, unpeeled and sliced thinly, then julienned (keep in acidulated water—water with a little lemon juice added—until serving time to prevent browning)   Just before serving, arrange the arugula leaves evenly on salad plates, then scatter the beets evenly over them. Top with a couple of tablespoons of nuts, and then the optional fruit, if using. Drizzle each serving with some of the dressing.     BRYANNA’S BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE      makes 1 and 1/2 c.                This is one of our favorite dressings.  It keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator-- just shake it a little before serving.   1 c. water or light broth 2 tsp. cornstarch or potato starch 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil 10 T.  balsamic vinegar 1 to 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 and 5/8 tsp. salt, OR 2 and 1/8 tsp. herbal salt OPTIONAL:  2 and 1/2 T. brown sugar or Sucanat             Place the water or broth and starch in a small pot and stir over high heat until it thickens and turns clear (cornstarch has to boil; potato starch does not).  Whisk or blend in the remaining ingredients, bottle and store in the refrigerator.       BRYANNA’S RED CABBAGE AND BEETS WITH APPLES     Serves 8   From my book “The Almost No-Fat Holiday Cookbook”.   This should be made at the last minute before serving.   6 c. (about 1 and 1/4 lb.) shredded red cabbage 1 and 1/2 c. shredded peeled raw beets (about 6 oz.) 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 large unpeeled red apple, grated 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar 2 T. Sucanat or brown sugar 1/4 tsp. allspice salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste   In a large nonstick or lightly-oiled skillet or wok, steam-fry the cabbage, beets and onions over high heat, using a little bit of water or broth just to keep from sticking.  Stir-fry for 2 or 3 minutes, just until the cabbage begins to wilt.   Add the apple, vinegar, sugar and allspice.  Stir-fry about 1 minute, or until the apples are hot.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then pour into a warm serving dish and serve immediately.

OCTOBER 20, 2004-- VEGAN MUSHROOM RECIPES Wild chanterelles picked near our Denman Is. home     BRYANNA’S RAGÙ DI FUNGHI ARROSTO (ROASTEDMUSHROOM STEW)      Serves 6-8 Adapted from a recipe in my book “Nonna’s Italian Kitchen”.             Mushroom ragù is a favored autumn dish all over Italy, served on polenta, on crostini, on pasta, or by itself with crusty bread.  There are many ways to make it, but I like the oven method, because it produces a tasty, juicy stew without huge quantities of oil, and it virtually cooks itself.  The seasonings can be varied according to your taste.  The instructions look long, but that is only because of the various options-- it's really a very simple dish to make, but hard to be exact about.             (Mushrooms cooked this way, without flavoring, can be frozen, too, if you happen to have a large quantity of wild mushrooms to contend with.  We do this with chanterelles when we have a good picking year.)   2 lbs. mushrooms (see notes below) 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil OR Earth Balance about 8 cloves of garlic, sliced  (you can use 1/4 c. of chopped shallots, instead, if you wish) about 1/2 c. dry white wine (can be dealcoholized) OR dry sherry or marsala OR 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar or brandy about 1 c. vegetarian broth,  plus up to 2 c. more, if you want more of a "gravy" 1 T. EACH chopped fresh thyme and rosemary or sage (or 1 tsp. dried) salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley   OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: If necessary to thicken: 1-2 T. cornstarch dissolved in 2 T. water about 2 tsp. roasted sesame oil a bit of chopped vegetarian "back bacon" 1/2 c. Tofu Sour Crème ( homemade or Tofutti) If you have only white mushrooms, add 2 oz. dried porcini or boletus mushrooms, soaked (and chopped (save liquid)   NOTE: You can use any kind of mushroom-- a mixture is nice.  Chanterelles, fresh porcini (if you can afford them!), morels, fresh shiitake (discard stems), oyster mushrooms, along with cultivated crimini (brown button mushrooms) and the large portabellos, are all good.  If all you have is cultivated (particularly the white), add the optional dried mushrooms.             Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Place the oil or margarine in a large shallow baking pan and place it in the oven to heat while the oven heats up.              Leave small mushrooms whole, and slice larger mushrooms into 1/2-1/4" slices.  When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms to the pan and toss to coat them.  Sprinkle them with a little salt and addd the garlic and herbs.  If you are using the dried mushrooms, add them too.  Other optionals to add at this point would be the roasted sesame oil and vegetarian "back bacon".  Let this roast for about 10 minutes, then turn them with a spatula and cook about 10 minutes more, or until the mushrooms are browned, but not dry.  If they seem to be drying out, add 1/4 c. of broth (or mushroom soaking water) at a time.             After the 20 minutes of roasting, add the wine and let it bake until it almost evaporates, stirring up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan as you add it.  Add the 1 c. vegetarian broth (and the dried mushroom soaking water, if using) and let that bake until it reduces by about half.  Add the parsley.             At this point, you might like to use the stew as it is (taste for salt and pepper), with the juices unthickened, or with the Tofu Sour Creme added.  (Reduce the juices to almost none if you are using this on crostini.)  Or you can add more broth and thicken it with the dissolved cornstarch mixture (place the roasting pan over a burner over medium heat and stir constantly until it thickens).  Taste for salt and pepper (you can add the "creme" to this version too, if you like).  Serve hot.     BRYANNA’S LARGE OR SMALL SQUASH WITH WILD RICE AND CHANTERELLE STUFFING Serves 6        Adapted from my book “The Almost No-Fat Holiday Cookbook”.             If you'd like to make a colorful stuffed winter squash the centerpiece and main dish of your meal, choose a large, meaty pumpkin; Boston marrow squash; turban squash; hubbard squash; banana squash; or the pale blue-grey New Zealand squash, which is my favorite.    For a side dish, stuff hollowed-out halves of acorn, butternut, or buttercup squash, or even small pumpkins.   We pick our own chanterelle mushrooms in the forest near our house, but they are available in good produce stores, supermarkets and natural food stores.  If you can't find chanterelles, use fresh shiitakes, oyster mushrooms, or even ordinary mushrooms (the brown crimini ones have more flavor).   3 small winter squash (about 1 and 1/4 lb. each)      OR 1 medium-large winter squash (about 6-8 lbs.) (see text for varieties)   Wild Rice and Chanterelle Stuffing: 3 and 1/2 c. light vegetable broth 1 and 1/2 c. wild rice 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil 4 c. sliced cleaned chanterelles (see text for substitutes) 1 c. chopped green onions 1 c. minced onion 4 stalks celery, sliced Optional: chopped red bell pepper for color 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste   To precook the squash:  for the small squash, cut the them in half and scoop out the seeds.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the squash halves cut-side-down in a shallow baking pan with 1/2" of hot water.  Bake for 40 minutes, or just until tender.   For the large squash, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and cut a "lid" off the top of the squash and scoop out the seeds, scraping the interior well.  Place the squash in a baking pan, with the lid on loosely and bake for 1 hour, then check for tenderness.  if the squash isn't done cook longer.  (It's difficult to be exact with large squash because the cooking time varies with the type of squash and thickness of the flesh.)   To make the stuffing, bring the broth to a boil in a medium pot.  Wash the wild rice in a colander under running water.  When the water boils, add the washed wild rice, bring to a boil, then cover and turn down to a simmer.  Simmer for about 55 minutes, or until tender.   Meanwhile, stir-fry the chanterelles, green onions, celery and onions (optional peppers, if using) in a large non-stick or lightly-oiled skillet in the oil over high heat until tender and slightly-browned.  Add the cooked wild rice, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.   Mound the stuffing into the large or small squash and place the squash in a shallow baking pan.  (If there is any stuffing left over, place it around the squash.)  Bake the small squash at 350 degrees F, covered, for  20 minutes, or the large squash for 45-60 minutes, covered.  Serve hot with your favorite gravy .       BRYANNA'S CLASSIC MUSHROOM AND BARLEY SOUP     serves 6-8    From my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook".   This is a very rich-tasting soup, great on a cold day.    It’s one of my absolute favorites.  This version is a typical Eastern European variety, but I have added a few cooked beans for extra fiber and protein.  See the Variation for a Northern Italian version.   1/2 oz. dried boletus or porcini mushrooms 2 T. olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped 1/4 c. parsley, chopped 2 carrots, scrubbed and diced 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 lb. fresh sliced crimini (brown button), portobello (large brown), OR chanterelle mushrooms 1 T. flour (wheat or rice) mushroom soaking water 8 c. vegetable broth 1-2 tsp. Marmite,Vegemite or other yeast extract (OR 2-4 tsp. dark or red miso) 1 c. pot barley 1 c. cooked or canned soybeans or black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained salt and pepper to taste   Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water to cover for 1/2 an hour.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a soup pot and saute the onion, celery, 2 T. of the parsley, carrots, garlic, and fresh mushrooms for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the flour.  Slowly add the broth.   Strain the dried mushrooms and reserve the water.  Chop the mushrooms and add them to the pot along with the reserved water, barley, and yeast extract or miso.  Add the beans.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.  Taste for salt and pepper.   If the soup is too thick for your liking (it thickens up when cooled), just add some more broth.   Northern Italian variation:    Omit the fresh mushrooms and increase the dried mushrooms to 2 oz.  Omit the Marmite and add  2 T. soy “bacon” chips or bits, or 1/4 c. chopped vegetarian “Canadian back bacon” or “ham” (or, for the soy allergic, use roasted [Asian] sesame oil instead of olive oil and add a few drops of liquid smoke).       BRYANNA'S FETTUCINE CON FUNGHI FRESCHI     Serves 4             This is a treat in the autumn, when fresh wild mushrooms are to be found.  We pick chanterelles (gallinaci) in September near our home, and this is the dish Brian always asks me to make first.  In Italy, of course, fresh porcinis are used whenever possible.  If you rely on a supermarket for mushrooms, you can use chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, fresh stemmed shiitakes, portobellos, or even the small brown domestic mushrooms, criminis.  A combination would be excellent.   1 lb. wholewheat fettucine 1 and 1/2 lbs. fresh wild mushrooms (see text above for suggestions) 1-2 T. extra-virgin olive oil or good-tasting non-dairy margarine 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 c. soymilk blended smooth with 1 c. extra-firm SILKEN tofu (2/3 of a box) Optional:  A splash of dry sherry or marsala salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste 3-4 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley Soymage non-dairy Parmesan substitute  or other parmesan substitute             Put a large pot of water on to boil.  Clean and thinly slice the mushrooms.             Heat the oil or margarine over high heat in a large nonstick skillet.  When bubbly, add the garlic and cook for just about 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms.  Stir-fry over high heat until the mushrooms have exuded their own juice and then evaporated most of it again, about 8 minutes.              Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling, salted water.  Add the blended soymilk and tofu  to the mushrooms and stir well.  Taste for salt and add freshly-ground pepper and the parsley.  Add a splash of the wine if you think it "needs something".    Keep warm over low heat until you drain the pasta.  Toss the hot pasta with the sauce and serve immediately with soy Parmesan or alternate.

NOVEMBER 14, 2004-- VEGAN CHRISTMAS TREATS; GET A HEADSTART!! BRYANNA’S VEGAN BUTTERTARTS (A CANADIAN TRADITION)   Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.   Have ready a 12/ 4" unbaked tart shells (pastry for a 9” single pie crust will make 12 tart shells).   Whisk together: 1 c. brown rice syrup or dark corn syrup 1 c. Sucanat or brown sugar 1/3 c. melted Earth Balance 1/4 c. water beaten with 2 T. EnerG egg replacer til no lumps show 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract pinch salt 2/3- 1 c. raisins   Pour this into the prepared shells in muffin or tart tins.. Bake about 15 minutes (will still be a bit jiggly-- it'll get more solid after it cools, but buttertarts are supposed to be a bit runny).   Cool on a rack, then refrigerate until serving time.   These can be frozen.     BRYANNA'S STEAMED OHIO PUDDING WITH BROWN SUGAR SAUCE Serves 8 Adapted from my book “The Almost No-Fat Holiday Cookbook”.   This is an old-fashioned steamed pudding which contains not only no suet, but no fat of any kind! And yet it's moist and delicious due to the grated raw carrot and potato. If you have a pressure cooker, you can steam the pudding without the pressure valve for 20 minutes, then at 10 lbs. pressure for 60 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally. The pudding can be made several days ahead of time, then reheated by steaming for about 30 minutes.   1 c. sugar or Sucanat 1 c. unbleached flour or whole wheat pastry flour 1 c. raisins (or other dried fruit, chopped) 1 c. currants (or other dried fruit, chopped) 1 c. finely grated raw peeled potato 1 c. finely grated raw peeled carrot 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground allspice   Brown Sugar Sauce: 1 c. water 3/4 c. Sucanat or brown sugar 1 T. cornstarch pinch of salt 1 T. Vanilla extract  OPTIONAL: 3 T. rum, whiskey, or brandy OR 1 tsp. rum or brandy extract OPTIONAL: 2-4 T. good-tasting vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance)   Lightly oil a 2 qt. bowl or pudding mold. Heat water in a large pot large enough to hold the mold. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, soda and spices. Add the dried fruit and grated vegetables and mix everything together very thoroughly with your hands. Press the mixture into the mold and cover with the lid, or oiled brown paper or a double layer of foil, tied in place with string. Place the mold on a rack in the pot of water, so that the water comes halfway up the side of the mold. Cover and steam for 3 hours, keeping at a simmer and adding boiling water when the water level goes down. Remove the pudding from the water and cool on a rack for 10 minutes before unmolding it onto a serving platter. Serve warm with Brown Sugar Sauce. Brown Sugar Sauce: In a small saucepan, mix together the water, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring, over high heat. When it thickens, allow it to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and optional liquor or liquor flavoring and/or optional margarine (until it melts).  Serve warm.     ALEJANDRO'S FAVORITE STEAMED PUMPKIN-DATE PUDDING WITH LIQUOR SAUCE From my book “The Fiber for Life Cookbook”. (scroll down; it's the third to he last recipe)     BRYANNA'S LOW-FAT CARROT FRUITCAKE Makes two 3x6" loaves plus one 8x4" loaf   This fruitcake is rich-tasting, and moist, and yet it is not full of eggs, butter or, worse yet, suet, like many traditional recipes. I based it on an old wartime boiled raisin cake. This is a dark fruitcake, which I prefer, but you can make a light fruitcake by omitting the spices and using all light sugar instead of brown sugar and molasses; golden raisins; and dried pineapple and candied cherries for the fruit. You can wrap the cooled loaves in liquor-soaked cheesecloth and keep them for several weeks, or simply wrap in foil, in which case they should be frozen after about 1 and 1/2 weeks. I have been making this as my Christmas cake for many years.   BOILED MIXTURE: 1 and 1/2 c. water or apple juice (can use 1/2 c. liquor of choice, such as rum or brandy) 1 c. grated scrubbed carrots 1 c. raisins 1 c. brown sugar or Sucanat 1/4 c. molasses 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1/4 c. oil or nondairy margarine   DRY INGREDIENTS: 1 and 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (regular, not pastry flour) 1/2 c. wheat germ 1 tsp. baking soda   DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS: 1 c. whole or chopped mixed dried fruits 1 c. whole or chopped pitted dates 1 c. dried currants 1/2 c. chopped walnuts 1 c. whole shelled mixed nuts   Bring the Boiled Mixture ingredients to a boil together in a medium saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.   Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.   In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients, then add the cooled Boiled Mixture and the dried fruits and nuts. Mix well and spoon into two 3x6" loaf pans (fruitcake pans) and one 8x4" loaf pan, nonstick or lightly-oiled or sprayed and lined on the bottom with waxed paper or cooking parchment. Bake the small loaves for 45 minutes and the larger loaf for 60. Invert on racks to cool. Carefully peel off the paper.

DECEMBER 14, 2004-- VEGAN MINCEMEAT TREATS BRYANNA’S VEGETARIAN MINCEMEAT TARTS Makes 12 Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.   Have ready a 12/ 4" unbaked tart shells (pastry for a 9” single pie crust will make 12 tart shells). (See low-fat sweet pastry below, or use your own favorite recipe.) Fill shells with No-Sugar Vegetarian Mincemeat (just below) and bake about 15 minutes.  Cool on a rack, then refrigerate until serving time.   These can be frozen. Bryanna’s No-Sugar Vegetarian Mincemeat: Place in a large pot: 4 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped 1 c. raisins 2/3 c. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed 1/2 c. dried currants grated zest and juice of 1 medium orange 2 T. dark molasses 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground allspice 1/4 tsp. EACH salt, ground nutmeg and powdered ginger OPTIONAL: 1-2 T. brandy Bring this to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are tender and most of the juice has cooked down. Cool thoroughly before using. Can be frozen. BRYANNA’S NO-BAKE MINCEMEAT TOFU CHEESECAKE PIE Makes one 9" cheesecake If you want an elegant holiday dessert without much work, try this (it's also a good way to serve traditional mincemeat in a less intense way!). 1 recipe No-Fat Vanilla Cookie or Graham Cracker Crumb Crust, prebaked (use the optional almond extract) OR your favorite crumb crust 1 recipe No-Sugar Vegetarian Mincemeat 1 recipe No-Bake Tofu Cheesecake Pie Filling Have ready the prebaked crust and thoroughly-cooled Vegetarian Mincemeat when you make the filling. Spread half of the mincemeat in the prebaked crust. Pour in the warm filling. refrigerate until firm. Spread the remaining mincemeat carefully over the top of the cheesecake, leaving 1" of cheesecake showing around the edge. Chill thoroughly, but serve the same day. BRYANNA’S NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE PIE Serves 8 You can make this "cheesecake" with your own favorite fruit topping, such as strawberry or blueberry, or use for the mincemeat version, above. NOTE: You can use either 1/2 tsp. or 3/4 tsp. of agar powder in the filling-- I prefer a slightly soft filling, so I use 1/2 tsp., but if you like it firmer use the 3/4 tsp.. Don't use anymore than that, however, or it becomes rubbery. 1 9" No-Fat vanilla Cookie or Graham Cracker Crumb Crust Filling: 1 and 1/4 (12.3 oz.) boxes extra-firm SILKEN tofu 3/4 c. plus 2 T. water 1/3 c. light unbleached or white beet sugar 2 T. lemon juice