Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Nut topping - Can be mde vegan!

Look at this cheesecake!  This one is made vegan style, as a few of my guests are vegan.  I combined a bunch of recipes to come up with this delicious cheesecake.  It's a little ingredient intense but so well worth it!  To make this cheesecake you will need:
Crust:
2 cups Crumbled Vanilla Cookies (Vegan - I used the brand in the picture)
3 cups walnuts, chopped
pinch of Sea Salt
1 teaspoon dried ginger, ground
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted (Vegan - Earth Balance)
Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (Vegan - 3 Ener-G Egg Replacer)
1/4 cup sour cream (Vegan - Tofutti)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce
1/4 cup  white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Rice Dream® Coconut Drink
1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
For the crust:
1.)  Preheat oven to 350ᵒF. Prepare your spring form pan by spraying with vegetable cooking spray. 
2.)  Toast the walnuts to bring out their flavor by spreading walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, checking frequently. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
3.)  Pour cookies, sugar and 2 cups of the toasted (and cooled) walnuts in a food processor. Pulse until course. Add the pinch of salt, ginger and brown sugar and pulse again to combine. Add melted butter and pulse until incorporated. 
4.)  Spread into the bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
For the filling:
1.)  Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
2.)  Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes, in the meantime make the caramel sauce.
For the caramel sauce:
1.)  Combine sugars and coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a minute or two until the sugars dissolve. Increase the heat slightly to allow the mixture to come to a boil. Continue to cook until the caramel thickens to a desired consistency.  BE CAREFUL - this step is tricky.  If you let it cook to long it will freeze up before you get it on the cheesecake!  Less is more.
2.)  Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract and vegetable oil and stir until the oil is incorporated into the caramel. Set aside to cool.
Finally, top the cheesecake with the remaining 1 cup of chopped walnuts and drizzle the caramel sauce over the cheesecake.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Praline Sweet Potatoes - Can be made Vegan!

As I was talking with a neighbor that's from the south about the different dishes we put on our Thanksgiving table.  She said that a staple from the south is Praline Sweet Potatoes.  I did some research.  This is what I came up with, and of course since my two favorites vegans will be dining with us, of course I had to make it vegan edible!  To make this dish you will need:
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes  
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs beaten (Vegan - Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/2 pint low fat Half n Half (Vegan - Soy Creamer)
1/4 pound of butter (Vegan - 1 stick of Earth Balance)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup of chopped pecans
1.)  Put an X on your potatoes.  To get 4 cups I used 3 large sweet potatoes.  Cut in the microwave until soft.  Start with 11 minutes and add minutes as you need the.
2.)  Heat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a 2 quart size pan.  (I did this in advance and froze the casserole.  I will take it out Wednesday evening.)
3.)  In a mixing bowl, mash up the potatoes.  Add in  sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and cream. Blend well, (I used my hand held blender) and spread evenly in casserole dish. 
4.)  Prepare the topping by combining the butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Mix until crumbly, and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.
5.)  Bake for 30 minutes.

 

Homemade Green Bean Casserole - Can be made Vegan!

This recipe came about out of necessity.  I have a vegan and vegetarian daughter.  Green bean casserole has always been one of their favorites.  This is so much better than canned beans and canned soup.  Trust me on this one, it's a favorite and it's fabulous!  To make this dish you will need:
2 bags (48 ounces) of French green beans (or Haricot Verts)
1 stick of butter (Vegan - Earth Balance)
16 ounces of mushrooms processed in a food chopper/processor
1 medium onion processed in the a food chopper/processor
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
1 heaping tablespoon Vegetable Better Than Bouillon
1 pint low fat Half n Half (Vegan - Soy Milk)
1 Can French's French Fried Onions.

1.)  To make this super easy, you can microwave the green beans right in the bag.  Do it in batches.  Since all microwaves vary, you will need to time your green beans carefully.
2.)  In the meantime, in a decent size saucepan.  Melt the butter.  Add in the mushrooms and the onions.  Allow the vegetables to get nice and soft.
3.)  Add the salt, pepper, bouillon and the flour.  Allow this to cook for a few minutes to allow get rid of the flour flavor.  Next stir in the Half n Half.  Let this cook for a few minutes to thicken.
4.)  Using a hand blender, smooth out the sauce.
5.)  In a large casserole dish, mix the sauce with the green beans.  Sprinkle with the fried onions.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for thirty minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

Baked Rockfish

Also know as Chilean Sea Bass, I get my Rockfish fresh when I visit Chesapeake Beach.  This is such a mild and mellow fish.  It's also super easy to make.  It's one of my favorites. To make this dish you will need:
1 1/2 lbs. rockfish fillets
Zest of one lemon
1/2 c. ground almonds
1/4 c. minced parsley
1/4 c. melted butter
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper


Place fish fillets in shallow baking dish. Place the lemon zest over the fish.  Sprinkle with almonds and parsley.  Combine butter and lemon; pour over fish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let sit for half an hour for the flavors to meld.  Cover and bake in a 400 degree oven 15 minutes, then uncovered, until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 15 more minutes.




*Note, I like my fish well done.  You could take 5 minutes off each of the 15 minutes of cook time.  My fillets were very thick.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Maple Cream Brown Butter Sauce - Can be made vegan!

Early this week I went out to lunch with a friend.  We visited a quaint little place in Lititz, Pa.  I had this for lunch and it was glorious!  Of course they wouldn't give me the recipe, so I went for it on my own.  This was just as good as theirs!  Note that I only made two acorn squashes.  The stuffing would definitely fill three.  I froze the balance of the stuffing for use at another time.  To make this dish you will need:

3 medium acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each), halved lengthwise and seeds removed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (Vegan - Earth Balance)

1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 package of Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice (prepared to instructions)

2/3 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

1/4 cup craisins, finely chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

 

1.)  Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

2.)  Place the squash cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush 1 tablespoon of the melted butter over the tops and insides of the squash halves, sprinkle with the brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until just fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

3.)  Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of the melted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add the onion, shallots, and celery, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the thyme and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.

4.)  Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, pecans, cranberries, and measured salt and pepper.

5.)  Divide the rice filling among the roasted squash halves (about 1/2 cup for each) and drizzle the remaining tablespoon of butter over top. Continue roasting until the squash is completely fork tender, the edges have started to brown, and the filling is heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Maple Cream Brown Butter Sauce
1/2 cup butter (vegan - Earth Balance)
1/4 cup Real Maple Syrup
1/4 cup low fat Half n Half (Vegan - soy Milk.
1.)  In a saucepan melt the butter and let it cook on low until it turns brown.  Carefully add the Maple Syrup.  It will foam up.  Remove from heat, add the half n half.  Return pan to low heat and allow it to reduce/thicken a bit.  Serve on the side of the squash.

 

 

Sausage & Mushroom Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Sauce - Can be made Vegan

This was not a difficult dish to make, but it does require three pans to clean and a casserole dish also.  I saw this recipe and changed it up to suit my husband's taste.  I also list below how to convert it to a great vegan dish.  To make this dish you will need:
1 lb pasta shells, cooked 9 minutes
1 tbsp olive oil
l package Sweet Italian Turkey sausage (Vegan - Vegan Sausage**)

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

4 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp butter (Vegan - Earth Balance)

2 Tbsp flour

3 cups milk (Vegan - Soy Milk)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup Greek yogurt (Soy Yogurt)

⅓ cup part-skim ricotta cheese (Vegan - Tofutti Ricotta)

6 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

1½ tsp salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1.)  In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil.  Add the sausage, onion and garlic.  Smash the turkey to break it up.  Add the mushrooms and cook until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions and the mushrooms are tender.  Tilt the pan to the side to drain off the liquid in the pan.  Put aside to cool slightly.

2.)  In a large heavy pot melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook for several minutes. Add milk, pumpkin, yogurt, and ricotta. Cook this for four to five minutes over medium heat to thicken. Add sage, salt and black pepper. Mix to combine and take off of heat.

3.)  Stuff the shells with the Sausage Mushroom mixture.  Pour the sauce over the shells.  Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 for twenty minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

 

**Note to Vegans.  I know there are a few different varieties of vegan sausage out there.  In my experience the best vegan sausage is made by Field Roast.  If you cannot find it in your store, you can purchase it on the internet.  It really makes a difference.

 

Sweet Potatoe Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce - Can be made Vegan!

This is pretty darned easy.   A bit time consuming, but absolutely delicious!  Great dish for a fall night. I served this with a simple spinach & arugula salad.  I thought of my vegan daughter and son-in-law while I was making this and I realized how easy this recipe is to convert to a vegan dish.  I know they would love this!  To make this dish you will need:
1 1/2-pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), rinsed, patted dry, pierced all over with fork
6-ounces fresh ricotta cheese (Vegan - Tofutti brand)
1 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 3/4 cups (about) all purpose flour
1.) Place sweet potatoes on plate; microwave on high until tender, about 5-6 minutes per side. Cut in half and cool.
2.) Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash; transfer 1 1/2 cup to large bowl. Add ricotta cheese; blend well. Add brown sugar, 1 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg; mash to blend. Mix in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.
3.) Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 3 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer to baking sheet.
4.) Bring large pot of water to boil; add 1 tablespoons salt and return to boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Sage Brown Butter
2 tablespoons butter (Vegan - Earth Balance)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Sprigs Fresh Sage
Heat pan on medium heat and when hot, add the 2 tablespoons butter and the tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the fresh sage. Let the sage brown and sizzle (but not burn) for a couple of minutes until very fragrant. Remove the sage and discard if you want To the pan, add the gnocchi and heat through. Let simmer on low for 1 minute.

Coq au Vin Blanc

Wow, it's been a while since I posted on this blog.  Time got away from me and there just weren't enough hours in the day!  This is surprising easy and delicious.  It's great for company too!  You can serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.  I love with a potato guy, so mashed for him it was.  Hope you enjoy this one!  To make this you will need:

2 tablespoons of butter

splash of olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 3ounce package of prosciutto, sliced into thin strips

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 large chicken breasts, cut in half

8 ounce package of portabello mushrooms, sliced

500ml Cardonary (or dry white wine of your choice)

1 cup fat free half & half

salt & pepper to taste

handful chopped parsley

1 tablespoon flour (if you like your sauce a little thicker)

dash of Gravy Master (if you like a darker gravy)

 

1. Melt the butter and oil together in a large pan.
2. Brown the chicken pieces and remove from the pan.
3. Add the onions and prosciutto and allow to fry until the onions are soft and translucent and the bacon has rendered it’s fat.
4. Add the garlic and allow to saute for another 30 seconds.
5. Add the mushrooms and allow to fry for 5 minutes.
6. Add the browned chicken back to the pan.
7. Pour in the wine and allow to come up to a boil. Turn down the heat and cover. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
8. After 15 minutes, uncover, turn up the heat and add the cream. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Add the chopped parsley and season to taste.  If you like a little thicker sauce, add some of the hot mixture to the flour, blend and add back to the pan.  Stir until thick.  Also if you like a darker gravy, add a dash or two of Gravy Master.  Enjoy!!!!