Harvest Stuffing

Harvest Stuffing

1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/2-1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup margarine (sub veggie broth for fat-free)
1 teaspoon "poultry" seasoning (or as we call it, "prairie seasoning!")
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
8 cups dry bread cubes
1 cup dried cranberries (or 2 apples), peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1.5 cups water or vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 375ºF

Melt margarine (or heat veggie broth) in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté carrots, celery, and onion until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the prairie seasoning, pepper and salt.

In a bowl combine the bread cubes, fruit and nuts, then add the carrot mixture.  Add enough water or broth to moisten, tossing lightly.

Transfer to a 2.5 quart casserole dish, cover, and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Note: Original recipe called for walnuts & apples, but we use cranberries & pecans instead.  

Banana Chia Pudding

Chia, an edible seed from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, is generally associated with Chia Pets but dates back as a food to Mayan and Aztec cultures. "Chia" means "strength," and folklore has it that these cultures used the tiny black and white seeds as an energy booster. The seeds are a concentrated food containing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidents, protein, and calcium. Mixed with water they make a great egg substitute in baked goods, and also make a delicious and easy pudding with a tapioca-like consistency.

There is a huge variety of chia pudding recipes on the internet, and I used several for basic inspiration before I came up with this one through a little trial and error. It makes a big batch (you can halve it if you wish) because BW just loves the stuff for breakfast and goes through it at a rather alarming rate (given the cost of chia seed!) We get our organic black chia seeds in various brands and from various sources, depending on where the best bargain can be found.

Banana Chia Pudding

1 cup chia seeds
1-2 very ripe bananas
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
3¼ - 3½ cups vanilla almond milk

Stir spices into chia seed and add almond milk. Mix in banana chunks. Stir well and let sit in fridge for at least an hour, stirring again before serving. 

Simple Vegan Sour Cream

Simple Vegan Sour Cream

Drain a 14-oz package of organic firm (not silken) tofu (I prefer Nasoya brand), and cut or break into large chunks into a food processor.

Add:

2 1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (not that bottled abomination!)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Process until smooth and creamy.

Store in a covered container and refrigerate.

Smoky-Cheezy Walnut Spread

Smoky Cheezy Walnut Spread 
(Recipe by Laloofah) :-)

Makes 8 servings (though doubling it is always a good idea!)

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts, soaked overnight and drained thoroughly (save soak water!)

1/4 cup water (use walnut soak water)

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast 

1/2 tsp tamari

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Combine everything in a food processor and process until smooth. You'll need to stop the machine several times to scrape the sides of the bowl. I find this only works in our BlendTec if I make a double batch - otherwise, most of it remains beneath the chopper blade).

Place the spread in a tightly covered container and refrigerate. Though it's very tasty right away, I recommend refrigerating it for a few hours before eating, as the taste really improves if the flavors are given time to marry.

Enjoy this spread on a sandwich, as a dip for veggies, on crackers, or anywhere you would use soft spreadable cheese.