Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
I had a ton of vegetables in my fridge that were close to expiring so I decided to make Shepherd's Pie vegetarian style! To make this a vegan dish swap out the butter for a non-dairy butter.
INGREDIENTS
3 Diced Parsnips
1 Chopped Onion
2 Cups Mixed Vegetables (Chopped Carrots, Corn & Peas)
2 Pounds Potatoes
1 Stick Salted Butter
1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Peel and quarter potatoes. Boil in water until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large frying pan. Sauté the onions in butter until tender over medium heat for about 10 minutes. If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put the parsnips and carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas at the end of the cooking of the onions. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add half a cup of the vegetable broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add more vegetable broth as necessary to keep moist. Mash potatoes in a bowl with remainder of the butter. Season with the salt and pepper. Place the vegetables and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. Cook in a preheated 400° F oven about 30 minutes or until bubbling and brown. Broil for last new minutes if necessary to brown. Serves 4
White Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe is a good change of pace from chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes I just get a real craving for white chocolate.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Cups White Chocolate Chips
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large size bowl mix together the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the white chocolate chips and mix for another minute. Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper. With a teaspoon scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the parchment paper. Place 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until done. Remember that each oven is different from the next so you may want to check the cookies at 9 minutes. I like to take the cookies out a bit early so they are nice and soft because the cookies will continue to cook after removal from the oven. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Repeat until you are finished cooking all of the dough. Makes 60 cookies.
Carrot Oat Muffins
I love to eat muffins in the morning. Here is a healthy muffin that the whole family is sure to enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Carrot Juice
2 Egg Whites
1 3/4 Cups Olive Oil
1 Cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line 18 muffin cups with liners. In a small size bowl whisk together the carrot juice, eggs and olive oil. In a separate medium size bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, raisins, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the carrot juice to the flour mixture. Stir until well combined. Spoon the batter 3/4 up to the top of the muffin liner. Bake for 18 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 18 muffins.
Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
I love dark chocolate much more than milk chocolate. Here is a great easy recipe for dark chocolate chip cookies.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
2 1/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large size bowl mix together the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the dark chocolate chips and mix for another minute. Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper. With a teaspoon scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the parchment paper. Place 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until done. Remember that each oven is different from the next so you may want to check the cookies at 9 minutes. I like to take the cookies out a bit early so they are nice and soft because the cookies will continue to cook after removal from the oven. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Repeat until you are finished cooking all of the dough. Makes 54 cookies
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
What to do with all of that leftover pumpkin pie. Make a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie of course!
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Greek Yogurt
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/4 Cup Milk
4 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie (Crust & All)
In a blender or food processor combine the Greek Yogurt, Cinnamon, Sugar and Milk. Pulse for 15 seconds. Add the 4 tablespoons of pumpkin pie. Pulse for 30 seconds. Pour into a tall glass. Makes 1 serving.
Mushroom Gravy
Not everyone is a meat eater. Here is a delicious vegan gravy recipe that is wonderful over whole grains or mashed potatoes. Feel free to swap out the whole wheat flour for spelt flour.
INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth – Divided
1 Cup Chopped White Onion
5 Chopped Garlic Cloves
8 Ounces Trimmed & Chopped Wild Mushrooms
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Thyme
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1/4 Cup Red Wine
2 Tablespoons Tamari
2 Tablespoons Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a large skillet over a medium high heat bring 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth to a simmer. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, rosemary and thyme. Cook for 3 minutes. You will want the mushrooms to become tender. Add the red wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir constantly. Stir in the remaining vegetable broth and cook for 7 minutes over a medium heat. In a small size bowl whisk together the tamari and flour to create a thick paste. Add the mixture to the skillet 1 teaspoon at a time. Whisk constantly to make sure the paste is completely dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes. Stir constantly. Add the kosher salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and serve. Makes 3 1/2 cups
Victoria's Solutions For Special Diets
EVERYONE deserves a special holiday so it is important to be prepared for friends and family who may have dietary preferences or restrictions. We all know that food allergies are no joke. Here are some tips for special diets.
When you shop read the labels for dairy free, gluten free, etc.
When making mashed potatoes or creamy soups for dairy free guests or vegan make sure to replace milk or cream with unsweetened almond milk, ricemilk or soymilk.
When baking and sautéing replace butter with olive oil, non-hydrogenated butter spread or margarine or coconut oil.
When making gravy choose gluten free cornstarch or arrowroot instead of flour. For vegan guests use vegetable broth, sautéed onions and mushrooms.
When making stuffing use gluten free cornbread or sandwich bread. For vegetarian guests swamp vegetable broth for chicken broth.
When making salads and desserts use toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead of nuts.
When making desserts and dips use tofu instead of milk, cream cheese or sour cream.
When serving dinner make sure to label each prepared dish for special diets or which ones contain ingredients that should be avoided.
Cranberry Sauce
I am thankful for cranberry sauce that doesn’t come out of a can.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
12 Ounces Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
2 Tablespoons Grated Orange Zest
In a medium size sauce pan combine the sugar, water and orange juice. Bring to a boil and add the cranberries. Bring back to a boil and then reduce the heat and gently boil for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in the orange zest. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Place in the fridge until time to serve. Makes 2 1/4 cups.
Macadamia Nut Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Give sweet potatoes a modern and delicious update in this dish that is sure to become a favorite at your Thanksgiving table. The marrying of sweet potatoes, toasty macadamia nuts and vinegar go together very well.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Toasted Macadamia Nuts
4 Medium Peeled Sweet Potatoes
1/4 Cup Olive Oil – Divided
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place the macadamia nuts onto a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. You will want the nuts to be lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. Chop the nuts and set aside. Turn the heat up to 400° F. Grease a glass baking dish. Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges and toss them in the baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour until tender. Stir occasionally. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate. In a small size bowl whisk together the rest of the oil, balsamic, maple syrup and mustard. Drizzle over the sweet potatoes and top with the toasted macadamia nuts. Serves 4
Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake
Most of us love pumpkin pie, but why not adding this delicious Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake to the Thanksgiving dessert table.
INGREDIENTS
1 2/3 Cups Butterscotch Chips (Divided)
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
3 Large Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Butterscotch Sauce
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease a Bundt pan. Melt 1 cup of the butterscotch chips and then cool to room temperature. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a medium size bowl combine the melted butterscotch chips, pumpkin, olive oil, eggs and vanilla. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 1/2 hour. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with butterscotch sauce. Serves 12
Butterscotch Sauce
1/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
2/3 Cup Butterscotch Chips
In a medium size saucepan heat the evaporated milk over a medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat. Add the butterscotch chips and stir until the chips are smooth. Return to the heat and stir constantly. Bring to a gentle boil and then remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature and serve over the cake.
