Autumn begets Winter

The leaves of Summer are rotting fast
The die of Spring is already cast
Insects feast on the year's shed skins
And the banquet of the birds begins.
Leaves shed their camouflage.
Nature's strip-tease, writ large:
They sink back into the earth
To prepare for next year's rebirth.
Would humans feel such elation
To be in continuous creation?

We too will join in this ritual dance
When we the earth ourselves enhance
When we take our leaves
We will become them.

http://kathyjohnson.posterous.com/thinking-of-how-to-paint-this-poem-autumn-beg

What Autumn Smell Are You?

You Are a Pumpkin Pie Baking in the Oven

You love to feel comforted and relaxed. For you, fall means turning inward and remembering what matters in your life. Fall rings in the time of traditions, and you embrace each and every one of them. Whether you're decorating for Halloween, cooking for Thanksgiving, or planning for Christmas, you really get into the season. You love sharing this time with your friends and family. You like to make new and lasting memories.

What Autumn Smell Are You?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Pumpkin Granola Bars

By Jean McFadden Layton, ND

These fruit-filled treats, lightly sweetened with honey and laced with orange rind and cinnamon, make a delicious dessert or afternoon treat. For vegan version, just use soy flour instead of eggs.

Ingredients:

• 1 10 oz can pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs or 2 Tablespoons soy flour as a vegan alternative
• 1/2 cup butter or organic soy margarine at room temperature
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons molasses-preferably blackstrap
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup nuts-chopped. I prefer walnuts
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries or raisins
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Blend the pumpkin, egg, butter, honey, and molasses in a mixing bowl or food processor.

Add the oats, nuts, dried fruit, oat bran, cinnamon, and orange rind, and mix well. Spread this mixture into a lightly greased 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut into 3-by-1 1/2-inch bars. For very crisp bars, remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

Yield: about 30 bars.

Tofu Turkey

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 5 blocks organic tofu (firm)
• 11/2 tablespoon vegetarian chicken stock powder (optional)
• 11/2 teaspoon each; sage, thyme, summer savoury, black pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil
• 1/2 cup tamari (soy sauce)
• 3-4 cups of your favourite stuffing

Directions:

Serves 10.

1. Mix together sesame oil and tamari, set aside.

2. In a large bowl break up the tofu well by hand or with a potato masher. Add herbs and pepper and vegtarian chicken stock powder (optional), mix well.

3. Line a medium, round bottomed colander with one layer of cheese cloth or a clean dish towel. Put the tofu mixture in colander and fold remaining cheese cloth over the top. Place the colander in the sink or over a large bowl and place a heavy weight on top. Press for aprox. 2-3 hours (longer if soft tofu is used). Make your stuffing.

4. After pressing and with the tofu still in the colander, scoop out the centre, leaving about an inch of tofu around the edges. Place your stuffing in the cavity. Put the tofu mixture you scooped out over the dressing and press down firmly.

5. Flip the formed turkey on to an oiled cookie sheet and brush the top with the oil and tamari mixture, cover with tin foil and place in a 350° oven for about 1 hour brushing with oil mixture every 15 min.

6. After 1 hour remove foil and bake uncovered for about 45 minuites, watching carefully so as not to burn. At this stage you are forming the skin or crust. Brush 4-5 times more during this hour.

7. When the bird turns a dark golden brown, remove from oven. Serve hot with mushroom gravy and all the trimmings.

Source: from my own kitchen & soon to be published cookbook
Author: Dan O'Brien & Karen Sherwood
Publisher: Design North Publishing
Publisher's address: 2743 Fuller Terrace, Halifax, N.S. Canada B3K 3V9

http://vegweb.com/recipes/subs/turkey3.shtml

Holiday Lentil Loaf

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 teaspoon sage
• 3 cups cooked lentils
• 3 cups cooked wild rice (you can use a wild rice/brown rice mix here too)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup whole wheat vegan breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 egg equivalents
• 2 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• fresh ground black pepper and sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Chop onion and celery finely, and crush the garlic clove. Spray a fraying pan with non-stick spray, and saute the onion, garlic and celery until onion is translucent. Add the sage. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and fill the loaf pan with the mixture. Press down. Bake 30 minutes covered, 10 minutes uncovered. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

http://vegweb.com/recipes/subs/loaf3.shtml

Vegetable and Rice Stuffed Pumpkin - vegan

1 Pumpkin (14 or 15 inches in Diameter) or 2 smaller ones
4 tb Sugar
2 tb Tamari sauce
1 c Water
1/2 lb Fresh shelled chestnuts
1/4 c unsulfured raisins
1/4 c unsulfured apricots, Chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped or any tart apple
1/2 c Walnuts, broken but not too Small
1 Stalk celery, chopped
1 md White onion, chopped
1 md Red onion, chopped
1 cn Corn, drained
1 md Sweet green pepper, chopped
1 md Sweet red pepper, chopped
1 md Zucchini squash, chopped
1 md Yellow squash, chopped
2 md Fresh jalapeno peppers, Seeded and minced
2 c Cooked brown basmati rice
1/4 ts Mace
1/4 ts Tumeric
Black pepper
1/2 ts Cinnamon
4 tb Tamari sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Wash pumpkin and cut off the top, angle the cut so that the top will fit back on more easily, use a big spoon to scoop out strings and seeds. Mix sugar and 2 tbs. tamari sauce (you can warm them in the microwave so they will mix more easily ) and spread evenly over insides of pumpkin. Line the bottom of a large pan with single piece of aluminum foil folded over itself 3 or 4 times, pour 1 cup water in pan, place top back on pumpkin and place in baking pan, cover the pumpkin and the pan with foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until pumpkin is just starting to become tender, the thicker the pumpkin the longer it will take.

2. Steam the nuts for about 15 minutes. Rinse them in cool water and slip off the brown skins. Chop chestnuts coarsely.

3. Combine chestnuts with raisins, apricots, apple, walnuts, celery, white and red onions, corn, green and red pepper, jalapeno peppers, mace, tumeric and rice, mix well. Add the 4 tbs. tamari and mix again.

4. Dust the inside of the pumpkin with the cinnamon. Pack the pumpkin with the filling and replace the pumpkin top. Return pan to oven, add water to cover the bottom of the pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.

5. If you are going to serve the pumpkin on something other then the pan it was cooked in BE CAREFUL. The bottom of the pumpkin may be VERY soft. Wrap the foil from the bottom of the pan up around the pumpkin as you pick it up, this will keep the bottom intact.
When serving this recipe, scrap the inside of the pumpkin with the serving spoon and mix the pumpkin into the stuffing.
If you have leftovers do not leave it in the pumpkin. Remove the filling and scrape out the pumpkin and store in your refrigerator.

VEGAN PUMPKIN GINGER SOUP

Ingredients:
1 small cooking pumpkin
1/2 cup cashews
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or to taste)
salt to taste

Directions:
Soak cashews in water to cover for several hours. This step is optional, but
helps them blend better. Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and bake cut
side down at 350 degrees F until very tender (45 minutes to one hour).
Scrape pumpkin from the peel and puree in a blender, with any juices, in
batches. Put pureed pumpkin into your soup pot. Blend cashews in blender
until smooth and add to the pumpkin puree. Rinse the blender with a little
water and add to the pot. Add a little more water if it’s too thick. Add
ginger and salt to taste and heat gently for a few minutes to blend the
flavors.

VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE

Filling –
1 1/2 packages silken tofu
1 15 oz. canned pumpkin
2/3 cup barley malt syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
Pie Crust –
1 1/2 cups sifted unbleached flour
about 6-7 tbsp. non-hydrogenated margarine
about 2 tbsp. cold water
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Blend tofu in a food processor or blender
until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour into a 9"
unbaked deep dish pie shell. Bake for about one hour. Filling will be soft,
but will firm up as it chills. Chill overnight and serve.

Kelly's Magic Autumn Brew

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• cranberry juice or cran-raspberry cocktail
• apple juice
• cinnamon sticks (1 or 2 works)
• liquor- spiced rum, vodka or cinnamon schnapps (optional!)

Directions:

Fill a pot with about half of each juice (to taste) and heat it up on low- medium. Add 2 cinnamon sticks and let it sit for on the stove a while.

Makes the kitchen smell wonderful, it's soothing and it tastes great. Add the liquor if you want. I've only ever tried it with vodka. Truth be told it's better plain. Yum :)

http://vegweb.com/recipes/events/6025.shtml

Autumn or Winter Feast

SAUSAGE STUFFED TURKEY
This is an absolutely marvelous and delicious turkey for your Thanksgiving, Christmas or Yule dinners.
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings


INGREDIENTS

2 or 3 Onions, diced or minced, depending on if you like to see the onions in your stuffing
1 or 2 Celery Sticks, minced
¼ Green Pepper, minced (I know, but it’s good really!)
2 lbs Sausage Meat (pork not breakfast)
½ or 1 loaf Bread, crumbled or chopped into small pieces
Stuffing Seasoning, your favorite (sage, poultry seasoning, pepper, etc.)
12-14 lbs Turkey
½ cup melted Butter
*You can put the vegetables into the moulinex or blender if you like a finer grind to your stuffing.
*You can also make this meat free by omitting the sausage and using chicken broth to help bind the stuffing
*Stir chopped apples, cranberries and/or pecans into your stuffing for a delightful change (¾ cup total).


INSTRUCTIONS

• Melt some butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add celery and onion and green pepper; cook until tender.
• Remove from heat and put into large bowl.
• Add crumbled bread (it's by the feel or look kind of thing. Start with ½ of a loaf and see how it looks once you add the sausage).
• Sauté the sausage meat until cooked through and crumbly do not over brown.
• Mix well with bread mixture.
• Add spices to taste.
• Remove packet of giblets and neck from cavity of turkey.
• Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry.
• Spoon stuffing into neck and body cavities (bake any remaining stuffing in covered casserole dish with turkey last 30 minutes of cooking time.)
• Fold loose skin over stuffing; you can use aluminum foil to cover the stuffing in the body cavity or I use a piece of bread.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Insert meat thermometer deep into thickest part of thigh next to body, not touching bone.
• Roast at 325º F for 4½ to 5 hours or until thermometer reads 180º F and drumstick moves easily, basting occasionally with pan drippings.
• Allow turkey to stand a few minutes before slicing.
• Remove stuffing to a serving dish.
• Serve with gravy.

You can make extra stuffing and cook separate from the turkey as this stuffing always goes so quick and you will want some for leftovers too!

GENERAL ROASTING DIRECTIONS


• Thoroughly wash and pat the turkey dry.
• Generously grease (using hard shortening like Crisco).I cover the breast with bacon instead of greasing it works for me and adds more flavor than just shortening.
• Stuff the turkey as directed in recipe above.
• Salt and pepper the turkey paying close attention to the hard to reach areas.
• Sew the cavity or use foil to prevent stuffing from drying out.
• Add ¼ cup of water and cover roasting pan tightly with foil.
• Roast in 325°F oven.

If you are using a meat thermometer, insert to the center of the inside thigh muscle, so the bulb does not touch a bone.

8 - 12 lbs ~ Roasting Time: 3 ½ - 4 ½ hours
12 - 16 lbs ~ Roasting Time: 4 - 5 hours
16 - 20 lbs ~ Roasting Time:4 ½ - 5 ½ hours
20 - 24 lbs ~ Roasting Time: 5 - 6 ½ hours

ORANGE-CRANBERRY CHICKEN WITH SWEET POTATOES
An alternative to turkey, this chicken dish is colorful fragrant and ever so tasty. A wonderful dish to celebrate the return of the sun with!


INGREDIENTS

1 Orange
1 4-lb Roasting Chicken (or your favorite fowl)
½ tsp Pepper
1 lb Sweet Potatoes (sometimes called yams ~ the orange flesh ones)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup whole berry Cranberry Sauce
2 Tbsps White Wine Vinegar


INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375° F degrees
• Grate rind from orange (being careful not to grate the bitter white part).
• Rinse chicken and pat dry.
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper and ½ the grated orange rind.
• Place, breast side up, on a rack in large roasting pan.
• Roast for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile pare and cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch slices, then toss with olive oil.
• Place in single layer in the bottom of roasting pan.
• Continue roasting 1 hour 45 minutes, turning potatoes occasionally, basting the chicken and potatoes frequently, until the chicken juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with fork and leg moves freely.
• During the last ½ hour of roasting, combine chicken broth, cranberry sauce and vinegar in a small saucepan.
• Bring to boiling over med. heat; boil 20 min. or until reduced to 1½ cups.
• Peel white pith from orange, seed flesh and chop.
• Stir remaining rind and chopped orange into saucepan; simmer 5 minutes.
• Let chicken rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• Cut chicken into serving pieces.
• Spoon Cranberry Sauce mixture over chicken and serve with sweet potatoes.

CANADIAN TOURTIERE
This is an original and traditional Canadian Winter dish. All the women of the family would gather together, at whoever had the largest kitchen's house, and bake pies all afternoon long. They would make enough for everyone to go home and freeze several. (They keep exceptionally well in the deep freezer). The traditional recipe makes about 8 pies which is too much for just my small family. This is a pared down recipe with all the flavor and rich goodness ad the original like only home baked can make. You can shortcut by using store bought pastry the end result will still be delicious.
Yield: 6 Servings


INGREDIENTS

½ lb ground Pork
½ lb ground Veal (beef will do)
1/3 cup chopped Onion
1/3 cup Water
¼ tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp ground Cloves
¼ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Celery Salt
¼ tsp Savory
1 or 2 potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 Pastry for 8" double-crust pie


INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 425° F.
• Place pork, veal, onion and water in a saucepan.
• Simmer until color changes.
• Add seasonings; simmer for a little longer.
• Thoroughly drain meat.
• Mix in mashed potatoes.
• Fit bottom pastry into 8" pie plate.
• Fill with meat mixture.
• Cover with top crust.
• Seal edges as desired and vent top to allow steam to escape.
• Bake for 10 minutes; lower oven temperature to 400° F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is hot.

Note: If you prefer a spicier tourtiere increase seasonings to your taste. Some people do not add the potatoes (they help hold the meat together) try it both ways and decide for yourself.
Source: Good Friends Cookbook

PERFECT MASHED POTATOES
Yield: 6 Servings


INGREDIENTS

2 - 3 lbs (8 medium) Potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tsps Salt, divided
¼ cup (½ stick) Butter or Margarine, softened
½ - 1 cup hot Milk or Cream


INSTRUCTIONS

• Fill a large saucepan with water, add potatoes and 1 ½ tsps of the salt; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
• Drain potatoes thoroughly in colander.
• Return to saucepan; heat over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes to dry potatoes, stirring occasionally being extra careful not to burn them.
• Remove from heat.
• In the saucepan, mash potatoes with potato masher or beat with electric hand mixer.
• Stir in butter, remaining ½ tsp salt and ½ cup of the hot milk.
• Add additional milk, a little at a time, if necessary, for desired consistency; beat until light and fluffy.
• Season to taste with additional salt, if desired.
• Serve immediately..

Tips:
* Amount of milk needed will vary with type of potatoes used and personal preference.
* Mashed potatoes are best served right away. If made ahead, keep potatoes hot in saucepan or heatproof bowl set over pot with barely simmering water. Cover potatoes loosely.

SAGE AND ONION ROAST POTATOES
These are very delicious served with a Vegan meal or as a side dish to a roast beast of some sort. Try the variations at the bottom too mmmmmmmm so good.


INGREDIENTS

4 tsps dried Sage or 8 tsps freshly chopped Sage
4 Tbps Oil (your favorite kind)
1 finely chopped Onion
Potatoes, peeled and cut to desired size (this coating is enough for about 4 or 5 lbs/2 or 3 kilos.)
Salt to taste


INSTRUCTIONS

• Par boil the potatoes then just when they are beginning to soften remove from heat and drain.
• Place in baking tray and pour oil and seasoning all over them - roast in a hot oven until nice and crispy (30 minutes plus).
• You might want to baste with a little more oil half way through for extra crispiness!

Tip: Do not salt the potatoes until after they are cooked the salt prevents them from getting crispy.

Variation: Sesame Roast Potatoes - coat the potatoes in oil and plenty sesame seeds before roasting - this has a lovely flavor too. Rosemary and Garlic roast potatoes is absolutely fabulous as well, be sure what ever you are serving it with is not too mild or the garlic will over power though.


SWEET POTATOES AND CRANBERRIES
I haven't tried these but they look ever so yummy I think I will add them to my Yuletide feast. My sons are sure to enjoy the taste and the color will really liven up the table.


INGREDIENTS

6 Sweet Potatoes
1 cup Cranberry Sauce
¾ cup fresh Orange Juice
½ cup Brown Sugar
¾ tsp Orange Rind
¾ tsp Cinnamon
1½ Tbsps Butter
1 cup Cranberries
¼ tsp Nutmeg


INSTRUCTIONS

• Boil sweet potatoes in their skins or cook in the microwave until barely tender.
• Peel, slice thickly, and arrange in a buttered baking dish.
• In saucepan mix remaining ingredients.
• Simmer, uncovered, for five minutes.
• Pour over sweet potatoes and bake uncovered at 350° F for 20 minutes or until glazed and hot.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD
Bake these in coffee cans, or other decorative pans, and wrap them in colored cellophane to give as gifts.


INGREDIENTS

3 cups White Sugar
1 (15 ounce) can Pumpkin Puree
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup Water
4 Eggs
3½ cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground Nutmeg
2 tsps Baking Soda
1½ tsps Salt
1 cup miniature Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
½ cup chopped Walnuts (optional)


INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).
• Grease and flour three 1 pound size coffee cans, or three 9x5-inch loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs.
• Beat until smooth.
• Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
• Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
• Fill cans ½ to ¾ full.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
• Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans. It is moist, and freezes well!

CRANBERRY SAUCE
So, so simple! So, so good!! Sugar free too!! If you find this recipe too tart for your liking simply substitute ½ cup sugar for the juice. Cranberry sauce keeps for a couple weeks in the fridge or you can put it in a canning jar and hot water bath it for 5 minutes and it will keep till next year. Make a few batches because it is so good and good for you and it makes a great crumble bar too!
Yield: 2 cups


INGREDIENTS

1 bag Cranberries
½ cup Apple-Cranberry or Citrus juice
½ cup Water


INSTRUCTIONS

• Clean and sort berries, discard damaged berries.
• Pour berries, juice (or sugar) and water into a good-sized pot.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened and berries are popping.

It’s not just for turkey try it on chicken or pork too!

Tofurky

Definition: Sitcoms may joke about it, but what, exactly is Tofurky? Tofurky is the ingenious brand name of a mock-turkey product that serves as a vegetarian alternative to turkey on Thanksgiving or other occasions and comes complete with stuffing, gravy and even a "wishbone". This is a "Tofurky roast". Although Tofurky brand mock turkeys are the most well-known, several other brands of mock-turkey are available as well. Because Tofurky is also a brand name, many types of Tofurky foods, such as deli slices, mock bratwurst and of course, "Tofurky Jurky" can be found at your regular grocery store or health food store and are certified Parve as well as vegan.

Pronunciation: to-fur-key

Also Known As: tofu turkey

Common Misspellings: tofurkey

Tofurky vs. Unturkey?

Many vegetarians and vegans are perfectly happy to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal without the turkey centerpiece, while others prefer to prepare a vegetarian mock turkey substitute. If you're wondering what aTofurky is or need to know the difference between a Tofurky and an Unturkey, then this handy guide to vegetarian mock turkeys is for you.

Do you want a plastic wishbone? Do you prefer your veggie turkey with stuffing or without? This quick overview will help you decide which veggie turkey substitute, if any, you want to roast for the holidays.

Faux Turkeys

No holiday meal would be complete without a veggie turkey. Try these tasty turkey-friendly alternatives this holiday season for a meal that everyone can celebrate: Tofurky Roast: This roast comes stuffed with a savory herb dressing and is available as just the roast or as part of an entire feast—with gravy, dumplings, wild rice stuffing, and “wishstix”—for a complete holiday meal. Unturkey: This turkey-shaped roast is coated in a crispy soy skin and filled with a traditional-style bread stuffing. Celebration Roast: This is an artisan-made vegan grain meat with a sausage-style stuffing made from butternut squash, apples, and mushrooms. Veggie Turkey Breast With Wild-Rice-and-Cranberry Stuffing: This delicious vegan turkey breast is stuffed with wild-rice-and-cranberry stuffing and is available at Whole Foods. Not sure how to prepare the faux turkey? Our chefs put together a few tips for dressing the already-tasty veggie turkeys: Always follow the package directions for cooking. For wheat- and soy-based veggie turkeys, try basting them in vegetable broth while they’re cooking. Spice up your roast by coating it in a rub. First, cover the veggie turkey in melted margarine. Then sprinkle it with Cajun seasoning and cook it according to the package directions. For a traditional take on faux turkey, coat the roast in olive oil or melted margarine and then spread on our Veggie Turkey Seasoning before cooking: 1 1/2 tsp. poultry-seasoning herbs 1 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. dried thyme Pinch of salt and pepper Try our Southwestern Glaze for a spicy-sweet twist on your holiday meal. Cook the veggie turkey according to the package directions, but baste it with the glaze during the last 45 minutes of cooking time: 2 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. cumin Sea salt, to taste Cayenne pepper, to taste 2 Tbsp. agave nectar or maple syrup 1 Tbsp. water Deep-frying a veggie turkey is a good way to make sure that it’s moist and flavorful. Try our Deep-Fried Tofurky recipe. Try basting the roast with your favorite store-brought glaze during the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking time. Be sure to serve your veggie turkey with one of our delicious gravies. Red Wine and Shallot Gravy Savory shallot gravy is perfect with our Rosemary- and Hazelnut-Encrusted Seitan. 1 Tbsp. olive oil 6 Tbsp. shallots, minced 1/2 cup yellow onions, minced 1/4 cup celery, diced 1/4 cup carrots, diced 1/3 cup red wine 1 sprig fresh thyme 3 peppercorns 31/2 cups roasted vegetable stock 1 Tbsp. margarine 1 Tbsp. flour • Preheat the oven to 350°F. • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, onions, celery, and carrots and cook until soft and browned. Stir in the wine, thyme, and peppercorns and cook, stirring frequently, until the wine is absorbed. Stir in the stock and cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by half. • Meanwhile, melt the margarine in a small skillet. Add the flour and stir constantly until bubbly and lightly browned. Stir in some liquid to thin out, then stir the mixture into the stock mixture and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the vegetables. Serve over the Rosemary and Hazelnut-Encrusted Seitan. Makes 4 servings Brown Gravy Tired of plain potatoes? Whip up a batch of this creamy gravy, and serve it with your mashed potatoes and biscuits. 2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) margarine 1 medium-sized onion, diced 2 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp. garlic salt 2 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth 1 tsp. yeast extract 1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari Pepper, to taste • Heat the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. • Sauté the onion for a few minutes, then add the flour and garlic salt and sauté for another 8 to 9 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water or broth. Gradually add the cornstarch mixture to the onion mixture, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. • Strain the gravy into a separate saucepan and add the yeast extract, soy sauce or tamari, and pepper. Simmer for another minute or 2, stirring constantly. Keep warm. Preparation time: 45 minutes Baking time: 40 minutes Makes 6 servings Chickenless Gravy This light and creamy gravy is great with mashed potatoes and Tofurky. 2 cups boiling water 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast 1 vegetable bouillon cube 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, diced 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped Onion salt, to taste Unbleached all-purpose flour • In a large saucepan, simmer all ingredients except the flour for approximately 5 minutes. • Slowly add the flour by tablespoons, whisking after each addition, until the desired thickness is reached. • Keep warm. Apple Cider Gravy Serve this tasty gravy over your favorite faux chicken or veggie turkey. 4 cups vegetable broth 1 Tbsp. margarine 2 cups apple cider 1/3 cup flour 1/2 tsp. dried sage Salt and pepper, to taste • In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth and margarine to a boil. Add the cider and reduce the heat to low, simmering until reduced by half. • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and a 1/2 cup of the broth mixture. Whisk into the saucepan. Raise the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. • Stir in the sage, salt, and pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings Roasted Garlic Gravy 1 head garlic 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil 1/4 cup flour 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth Salt and pepper, to taste • Cut off the top of the garlic head, exposing the tops of the bulbs. Place in a small baking dish and drizzle 1 tsp. of olive oil on top. Bake, covered with tin foil, in a 375°F oven for 1 hour, or until browned and soft. Remove from the oven and let cool, then remove the cloves from the garlic head. • Put the cloves into a bowl and mash well with a fork. • Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and flour, whisking constantly, until lightly browned. • Whisk in the broth and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings

Apple Pie

1 package pie crust mix
1/3 cup cold water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (3 large)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Milk
Additional sugar

Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crust mix as directed for 9-Inch Two-Crust Pie, using 1/3 cup cold water--except trim overhanging edge of bottom pastry 1 inch from rim of plate. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Add apples; toss. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Roll remaining pastry; cut into 10 strips, each about 1/2 inch wide. Place 5 strips across filling in pie plate. Weave a cross-
strip through by first folding back every other strip of the first 5 strips. Continue weaving, folding back alternate strips before adding each cross-strip, until lattice is complete. Trim ends. Fold trimmed edge of bottom crust over ends of strips, building up a high edge. Seal and flute. Brush lightly with milk; sprinkle lightly with additional sugar. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice is bubbly.