Thanksgiving Recap

Hello Everyone!
Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving Day or Harvest Season, I hope that you had/have a blessed day, month and year!
I truly love being in the kitchen and I especially love preparing a healthy and delicious Holiday meal. Here's a recap of what I prepared for my family.

Tofurkey with Asparagus and Brown and Wild Rice Pilaf

Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes

Cranberry Grape Relish

Pumpkin Streusel Pie

Pumpkin Streusel Pie

This pumpkin pie is more of a pumpkin custard than pie.
The filling is very smooth like a pudding. It's lightly sweetened, but full of flavor.
I could eat the sreusel topping all by itself, but I try to control myself!

2c oven roasted pumpkin
1c coconut milk
1/4c cornstarch
1 1/2tsp pumpkin pie spice
1tsp vanilla extract
your favorite pie crust (I used a vegan shortbread crust and prebaked it)

Mix all ingredients in a blender and set aside.

Topping
1/2c sucanat sugar
3/4c oats
1/4c flour
2tbs natural balance
1tsp vanilla extract

Put all topping ingredients into a bowl and mix with a fork until combined.
Mixture should be slightly moist, but crumbly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour filling into prebaked pie crust.
Add topping and bake 45 minutes or until top is brown and filling is set.
Enjoy!

Make Me Something Chocolatey

I hear this about once every other week from my dear husband. Usually, it's on the later side of the night. Typically, I go scouring the cabinets to see what's available to make something that's chocolatey, not terribly unhealthy and won't take too long. I like to keep baking staples around, but Count Chocula raids my supplies on the regular, so these late night baking sessions sometimes yield some interesting results.
Last night, this is what I came up with.

Fudgey Chocolate Cake with Almond Butter Glaze
1 1/2c whole wheat flour
1/3c cocoa powder
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1/2tsp cinnamon

1/2c coconut milk
1/2c water
1/3c canola oil
1/2c sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix first 5 ingredients together until well combined. I pass the cocoa, baking soda and salt through a sieve to be sure all the lumps are gone. Set aside.
Mix next 6 ingredients together and pour into first mixture. Mix until just combined.
Pour into oiled 9inch cake pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Do not over bake. This cake is fudgey, so it will still be slightly soft when it's done.

Almond Butter Glaze
1tbs almond butter
1c powdered sugar
2tbs coconut milk
1/2tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients until lumps dissolve.
If it's too thick, add a little water.
When cake is done, poke holes in it all over using a toothpick.
Pour glaze over the top while cake is still hot and let sit until cool...if you can ;)

Slice it up and enjoy...perhaps with some cashew ice cream. http://andeverything-in-between.blogspot.com/2010/10/raw-cashew-and-chai-spice-ice-cream.html