Olive, Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us!

I was recently asked by my editor over at Elephant Journal to post a vegan Thanksgiving menu. Check it out!

Here is a recipe that will make a great starter, for Thanksgiving or anytime!

Olive, Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

1/4 cup pitted calamata olives

1/4 cup stewed tomatoes

1/4 cup roasted red and yellow peppers

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup artichoke hearts

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp. brine from the olives or the artichokes

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

salt to taste

Process the olives, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and artichoke hearts, in a food processor, until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and, using a wooden spoon, mix in the remaining ingredients. Garnish with parsley and serve with crackers or french bread.

Savory Pumpkin Stew

So many pumpkins are thought to be "only for decoration." But did you know you can actually eat all those gorgeous varieties?

Two medium sized white pumpkins survived the Halloween carving carnage this year and were roasted up to make stew, cupcakes and pie filling. We certainly have more pumpkin than we could use all in one day, so some of it went into the freezer for future usage.

This savory pumpkin stew challenges the idea that pumpkins are only for sweet recipes.

To roast your pumpkins, simply gut them, slice in half and roast open side down at 375 until soft enough to puncture the skin with a fork. Use an ice cream scoop to get the "meat" out and discard the skin.

You will also need raw pumpkin chunks for the soup. Simply chop and cube a raw pumkin, discarding the skin.

Savory Pumpkin Stew

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup pureed pumpkin (you can use canned, as long as there are no added ingredients in it)

1 cup cubed raw pumpkin

1/2 cup mashed potatoes (optional-it makes the soup creamier in texture but is not necessary)

1 large carrot, sliced into disks

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 large bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup of chopped anise stalks (you can use an alternate herb, if desired)

Seasoning Blend, such as Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute" or Mrs. Dash.

Salt and pepper, to taste.

Saute the onion, celery and bell pepper until soft. Add the broth, water and whisk in the mashed potatoes and the pumpkin puree. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin chunks are soft.

A New Take on Twice Baked Potatoes

Call me un-American, but I've never liked twice baked potatoes. Plus they're not very healthy and I was looking for something a little easier on the waistline...

I finally came across an idea that, after tinkered with, came out simply delightful.

There are two variations, one for grownups (savory salsa filling) and one for the littles (cottage cheese and fruit).

To bake your potatoes, puncture them with a fork a few times, rub in oil and salt and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour.

Let them cool a bit, then slice them in half, scoop out the insides (reserving for mashed potatoes?) and turn the halves skin-side-up. Cook another 10 minutes or until crispy. Let cool.

Savory Salsa Filling

For the first variation, combine 1/2 cup mashed mixed beans, 2 green onions, chopped, 1 chopped tomato, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1 clove crushed garlic with 3 tbsp. salsa. Line the potato halves with fresh spinach leaves and fill with topping.

Cottage Cheese and Fruit Filling


Sweet and savory at the same time! Add 1 chopped apple to 1/2 cup cottage cheese and toss in 2 chopped stalks of celery. Mix well and fill the potato cups.

Veggie Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

I LOVE spring rolls. They're like tasty little hand-held salads that you dip into peanut sauce.

But access to them are seriously lacking in my remote mountain locale. So when I finally learned to make them I was pleased to find out how easy, and cheap, they really are to make at home.

Start with a package of spring roll wrappers. These things, by any account, look like anything BUT food. But trust me, you've got it right. They look like this:

Soak one sheet in a plate full of water, submerged, until soft, about 1 minute or so. Then, being careful not to overlap the slippery, delicate rice paper, lay it on a clean, dry plate. Fill as you would a burrito, with your choice of toppings. I used spinach, carrot sticks, celery sticks, bell pepper slices, grated zucchin and micro-green sprouts.

Then fold in the ends and roll carefully. Continue this process until you have enough spring rolls to feed your hungry hoard. Serve with peanut dipping sauce, if you like.

Pesto Pasta with Tofu Cutlets

This recipe is so easy it almost doesn't even need a recipe. But here's how I did it:

Pasta:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
You can find the recipe for my walnut pesto here or use your favorite pre-made pesto. Mix 1/3 cup of pesto to your pasta and top with parmesan cheese (optional).

Tofu Cutlets
Vegan Version: press slices of extra firm tofu into bread crumbs and fry on each side until browned.

Vegetarian version: dip each slice into a bowl of beaten eggs, then dip into bread crumbs. Fry until browned on each side or bake at 375 until browned, turning once.

Serve with your favorite vegetables!

Leftover Night = Lentil Hodgepodge

Sometimes you find yourself with a bunch of leftovers and end up with....a really tasty meal! I used some leftover brown rice, sauteed it up with fresh mixed greens, a bit of oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and topped it with.....





Yup, leftover lentils, tomatoes and avocado. It was so simple, fast and so so yummy! Some of my best meals have come from leftovers. This one will definitely be a future make-on-purpose meal!

Veggie Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

I'm not a huge fan of veggie sausages but I recently found that Trader Joe's makes a mean italian version that is pretty darn tasty. If you don't prefer to use veggie sausages, you can always substitute zucchini instead.

You will need:

2 acorn squash, halved

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs of celery, chopped

2 sausages, sliced into half moons

1 large apple, chopped

butter or alternative

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the ingredients (except the acorn squash) in a bit of olive oil, until the onion is soft. Brush the tops and insides of the acorn squash with olive oil and then fill them with the apple/veggie mix. Top each with a small pat of butter.

Bake at 375 for an 75 minutes, or until the squash is soft.