This pumpkin butter was really easy to make and resulted in a tasty spread that I am donating to a craft fair to benefit Shakti Rising. Who says you have to pay for gourmet?

Some uses for this fabulous spread:

• On toast (with cream cheese – an  absolute favorite in my dairy days)
• Swirl with cream cheese and serve with bread or crackers for a holiday party
• As a topping on vanilla ice cream
• Thin with water or apple juice and drizzle over waffles, french toast, or pancakes
• As a sauce for baked apples
• Stir it in yogurt for breakfast, top with chopped walnuts
• Use instead of pumpkin in pumpkin muffins
• And whatever else your imagination can create (reply below with your ideas!)

Behold — the pumpkin butter:

• 15 oz. canned pumpkin
• 1 cup organic applesauce
• 1/3 cup sucanat
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• pinch of cloves (up to 1/8 tsp)
• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a small pan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Mixture will splatter – be careful! Upon boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally as mixture thickens.

When mixture is very thick, remove from heat and let cool.

While spread is cooling, bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil jars and their lids to sterilize.

Spoon into tight-sealing jars and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Last night I carved my first turkey. Having emerged back into carnivorism after 15 years meat-free, this was a genuinely novel experience. My inner scientist was reliving memories from the cadaver lab in college, my inquisitive child was exploring the newness of the entire experience, and my 15 year old vegan self was in shock, then likely passed out completely since I heard no word from her.

I clumsily picked apart the bird and was left with the bones. A perfect, perfect excuse for homemade soup stock.

Making soup stock from bones is powerful medicine. The long cooking time in stock allows the heat of the water to penetrate the bone, releasing really potent nutrition into the stock. What is leftover is nothing short of medicine — cures for the common cold, liquid bone-building nutrition, numerous nutrients that can penetrate into our bodies and revitalize, nourish, and rebuild us during these dormant winter months.

Below is a stock recipe which the household turkey is contributing to. Again I have an opportunity to give thanks for its life and maximise its gift to the household. Again I have a chance to be grateful for such nourishment and celebrate its life by going forth and celebrating my own.

Reduced Fat Turkey Stock:

• 1 Organic turkey carcass
• 10 to 12 cups water
• 1/2 cup carrot slices
• 1 celery rib, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 burdock root, scrubbed clean and chopped
• 1/2 large onion, cut into chunks
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 small whole dried red pepper
• 2 sprigs rosemary (or 1 tbsp. dried)
• 1 sprig sage (or 2 tsp. dried)
• 1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
• 4-8 whole peppercorns
• sea salt to taste (or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos if you tolerate soy well)

Place broken bits of turkey in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cover with water by at least an inch. Add carrots, celery, burdock, onion, garlic and herbs and spices. Cover and bring slowly to a boil; reduce heat to low and skim off any scum on surface. It is important to simmer your stock and do not continue to let it boil. This leads to a richer tasting stock. Furious bubbling breaks up particles and causes clouding also. Cover the pot and simmer approximately 3 to 4 hours.

Remove from heat to strain. To remove smaller bits in the stock pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve placed over a large pot. Discard turkey bones, meat, and vegetables. Place stock into shallow containers and refrigerate immediately. Refrigerate soup stock overnight and skim any congealed fat from the surface in the morning.

The stock will last for about a week in the fridge. You can freeze the stock and it should maintain taste and quality for about three months. This nutritive stock can be used for turkey soup, as the liquid for boiling brown rice or other whole grains, or as a healing broth for the ill over the winter season.

RECIPE: Vegan Pumpkin Tart with Pecan Crust

1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup water, more as needed
2 large potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, sliced in half lengthwise and chopped
2 cups kale or favorite mixed greens
3 tbsp. fresh parsley
2 tsp. nutritional yeast
Tamari or soy sauce, to taste
1 tbsp. chickenless broth powder mixed in 1 cup Imagine Foods non-dairy cream based soup mix (can be found at Fred Meyer in natural foods section)
1 tsp. arrowroot powder (cornstarch may be used)
1 leek, sliced thin
3 stalks celery, sliced thin
4 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
Red pepper flakes to taste
Rosemary to taste
Pepper to taste
Oregano to taste

BISCUIT CRUST
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. sweetener of choice
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup non-dairy cream soup base or hemp milk
3 tsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. Earth Balance, palm oil or coconut oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sauté onion in water until clear. Add potatoes and carrots and cook until they begin to soften. Add all remaining veggies and cook for 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat, and add nutritional yeast, tamari, and seasonings. Dissolve broth powder and arrowroot/cornstarch in soup base and pour mixture into steaming veggies. Stir and continue cooking until mixture thickens slightly.
Spoon mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Cover with crust and bake until crust is browned, about 30 minutes.
For Crust:
Sift flour(s), soda and powder, salt and sweetener. Cut the margarine into the mixture until it becomes coarse. Mix the vinegar with the soup base and let sit for approximately 3 min. Pour soured milk into flour mixture and mix with a fork until moist. Knead dough in bowl and turn out onto floured cutting board. Roll dough to fit the top of the casserole and lay it over the veggies.

The colors and flavors of this untraditional chili are wonderfully diverse and complex. Like many chilies, this one tastes better the next day! Serve over brown rice or in a large baked potato.

2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tsp. chipotle powder (or 3 dried chipotle chilies ground in a spice mill)
1 tsp. cumin
2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
1 large garnet yam, peeled and diced
2 large zucchini, chopped
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 15oz. can No Salt Added pinto beans, drained
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. lime juice
4 tbsp. cilantro, chopped, and more to garnish, if desired.

Heat olive oil on med-high. Add onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring for one minute. Add vegetable broth and yams. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until yam is softened. Add corn, zucchini, tomatoes with their juices, and beans. Cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes, until chili thickens and yam is very tender. Stir in orange zest, lime juice and cilantro. Spoon into bowls and garnish with additional cilantro, if desired.

Serves 4.

Recipe taken from Pioneer Organics Healthy Home Delivery Newsletter, week of 11/08/04

250 calories, 6.6 grams of protein, 47 grams carbs, 4 grams of fat per serving (a recipe makes 4 servings)

This recipe is courtesy of Whole Foods. Several months ago they asked for recipe makeover requests for those with food intolerances. I emailed asking for a soy, dairy, gluten-free lasagna. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one! Below is the original makeover with the soy-free option (which I used). The eggs in the recipe cleverly serve to hold all ingredients together in absence of the cheese. While it lacks the gooey, chewy texture that only loads of mozzarella can provide, the flavors come close enough to satisfy this girl’s cravings. Happy with the results, I am sharing them with all of you.
Enjoy!

Two readers requested a gluten-free, dairy-free lasagna recipe. Surprising as it may seem, not all tomato, marinara or pasta sauces are gluten-free and some even contain dairy, so be sure to read the label carefully before making your selection. For those who cannot tolerate soy, this recipe can be made soy free by eliminating the tofu. Simply increase the number of eggs to four. Distribute the egg mixture in equal parts over each layer of noodle and top with sauce as per recipe instructions.

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 (14-ounce) package soft tofu (not silken), drained (omit for soy-free)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken (I used grass-fed ground beef)
• 3/4 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch spinach, stemmed, cleaned and coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 4 cups gluten-free tomato or marinara sauce
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons garbanzo or fava bean flour (any gluten-free flour will be fine)
• 1 (16-ounce) package gluten-free lasagna noodles
• (always an improviser, I added carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and red peppers to my lasagna mix in place of the tofu.)

To prepare the filling, coarsely crumble tofu onto two layers of a lint-free dish towel. Wrap tofu in the towel and lightly press out excess moisture; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté onion until tender, about 4 minutes. Add turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until just brown, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. In two batches, add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes each. Stir in basil and tomato sauce. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Whisk eggs and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Add flour and whisk until well blended and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Unwrap tofu, crumble it into small pieces and add it to egg mixture. Stir to fully coat. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions in salted boiling water, but reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes. The noodles should be slightly firm, as they will continue cooking in the oven. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

To assemble the lasagna, preheat oven to 350° F. Ladle 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish and spread it out evenly. Place 3 lasagna sheets on top of the sauce. Place 1/3 of the tofu mixture on the lasagna sheets along with about a 1/4 of the sauce, distributing it evenly. Repeat layering two more times with 3 lasagna sheets, 1/3 of the tofu mixture and 1/4 of the sauce. (If going soy-free, pour a little of the beaten eggs over each layer as well) Finish with a final layer of noodles and remaining sauce, taking care to spread the sauce evenly all the way to the corners. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Info

Per serving (About 16.5oz/472g-wt.): 570 calories (170 from fat), 18g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 30g protein, 69g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 115mg cholesterol, 880mg sodium

Spring has been highly elusive in the Pacific Northwest. We experienced our coldest March on record, latest snow ever in April, and as I type, it’s not quite sunny and hovering around 45 degrees. Yesterday it dipped into the 30′s; there was frost on my windshield this morning.

So this extension of winter-type weather means warm beverages. I’ve been sucking down spicy chai from World Spice Merchants and Morning Glory, but an excess of cardamom pods in my kitchen are whispering to me….”It’s time to make your own!”

Cardamom is a member of the ginger family, but lacks that spicy sensation. It’s strong and astringent and a little pungent with very mild minty undertones. It’s easily recognizable when solo, such as in a cardamom pudding.  Here in the west we use it predominantly in sweet desserts: pumpkin pies, gingerbread, and the like. In other parts of the world, it finds itself in curries, teas, and as a flavoring in coffee (Turkey). Medicinally it has been used for disorders of the mouth, throat and lungs and digestive troubles. Rumor has it it serves as an anti-dote to snake and scorpion venom, but I can’t say I’d recommend that as a first course of treatment.

Freshly ground is ideal, as it loses flavor quickly. In chai, whole pods are used. Below is a chai recipe courtesy of Chef Akasha Richmond created exclusively for WhiteWave Foods. In the interest of those with food intolerances, I have altered the recipe slightly.

Yogi Chai Tea

Serves 4

• 2 qts. water
• 12 whole cloves
• 16 green cardamom pods
• 20 whole black peppercorns
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• Eight 1/4″ pieces of fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp. loose black tea (green tea can also be used)
• 1 qt. plain soymilk, rice milk,  or nut milk
• Honey, maple syrup or agave to taste

Place water and all spices into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, allowing delicious aromas to fill your home. Turn off the heat and add black or green tea (omit for a caffeine-free chai). Let sit for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve.  Return to the pot and add non-dairy beverage of choice. Sweeten to taste.

Alternatively, refrigerate tea without the addition of the creamy, non-dairy beverage and season per cup. This is an ideal method when differing, multiple intolerances exist within one household (such as a one dairy and one soy intolerance, for instance).

My favorite holiday food growing up was my mother’s sweet potatoes. The recipe had been passed down from my great-grandmother and unlike most family’s marshmallow-laden recipe, ours was studded with pecans and brown sugar. Often called yams, the dark orange fleshy tubers we enjoy every holiday (canned, marshmallow-laden or otherwise) are actually sweet potatoes.

These foods come into season November and December, but are available year round for our enjoyment. They are an ideal winter food – heavy and warming with a sweet taste that satisfies cravings that peak during dark months. Rich in beta-carotene, sweet potatoes give us the precursor to Vitamin A that is essential for night vision. They are a perfect example of how nature gives us the appropriate foods at the appropriate time of year.
Sweet Potatoes, despite their candy-like flavor (which is enhanced by roasting or broiling) are low in the glycemic index and do not cause the spike in blood sugar white baking potatoes can, making them a preferred food of bodybuilders, diabetics, and those following a low glycemic diet. They are rich in soluble fiber, B6 and potassium, all heart healthy compounds which protect against heart disease. The sweet potato is also rich in powerful antioxidants which protect against inflammation and certain cancers.

This wonderful whole food is a great way to get healthy, nutrient rich carbohydrates that will not adversely affect your blood sugar or weight. For the next few months, replace steak fries with baked sweet potato fries and white rice or mashed Russets with mashed sweet potatoes. Enjoy them in savory and sweet dishes!

Below is a recipe for Sweet Potato Fries. I encourage you to give them a try for dinner one night. If you have a favorite sweet potato recipe you’d like to share, I’d love to see it!

Sweet Potato Fries

• 6 Sweet Potatoes, cut like steak fries
• 2 tbsp. Coconut Oil, warmed, or grapeseed, sesame, or peanut oil (these do well under higher heat)
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 3 TB. Mexican seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or spices of choice
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (220 degrees Celsius). In a mixing bowl, toss sweet potatoes with oil and spices. Place potato wedges evenly on a baking sheet with enough space between each wedge to allow them to get crispy. Bake for 10-30 minutes (depending on size), flipping the over halfway through to brown all sides. When finished, they should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe comes from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. If you don’t have or feel like skewering these vegetables, they will be just as tasty simply oven-roasted. Enjoy!

Ah, is that the sound of sniffles in the air?

Cold and Flu season has arrived! Normally I squeak by unscathed, but this fall I can’t make that claim. I’m just sick enough to be a little cranky and low energy, but not so ill to feel comfortable taking a rest day. After whining for a spell, I’ve realized that I’m going to nip this in the bud quicker by doing less, dosing up on my favorite remedies, and getting some extra sleep. This is somewhat of an amazing feat as it counters a multi-generational attitude in my family (on both sides) of “toughing it out” through illness and injury.

I know many get struck with the cold or flu every time it comes around. While long-term nutrition strategies for a healthy immune system are the best way to counteract this, individual consulting is the best place for that discussion. So I’m going to share some of my favorite “helpers” to recover from illness quickly after you’ve been bit.

1) EHB: One of NF Formulas most popular concoctions, this herbal and vitamin support for immunity cuts the duration of illness significantly. This coupled with the Master Cleanser (below) enabled me to knock out Mononucleosis in 3-4 days about a decade ago. I’ve been a faithful supporter ever since!

2) Master Cleanser: This recipe, adapted from Stanley Burrough’s notorious fasting beverage, will knock out just about any cold, flu, or infection you may be experiencing.

• juice of one lemon
• 1 tbsp grade B maple syrup
• 2-3 small cloves garlic
• 1″ fresh ginger root, peeled.
• cayenne pepper or cayenne tincture, to taste
• 1/2 cup water
• hot water

Blend lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and half cup water until smooth. Pour into a 24-32 oz. mug and top off with hot water. This is most effective at night after a hot bath and before bed. Alternatively, it can be nursed throughout the evening. Use as much cayenne as you can tolerate. It tastes much better than it sounds, believe me!

3) Sweat it out! Saunas or hot baths increase the core body temperature will often kill off unwanted invaders. This is essentially creating a feverish environment within the body. Drink plenty of water during and after your bath or sauna. Also, wrap up in warm clothes and blankets afterwards to draw out the sweating potential.

4) Soup’s On! Mom’s chicken soup, a bowl of steaming pho, or your favorite broth-based soup rich with vegetables and protein will help boost your immune system, retain heat, and sweat out invaders. Garlic, ginger, cayenne, thyme, shiitake mushrooms, and licorice root can be added to further support the immune system and fight viruses.

What is your favorite way to combat colds and flus? Do you have any family recipes or tips that you’ve used to hasten the duration of a cold? I’m always open to suggestions and would love to hear what you have found helpful for you! Please share your favorite tips and recipes with me. If published, I’ll be sure to give you credit for your thoughtfulness!