Cranberry Relish

INGREDIENTS

4 cups Cranberries - fresh or frozen
The rind of two large or 3 small oranges
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar*
1 pinch of salt

DIRECTION

1. Combine all ingredients in a pan.
2. Cook over medium to high heat till the liquids are close to a boil.
3. Lower the heat to a simmer and let the Relish simmer, uncovered, till the relish thickens, stirring occasionally.
4. Cool and serve.

* - I use sugar in the raw - I think it adds a better flavor to the dish.

COMMENTS: This is a very simple recipe - easy to make. For a variation, I have added fresh ground ginger (1 tbsp) to the recipe. I like it - but some people find it a bit spicy.

Cashewnut Loaf with Cashew Gravy

INGREDIENTS

Loaf

2 Cups raw cashew nuts, chopped fine
2 Cups cooked brown rice
1 cup Soy or Rice Milk
2 Large onions, chopped
4 slices of bread*
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon (dried) mint parsley
1 teaspoon (dried) sage
1 teaspoon (dried) thyme

Gravy

2 Cups water
1/2 cup cashew butter
2 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon onion powder (or 1/2 onion, chopped)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon (dried) Sage

DIRECTIONS

Loaf

1. Preheat oven at 350°F.
2. Combine finely chopped nuts, crumbled bread, rice, chopped onions.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, blend well.**
4. Pour mixture into a well oiled loaf pan, and cook in oven for 1 hour.
5. Let it sit for 10 minutes before turning on to a platter.

Gravy

1. blend together all the ingredients in a pan.
2. Cook over a stove on medium to high till the liquid is close to boiling.
3. Lower the heat to medium to low and cook till gravy thickens.

* - Darker breads tend to add more color to the loaf. I have used whatever bread I could find over the years, and the result is always good.

** - If the mixture is too wet, the loaf will break when removing from the pan. You can fix this by adding an additional slice of bread.

COMMENTS: I got this recipe from a friend of Ken's, and ever since I first made it, it has been a holiday favorite for the family. It is a very filling and rich and flavorful dish - a perfect replacement for the Holiday Turkey or Ham.

Streusel Kuchen

INGREDIENTS

Streusel
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Cake
2 medium-size Golden Delicious apples, peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted soy margerine(2 1/4 sticks), room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 heaped tbsp of egg replacer

DIRECTIONS

Streusel

1. Mix flour, sugar, walnuts and salt in medium bowl.
2. Add melted butter and stir with fork until moist clumps form.

Cake

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F.
2. Butter (margarine, really) and flour 10-inch-diameter cake pan.
3. Toss apple slices, cinnamon, and cloves in medium bowl.
4. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into another bowl.
5. Combine soy margarine, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, egg replacer, and lemon peel in large bowl.
6. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until well blended.
7. Add flour mixture and beat just until blended.
8. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan (cake layer will be thin). Slightly overlap apple slices atop batter in concentric circles. Sprinkle streusel evenly over apples (streusel will cover apples).
9. Bake cake until streusel topping is crisp and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes.

COMMENTS: This recipe was originally in Bon Appétit. I got it from Epicurious.com and adapted it to a vegan recipe.

White Bean with Green Tomatoes and Walnuts

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of dried white beans (cannelloni or navy)
1 large green tomato
1 large white onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tsp sage
Salt and pepper to taste
water as needed

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak beans overnight.
2. Chop onions, saute at medium heat in oil till tender.
3. Drain the beans. Add beans, walnuts, sage, salt, and pepper to the onions.
4. Chop the tomatoes and add to the beans. Cover and cook over slow heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add some water if needed.

COMMENTS: This is a very hearty dish rich in proteins. I have served it over sliced bread as a brochette or as main dish. If in a rush, substitute canned beans for dried.

Grilled Summer Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch asparagus
2 Zucchini squash
2 Yellow Summer squash
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
salt , pepper to taste

DIRECTION

1. Soak wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes
2. Cut the zucchini and squash into halves, and then length wise
3. Trim ends off asparagus
4. Skewer the vegetables (in two spots - for stability)
5. Sprinkle Olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs on the vegetables
6. Grill for on high heat, turning the vegetables till slightly charred on the outside.

COMMENTS: I saw a similar recipe on epicurious.com - this is my own adaptation. Other vegetables such as peppers can be added. I would serve this with some crusty bread and a bean dish for a complete meal.

Basmati Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Basmati Rice
2 cups water
2 sticks of cinnamon
2 star anise
2 tbsp of vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat the oil in a oven safe saucepan. Add the Cinnamon sticks, add the rice, stir till the rice is coated with oil.
3. Add the water. Bring the water to boil. Cover the saucepan, move to the oven. Time the oven to cook for 30 minutes.

COMMENTS: I like long grain rice to be not sticky. Short grained rice is more starchy, and more suited to make sticky rice. The spices add an aroma to the rice.

Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 red onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger*
6 cups water
1 cup red lentils
2 tomatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks chopped celery
1 teaspoon garam masala**
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom**
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In large pot saute the onions, garlic, and ginger in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the water, lentils, carrots, celery, garam masala, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer, until the lentils are soft.

* - I keep minced ginger in my refrigerator - available from Whole Foods Market.
** - Available in Indian stores or in Whole Foods

COMMENTS: I like red onions because they have a sharper taste, and the more the color, the more nutritious the vegetable.

Curried Lentils

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cup dried lentils*
1 medium red onion
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp Curry Paste**
3-4 cups of water***
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak lentils overnight. Rinse and drain.
2. Slice onion. Saute onions at medium to high heat in oil in a skillet till onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add the lentils and curry paste. Saute for about 1 minute, add water. Lower heat when the water starts to boil.
4 . Cook till lentils are tender, adding water as needed. Check for salt before serving.

* - You can use canned lentils, but the consistency will differ.
** - I use Patak's Mild curry paste, available at most supermarkets.
*** - The amount of water depends on the consistency desired.

COMMENTS: I made this for a party and had several requests for the recipe - so here it is!