Spice Cake with Parsnips (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, refined sugar free, vegan)

My mother always made a spice cake for my sister’s birthday. It was her favorite and she would have loved this one. Its light and moist texture will make even the pickiest cake eater happy. Topped with a spiced cream cheese frosting, its a delight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need:

9×13 baking dish, lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
1 cup cooked and pureed parsnips (steam the parsnips until tender; blend in food processor with a little water, up to 1/4 cup, to make puree; you’ll need approximately 1 pound of parsnips to make a cup of puree)
1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice or nutmeg (I don’t like nutmeg so I usually use allspice but if you do like nutmeg, feel free to use it instead of the allspice)
1/2 cup date sugar
1 tablespoon lucuma
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup avocado oil
3 tablespoons ground flax combined with 1/3 cup hot water, cooled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup club soda
1/2 cup hemp hearts (or if you can eat them, chopped walnuts)

Before beginning anything else, combine the ground flax and hot water so that it can stand for about 5 minutes and cool for later use. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to aerate and set aside. Combine the parsnips, oil, date sugar, lucuma, vanilla, baking powder and flax gel and beat to combine with a hand or stand mixer. Add to the dry ingredients along with the milk and club soda and beat until well combined.

Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Mixture is quite thick so needs to be spread evenly in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let cool on the counter for an hour before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine:

1/4 cup of vegan margarine
10 ounces of non-dairy cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon monk fruit powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice

Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth and ingredients well combined. Frost the cake and top with hemp hearts or chopped nuts.

Turkey Tetrazzini (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

After Thanksgiving, my mother would always make turkey tetrazzini. She added, of course, cream as well as either white wine or sherry. Since I can’t use those things, here’s my version without all that fat or any alcohol. Feel free to use whatever pasta you have on hand. I used a tortiglioni made from buckwheat flour that a friend recommended but I usually use spaghetti which is the more traditional pasta used in this dish.

You’ll need:

8 ounces of gluten-free pasta cooked al dente
2 cups of mushroom soup (see recipe under Soups and Salads or follow directions below — you will need additional ingredients to make this mushroom sauce)
8 ounces of sliced or diced mushrooms
1 medium onion diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup cooked peas
1 1/2 cups diced turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon died thyme
3-4 quart baking dish
1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
2-3 tablespoons avocado (or other) oil
2-3 tablespoons shredded non-dairy cheese
cooking spray for the baking dish

If you don’t have some mushroom soup already to go, use this simple alternative:

In a medium skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add diced mushrooms, celery and mushrooms. Cover and simmer over medium low heat about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add 3 tablespoons gluten-free all purpose flour (or brown rice flour) and stir to incorporate. Cook for a minute to begin cooking the flour. Add 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you don’t have any vegetable stock) and 1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice (except soy which will not thicken). Add the herbs and combine.

Combine the vegetables, pasta, sauce, and turkey in the skillet. Pour into the baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs and oil. Spread the shredded cheese and then the bread crumbs over the top of the casserole and bake for approximately 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Carob Fig “Truffles” (dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan)

I made filled chocolates for over fifty years until a few years ago when I realized that no one in my family or circle of friends could eat them anymore for one reason or another. So now I cover different flavored Oreos with chocolate for my grandson and my great-nieces. I have a friend, however, who asked me to please find a recipe for a candy that she can eat that’s healthy but still decadent enough to call candy. Here’s what I came up with. Don’t like figs? Not a problem, use dates (don’t soak them) or prunes instead. If you use dates, the mixture will be much sweeter. If the figs or prunes aren’t sweet enough for your family’s taste buds, add a few dates to sweeten it up.

You’ll need:

12 ounces of dried figs (or you can use fig paste or jam made with fresh figs in season; no need to soak those)
1/4 to 1/3 cup protein powder
1/4 cup carob powder (if you can have chocolate, feel free to use cocoa)
1/4 cup tahini (or if you can have it any nut butter will work)
zest of 1/2 an orange
juice from 1/2 orange (around 2 tablespoons)
pinch of salt
hemp hulls, coconut flakes, carob or cocoa powder, toasted sesame seeds, for rolling the truffles in
Remove the stems from the figs and put in a bowl, cover with hot water and let soak for around an hour. Drain and put in a food processor along with the protein powder (start with 1/4 cup), carob powder, tahini, zest and juice, and salt. Blend until smooth. If mixture is too wet, add the remaining protein powder.

Scoop out tablespoons full and with wet hands, roll them into balls (I had a small bowl of water next to where I was working so that I could wet my hands as needed). We want these the size for one to two bites so if a tablespoon is a little big, reduce the amount for each ball. I would say I used around 2 teaspoons per ball. Place them on parchment or waxed paper as you roll them out. It should make between 16 and 24 balls. Roll each ball in your choice of hemp hulls, coconut flakes, carob or cocoa powder, or toasted sesame seeds. Refrigerator for up to a week.

I found these very dense and rich so I could only eat 2 at a time. And, of course, oh so delicious and gooey. A great substitute for candy with all that sugar. Sweet and gooey without any sugar except the one naturally found in the fruit.

Variations:

12 ounces of prunes instead of figs — these don’t need to be soaked
12 ounces of dried mango — cut into small pieces before soaking and don’t add any additional liquid to the food processor
12 ounces of dried sweet dark cherries — again, no need to soak these but may need a few tablespoons of water to loosen the mixture (I covered these with chocolate ganache)
12 ounces of dried dates, pitted of course — don’t soak them but again they may need a few tablespoons of water if too thick
12 ounces of dried apricots — soak and again, don’t add any liquid to the mixture (I rolled these in ground almonds)

Creamed Onions and Peas (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)

My mother always made creamed onions for Thanksgiving and Christmas and it was one of my favorite side dishes. I’ve taken the fat, dairy, and gluten out of it but I think its just as good as the original. I’ve taken it to holiday dinners and everyone always enjoyed it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish. In a quart saucepan combine:

3/4 cups non-dairy milk (don’t use soy but any other will work but remember this is a savory dish so you don’t want a sweeter milk; hemp or rice work well)
3/4 cup of the juice drained from your jarred small white onions (or if you’ve used fresh small white onions that you boiled first, use 1 cup of the boiling liquid) [if you don’t have 3/4 cup of the drained liquid, add non-dairy milk to make up the difference]
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons brown rice flour

Whisk into the milk and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Steam:

12 ounces of frozen peas

Once you’ve drained the peas, add them along with 1 15 ounce jar of small white onions (after you drain the liquid into the sauce above) (or 1 1/2 cups if you used fresh ones) to the sauce. Mix well and pour into the greased casserole dish. For a topping, you can use 1/2 cup of gluten-free bread crumbs mixed into 1/4 cup of olive oil with some herbs, salt and pepper OR 1/2 cup of shredded non-dairy cheese. Or, even better, use the onion and bread crumb topping used for the Green Bean Casserole but mix in a 1/4 cup of shredded non-dairy cheese.

Quinoa and Wild Rice Stuffing (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegan)

My father and older brother used to spend the fall hunting birds such as grouse, pheasant, and quail. All of these birds are quite small so none alone would make a meal for six people so my mother would save them up all fall and for New Year’s Eve, she would bake them with a wild rice and artichoke stuffing. Here’s my version. Serves 6-8.

You’ll need:

1 cup cooked wild rice (be sure to get just wild rice, not a wild rice mixture. This took me some hunting but I did manage to find a small bag in my local grocery)
2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 diced onion
3 stalks of celery diced
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
8-10 small baby artichokes, cooked (I used jarred in water and they worked fine) and quartered – if you can’t find baby ones, use artichoke hearts but trim the tops to remove any tough pieces
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 quart baking dish, greased
1/4 cup avocado oil

Heat the oil in a medium skillet and add the onions, celery and mushrooms. Simmer over medium heat until tender. Add the rice and quinoa and mix thoroughly. Pour into the greased baking dish and pour the vegetable stock evenly over mixture (if you prefer, you can use turkey or chicken stock instead). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes uncovered.

Duck L’Orange (dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free)

I love duck, its my favorite poultry. This Thanksgiving, now that I’m alone and this being my first holiday without my husband, I didn’t want to do the traditional Thanksgiving feast that would give me more leftovers than I could possible eat so I decided, when I saw them in Whole Foods the other day, to cook myself a whole duck. I usually stick to duck breasts (see recipe under Entrees) but I’ve had duck l’orange several times and really enjoyed it but it’s so sweet the issue was how to do it without the sugar. Here’s what I did. You’ll have to forgive me for not including an image; I got so excited about this that I cut it up before taking a photo! And it was delicious – the skin was so crunchy and full of flavor thanks to the spice mix and the meat so juicy and flavorful. I served it along with creamed onions and peas and a wild rice and quinoa stuffing which was really good with the orange sauce (see side dishes for both these recipes). Makes 2 generous servings.

You’ll need for the duck:

4-6 pound duck
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1 orange cut in half
1 large onion cut in eighths
fresh thyme sprigs
fresh marjoram sprigs
1 cup stock, chicken or if you can find it, duck
2-3 carrots
2-3 stalks of celery
a large baking pan, preferably with high sides to reduce fat spattering
gravy separator if you have one
meat thermometer

You’ll need for the orange sauce:

1/4 cup raw honey
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
dash of salt
1/4 cup stock
1 tablespoon vegan margarine
1 tablespoon gluten-free flour (all purpose or brown rice works best)
1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Prepare the duck by cleaning out the cavity and drying the skin. Mix the salt, coriander, cumin, pepper and dry thyme. Rub the outside of the duck with the spice mixture and sprinkle some inside as well. Add 1/2 of the orange , 4 wedges of onion, the springs of thyme and marjoram to the cavity. Place the cleaned celery, carrots and other 4 wedges of onion in the baking dish in a line so that they raise the duck off the bottom of the pan (we’re using them like a baking rack). Put the duck in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes (you might want to be sure to turn on your overhead exhaust while you’re doing this to avoid the smoke alarm going off like it did in my house even though I didn’t see any smoke). While the duck is searing, mix together the juice of the other 1/2 orange with the 1 cup of stock.

After 20-30 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and add the stock mixture to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook for approximately 1-1/2 hours until duck reaches 170 degrees internal temperature in one of the thighs using a meat thermometer. Remove from oven and baking dish. Be sure to tilt when removing from the dish so that the internal juices can run into the baking dish. Carefully pour the baking dish juices into the gravy separator. While the duck is cooking make the sauce.

In a small saucepan, heat the orange juice and honey along with the vinegar, salt, orange rind and stock. Simmer until the duck is cooked. Add duck juices drained from the baking dish without the fat. If you don’t have a gravy separator, using a spoon, remove the fat from the top of the juices. If the duck juices don’t equal 1 cup, add stock to make up the difference.

Mix together the margarine and flour into a paste. Add to the simmering sauce using a whisk so that you don’t get any lumps. Continue cooking sauce until thickened, only a couple of minutes. Its now ready to serve.

Pumpkin Spice Stuffed French Toast (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegan)

I’ve always wanted to try stuffed French toast but how to make French toast without eggs was the dilemma. Here’s the solution. It takes a bit of forethought but its well worth the effort. Makes four servings.

You’ll need:

8 slices of gluten-free bread, the thicker the better
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon date sugar
6 ounces of non-dairy cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup milk of choice
2 tablespoons ground flax
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash of salt
1 cup cranberry compote (see separate recipe)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Spray a 8×10 inch baking dish. Mix:

6 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon date sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Using a fork, mix until well blended. Spread on all 8 slices of bread. Heat the milk and add the ground flax. Let cool until just warm. Add the baking powder, salt and vanilla and whisk to combine. Spread some of the cream cheese mixture on each of the bread slices. Add a tablespoon of cranberry compote to 4 slices. Top those slices with the other 4 slices of bread. Place in the baking dish. Top with the milk mixture. Let sit 15 minutes and then turn the bread over so that the other side can absorb milk mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Turn the bread over again.

In a 10-12″ skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or your oil of choice). Add the 4 bread pieces and cook over medium low heat for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and repeat. The slices may slip slightly from the cream cheese stuffing getting warm so be careful in turning. Here we want to allow the milk mixture to cook along with the bread but not overheat the middle cream cheese mixture which will then run out of the bread thereby taking away the “stuffed” part of the French toast. So keep the heat fairly low even it takes slightly longer to cook. When done, slice each diagonally and top with more cranberry compote or maple syrup if preferred.

Alternatives: If you don’t like pumpkin and cranberries here are some alternatives. Use instead of the pumpkin, apple or pear sauce (preferably chunky) along with a berry jam or apple butter. OR delete the pumpkin from the cream cheese mixture and use strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, or cherry jam instead of the cranberry compote.

Chickpea, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Patties (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free, soy-free, vegan)

If you love quinoa and sweet potatoes as much as I do, this recipe is a must for your side dish repertoire. It easy to make and delicious to eat, flavorful from the herbs and garlic as well as the sweet potato, crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. Garnish with your favorite aioli or eat them plain. Be sure to add lots of scallions to garnish as well since sweet potatoes love them. I used a curry aioli which I made by adding 2 teaspoons of curry powder to 1/2 cup of hot olive oil. Let it cool before you begin blending the aioli. Make sure you don’t heat the oil after you add the curry powder or it will burn very quickly. Makes 6 servings (2 patties each).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need:

1 cup cooked quinoa, whatever color you like
1 cup sweet potato puree
1 15 ounce can drained chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 of a medium onion
1/4 cup quinoa flour
2 scallions sliced for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon seasoning mixture such as Mrs. Dash
1 tablespoon ground flax, preferably golden
2 tablespoon arrowroot
1/3 cup water
1 to 1 1/2 cups breads crumbs, with seasonings added — remember if you need more, you can add more but you can’t take it away or use it again once you’ve covered your patties.

Mix the ground flax with 3 tablespoons of hot water and let sit until cool. In a food processor, add the chickpeas, garlic and onion. Blend until well mashed. In a bowl, put the quinoa, sweet potato puree, chickpea mixture, flour and seasonings. In a small bowl, mix the arrowroot with the other 3 tablespoons of water (cold this time). Combine the arrowroot and the ground flax mixtures and add to the quinoa mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Spread the bread crumbs in a small baking dish (I used a small cookie sheet with sides). Scoop out the quinoa mixture by 1/4 cups (it doesn’t have to be exact). Put the scooped mixture on the bread crumbs and cover with more bread crumbs as you flatten it. Place on another sheet while you finish the remaining patties, make sure you wipe off excess bread crumbs.

Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and when the patties are browned, put them on this cookie sheet in a single layer. In a large skillet, put 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat (more may be needed as the patties fry). Add the patties to the skillet without crowding and brown on each side. When all are fried, bake them for 15-20 minutes to heat through and cook inside. Garnish with aioli and scallions.

Shepherd’s Pie (dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free)

One of my mother’s old standby’s, shepherd’s pie is a definite comfort food for many New Englanders. Warm and filling, it gives us energy and the calories we need to go out and shovel the snow or rack the leaves (which is what I spent some time doing this morning). Here’s my take on it, feel free to use any ground meat you like, I’m limited since I’m allergic to most red meats. Traditionally, its made with mutton or lamb but I use turkey or chicken in mine. Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You’ll need:

1 pound ground meat, lean
10 ounce bag of mixed peas and carrots (organic if possible)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
Seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder – about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of each)
3 tablespoons gluten-free flour such as brown rice or all purpose
1 1/2 cups of stock (whatever you have on hand works; I used vegetable in mine)
2 cups mashed potato (or as in my case, celery root and parsnip mash see recipe under side dishes)
2 quart baking dish

In a steamer, steam the peas and carrots until just tender. Put them in the baking dish. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Add ground meat and seasonings. Stir as the meat cooks to crumble the meat up into small chunks. When meat is cooked, add the flour and stir to incorporate. Let cook for 2-3 minutes and add the stock. Stir and cook until thickened, another 2-3 minutes. Add to the baking dish; stir into the vegetables. Spread the potatoes or celery root/parsnip mash on the top and bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through and bubbling.

Butternut and Chard Tart (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, vegan)

I enjoy savory pies just as much as sweet ones. I wasn’t a believer in mixing squashes and cheese until I tried this tart. So yummy and such a great side dish for Thanksgiving. Feel free to substitute pumpkin or sweet potato, maybe even a different squash like acorn or hubbard. Serves 6-8.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You’ll need for the crust:

1 1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour
1/4 cup pepitas, toasted and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 tablespoons cold water

Since this is a gluten-free crust, the oil and water may change depending on the flour blend you use. Mix the above with a food processor or a fork until crumbly. Spread in a 9″ pie plate, pressing on sides and bottom. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. When cut this crust will act more like a graham cracker crust than a regular pie crust.

For the filling, you’ll need:

3 cups diced squash
1/4 cup olive oil
2 diced shallots
2 medium diced garlic cloves (or one large)
1/4 cup toasted and chopped pepitas
4-5 cups of sliced rainbow chard
1 tablespoon vinegar (1 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses could substitute for both the vinegar and agave nectar)
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey would work)
Salt and pepper to taste (approximately 1/4 teaspoon of each)
4 slices of non-dairy provolone or other creamy cheese
1/3 cup aquafaba combined with 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch (if you can use eggs, you can substitute 2 large eggs here)

Roast the squash for approximately 1/2 hour until tender, turning once so that it doesn’t burn on the bottom. Meanwhile in a large skillet combine the olive oil, diced shallots and garlic and saute for about a minute until tender. Add chard, vinegar, agave, and seasonings, combine and cook for another 3-5 minutes until chard is tender (I cooked mine a little longer because I like the stems along with the leaves and it takes a little longer for them to get tender). Add the pepitas, cheese and aquafaba (or eggs slightly beaten if you can use them). Stir in the squash and pour into the pie shell. Add another 4 slices of non-dairy cheese on top and bake for another 20-25 minutes until filling is set (the aquafaba may still be a little runny when you take it out of the oven but will set as it sits). Serve warm.