Cranberry Sauce

1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup water
12 oz cranberries
3 tbsp light rum
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/8 tsp ground ginger
zest of half a medium orange
juice of half a medium orange


Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved, then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until cranberries begin to burst, around 15 minutes, using a fork to crush any whole berries against the side of the pan until desired consistency is reached. Let set in bowl or mold in the refrigerator.

Colcannon

2 cups cubed potatoes
1 tbsp earth balance
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 cups frozen kale, thawed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
non-dairy milk
salt to taste

Cook the potatoes in heavily salted boiling water until tender, around 25 minutes. While the potatoes cook, heat the margarine and oil over medium-low heat and cook the garlic for one minute. Add the kale and cook for 5-10 minutes. When the potatoes are done, drain and add to the kale and mash with a potato masher, adding enough non-dairy milk to reach the desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash
2 medium carrots
1 medium potato
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp brandy
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried sage
salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Dice the butternut squash, carrots, and potatoes and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the squash, cooking for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the remaining vegetables, the stock, brandy, and herbs. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Use an immersion blender, or transfer the soup to a blender in batches, and blend until soup reaches desired consistency. Return to pot and season with salt and cayenne pepper.

Gluten-Free Oat Bread

1½ cup gluten-free oats
½ cup whole millet
½ cup sorghum flour
½ cup sticky rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1½ tsp salt
2 cups warm water
2¼ tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp + 1 tsp cane sugar
2 ener-g eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp agave
1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)

Add the oats and millet to a blender and grind them into flour, then transfer to a medium mixing bowl along with the sorghum flour, sticky rice flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl mix together 1/2 cup of the warm water, 1 tsp of the sugar, and all of the yeast. Let the yeast proof for 5-10 minutes, until relatively foamy. Add the ener-g eggs, oil, agave, the remaining sugar, and the remaining warm water to the yeast, then using a fork to mix the flour into the wet ingredients to form a very moist dough, almost like a very thick pancake batter. Mix for 2-3 minutes, then move to a greased 5-quart dutch oven or similarly sized baking dish.

Cover the baking dish with a tea towel and place on the top rack of the oven, and place a small pan filled with 2 cups of boiling water on a lower rack. Let the dough rise for 35-45 minutes, until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the oven and preheat it to 400°F. Gently cut a few slashes in the top of the dough and sprinkle poppy seeds onto the top of the loaf if using them, pressing them down lightly into the dough to get them to stick. Bake the bread uncovered on the middle rack of the oven for an hour. Allow the bread to sit for at least thirty minutes before slicing.

Vegan Nepali Rice Pudding

1 cup cooked white long grain rice
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup cane sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ tsp cardamom seeds (optional)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
salt to taste

In a large nonstick pan, combine the cooked rice and non-dairy milk over medium heat. Heat until the mixture just begins to boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently. Increase the heat to medium, mix in the coconut milk, sugar, and cardamom and continue to cook until the mixture just begins to thicken again. If it needs it, add salt to taste.

Once the mixture thickens again, remove from the heat and stir in the almonds. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Quick Spinach Tempeh

I lift weights regularly, and this is one of my go-to post-workout meals - it's quick, really tasty, and you can throw everything in the pan and walk away until it's done.

½ block tempeh
½ cup frozen spinach
1 tbsp tahini
½ tbsp tamari (or to taste)
1 tsp hoisin sauce
¼ tsp garlic powder*
¾ cup vegetable broth
½ cup cooked quinoa
salt to taste

Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat and crumble the tempeh into the pan. Add all of the remaining ingredients but the quinoa and cook, loosely covered, for 10-12 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Add the quinoa, cover the pan again, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

*If you've got a little more time on your hands, sub the dried garlic for 1 tsp of fresh minced garlic and cook it along with the tempeh in a bit of olive oil, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining ingredients and cook according to the rest of the directions.

Serves 1.

Red Lentil Daal

1 cup red lentils
3 cups vegetable broth
3 medium carrots, diced
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander seed
½ tsp fenugreek seed
½ tsp cardamom seed
½ tsp mustard seed
4 whole cloves
½ tsp ground mild chili
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp cashew butter*
½ tsp amchur powder or ½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp cane sugar
salt to taste

*You can do up the cashew butter yourself by placing 3 tbsp of dry roasted cashews in a coffee grinder and letting it run for ten seconds. Add ½ tsp oil and continue to continue to let it run, stopping occasionally, until it forms a smooth butter.

Rinse the lentils well under cold water and set aside.

In a large saucepan heat the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cardamom seeds, mustard seeds, and cloves over medium low heat until they are fragrant and begin to pop, around 1-2 minutes, making sure not to let them burn. Remove from the heat and grind into a powder along with the cinnamon, ginger, chile, and curry powder (a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle will work for this.)

Add the broth and spice mixture to the pan and bring the lentils to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and cook, covered, for 25-30 minutes, until the lentils have completely broken down. Add the cashew butter, amchur powder or lemon juice, and sugar to the lentils, and stir until combined. Add salt to taste.