Pumpkin Love: Poetry in a Pie

Pumpkin is like a mother: embracing, enhancing, enveloping. Whatever you give to pumpkin she highlights, holds, affirms.

Have you ever noticed, for instance, the way pumpkin embraces ginger, softens into cinnamon, rises up for nutmeg. She is tasteful with clove, grounding for cayenne, elegantly delightful with the green herbs of basil, sage, tarragon and thyme.

No wonder pumpkin pie feels like a warm hug.

Pumpkin is a power food when it comes to weight loss, heart health, anti-aging, and immune strength. Low in calories, pumpkin is full of fiber and rich with the antioxidants, the chemistry of youth, that help your body forgive and forget the occasional food trespass.

It is the added sugar, wheat and heavy creams that weigh down dear pumpkin, diminishing its power to lift you up. Fortunately, pumpkin is so forgiving that forgoing sugar, grain and dairy does not have to mean forgoing flavor.

How like a mother ~ forgiving and so giving!

Personally, I think food tastes better when you can actually taste each ingredient. So it was a delight yesterday when the boys followed each bite with a chant of “Mmmm, this is so good!” But I was certain after our house painter swallowed it down with eyes of delight, gently offering me his plate afterwards with a serious, “Best I ever had, Señora.”

If it is good for someone who doesn’t owe me a compliment and isn’t used to our food ways, then I think it must be good for all. I know it is good to all, so when you serve up this pie for the holidays you can be sure you are loving your loved ones as mother nature loves you. And that is lot to be thankful for. 

For this, I roasted two small pumpkins at 475F for about an hour, or until a knife ran through the middle with ease. But Pacific makes a good organic purée in a box you could use if you have less time, or want to make it in a jiff.

Healthy Pumpkin Pie

Pie Crust

2 c Hazelnuts, toasted
4 medjool Dates
hefty pinch pink Salt
1/2 t Vanilla
dash Cinnamon

Pulse all the ingredients in your electric blender until you have a chunky pulp. Press into a pie pan, spread evenly and refrigerate.

Pie Filling
1 c Cashews, soaked 2-4 hours
2 medium Pumpkins (or 4 cups Pumpkin purée)
6 Dates
1 T Coconut Oil
1 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Nutmeg
1/4 t Ginger
1/4 t Clove
1/2 t pink Salt
optional: generous splash Cardamom
2 T Chia Seeds (more if you like it firmer)
Optional: 1-2 T Raw Honey

Set your oven to 475F. Pierce your pumpkins and bake 30 minutes or until a knife cuts through easily.

Allow to cool. Slice open and remove the seeds. Peel the pulp from the skin and place in your electric blender. Add dates and purée. Drain the cashews and add along with the coconut oil and spices to your purée. Blend thoroughly. Taste and adjust your seasonings. I like lots of cinnamon and nutmeg so might have added more. Add honey according to your taste.

Add Chia Seeds, pulse lightly, just enough to mix in the seeds. Pour into the crust, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, dress it up with a shower of cinnamon, a border of hazelnuts, a maze of honey, or a waltz of raspberries. Serve with a dollop of honey or maple syrup infused yogurt.

Know your dosha? 

If you are Vata: You might prefer it with another 2-3 dates.
If you are Pitta: Replace the honey with real maple syrup.
If you are Kapha: Increase the amount of ginger, cinnamon and clove.

If there are leftovers, this is delicious for breakfast. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gluten free, Sugar free, No Bake Apple Pecan Pie

Two years ago at our Yoga Therapy Training, I served a gluten free, dairy free, no sugar added, homemade apple pie. The recipe was requested. It has taken me these years, but at long last, here, finally, it is.

Unfortunately, when I first came to write it up last month I couldn’t find the recipe. Fortunately, that meant I had to try it a few times before it came right again, and that meant a lot of apple pies this autumn. Yes, we are blessed!

The saying An apple a day… is truer than ever. Apples support your liver to help your body process and releases toxins in our air, water, food – more important now than ever. Apples help clear your colon, also more important than ever – as everyone, even mother earth, needs extra support now in eliminating waste.

Apples are good for your blood, eyes, skin. Apples are cool, so they are Pitta-reducing and anti-inflammatory. They are sweet, so they are Vata-reducing and tonifying – especially when sliced, tossed in fresh lemon juice, and sprinkled with cinnamon, as in this recipe. They are also light enough to be good for Kapha, reducing blood sugar and helping you feel full with less, thanks to so much fabulous fiber.

That makes apples tridoshic, meaning they love everyone, so everyone gets to enjoy this super food, super “free”, super pie!

Be sure you use your favorite apple. Since they aren’t going to be cooked, they will taste in the pie the way they taste in your hand when you eat straight from the fruit basket. I used “Sweetie” apples, but anything fresh, crunchy and sweet will be good.

For the decoration, I wanted some red so used a Fuji, but a crispy green apple would give a lovely color, too.

I added a bit of almond butter to make it an extra high protein, high fiber, high nutritional meal I could have for breakfast, or for the kids as a midday snack. The almond butter makes the filling a bit more caramel-y, but if you feel that is too nutty for you, leave it out. It’s still great.

Also, if you are allergic to nuts you can skip the pecans and just make a crust of dates. Yes, just dates. Or, if it’s safe for you, add a tablespoon of coconut oil, and/or toasted sunflower seeds,

If you want it fully raw, skip the pecan toasting. I’ve done it that way and it works, too. But toasting draws the divine essence from pecans, giving golden, nutty grounding to the crisp, sunburst of the apple.

Easy, No Bake Apple Pecan Pie

Pie Crust:

2 c Pecans
10 Medjool Dates, pits removed
1 T Coconut Oil
A hearty pinch of Himalayan Salt
A pinch of Cinnamon
A dash Nutmeg

Pie Filling:

6 Apples
6 Medjool Dates, seeds removed
1 Lemon, juiced
2 T Almond Butter, optional
1 T Raw Honey, also optional
1 hefty pinch of Himalayan Salt
1 hearty dash of Cinnamon
1 light dusting of Cardamom, optional
1/4 c Chia Seeds

To make the crust:

Toast the pecans until they are very lightly brown. Put them aside. In your electric blender, macerate the dates. Add the coconut oil and spices and mix. Toss in the pecans and pulse lightly three times, just enough to break up and integrate with the dates, but careful not to turn this into pecan butter.

Press the crust into a pie dish (mine is 9.5″). Cover with a plate facing up so the slight bowl of the plate presses into the crust and so that the crust is entirely covered. Place in your refrigerator if you have a few hours before filling, or into your freezer if you don’t.

To make the filling: 

Again, start with the dates. Blend on high speed until they are completely mashed. Juice your lemon and set aside 1 tablespoon for later. Add the lemon juice, almond butter honey and spices to the dates and blend well. Slice your apples and add. Blend until the mixture starts resembling a very chunky apple sauce. Add the chia seeds. Pulse a few times to blend thoroughly. Pour this mixture onto the pie crust. Spread evenly. Cover (I turn the plate that was sitting on the crust over and use to cover) and place in your fridge. Allow to set at least four hours.

Garnish: 

This doesn’t need a topping, but if you like the apple rose on top, just core an apple and slice very, very thin. To keep the slices from browning as you slice, put each slice as you cut into a bowl with that remaining lemon juice. Once all the pieces are cut and in the bowl, sprinkle a dash or two of cinnamon and toss. The set each piece, one by one, in an overlapping circle around the outer edge. Continue making smaller circles towards the middle until the pie is covered. Then set a pecan or a few thin slices of lemon rind in the very center.

This is so simple and so quick: apart from the 4 hours in the refrigerator to let the chia seeds do their work, you can make this start-to-finish in 15 minutes.

I guess you could call this a trick on a treat, because it seems like dessert, yet it’s delightfully good for you. Let me know if you try it, and any variations you enjoy.

being silly at the bay :: protecting from the sun :: napping after a yoga therapy training picnic

What sort of tricks or treats are you doing this hallowed e’en?

Thanksgiving Loaf

Last year over the Thanksgiving holiday we wandered up to Door County, Wisconsin to visit our friend, the unique and immensely talented Hans Christian. On exotic, multi-stringed instruments, Hans plays a music that transports you to sacred heights.

He played a number of these instruments on my husband Bhava’s most recent album Songs of My Soul, which he also produced. So we went up last Thanksgiving to visit, see his studio, and listen to a few of Bhava’s tracks as they were being engineered. This is a cut from that album, over images from my husband’s memoir Warrior Pose.

It turns out that Hans is also a great cook. And while we didn’t get to try it while we were there, he talked us through his favorite Thanksgiving recipe. This is my reconstruct from the barest of notes. I hope it does it justice. It certainly is hearty and delicious – already a tradition in our home.

Hans’ Thanksgiving Nut Loaf
Serves 8

4 cups Brown Basmati Rice, cooked
2 cups Walnuts, chopped
2-3 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup Celery, chopped (feel free to add more and be generous with the celery)
2 tablespoons Caraway seeds
4 Eggs
2 tablespoons Tamari
1 tablespoon Ghee (or Coconut Oil), just barely melted
1/2 teaspoon Pink Salt
Fresh-cracked Pepper
Dusting of Red Pepper Flakes, or Cayenne, or my favorite, Aleppo

Set your oven to 400 degrees. Line a loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5) with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment, oil the bottom and sides with ghee, or coconut oil.

Put 1 tablespoon cheese to the side. In a large bowl, mix together the rice, walnuts, all the rest of the cheese, celery and caraway seeds. Whisk the eggs together and stir into the rice mixture to completely cover. Add the tamari, ghee/oil, salt, and peppers, this time just lightly mixing to spread the seasonings through.

Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan. Use your clean hands, or a spatula, to press down and push it into the corners. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Set the loaf pan in your oven, and cook for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Served with a sauce like Barbara’s “Best Ever Vegan Gravy” will round out the Thanksgiving flavors. But the true test of Thanksgiving perfection? Friday leftovers! This makes an incredible sandwich by lightly reheating the slices and placing between two pieces of toasted bread generously smeared with a Curried Aioli ~ 2 T Mayo, 1 clove garlic, 1 t lemon juice, and a few shakes of your favorite curry powder stirred together well. Pile on the greens and your feast of thanksgiving just got portable!

Bhava’s CD turned out beautifully. For divine music and meals, friends and family, beauty and the quiet solace of  nature and places like Door County ~ we are grateful.

~ Click to sample Bhava’s CD ~

We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

*Namaste*

~ ~ ~

A Vegetarian Christmas

I wanted to share with you our Christmas Dinner Menu, in case you are still looking for ideas. Feel free to print out this menu – just double click on it for print version. I have attached links below to all the recipes.

Chestnut Porcini Soup is featured in Edible San Diego, and is the creation of Patrick Ponsaty, Chef de Cuisine at Mistral, the signature restaurant at Loews Coronado Bay Resort.

Sage Bread is from Delicious Living, the magazine for Real Food, Natural Health, Green Planet.

Brioche Stuffing With Chestnuts and Figs is from the New York Times Well Recipes, but I’ve adapted it and posted  my vegetarian version here. This Christmas I will add to it raisins, fresh cranberries and rosemary.

Roasted Root Vegetables: Red Beets, Indigo, Orange & Cream Colored Carrots, and White Parsnips ~ Nestled alongside the Stuffing, this will roast in a bit of olive and safflower oil tossed with rosemary, covered in foil for the first thirty minutes and left uncovered the final 10.

Oregon Blue

Vegetarian Gravy

Cranberry Chutney

Winter Greens & Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue Cheese

Buche de Noel

Egg Nog Lassi

Enjoy ~

I wish you a Holiday Season full of Love, Light and Peace.

Chestnut Porcini Soup

Chestnut Porcini Soup

I found this recipe in Edible San Diego, a wonderful new magazine about local farms, markets and restaurants. It is featured in a profile of Patrick Ponsaty, Chef de Cuisine at Mistral, a restaurant overlooking San Diego Bay.

The original was not vegetarian, but with some adaptations is now a perfect “Opening” to our Christmas dinner. It would also make a great meal for those days after Christmas, when you want something hearty and hale. It’s certainly a creative way to use up any Chestnuts remaining from Christmas!

CHESTNUT & PORCINI SOUP
Makes 5-6 servings

1 yellow onion, medium dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 bouquet thyme
1 pound porcini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
4 ounces white wine
9 ounces chestnuts
42 ounces vegetable stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon black truffle oil
4 ounces heavy cream
1 sprig cilantro, for garnish

In a medium stockpot, sweat onions in olive oil until translucent, then add chopped garlic and thyme. Add ⅓ of mushrooms and cook them until sweated out. Repeat with the next ⅓ and the next ⅓ until all mushrooms are cooked.

Once mushrooms have evaporated and have started to caramelize, deglaze with white wine.  After all alcohol in wine has evaporated add chestnuts. Cover with chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook for 30–45 minutes.

Remove from heat and add truffle oil. Place small amounts in a blender, add a splash of cream each time and blend until smooth. Repeat this process until all is blended. Use a whisk to mix all the batches together.

Check for seasoning and serve hot. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Chestnuts

Mistral is the signature restaurant at Loews Coronado Bay Resort.

French Toast Brioche

Sarabeth’s Brioche

When we arrived at a recent Holiday party with our Brioche Chestnut & Fig Stuffing adapted from the New York Times Well Recipes, a friend asked, “What is Brioche?”

Brioche is a flaky, buttery bread that is so light it could almost be a cake. While our recipe called for a loaf, brioche is more often baked in muffin tins where it rises to form happy, little puffed crowns, as in the photograph on the right from the cover of Sarabeth’s Bakery, a gorgeous cookbook from Sarabeth Levine.

Brioche is great for dipping, so it is a delight with coffee for breakfast or with afternoon tea. For an indulgent European breakfast, it is delicious with hazelnut chocolate spread, which has the added benefit of boosting brain power. For an Ayurvedic spin, spread your brioche with Chyavanprash, an immune-boosting, rejuvenating tonic disguised as an herbal jam and packed with vitamins and minerals to fortify your morning.

For our breakfast this morning, we made the best of our leftover brioche. Since the Stuffing we made yesterday needed only half the loaf and we also had to buy 6 eggs to get 2 for that recipe, we were left with the perfect ingredients for the world’s most succulent French Toast.

The Remains of the Day’s Brioche

~~~

This recipe was inspired by my father who loved making Saturday breakfast while children of every age crawled all over him. Try it and see if people don’t come running to you.

Dorie Greenspan promises it doesn’t have to be difficult to make lighter-than-air, delectable, Marie Antoniette-worthy brioche, if you want to try your hand and make your own Greenspan’s new book, Around My French Table, has the recipe and many more savories suitable for vegetarians.

Vegetarian Gravy

Vegetarian Gravy

Yesterday we made Brioche Stuffing with Chestnuts and Figs for a holiday gathering with friends. It was delicious with steamed carrots, celery, fennel and a hot gravy.

Vegetarian gravy is fun to make, but yesterday we also had five boys over for a birthday celebration, so it was fabulous to be able to just add hot water to Macayama’s Savory Herb Mix, give it a whisk and pour it into the gravy bowl.

Here’s what we do most of the time ~

VEGETARIAN GRAVY

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion or shallots
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or gf)
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and soy sauce to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth.

Season with sage, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Brioche Stuffing With Chestnuts and Figs

Photo by Michael Nagle for The New York Times

This Sunday we are going to celebrate the opening of our friend’s new Yoga Studio in Old Town Temecula. The studio will be called “Sacred Journey” after the sacred journey of healing our friend experienced in Yoga Teacher Training.

As it is a Potluck, I am bringing a dish that seems to make, foodwise, a sacred journey of its own from Thanksgiving to Christmas. As a “Stuffing,” it keeps Thanksgiving alive ~ after all, why should Thanksgiving, with its aromatic feast and endless gratitude, have to end? But with its redolent chestnuts and figs, it introduces us to the flavors of Christmas.

In London, where I lived for so many years, the dim, foggy streets not only came alive with holiday lights in December but with that distinct old world aroma of chestnuts roasting on an open fire.   Years prior, I lived in Italy, where figs were our cherished Christmas presents.  So this is a recipe that captures my heart as it recalls flavors and dishes and times and places and dear friends from the sacred journey of my own life.

My sister sent me this recipe from the New York Times. I used ghee instead of butter, added golden raisin and upped the amount of figs to a full cup. My family has asked me to make it for Christmas dinner, when I will also add 2/3 cup of cranberries for that great seasonal color and the tart that goes pop in the mouth, as well as 1/3 cup hazelnut pieces for an occasional crunch.

If you don’t eat eggs, use an egg substitute from your local grocer, or look under “Blogroll” on the right for the link to the Vegan Society’s web page for egg alternatives that are easy to make at home.

Thanks to Jennifer and to the NYT, and most of all to Daniel Humm, Executive Chef at Eleven Madison Park, for sharing your recipe.

Brioche Stuffing with Chestnuts and Figs

Chestnuts

1/2 loaf of brioche
1/2 cup ghee
1/2 cup celery, medium fine dice
1/2 cup fennel, medium fine dice
1/4 cup Fiji apple, medium fine dice
1 cup onion, medium fine dice
1 pound Vegetarian Sausage, finely diced
2/3 cup Glazed Chestnuts, medium fine dice
2/3 cup dried figs, medium fine dice
1/3 cup reduced (syrupy) vegetable stock
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram leaves, chopped
1 pinch garam masala (or allspice)
2 teaspoons ground pepper

Dice brioche into a medium–fine dice and allow to dry in a low oven or overnight at room temperature. Once dry, you will have about 2 cups total.

Melt 1/4 cup ghee in a sauté pan. Sweat the celery, fennel, apple and onion until translucent and soft. (“Sweating” vegetables means slowly cooking them over low heat until soft but not brown.)

In a second sauté pan, melt the remaining ghee and cook sausage gently. Combine the butter and sausage with the diced brioche, celery and onion mixture, chestnuts, figs, reduced stock and stock in a large bowl and toss gently. Season with salt to taste. Gently add eggs and toss to combine. Finish with chopped herbs, spices and pepper.

About to go in ~

Bake in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish at 350 for 40 minutes or until browned and hot throughout.

~

Enjoy! 

Apple Pie

Apple Pie a la creme

For Thanksgiving this year my mother made Aunt Mary’s traditional “The Frost is on the Pumpkin” Pie with spiced, frothy cream. It was light and delicious. My mother is a great cook – and knows how to craft inspiring beauty, so all her creations are like works of art.

But I was taken this year, especially, with the Apple Pie my brother made as it had such a delicious, crispy crust supporting tart, flavorful apples. After such a heavy meal, this pie, with a little creme fraiche, seemed the perfect balance, to both palate and belly.

Of course nothing smells as good as apple pie baking in the oven, or is so reminiscent of our nourishing traditions, or is so fundamentally associated with simpler times. Best of all, it is easy to master and a joy to make. This delicious recipe, adapted from Apple Pie Perfect, by Ken Haedrich (The Harvard Common Press, 2002), replaces white sugar with brown for a somewhat healthier version.

Ingredients:

1 double crust pastry, refrigerated (his book has a recipe for “All-American Double Crust” pastry, you can find your own, or purchase at your Healthy Grocer)
8 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into little pieces
Glaze
Milk
Granulated sugar

If you haven’t already, prepare the pastry and refrigerate for at least one hour, until firm enough to roll.

On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the larger portion of pastry into a 13 1/2-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Center it, then peel off the paper. Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and let the overhang drape over the edge of the pan. Refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 400F.

While the pie shell chills, make the filling. Combine the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl; toss well to mix. Set aside while you roll the top pastry.

On another sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the other half of the pastry into an 11 1/2-inch circle. Turn the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, smoothing the apples with your hands. Dot the top of the pie with butter, dropping the pieces here and there over the apples.

Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell with a wet finger or pastry brush. Invert the top pastry over the filling, center it, then peel off the paper. Press the top and bottom pastries together along the dampened edge. Trim the pastry with scissors or a paring knife, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang all around, then sculpt the overhang into an upstanding ridge. Make several 2-inch-long slits in the top pastry, at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions; the bottom of each slit should just reach the ege of the pie. Lightly brush the top pastry with milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Place the pie directly on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a large, dark baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 375F. Put the pie on the baking sheet back in the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes; when the pie is done, you should be able to see the juices bubbling up onto the crust.

Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and let cool for at least an hour before slicing. However, when one doesn’t use any thickener in a pie, the author thinks it’s best to let the pie cool to room temperature before slicing. Many people —those who like a juicy pie—don’t agree on this point!

Thanksgiving Revisited

Thanksgiving Dinner

Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving dinner with its feast of flavorful comfort foods?

As a vegetarian I have been experimenting with healthy, delicious ways to update this traditional meal for many years now, without wanting to deviate much from its warm, grounding staples. At the same time, experimentation encourages us to explore the diversity and bounty of this season’s harvest, reminding us, in turn, of the true meaning of the holiday – to give thanks for the abundant nourishment of Nature.

A few delicious favorites ~

Sweet Potato Cloud

Sweet Potato Cloud on the Right of Plate

4 medium sized sweet potatoes
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. ghee
ground cayenne pepper
ground turmeric
ground clove
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1½ cups organic coconut milk
1 tsp. sage, dried or fresh
1 cup broken pecan pieces

Pre-heat the oven to 425. Scrub the sweet potatoes clean and dice into large chunks. They do not need to be peeled.

Mix oil and ghee together with a dash each of cayenne, turmeric and clove in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Toss the sweet potatoes in the spice mixture to coat thoroughly and and lay them out evenly in a baking dish. Drip any remaining spicy oil over the potatoes in the pan.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and roast, stirring once or twice, for another 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. While cooling, spread pecans evenly across a small oven pan and roast at 425 for a few minutes, until just beginning to brown. Remove pecans from oven and allow to cool.

Transfer sweet potatoes back to the large bowl and mash while slowly adding the coconut milk. Season with sage, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and stir well.

Toss toasted pecan pieces in the center, garnish with a sprig of fresh sage and serve warm.

Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry Sauce with spice!

1 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp Ghee
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp ground clove
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup water
1 cup fresh cranberries
½  small apple, cubed into small pieces
1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp grated orange peel ~ optional

Melt the ghee in a saucepan on a low flame. Mix in the clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, cooking for one minute. Stir in dried cranberries until they are thoroughly glazed with ghee.  Add water and bring to a light boil.

Once boiling, stir in fresh cranberries and apple pieces. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer on low flame until all the fruit is soft, about ten minutes. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over mixture, stir well and allow to simmer, covered, another minute.

Garnish with orange zest and serve warm.

Thanksgiving Harvest Stew

Thanksgiving Harvest Stew for a crowd

2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp olive oil
½  tsp. ginger powder
½  tsp. garam masala
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
3-4 cloves garlic
1 potato, chopped into small pieces
3-4 carrots, diced into bite-size coins
2 celery stalks, diced
1 head cauliflower, bite size pieces
1 lb. french beans, cut in thirds
1 yellow pepper, chopped into small pieces, optional
1 cup vegetable broth
14 ounces organic coconut milk
8 ounces Korma sauce
1 cup fresh cranberries
½ cup pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or pecan pieces

Clean and prepare all the vegetables. Melt ghee in a large pot over medium low heat. Add olive oil and spices and sauté for one minute. Stir in onion and sauté. Once the onions turn golden, add potato and sauté until its edges begin moving towards translucence. Stir in carrots and celery, and sauté another couple of minutes. Add cauliflower, french beans, tomatoes and yellow pepper. Stir thoroughly to coat vegetables.

Add broth and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to low for five to ten minutes. Stir in Korma sauce, coconut milk and cranberries. Allow to simmer a few minutes so the flavors merge.

Garnish with nuts or seeds, and serve warm with a fresh baked Rosemary Sage bread.