Chunky Cranberry Orange Sauce

This easy homemade cranberry sauce will wow your guests and perfume your kitchen with a lovely smell of orange and cranberry. Make a day or two ahead and refrigerate before serving. When heated, the combination of sugar and pectin (from the cranberry) will thicken the sauce. There is also an easier raw version of this recipe here: Easy Cranberry Sauce. Do you know that cranberry sauce is typically cooked and sweet while cranberry relish is typically raw and more on the tart side?

INGREDIENTS:
2 bag cranberries (24 oz.)
1.5 cups sugar
1 orange (juiced)
Orange zests (from the orange you juiced)

Wash, rinse, and drain the cranberries. In a food processor, chop half of the cranberries. You can also chop all of the cranberries if you don't want whole berries in your relish.

I'm using chopped and whole cranberries for this recipe.

Zests and juice orange. Add into a pot or saucepan along with the cranberries. Juice your orange cut side up so seeds won't fall into the mixture.

Add sugar and mix. Cook mixture on medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Once the mixture bubbles, turn the heat to low. Let the cranberry sauce simmer for about 15 minutes, covered.

Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Turn heat off after 15 minutes.

Let the cranberry sauce cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. Serve with your turkey or Meatless Meatloaf. Or even ice cream!

Maple Baked Butternut Squash

This is just another version of Sweet Baked Butternut Squash that I made for Thanksgiving. Instead of brown sugar, I'm using maple syrup. Makes good side dish.

2 medium sized butternut squash
1/2 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine)

Peel and cut butternut squash into wedges. Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add squash into the baking sheet, cover squash with more aluminum foil. Bake for 30 mins.

Take squash out of the oven. Mix maple syrup with butter, drizzle half of the mixture on top of the squash, and return it to the oven for another 15 minutes on 400 °F.

Drizzle with remaining syrup mixture before serving.

Pecan Pie

I love pecan pies. It's actually not that hard to make. Just make sure the pecans are roasted to avoid being chewy.

1 frozen pie crust (9 inch)
2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon molasses (optional)
3 eggs

Roast pecans in the oven on 350°F for 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Thaw pie crust. In a bowl, mix white corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, melted butter, vanilla and molasses until it turns into a smooth batter-like consistency. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add eggs into the batter. Mix.

Pour mixture into pie crust. Sprinkle pecans on top. Place pie on top of a cookie sheet and bake on a 350°F oven.

After 30 minutes, take pie out and line the edges with foil to prevent it from burning.

Put pie back into the oven and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes. Insert a knife into the middle of the pie, if it comes out clean then it's ready. Let it cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve. YUM!

Vegan Maple Pumpkin Pie

What is Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? This is a vegan recipe that will satisfy your vegan and non-vegan guests. A hint of maple syrup does the trick.

1 frozen 9" pie crust (deep pie dish)
1 box silken tofu (14 oz.)
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz. or about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Cream pumpkin puree and sugar with a hand mixer. Add mixture into a blender and blend with tofu. Add salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and maple syrup. Blend until mixture is smooth. Add some water if it is too dry. The consistency of the mixture should be that of a thick smoothie.

Preheat oven to 425 °F. Pour mixture into the frozen pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn temperature down to 350 °F and bake for another 45 minutes.

Chill and serve with soy whipped cream or as is.

Easy Cranberry Sauce

This is an easy cranberry sauce made from fresh cranberries, orange and sugar. It has no gelatin so it's vegetarian and vegan friendly. After making this, you'll never go back to those canned jellied ones. I'm pretty much known in the family for this cranberry sauce.

1 bag cranberries (12 oz.)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Let it sit for at least 12 hours or more in the refrigerator before serving.

Pumpkin Bread

Here's a recipe for Pumpkin Bread that I got from the "Pumpkin lady" we met when we were in upstate NY. One of the best ways to utilize the homemade pumpkin puree. This recipes makes two 9 x 5"loaves.

2 cups homemade pumpkin puree (or 1 can 16 oz. can pumpkin puree)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs (beaten)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup water (or 2/3 cup water if using canned pumpkin)

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a mixing bowl. Add pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, egg and water. Mix until a smooth batter is formed. Add in raisins. Mix.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two loaf pans. Pour batter into the pans and bake for about 1 hour. Check to see if it is done, you might have to bake for a few more minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. It taste better overnight. Stay relatively good in fridge or freeze for a few weeks.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

We've all used Libby's canned pumpkin puree and we've all often pondered if we can make our own pumpkin puree. Some of us might have even been tempted to buy those pumpkins they see in the supermarket but the only thing they knew what to do with it is carve it into a Jack-O-Lantern. Guess what, your fear is over! Making homemade pumpkin puree is as easy as using a microwave oven ... I'm not joking. Just make sure you buy "pie" pumpkins, they are round and darker in color.

I got some organic pumpkins when I was upstate with Lonnie and this might be the best way to use up the pumpkins before they go bad. You can use the puree to make pies, breads, cheesecakes, cookies, soups, etc. Freeze the puree inside ziplock bags or plastic containers. Also save the seeds for roasting, it makes a good quick snack! Thanks "Pumpkin lady" for giving me the link for some great pumpkin recipes. Check out more Pumpkin recipes at Pumpkin Patches and More

Cut 1 medium sized "pie" pumpkin into quarters. I find using a serrated knife much easier to cut pumpkins, I used my pumpkin carver for that. Scrape the insides with a big spoon. Save the seeds for roasting and discard the stringy stuff.

Line pumpkin skin side up in a microwaveable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or if the bowl has a cover, cover it. Microwave on high for 25-30 minutes. Check to see if it's fully cooked, if not microwave for another 5-10 minutes. Skin should slide right off when it is thoroughly cooked. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.

Beat the cooked pumpkin with a hand mixer or a hand blender until it turns into a smooth consistency. The puree is now ready to use.

Sweet Baked Butternut Squash

I got some butternut squash with Lonnie last week when we were vacationing in upstate NY. They look really nice and they were organic so I couldn't stop myself from not buying any. Vance told me that his favorite butternut squash recipe is to bake them with brown sugar and butter. This is an easy recipe. You can make this as a side dish or an entree. I'm planning to make this again for Thanksgiving.

2 medium sized butternut squash, cut lengthwise
6 tablespoon butter (or margarine for vegan)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil, non stick preferably if not spray some cooking spray to prevent it from sticking. Place squash cut side down and bake for 30 minutes on 350 °F.

Combine butter with brown sugar. Turn squash over and glaze with brown sugar mixture. Bake for another 30 minutes, baste regularly.

Mushroom Gravy

This is my favorite gravy recipe for meatless meatloaf, mashed potato or anything that calls for gravy! It is thicken by roux, a French sauce thickening technique where you fry flour with lard or oil to create a thickening base. Some people are afraid to make roux sauces but trust me, it is easy. Two tips to remember: Always keep the flame low so you don't burn the flour and stir constantly. If you remember to do both then you will have no problem making roux sauces. Here's my recipe for Mushroom Gravy. To make this a vegan recipe, simply omit milk and use 3 cups of water instead of 2 cups.

1 box baby Bella mushrooms (10 oz.), sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoon chopped garlic
5 tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 can (14 oz.) vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a saucepan. Sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add bay leaves. Cook until onion starts to brown in the edges. Add in flour. Lower the heat. Stir constantly until it turns into a paste consistency.


Keep stirring constantly and fry the flour paste until it turns brown and smells nutty (it should have the same color as a pie crust and smell like one). Set the roux aside.


Using the same saucepan, add in sliced mushrooms. Sweat mushrooms until they are soft. Moisture from the mushroom will deglaze the saucepan, so don't worry about bits of roux stuck in the saucepan. Add broth and let it boil. Return the roux into the saucepan. Stir and combine the roux with the broth. Add water and milk. Keep stirring so the sauce doesn't burn. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Meatless meatloaf or mashed potato.

Meatless Meatloaf

I’ve been making this vegetarian meatloaf for Thanksgiving substituting a turkey for the past 2 years now and everyone loves it. Of course you don’t have to wait till Thanksgiving to make this tasty and easy dish. Don’t be scared by the list of ingredients either, all you need is to assemble them and the rest is mix and bake! What's easier than recipe with pictures, right?

This can be modified into a vegan recipe by substituting eggs with cornstarch. You can make this for dinner and use the leftovers for sandwich with ketchup and mustard. It keeps for about a week.

Ingredients (A)

2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups baby Bella mushroom, chopped
2 cups carrot, shredded
2 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ tablespoon dried pepper flakes
2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients (B)

2 boxes silk tofu (19 oz. each), mashed
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
2 eggs, slightly beaten (for vegan recipe: substitute eggs by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoon of water)
1 packet Lipton Onion soup and dip mix
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat oil and sauté onion and garlic. When onion looks translucent, add basil, oregano and pepper flakes. Fry for a few seconds and then add celery, green pepper and mushroom. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot and fry until the mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and let it cool.


Combine Ingredient (B) in a large mixing bowl. If your mashed tofu is lumpy, you can whisk it for a few seconds until it smooths out.


Fold in Ingredient (A). Preheat oven to 380 ºF. Grease two loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Fold mixture into the loaf pans and bake for an hour or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve with gravy or ketchup and mustard.