Pumpkin Mac and "Cheese"

Once upon a time, I figured out a phenomenal vegan mac and cheese recipe.  I was waiting and waiting and waiting to start my blog and to work my way up to it one week.  Also, I knew I had to wait it out to make this recipe again, because it’s so good that I eat triple servings at every sitting.

Fast forward about a year.  I’ve been reading recipes left and right for pumpkin mac and cheese, and I have to say, I’ve been super intrigued (also, I’m totally obsessed with pumpkin).  Then, I came home one day to this delicious smell filling the apartment as my roommate baked some pumpkin mac and cheese in our oven.  Next, I spent the week of Thanksgiving at home and who did my mom invite over for Shabbat lunch while I was there?  Our vegan neighbors.

Obviously the stars had aligned and some cosmic force was telling me that I simply had to make my own pumpkin mac and cheese.   So I pulled out the vegan recipe that I had so lovingly created, slapped a can of pumpkin puree in the ingredient list, and got to work balancing out the flavors.

It was so worth it.  This amazing recipe features pumpkin (duh), and all its pumpkin-enhancing spices.  It also uses what I have to say is the best vegan cheese I’ve found thus far; Daiya vegan cheese style shreds.  No, it doesn’t taste like cheese, but it does mimic a lot of the flavor notes of cheese.  It’s also one of the few brands that actually melts, which is important when you’re making a cheesy sauce, like you do for baked mac and cheese.

If you’re not vegan, and you want to use real cheese here, go for it.  I would subtract the soy sauce (real cheese doesn't need the extra umami like soy cheese), but otherwise keep the recipe as is.  This creamy, pumpkiny dish is super satisfying and really just screams fall.  Pair it with something green and you’ve got yourself a great vegan meal. 

Super Simple Cranberry Relish

I’ve been a vegetarian for quite a while now, so Thanksgiving has a bit of a different ring to it for me.  The truth is, even before I became one, turkey was never a very big draw.  So this holiday was never about the turkey for me.

Other than turkey, there were some key dishes that my family had every year.  Granted, the menu has changed recently as the family has expanded, but growing up, we always had my aunt’s stuffing, that sweet potato and marshmallow casserole thing (you know what I’m talking about), my mom’s cranberry relish, and of course, pumpkin pie.

 As much as I love my aunt’s stuffing, that was never the thing that made me crave Thanksgiving.  And the sweet potato marshmallow thing was always waaaaaay too sweet for my taste (luckily, this item has been taken off the menu).  And pumpkin pie….well, pumpkin pie is delicious and definitely Thanksgiving-y, but it still wasn’t the thing I waited all year for.

No, for me, it was always all about the cranberry relish.  I know, what a bizarre thing to crave and to salivate over, of all the delicious things that go into a Thanksgiving dinner.  I just couldn’t help it.  There’s something about that tart, fruity relish that my mom always made.  I would pile it high on my plate and eat it plain and be oh so happy with life.

Of course, years later, I found out that it’s pretty much the simplest thing ever to make.  Sweet!  So, this Thanksgiving, I’m sharing this wondrously delicious, amazingly simple dish.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and Pumpkin Cinnamon Frosting

I’m pretty sure there’s a baking conspiracy.  Sometimes, I just don’t understand baking.  There are all these secrets that no one tells you about, but are super important!  For example, did you know that baking with boiling water makes cakes super moist and delicious?  Why does no one tell us these important things?!?!

A few months ago, my coworker gave me a chocolate cake recipe which is the simplest thing ever to make, and it’s ridiculously moist and delicious.  That recipe is for another post, but the point is, it used boiling water.  Then I saw this gem over at The Post Punk Kitchen.  Another ridiculously moist chocolate recipe that uses boiling water.  I think we’re on to something here.

Anyway, I decided to use the pumpkin chocolate cake as my inspiration this week (and in preparation for Thanksgiving) and I tweaked the recipe a bit to make cupcakes.  Then I made a frosting that refused to thicken, no matter what I did, so being the crazy person that I am, I made the same exact recipe into a cake (double the cupcake recipe) so that I could use the frosting as a nice drippy glaze.  Yay for having way too many baked goods lying around!  (Speaking of which, if you’re in DC and you want a cake right now, I think I can help you out)

The good news is, I think I’ve succeeded in making a healthy (well, ok, healthier) cake.  This one is vegan, has very little added sugar, almost no fat, and even uses whole wheat flour.  And it’s amazing!  The deep chocolate flavor pairs so nicely with the subtle hints of pumpkin and the pumpkin pie type of spices.  I don’t like things to be overly sweet, so I like the emphasis on chocolate flavor, rather than sweet.  Also, since I paired this cupcake with a cream cheese frosting, the super sweet frosting goes very nicely with the mild cake.

If you’re making the cupcakes (or cake) without any frostings or glazes, I would increase the sugar to 1 cup.  But really, I recommend making the frosting because it just goes so nicely with it.

Meaty Vegan Chili

I’m a huge football fan.  My Sunday schedule revolves around when my team is playing.  I am giddy with excitement when the season begins every year, and I am torn apart when my team (inevitably) ends their run without a Super Bowl ring. 

Now, I didn’t grow up in a football family.  Instead, one of my friends taught me the beauty of this sport.  So I never knew about silly things like what you’re supposed to eat while tailgating or what food you should provide at your Super Bowl party.  I mean, who cares?  I just want to watch some football.

This might be the least fresh recipe I make - but it's soooooo good!

Well, according to every cooking show ever, chili and wings are the main game day staples.  Let’s ignore the wings, because there’s really no way to make them vegetarian.  But chili… well, I like chili.  It’s like soup (and I looooooove soup), but with more to it.  So about two years ago, I decided to make some chili.  I mean, if I’m going to be the crazy sports fan that I am, shouldn’t I give the game day foods a chance too? 

When I began my search for a chili recipe, I knew one thing for sure: I did not want a big bowl of beans.  Unfortunately, that’s what most vegetarian chilies boil down to.  So I looked for not vegetarian recipes, and I found a great one over at Real Simple.  It had all the staples of a good chili, and, this is the best part, the only liquid in it is beer.  I mean, how can you go wrong?

The biggest adjustment I made for this recipe is the meat (obviously).  Instead of using ground beef, I use a package of meatless crumbles, and treat it like already browned beef.  The crumbles give a “meaty” texture to the dish, and it tastes so good that even your carnivorous friends will like it! (again, it’s full of beer, so it really can’t be bad)

Pair this chili with your favorite cornbread recipe.  Get your jersey on, grab a bowl of chili, and prepare yourself for an afternoon of football.  As for me, I’m going to go warm up a bowl (it reheats excellently) and watch my team play tonight.  Gotta love Monday Night Football.  Go Eagles!


**Update:  Well, at least the chili was good.  Can't say the same about the game.  Sigh.