Holiday Recipes

Let's swap recipes!
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Here's two recipes I found in this month's Clean Eating magazine that happened to be vegan and looked really good:

Coconut-Cardamom Sweet Potatoes

Coco-Cocoa Fantasy Fudge

And this last one is a chutney that tastes awsome on top of tofu.  I've put this on fried tofu nuggets and last week when I test kitchened tofurkey I used it -- it was delicious.  It's not vegan, but if you swapped the butter with EVOO and the brown sugar with maple syrup I think it would work just as well and then be vegan.

Pineapple Chutney

This one is from Angela Stokes, and it's actually the same recipe we used at the raw restaurant I used to work at for our Thanksgiving Food Boxes. I've tried it out at home and it's just as easy to make with non-professional equipment, and tastes great! If you're a fan of pecan pie, this recipe is bound to satisfy as it bears a striking similarity to the flavor you love without all the refined ingredients.

Yield: 1 (8-in.) pie Prep Time: 20 minutes

3 1/2 cups pecans

3 1/2 cups pitted dates

1/2 cup raisins, soaked 2 cups filtered water

1/4 cup date/raisin soak water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup agave nectar

1. Place 3 cups pecans and 1 1/2 cups dates in a food processor fitted with an S-shaped blade. Blend on high speed for 30 to 40 seconds or until mixture sticks together and runs up the sides without falling into the center. You may need to add more dates.

2. Press crust into a pie pan, making a layer around the bottom and sides at least 1/4-inch thick. (No need to oil the pan.)

3. Place 1 cup dates and raisins in a small bowl with filtered water. Allow to soak for at least 20 minutes.

4. Place remaining 1 cup dates, soaked dates, raisins, 1/4 cup soak water, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and agave nectar in a blender and blend on high speed until a thick, relatively smooth mixture forms.

5. Pour mixture into the piecrust and layer the top with remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You want pie chilled so it keeps its form when sliced. (but after you slice it, feel free to heat it up a little...just enough so it's warm, not enough to kill the enzymes ;-)

Feel free to top with raw vegan vanilla ice cream (or just plain ol vegan vanilla ice cream) and you're good to go!