Vegan Cooking with TLC

This pumpkin pie is very healthy and delicious. It's also easy to make. It was inspired by a raw pumpkin pie recipe by Fully Raw Kristina . While her recipe was tasty, it was far too sweet for my taste. I adapted it to my liking. I was surprised just how smooth the raw pumpkin is when blended. Plan ahead because it does need to be in the refrigerator for several hours to set up. I sometimes put it in the freezer to jump start the setting process. Raw Pumpkin Pie 1 small pie pumpkin 2 persimmons 4 dates 1 tablespoon ground  cinnamon * 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom * ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves ** ½ teaspoon chia seeds 1 vanilla bean (optional) Soak dates in warm water for 5 minutes. Pit dates. Reserve soaking water. If using vanilla bean, slice down the middle and scrape insides out. Discard outer husk. Peel and seed pumpkin. Cut into ¼ inch pieces. Pull top off persimmons...

I was out of mulberries when I made my Raw Pumpkin Pie recently, so I used dried blueberries instead. It turned out pretty good though I still prefer my Raw Pecan Mulberry Crust for this particular recipe. The two crusts are different enough to make the pie taste quite different. I look forward to trying this crust with a several other recipes that have fruit purees or cheesecake type textures. Raw Pecan Blueberry Crust 1 ½ cups pecans 1 cup dried blueberries 4 dates ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon chia seeds Soak dates in warm water for 5 minutes. Remove pits. Reserve water. Process all ingredients in food processor or blender until stiff. If mixture is too dry and crumbly, add reserved water ½ teaspoon at a time until it combines and stiffens. Spread in spring form pan . Place in refrigerator while making pie filling.

This crust works well for any pureed fruit, "cheesecake", or "custard" type dessert. I particularly like it with my Raw Pumpkin Pie recipe. Raw Pecan Mulberry Crust 1 ½ cups pecans 1 cup dried mulberries 4 dates ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon chia seeds Soak dates in warm water for 5 minutes. Remove pits. Reserve water. Process all ingredients in food processor or blender until stiff. If mixture is too dry and crumbly, add reserved water ½ teaspoon at a time until it combines and stiffens. Spread in spring form pan . Place in refrigerator while making pie filling.

I make my Orca Bean Mushroom Stew in two versions, in a crockpot and on the stove top . They taste the same, but I often find the crockpot helpful when I'm exceptionally busy or going to be out all day. I'm sharing both versions, so people can make the one that best suits their lifestyle on any given day. Using a crockpot always requires a bit of planning to make sure one gets it started early enough in the morning.  I like to serve this stew with my Cornbread or my Whole Wheat Stout Bread . Orca Bean Mushroom Stew – Crockpot Version 2 cups orca beans 1 medium red onion 2 medium carrots 8 small purple potatoes 8 button or crimini mushrooms 2 cloves garlic ¼ Serrano pepper* 1 bell pepper 8 ounces tomatoes 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground paprika 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 tablespoons dried cilantro 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons chopped f...

This recipe for Orca Bean Mushroom Stew is very similar to my crockpot version. While both are tasty, each has its own advantages. This one cooks much faster even though it still requires the beans to soak for at least 8 hours. Most of the changes are in technique though the stove top version can require more stock. I shared both versions, so that people can choose the one that best fits their circumstances on any given day.  My Cornbread or my Whole Wheat Stout Bread make delicious accompaniments to this stew. Orca Bean Mushroom Stew – Stove Top Version 2 cups orca beans 1 medium red onion 2 medium carrots 8 small purple potatoes 8 button or crimini mushrooms 2 cloves garlic ¼ Serrano pepper 1 bell pepper 8 ounces tomatoes 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground paprika 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 tablespoons dried cilantro 1 bay leaf ...

This might not be the healthiest bread I've ever made, but it is tasty and easy to make. It goes particularly well with bean recipes, such as my Orca Bean Mushroom Stew (recipe coming soon). I often make this bread when I need to make a quick bread because it doesn't require rise time yet the stout gives it a flavor slightly reminiscent  of yeast. Whole Wheat Stout Bread 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds 2 tablespoons hot water 3 cups whole wheat flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup rolled oats 1/3 cup date sugar 2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional) 16 ounces stout beer* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (I often use a cast iron bread pan . If using one, place it in the oven to heat while oven preheats.) Mix ground flaxseeds and hot water in a small bowl and set aside to thicken. Mix  flour, baking powder, oats, date sugar, and caraway seeds in large mixing bowl . Stir in thickened flaxseed mixture. Stir in beer.   Sprea...

I have created multiple versions of banana bread. I think banana bread is easy to play with and come up with a variety of flavor combinations. I'll share many of those recipes, the ones that work anyway, over time. This one I specify red fife flour* because using that flour with the cardamom just seemed to create its own unique flavor. You could use any flour you want, but it won't be quite the same. That said, red fife flour isn't always the easiest flour to find, at least where I live. Banana Cardamom Red Fife Bread 3 cups red fife flour 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon matcha powder (optional) ½ cup date sugar ** 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 3) 2 cups nut milk *** Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place flax seeds and hot water in a small bowl and mix until well blended. Set aside to thicken. Sift together flour, b...