Apple Butter

APPLE BUTTER

This recipe requires only two/three ingredients:

1) Apples
2) Spices
3) possibly water

Wash apples (no need to peel them unless they have very tough skin - the skin is high in pectin which will help your apple butter set).

Quarter apples and remove the seeds (remove as little of the core as possible - only the hardest bits like the stem, since the core is also high in pectin which will help your apple butter set).

Puree the apples in a food processor (depending on the type of apples and their level of juiciness, it might be necessary to add water to the apples to help get them to a smooth consistency - the water will evaporate later anyway).

Put pureed apples in a slow cooker with spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, etc). The sauce will reduce so add enough so that it tastes good to you, but remember that it will become more concentrated as it simmers.

Cook on low with the lid off for 6 - 12 hours. Stir occasionally when you think of it (or stir once before bed and once first thing in the morning).

Apple butter can be refrigerated, frozen, or canned.
Use as a jam-like spread, or as apple sauce, or as a sugar replacement in most recipes!

Just Plums - Plum Jam

JUST PLUMS - PLUM JAM

This recipe requires only two categories of ingredients:

1) Plums
2) Spices/Flavourings

Take fresh or frozen pitted Italian Prune Plums and add them to a pot on a low heat.
Add spices.
Simmer for several hours, stirring when  you think of it.

When the simmering plums have become thick and jam-like, remove from heat.
If you want to add vanilla or lemon juice, now is a good time.

I make this in small-ish batches (using 4-6 cups of frozen plums), so I simply refrigerate the jam for immediate use.


Good spice/flavouring combinations:
1) cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice
2) cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla (this was especially tasty!)
3) ginger, allspice, vanilla

Banana Date Cookies

BANANA DATE COOKIES

Mash 2 or 3 bananas (medium to large size)

Add:
1/3 - 1/2 cup or so of apple butter, pear butter, or apple sauce (or use another banana)
1/3 - 1/2 cup or so of almond butter
1/2 - 1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp or so of vanilla (can you tell I don't really measure anything?
1/4 - 1/2 cup cocoa (optional - add only if you want chocolate cookies)

Mix above ingredients. Then add:

1 cup chopped dates (or more if you want sweeter cookies)
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups or so of quick oats (you could use large flake oats if you had those on hand)

Dough will be too wet to roll, so drop by Tbsp onto greased cookie sheet and flatten into the shape you want (they will not rise or grow at all in the oven). Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Blueberry Pie

BLUEBERRY PIE
(with Date-Walnut Crust)

Crust:
2 cups walnuts
1 cup dates
1/2 cup coconut

Blend nuts and dates in processor until they are crumbly and sticky. I added an 1/8 cup water to help the dates blend. Then add the coconut and blend again.

Smoosh the mixture into a pie plate and refrigerate.

(If you happen to have 2 pie plates, many recipes recommend pressing the 2nd pie plate on top of the first to make it even. I only have one so I used my fingers and a spoon)

Pie Filling:
6 cups of blueberries (2 cups or so pureed)
1/2 cup apple butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Put berries, apple butter, and salt in a pot and start to heat. When you have a little bit of cool-warm juice (not hot) pour that juice into a bowl with the cornstarch. Whisk the cornstarch and juice until it is a nice smooth liquid then add it to the berries. Bring the berries to a rolling boil for a minute or two until it looks like thick jam, then remove from heat. Add the lemon juice, stir, then pour into your nut crust. Chill in the fridge for 4-5 hours.

I top mine with coconut cream, which is sweet with no added sugar. I buy it in a can or carton of coconut milk and let the cream separate from the juice, then I mix some of the juice back in until it is the consistency I want.

ALTERNATIVES:
You can, of course, substitute pretty much any kind of fruit for the blueberries. If you use something like strawberries, there is no need to puree any of the fruit.

Apple Crisp

APPLE CRISP

Apples - peel and chop as many as will fit in your pan. I usually use 6-9 apples depending on size. Put them into a big casserole dish. Drizzle them with lemon juice and sprinkle cinnamon on top of them.

In a separate bowl, mix:
2 mashed bananas (or 1/2 cup or so of apple butter)
1/3 cup butter/almond butter
1-2 tsp of cinnamon (and other spices if you wish)

Stir then add:
1/4 cup flour
2 - 3 cups oatmeal (depending on how gooey or crisp you like your topping)
1.5ish cups walnuts

Spread/crumble topping over the apples. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes (depending on your apples... if you are using apples that bake quickly like macs, you may want to bake it for 20 minutes covered and then 10 minutes on the higher rack uncovered because your apples might bake into mush in 30 minutes).

ALTERNATIVES:
You can substitute pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, or berries for part or all of the apples. Keep in mind that pears and apples take the longest to bake though - so adjust your baking time accordingly.

TIP:
If you are using juicier fruit (like peaches), it is a good idea to stir a Tbsp or two of flour into the fruit before putting the topping on.

Apple Cake

APPLE CAKE

Apples - peel and chop as many as will fit in your pan. I usually use 6-9 apples depending on size. Put them into a big casserole dish.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl:1 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup All-Purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

Add wet ingredients:
1 and a bit cup almond/soy milk
1/3 cup oil (I use olive)
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp brandy/rum (optional, but very nice if you happen to have it - or an extract - on hand)

Then stir in:
1 cup walnuts
The apples should pretty much fill the entire pan. Pour the cake batter on top and spread to cover all the apples. It will be a pretty thin layer of cake on top of the apples, but it's kind of like an apple crisp... but with cake on top instead of crisp.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes depending on how soft you want your apples to be.

Chocolate Cherry Vegan Ice Cream

Chocolate Cherry Vegan Ice Cream

2 or 3 cups of pitted cherries
1 can coconut milk
1 or 2 handfuls of pitted dates
1 heaping Tbsp of cocoa
1 heaping Tbsp of almond butter

Blend until smooth (or almost smooth, a few chunks can be ok)

Put into individual glasses and freeze. Makes 3 servings.

Either let freeze solid, then let it thaw in the fridge for 10 minutes, or check every hour or so to stir until it reaches the right consistency.

You can also easily sub the fruit and cocoa for another fruit combination.

Fruit & Oat Bars

FRUIT & OAT BARS
 a la Marilyn

6 large apples
3 cups oatmeal
2 cups chopped dried fruit (I use 1 cup dried apricots, 1 cup dates)
1 cup nuts (I use 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup slivered almonds)
1/2 cup seeds (I use 1/4 cup pumpkin, 1/4 cup sunflower)
spices (I use 1tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves. You could easily make them a little spicier though.)

Peel, chop, and cook the apples with a little water on medium until they are apple sauce (nearly smooth. You should be able to mash them with a fork or spoon).

Mix oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts, seeds and spices. Add the apple sauce. Mix thoroughly (you may need to use your hands)

Press into a 9" by 13" nonstick pan. Make sure it is very compact.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the top starts turning a little golden. Do not overbake.

Cut into squares while hot but leave them in the pan. Once they cool retrace the cuts, then you can move them and they won't crumble.

Refrigerate.

Miso Gravy

MISO GRAVY
Based off of various recipes aiming for Naam-like flavour

4 Tbsp Miso paste
2.5 cups water (or vegetable broth)
3 Tbsp oil (I use olive oil - other oils would work too. Sesame oil would be delicious)
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
3 tsp hot sauce (sriracha was recommended by various recipes, but I use Frank's hot sauce)
4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in cold water)

Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch+water mix. Whisk on medium heat until combined/smooth (smooth except for the garlic, of course). Then whisk in the cornstarch+water mix, ideally before the gravy gets hot.

Whisk occasionally until the gravy is bubbling and thickened.
Remove from heat and enjoy! Wonderful on dragon bowls (potatoes, steamed vegetables, cheese and gravy).

If you want thicker gravy, use less water or add more cornstarch.

Hummus & Variations

HUMMUS & VARIATIONS

Into a food processor put all the following:

1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas
1 - 2 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
2 - 4 cloves of garlic
a dash or two of lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
quite a bit of ground cumin (around 3 - 4 Tbsp)
a little bit of water
a drizzle of oil (optional)

Depending on how soft your chickpeas are, you will need more or less water to make a smooth paste. Just add a little bit at first and puree everything together. If it seems a bit crumbly rather than creamy, add more water. You can also drizzle a little bit of oil which also gives it a nice texture. Always add the oil at the last minute if you are using it.

Both the salt and cumin should be added according to your taste. Add them a bit at a time.

Note: if eating with something salty, like tortilla chips, I leave out the salt. But if eating with fresh veggies, I do put in the salt.

VARIATIONS:

BEANS: I make this recipe using different beans, such as blackbeans, kidney beans, etc or even a combination of beans if I am making a double batch.

VEGGIES: In addition to garlic, I sometimes add other veggies, such as tomatoes, peppers, fresh cilantro, parsley or dill. When adding tomatoes, leave out the water because the tomato will provide more than enough moisture. Sometimes I roast the garlic and/or tomatoes.

SPICES: In addition to cumin, I sometimes add other spices such as chili powder or chili flakes, oregano, or black pepper. You can also add more lemon juice if you want a more lemony dip.

DECORATION: Sometimes I drizzle a little more oil on top to decorate the dip once it is ready to serve. It looks especially pretty with a few chili flakes and a bit of olive oil on top.

Example variation recipe:
1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)

1 roma tomato (it could be any tomato, but romas have less juice, so they work nicely)

3 cloves garlic
a small handful of fresh cilantro
a dash or two of lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
quite a bit of ground cumin (around 3 - 4 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp or so chili poweder/chili flakes

a drizzle of oil (optional)