Peach Pie

Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

If pie was too easy to make, then we’d be eating pie every single day, I’d imagine.  Many homemade pies are simply made with plopping some fruit or berries in a pastry-lined pie and then baking. Though there are several steps to making this particular pie, each and every step is easy.  Make this for a special occasion with your favorite people when the peaches are at their summer best. 

1 batch of Perfect Pie Dough (This recipe will make a bottom pastry to line the pan and top layer for the pie.) 

Steps for making Peach Pie:
Place in a large bowl, 3 lbs. ripe peaches, pitted and peeled and cut into large chunks
Add ½ cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt to the peaches. 

Toss gently and then place them in a large colander over the large bowl.  
Leave at room temperature for 1 hour.  This will draw juices from the peaches.  The juices will drip into the large bowl.  

After the 1-hour, remove 1 cup of those peaches and place in a separate bowl.
Mash them with a fork or potato masher.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 425F.

Collect ½ cup of the peach juices and add to a skillet along with ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. (Keep the extra juices for another recipe…perhaps a simple syrup for a mocktail.)

Add 1 Tablespoon cornstarch to the remaining peaches and gently toss to coat.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons low-sugar fruit pectin, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (The ginger is optional, but a nice touch.)

Add this mixture to the juices in the skillet.  Stir well.  Turn the heat to medium.  Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and translucent.  Turn off the heat and add the peaches and the mashed peaches. Gently toss everything together.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  

Pour the filling into 9-inch pie plate that is lined with chilled pie dough 
(½ of the Perfect Pie Dough.)  
Top with the other half of the pie dough (½ of the Perfect Pie Dough.)  
Either use a lattice design or use a solid pastry, being sure that there are plenty of slits to allow steam to escape while baking.

Light mist of water on the top crust and 1 Tablespoon sparkling sugar.
Bake at 425F for 20 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 375F and rotate the pie.  Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is a lovely brown.
It is crucial to cool the pie for 3 hours before serving to allow it to set.  Serve with sweetened whipping cream or ice cream.

Golden Tofu Bites

Recipe from Fit Green Mind

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 3-4 servings

You don’t have to be a chef to make tofu taste good! This is one of my new favorite ways to prepare it. It tastes great on its own and also is especially yummy in a wrap. This recipe is perfect for those who are trying tofu for the first time.

Tofu:

400 g tofu (I usually use extra firm or super firm tofu for this.)

2 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

Freeze the tofu right in its package and then thaw it in the fridge overnight.  Use a tofu press to press as much water out of the tofu before using or press and pat it dry with a clean towel. Tear the tofu into bite sized pieces. Measure out the cornstarch and salt in a large bowl and mix together.  Toss the tofu pieces until they are coated. Heat a skillet. When it is hot, add a couple of tablespoons of oil into the skillet.  Place the tofu into the skillet so that the pieces do not touch each other.  Allow the tofu to brown on one side before moving.  When the tofu pieces move easily, turn the pieces and continue to brown.  Repeat until all the tofu is browned.  While the tofu is browning, make the glaze.

Glaze:

3-4 Tablespoons agave or maple syrup

Juice of 1 small lemon (about 3 Tablespoons)

1 teaspoon paprika 

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder 

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt, to taste

1-2 Tablespoons water 

Mix all the glaze ingredients (except for the water) in a small bowl. 

When the tofu has browned, add the glaze to the skillet and stir to coat the tofu with the glaze.  Add the water to deglaze the pan. 

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings) 110 calories; total fat 5.2 g; saturated fat 0.7 g; cholesterol 0 mg; carbohydrates 16.9 g; fiber 1.2 g; sugars 9.4 g; protein 3.1; calcium 81 mg; iron 2 mg; potassium 225 mg.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (Vegan)

Servings10

Recipe from Michaela Vais Ela Vegan

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

We thought these strawberry oatmeal bars were delightful.  Of course, the husband loved having this seasonal treat.  These had just the right amount of sweet to them.  By using mashed banana and just a bit of maple syrup, the flavor of the berries really comes through. (I followed the original recipe to the letter, with this exception… I added about ½ teaspoon vanilla to the berry mixture and ¼ teaspoon almond extract plus ½ teaspoon sea salt to the dough mixture.)

Dough:

2 cups (205 g) oats 

1 cup (120 g) almond flour* 

1 cup (90 g) oat flour 

1 small (80 g) banana, mashed* 

1/4 cup (80 g) maple syrup or agave syrup

1/4 cup (60 g) canned coconut milk*

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Strawberry Filling:

3 cups (450 g) diced strawberries

1/3 cup (105 g) maple syrup or agave syrup

2-3 teaspoon fresh lime or lemon juice

5 teaspoon chia seeds

3 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch 

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

(I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe and measuring the ingredients in grams.) 

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Put the ingredients for the strawberry filling in a saucepan, bring to a boil, let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, and stir occasionally.

Mix all ingredients for the dough in a bowl by either using your hands or a hand mixer.

Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into a greased or lined baking dish. The pan I used measured 7 x 11 inches (18 x 28 cm).

Pour the strawberry filling over the crust.  Crumble the remaining 1/3 dough on top.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. 

Notes:

*Banana: Use banana or applesauce for a low-fat version. If you prefer a flaky/buttery soft crust, I would recommend using 40 grams banana (or applesauce) and 40 grams vegan butter (margarine).

*Almond flour: You can use any ground nuts/seeds of choice (e.g. hazelnuts, shredded unsweetened coconut) instead of almond flour.

*Coconut milk: You could use oat cream or soy cream instead of canned coconut milk.

*Other reviewers said that the bars could be frozen for up to 3 months.  Other berries can be used.  Frozen strawberries/berries will work.

Nutrition Facts (1 of 10 servings)

Calories 273; Fat 9.5 g; 1.7 g Sat. Fat; Carbohydrates 36.2 g; Fiber 6 g; Sugars 15.4 g; Protein 7.1 g

Sesame Tempeh Bowls (Vegan)

Servings: 4

Recipe from Budget Bytes 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was a real treat and made the hubster very happy.  We really like tempeh for a few reasons.  It's a fermented food, which means it's good for the gut.  We really like the texture... chewy, in a good way.  It's also economical.  When I first tried cooking with tempeh, I made the mistake of not steaming or simmering the tempeh in water before proceeding.  This very important step takes away any bitterness.  Be sure not to skip that step in the recipe.  

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium soy sauce.)

2 Tablespoons water 

1 Tablespoon sesame oil 

3 Tablespoons brown sugar 

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar 

1 tsp grated fresh ginger 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds 

1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch 

8 oz. tempeh 

2 green onions, sliced (I didn't have green onions, so I used 1/4 red onion.)

4 cups cooked jasmine rice*

1 lb. fresh or frozen broccoli florets, cooked** (I used fresh.)

Begin by mixing together the sesame sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set the sauce aside.

Cut the brick of tempeh into 8 squares, then cut each square diagonally into a triangle. Turn each triangle on its side and slice it in half so you have two thinner triangles. To achieve the proper tempeh to sauce ratio, you don't want thick pieces. 

Place the tempeh in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup water. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and let the tempeh simmer until all of the water evaporates (about 5-8 minutes). Flip the tempeh a couple times as it simmers.

Once the water has evaporated, turn the heat down to medium and pour in the sesame sauce. The skillet will still be quite hot, so the sauce may begin to thicken immediately. Stir the tempeh in the sauce until the sauce has thickened (1-2 minutes), then remove it from the heat immediately to prevent further evaporation and thickening.

To build the bowls, place one cup of rice in each dish, top with 1/4 of the sesame tempeh, 1/4 of the broccoli florets, and a sprinkle of green onion.

Notes

*You can sub brown rice or plain white rice if desired.

**To cook the broccoli (fresh), add some water with a pinch of salt to a saucepan.  Bring the water to a boil.  Add the broccoli and cover with a lid.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and proceed with the recipe.

Nutritional Information for Original Recipe: Calories: 441.63kcal | Carbohydrates: 68.25g | Protein: 20.83g | Fat: 11.18g | Sodium: 909.33mg | Fiber: 5.03g

 

Baja Hearts of Palm "Fish" (Vegan)

 

Recipe from NikkiVegan One of my favorite YouTube channels

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 2-3 servings

This was fantastic! The hearts of palm "fish" mimicked the texture and taste of fish fillets. I served these as fish tacos, but they would also taste great on their own or in a sandwich. I did use a bit of avocado oil to fry these “fish” (hearts of palm) but I suppose those of you who have an air fryer could use that.

1 can/jar hearts of palm, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup brown rice flour or rice flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

1/3 cup water

Avocado oil or other oil for frying

Sea salt (I use Maldon sea salt.)

Place the hearts of palm on a dry towel and gently rub them dry. Using the palm of your hand, press each piece to flatten a bit. In a pie plate, mix together the rice flour, corn starch and seasoning. Add the water and mix thoroughly. Coat the hearts of palm in the batter. Pan fry the hearts of palm "fish" in several Tablespoons of oil until golden brown on each side. Remove to a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt immediately. Serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Lemon wedges

Avocado slices or Homemade Guacamole

Vegan Mayo or Non-Dairy Yogurt (Mix in some fresh lemon or lime juice and sprinkle with some salt for a simple sauce)

Fresh Cilantro

Corn or Flour Tortillas

Purple Cabbage Slaw (Shred some purple cabbage into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the cabbage. Sprinkle with salt, to taste. Massage the cabbage for about 1 minute. Set aside while you prepare the "fish." The cabbage will become more limp and tender. Add some minced cilantro, if you wish.)

Quick Pickled Red Onions

Hot & Sour Soup (Instant Pot Recipe)

(Instant Pot/Vegetarian)

Makes 8 servings

Recipe from simplyvegetarian777.com 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I don’t mind chopping and measuring out ingredients if the end result is great.  This company-worthy soup is totally worth any effort.  It may seem daunting, but it’s actually very easy in the Instant Pot once the ingredients are prepped. When the ingredients are ready, the soup will come together quickly. It tastes great the next day, so perfect for guests.

Broth Ingredients

(Broth can be made in advance.)

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 Tablespoon grated ginger

¼ cup brown rice vinegar or rice vinegar

4 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1 teaspoon red chili paste or sambal oelek

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Vegetable Ingredients

7 scallions, sliced diagonally

1 large carrot, thinly sliced or julienned

2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

10 button mushrooms, thinly sliced (baby bellas or shiitake mushrooms may be used)

5 oz. can of bamboo shoots, drained and thinly sliced

1 cup extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into small cubes

Other Ingredients

3 Tablespoons corn starch

3 Tablespoons water

1-3 large eggs, beaten (I used 2 eggs.)

Insert the inner pot inside your Instant Pot and plug it in.  Place all the Broth Ingredients into the inner pot.  Stir well.  Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Pressure cook on High for 2 minutes.  Once the time goes off, use the Quick Pressure Release.  When the pin has dropped, open the lid.  The broth is now ready to use or to store for later.  Add the Vegetable Ingredients to the broth.  Stir well.  Cover with a lid.  Cook on High Sauté mode for 3 minutes.  Once the timer goes off, remove the lid and stir.  In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and 3 Tablespoons water to make a slurry.  This will thicken the soup a bit.  Add the slurry to the soup and stir well.  Drizzle the beaten eggs in a stream far above the pot.  Keep stirring the soup with a spoon or single chopstick in a stirring motion.  This will help in making the popular egg ribbon or thread in the soup.  Set the Instant Pot on High Sauté mode and cook for an additional 3 minutes. 

Now the soup is ready to serve.  You can add a garnish of more sesame oil and scallions.  You can make it more sour by adding more rice vinegar. You can make it more spicy by adding more chili paste.  You can add more vegetables of your choice, if you wish.  You can omit the eggs to make this vegan.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 8 servings) 139 calories; 8 g fat (1 sat fat; 0 trans-fat; 6 g unsaturated fat); 70 mg cholesterol; 1221 mg sodium; 3 g fiber; 4 g sugars; 8 g protein

Mushroom Walnut Lentil Meatloaf (Vegan)

Recipe from A Virtual Vegan.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 6-8 slice servings

I’d decided to test some vegan and vegetarian meatloaf recipes and began with this one.  If you have cooked lentils around, then this comes together very quickly. Prepare a loaf or two on the weekend and you’ll have some mighty fine dinners/lunches ready to go.  I was pleased with how “meaty” this one turned out to be.  We really enjoyed this loaf with the gravy, but I have to say that I was delighted with how delicious it was sliced and eaten as a sandwich the next day.  Whether you are vegetarian, vegan or not, this recipe is a keeper.

1 small onion, peeled, chopped (about the size of a golf ball)

2 large cloves, peeled chopped

3 cups mushrooms, measured after chopping

½ cup walnuts pieces or sunflower seeds (to make this nut free)

1 cup cooked red lentils*

1 cup cooked green lentils* (I used French green lentils.)

¼ cup ground flax seeds (flax meal)

1 cup bread crumbs (from stale bread or you can use panko crumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs)

1 cup oat flour or rice, spelt or whole-wheat flour

1 Tablespoon tamari or coconut aminos or soy sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

Water (up to ½ cup) You may not need any water at all.

Prepare an 8½” X 4½” X 2¾” loaf pan (or use a loaf pan about that size) by lining it with a piece of parchment paper leaving an overhang for a “handle” to make removing the loaf from the pan easier.  I sprayed the parchment paper with a bit of oil, but that is optional. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 370F. Place the onions, garlic and mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped.  Put them in a large bowl and then add all the other ingredients, except the water.  Mix with your impeccably clean hands.  It needs to stick together when you squeeze it with your hands.  If it does, then don’t add any water.  If it’s still a little crumby, add water a tablespoon at a time just until it starts coming together.  You don’t want the mixture soggy.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.  Pack down really tightly.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Keep an eye on it towards the end of the cooking time.  You want it to go a bit crusty and brown on top but not too dark. Remove from the oven and leave it to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes.  Then remove and slice.  While it is cooling, make the gravy.

Gravy

2 medium onions, chopped

1 or 2 fresh mushrooms (optional)

1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast

2 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot or all-purpose flour

2 cups mushroom broth**

Sauté the onions (and mushrooms, if using) slowly over a low heat until a deep golden brown.  Transfer to a blender with the rest of the gravy ingredients and blend until very smooth.  Pour into a saucepan (with a lip, if you have one) and stir over medium heat until thickened and piping hot.  If you prefer your gravy a little thinner, just add some boiling water from a kettle and stir well until you have the consistency you like. 

**Be sure to cook the lentils until they are just tender and not mushy or your meatloaf will end up on the mushy side.

**I made mushroom broth by adding boiling water to a few dried mushrooms and 1 teaspoon Better-Than-Bouillon Mushroom Base.  I set it aside for about 5 minutes before using it to make the gravy.

Serving Notes:  Next time I make this, I will made two loaves and freeze for another time. The meatloaf can be made in advance and stored in the fridge a few days before baking.  Leftovers can be reheated as well.  We really liked the meatloaf with the gravy, but my favorite way to have this was to heat the slices and serve it topped with mustard and slaw on a whole-wheat tortilla….oh, mama!! 

Maple Glazed Spice Cake with Cinnamon Drizzle (Vegan)

Recipe from Vegan Richa

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 9 servings

This is a super moist, perfectly spiced cake to serve when autumn is in the air.  The original recipe called for a dairy-free cream cheese frosting, but I wanted to try the drizzle that I found on Vegan Richa website that was meant for another cake. This cake is delicious enough to serve with coffee at a party. Or you can also leave it plain and pop it in your lunchbox.  (There were gluten-free, oil-free, sweetening, dried fruit, and flour options for this recipe on the Vegan Richa website., but I’ve not tested those.)

Cake

1 Tablespoon flax seed meal

¼ cup water

¾ cup spelt flour

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar

½ teaspoon sea salt

1½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup chopped pitted dates (Soak in warm water for about 15 minutes.)

¾ cup applesauce (I used unsweetened.)

¼ cup oil (I used grapeseed oil.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup grated apple, carrot or zucchini (I used apple.) Lightly squeeze with a clean towel to remove excess moisture

Glaze

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon water

Cinnamon Drizzle

1¼ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk.)

2-4 Tablespoons coconut sugar or other sweetener (to taste)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 drops almond extract

A pinch of sea salt

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon turmeric, for color (optional)

Line an 8” x 8” square pan with parchment paper.  (I lightly sprayed the pan and the paper with oil first, but that’s optional.) Preheat the oven to 350F.  Mix the flax seed meal with the ¼ cup water and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg.  Whisk well.  Fold in the dates. (I used my fingers to “rub” the dates into the mixture so that the date pieces would be well coated with the dry mixture which would allow them to be distributed evenly.) Add the applesauce, flax seed mix, oil, vanilla and apple.  Mix to combine into a slightly stiff batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread the batter to completely cover the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick from the center comes out clean.  Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Carefully remove the cake using the parchment paper as “handles.” Mix the maple syrup and water together and brush over the entire cake.  While the cake is cooling, make the Cinnamon Drizzle. Mix 1 cup almond milk with the sugar, vanilla and almond extracts in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.  Add the cinnamon and turmeric, if using.  Mix the cornstarch and ¼ cup almond butter in a small bowl.  Add to the boiling milk.  Bring it back up to a rolling boil.  Take the pan off the heat.  The drizzle will thicken a bit as it cools. When the cake is completely cool, drizzle with the Cinnamon Drizzle.

Nutritional Information (1 of 9 portions of cake w/no glaze or drizzle): 195 calories; 6.7 g fat (0.9 g sat. fat); 0 g cholesterol; 146 mg sodium; 33.2 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 14.7 g sugars; 2.8 g protein; 145 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 440 mg potassium Nutritional Information (1 of 9 portions of glaze and drizzle) 42 calories; 1.1 g fat (0.1 sat. fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 83 mg sodium; 8.3 g carbohydrates; 0.4 g fiber; 6.7 g sugars; 0.3 protein; 93 mg calcium; 64 mg potassium