Holistic Nutrition Bytes--San Francisco Nutrition Consultation » egg free http://www.maryvancenc.com Tips, tidbits, and treats from a holistic nutritionist for a healthier world. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:08:05 +0000 en hourly 1 Vegan Pumpkin Pie http://www.maryvancenc.com/2010/11/vegan-pumpkin-pie/ http://www.maryvancenc.com/2010/11/vegan-pumpkin-pie/#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 23:00:48 +0000 admin http://www.maryvancenc.com/?p=1781 Gluten & dairy & egg free, though if I wasn’t sensitive to eggs, I would recommend using them. 101 Cookbooks has a good recipe.
Crust:
2½ cups walnuts
1½ cups dates
Remove pits from dates and chop. Combine walnuts and dates in food processor. Process until well mixed and ground, but not smooth, about 40 seconds. It should be a coarse texture when done. Press evenly into a 9” tart pan. Set in refrigerator while making the filling. This is a good all purpose gluten free crust I use for any pie or tart.

Filling:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree. You can make it yourself by baking a pumpkin (sugar pies are the best; don’t use the skin) and then pureeing it, or use canned organic pumpkin.
2/3 cup xylitol, or a little less depending upon how sweet you like (find at natural food stores. It’s amazing! Swap it out 1:1 for sugar in recipes–it doesn’t feed intestinal yeast, doesn’t spike blood sugar, so it’s safe for diabetics, AND it’s good for your teeth & gums.)
3 Tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or 1 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 teaspoons arrowroot or kudzu root
1/2 cup coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor or blender, combine the pumpkin puree, xylitol, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, arrowroot, and coconut milk, in batches if necessary. Process until the mixture is well combined and smooth. Pour into the piecrust and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling has firmed up. Sometimes you will see the filling start to form cracks in it, which tells you it is getting firmer. Let cool. Serve with raw cashew cream!

Cashew Cream:
Soak 2 cups RAW cashews in a bowl overnight, ideally. Otherwise, about 5 hours does the trick. Use just enough filtered water to cover them. The next day, drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blender with enough filtered cold water to cover them. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. Strain if needed. YUM.

]]> http://www.maryvancenc.com/2010/11/vegan-pumpkin-pie/feed/ 0 Vegan Pumpkin Muffins/Bread http://www.maryvancenc.com/2009/10/vegan-pumpkin-muffinsbread/ http://www.maryvancenc.com/2009/10/vegan-pumpkin-muffinsbread/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:33:06 +0000 admin http://www.maryvancenc.com/?p=1277 I heart all things pumpkin: pumpkin curry, smoothies, breads, muffins, cookies, ice cream, pie, beer. Whoops on those last few, but I do enjoy some sweets from time to time. Moderation. Pumpkin is high in fiber, antioxidants, and the carotenoids that give it the orange color.

All of the above, save for the beer, I’ve managed to alter to meet my gluten free/dairy free needs. It takes many tries in the kitchen to get it right, but it’s enjoyable and tasty time well spent.

I am also allergic to eggs, so lately I’ve been experimenting with egg substitutions in baking that aren’t those EnerG egg replacers: ground flaxseeds mixed with water or applesauce. The ground flax seems to yield a result closer to actual eggs but works best with something that has a nutty flavor for the flax to complement, like breads or muffins. Applesauce makes the baked good super moist, so it works best with cakes or brownies and occasionally breads.

Here is a recipe that I have finally successfully adapted, with the help of a friend who is an excellent baker, to meet what I was striving for: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, sugar free. Don’t turn your nose up. It’s good, and just in time for Halloween pumpkin time. Makes an excellent breakfast smeared with nut butter, coconut butter, or real butter. I have made with both pumpkin or yams that I steamed and then pureed. Enjoy.

Vegan Pumpkin Bread
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free flour (I use Pamela’s, but I believe it has traces of dairy in it)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
dash cloves
1 1/2 cups cooked & pureed pumpkin or cooked sweet potato (roughly 2 small, diced, peeled, and packed into the measuring cup)
1/4 cup unrefined virgin coconut oil
3 TBSP flaxseed meal mixed with enough hot water to make 1/2 cup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup maple syrup, honey, or agave, or any combo thereof
2 tbsp applesauce
more honey or agave nectar to taste, if needed (I like less sweet)
optional: 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease muffin pan or loaf pan if making bread. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Set aside. Puree pumpkin or sweet potato, flaxseed meal mixture, coconut oil, water, honey/agave nectar, and applesauce in blender until smooth. Mix flour mixture with puree until just combined and spoon evenly into muffin pan cavities.

For the topping if making muffins (NOTE: I haven’t tried it yet, but my cake decorating baker friend developed it, so I am positive it would make a delicious addition)

1/2 cup chopped pecans
almond flour (sorry, didn’t really measure)
coconut oil (didn’t measure this either)
pinch salt
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
honey/agave nectar/maple syrup to taste

Mix together and distribute evenly over tops of muffins, pressing into the batter slightly to keep topping from falling off. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean. Makes 24 mini-muffins/12 standard muffins. Bake closer to an hour for loaf.

Calories (without topping) ~145

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