My hubby's birthday

My husband turns 62 today, New Year's Eve. The last 2 years have been tough. Just prior to his 60th birthday, he was bragging about how much sick leave he had, and then he had rotator cuff surgery. He fully recovered from that to find out he had stage 1a lung cancer, stage 2b esophageal cancer and given a 3-5 year life expectancy. He recovered from both of those surgeries (lobectomy and esophagectomy) by his 61 birthday to received a promotion at work.
In March he was told the esophageal cancer appeared to have spread to his lower right lung lobe and he had early prostate cancer, with the possible metastasis the prognosis is 3 years.  The oncology board again suggested chemo and radiation, and a second time Al declined treatment. He wants quality of life.
Back at the gym and being over zealous, he tore his esophagectomy internal incision creating multiple hernias. In April, he had robotic hernia surgery, due to complications with that surgery he is just now recovering and has gained back the 15 pounds he lost in April.
We began following Chris Wark's juice plan in early September. He won't change his diet due to the feelings of deprivation. In November, he had his check-up and appears to be cancer free, PSA levels dropped to low normal and there appears to be nothing on his lung. His doctor suggested he keep doing whatever I am having him do. His prognosis now is only God knows.
We are celebrating this year and all the years to come, using up his vacation time instead of his sick time!!! We went to the Bahamas to celebrate all 5 of our birthdays. God willing, next year Costa Rica!
He is celebrating with his boys at the movies, while I cook a birthday New Year's Eve meal for all.

Vegan Garlic Cheezy Bread

After a few tweaks, this bread is really good.
Ingredients:
1 package of instant yeast
2 TBS honey
2 cups warm water
1 TBS xanthan gum
1 cup Gluten free all-purpose flour (Bette Hagman's ratio of rice, potato and tapioca from 20 years ago)
1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup sweet potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Olive oil to grease skillet
5 cloves of garlic minced
coarse sea salt

Directions:
stir yeast, honey and lukewarm water
stirring with a wooden spoon add flours and starches
stir in apple cider vinegar, salt,  and nutritional yeast
grease cast iron skillet and place dough in a disk shape in cast iron skillet
lightly cover with a tea towel and let rise for about an hour (doubling in size)
press dough to reshape and allow to rise another 30 minutes
grease the top with olive oil, add garlic to the top and coarse sea salt
bake at 400 for 40 minutes

Our Youngest's 23rd Birthday

Our youngest son changed our lives. His life course changed mine completely His pediatrician encouraged me to quit my job when he was 2 years old due to vaccine injuries. This in turn opened my eyes to a more compassionate, loving world. He also opened my eyes to the importance of healthy eating from the age of 2 to today. His vaccine injuries took us down the path of the autistic diet, gluten (celiac) and casein (lactose intolerance) free (for life), to a ketogenic diet to control seizures.  However, the ketogenic diet created kidney issues (leading to apnea and cyanosis issues), so we went to a 2/3 raw, 95% whole food plant based diet (low legume and low grain) to control his apnea, cyanosis, and inflammation. We are praising God he has been seizure free since the age of 5 and the autistic label was removed by the doctors at Duke at the age of 13.
For his birthday dinner we are having friends and family over serving his favorite manicotti zucchini, cheezey garlic bread, a salad, thanks Jyl, and his favorite kiwi cashew based cheesecake, thanks Betty.

He, his brothers and dad have tickets to see the Star Wars the Last Jedi movie for his dad's birthday Sunday.

Herb Ricotta cheese
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pinenuts
1 peeled summer squash (zucchini or yellow)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic2 TBS nutritional yeast
1 probiotic capsule
1 cup filtered water
Directions: combine everything in a high speed blender and process until smooth. Place in a glass container leaving on the counter overnight. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Vegan Rosemary Pinenut Parmesan Skillet Bread

I haven't made gluten free bread in over 15 years. I thought i would give it a try using multi-grain flours.

Ingredients:
1 package of instant yeast
2 cups warm water
1 cup Gluten free all-purpose flour (Bette Hagman's ratio of rice, potato and tapioca from ! 20 years ago)
1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup sweet potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
2 TBS chopped rosemary
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS nutritional yeast
1/4 pinenut parmesan cheese
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Olive oil to grease skillet

Directions:
stir yeast and lukewarm water
stirring with a wooden spoon add flours and starches
stir in apple cider vinegar, salt, rosemary, nutritional yeast, and pinenut cheese
grease cast iron skillet and place dough in a disk shape in cast iron skillet
lightly cover with a tea towel and let rise for about an hour (doubling in size)
press sown on dough to reshape and allow to rise another 30 minutes
grease the top with olive oil, add rosemary leaves on top
bake at 400 for 40 minutes

Christmas 2017

Christmas Morning we served Apple Fig Custard. We had saved (sliced and froze) figs from the summer harvest.

We enjoyed time with our older boys. We also had unexpected, but definitely wanted family, the Lindley's from Maryland as guest.
For our meat eaters we served a turkey gluten free vegan stuffing, a vegan green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy of choice.

For the Whole food plant-based we served a pumpkin stuffed with a millet cranberry, apple stuffing.








For dessert, my husband wanted a Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie from Wholefoods, I made a fig and almond tart










Bread Crumb Stuffing
2 boxes of gluten free Ener-g bread crumbs
1 cup celery, diced\2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 onion, diced
1 TBS poultry spice
2 TBS fresh parsley
2 TBS fresh sage
1 TBS fresh thyme
2 cups vegetable broth
Directions: Broth saute the vegetables. Add seasoning and herbs. add bread crumbs and moisten with the vegetable broth to desired consistency.

Stuffed pumpkin

Stuffing Ingredients:
Millet cooked in instant pot (or on the stove top)
1 cup millet
1 2/3 cup vegetable broth (for stove top - 3 cups broth)
Place in instant pot using manual setting for 12 minutes.

(for the stove top - boil, cover and reduce to medium heat for 40 minutes)
While the millet is cooking, broth sauté the onions, celery, herbs and garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
2 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup vegetable broth

4 TBS fresh sage, rolled and chopped
2 TBS fresh thyme

1 apple, cored and diced
1/4 cup apple sweetened cranberries, minced

mix everything in a large bowl to finish stuffing

Stuffing Pumpkin

remove top as for a Jack-a-lantern and removed seeds

stuff the millet stuffing into the pumpkin

make 4 slits in the outside of the pumpkin to vent while cooking

place top on pumpkin

oil the outside of the pumpkin

place on a baking rack with tray underneath to catch the juices.

Turkey and Pumpkin

bake at 350 for 1 ½ hours

from these juices we make a gravy, just as one would using juices from a turkey,

zucchini garlic bites

This recipe for Zucchini Garlic bits is from Grow a Good Life. We altered it to fit our needs. I might add some salt, since there isn't much salt from the cheese substitute.

Ingredients:
1 cup grated zucchini
1 TBS flax meal plus 3 TBS water, set for 5 minutes
1/3 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1/4 cup pinenut parmesan
1 clove garlic finely grated or finely minced
2 TBS chives
1 TBS parsely
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Use a box grater to grate the zucchini into a clean towel. Roll up the towel and twist to wring out the moisture. Grate the garlic using the small holes on the box grater.
3. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
4. Shape a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, pat into small cylinder, and place on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until golden. Serve warm with marinara sauce. Recipe makes about 16 

The Twins 29th Birthday

Our twins turned 29 today. It is so hard to believe that they started as 30-
week preemies. Today they are hard working, productive very handsome men. I am so grateful to have them in our lives. They are always supportive in our life.
We will celebrate at my parents this weekend. My parents served a meat based meal. We brought whole food plant based meals for our youngest son and myself. I brought desserts. The twins loved the Apricot, Fig, Cashew- based Mascaapone Cheese Tart, so i made it. I also brought the remaining half of the White Chocolate Raspberry Tort from Thanksgiving, as well as, Turtle Candies.

Happy Birthday to two of my favorite men!!! I am so proud of who you have become!!!

The 12th Day of Christmas - Drummer Tots

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas I made my loved ones 12 Drummer Tots from She Likes Food

Eleven cups of piping hot chocolate

Ten Leaping "Frog-less" Legs

Nine Vegan Ladies' Dancers' Legs

Eight Maids' Buckets of Aqaufaba cheese

Seven bowls of Swans of swimming soup

Six Chocolate eggs

FIVE Golden Onion Rings

Four Calling non-bird pies

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large russet potatoes (1.5-2 pounds)
• 2 (14 ounce) bags frozen broccoli florets that have been thawed, or 8 cups steamed broccoli florets
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling on top
• Olive oil
• 12 toothpicks

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place potatoes in on instant pot rack with 1 cup of water in the bottom. Set the manual setting for 3 minutes. Drain water and let potatoes cool until they are comfortable to handle. It’s best if they are still warm.
2. Once potatoes are warm enough to handle, remove the skins either with your fingers or with a potato peeler.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grate potatoes on the large side of a box grater and place into a large bowl.
4. Place the broccoli into a food processor and blend until it’s in very small pieces, 30 seconds – one minute. You may need to do it in two batches. Place broccoli onto a kitchen towel and squeeze all excess water out.
5. Add the broccoli to the grated potatoes along with the salt and mix everything together. Make sure to mix very well because if you have pockets that are mainly broccoli the tater tots won’t form together as well.
6. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands to form small cylinders with the mixture. Use about 1 tablespoon per tater tot. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes to allow them to firm up.
7. Brush the top of each tater tot with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle each one with salt. Bake tater tots until browned a crispy, about 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway though.
8. Cut toothpicks in half and place on top of tots as drum sticks

The 11th Day of Christmas - Piping Hot Chocolate

On the eleventh day of Christmas I made my loved ones Eleven cups of piping hot chocolate. I used the recipe from Nutritionfacts.org 's Daily Dozen December calendar recipe from Holly Olmstead

Ten Leaping "Frog-less" Legs

Nine Vegan Ladies' Dancers' Legs

Eight Maids' Buckets of Aqaufaba cheese

Seven bowls of Swans of swimming soup

Six Chocolate eggs

FIVE Golden Onion Rings

Four Calling non-bird pies

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

Ingredients for 1 cup of hot chocolate
1.5 TSP cocoa powder
1.5 TBS hemp seeds
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 large medjool date, pit removed
10 ounces hot water

Directions: Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a mug and enjoy!

The 10th Day of Christmas - Leaping Legs

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, I made my loved ones Ten Leaping "Frog-less" Legs,

Nine Vegan Ladies' Dancers' Legs

Eight Maids' Buckets of Aqaufaba cheese

Seven bowls of Swans of swimming soup

Six Chocolate eggs

FIVE Golden Onion Rings

Four Calling non-bird pies

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

Ingredients for marinade:

10 parsnips, peeled and toes slit at the bottom
1/4 lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/8-1/4 tsp truffle oil
1/8-1/4 tsp liquid smoke
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Marinade for 6+ hours
Roast marinaded parsnips at 400 for 30 minutes

Ingredients for sauce for parsnips and pasta:
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 onion, diced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 TBS fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Cooked 1 pound of pasta of choice according to package directions

Directions:
Saute the onions, mushrooms and garlic until soft, 3-5 minutes
Use the white balsamic to de-glaze the parsnip pan
Stir in remaining ingredients and  heat for 10 minutes

To serve:
place the parsnips over pasta and top with sauce

The 9th Day of Christmas - Ladies Dancers' Legs

On the ninth day of Christmas I made my loved ones Nine Vegan Ladies' Dancers' Legs

Eight Maids' Buckets of Aqaufaba cheese

Seven bowls of Swans of swimming soup

Six Chocolate eggs

FIVE Golden Onion Rings

Four Calling non-bird pies

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

Ingredients:

Vegan Ladyfingers:

• 3 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 1/4 cup daiya cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons tapioca starch or other starch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch of turmeric for color, if desired
• 2/3 cup aquafaba
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar (superfine, if you have it)
• 1 1/2 cups flour, thoroughly sifted
• semi-sweet chocolate for dipping the lady fingers
• crushed candy canes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Combine the vegan margarine, daiya cream cheese, tapioca starch, vanilla extract, and turmeric in a stand mixer or large bowl.
3. Whip with the paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
4. Pour the aquafaba into the bowl of a stand mixer equi pped with the balloon whisk, and add the cream of tartar.
5. Whip until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes.
6. Gradually add sugar, whipping after each addition.
7. Gently fold the whipped aquafaba into the creamed mixture.
8. Gently fold the flour into the mixture, folding until just combined.
9. Transfer the dough into a pastry bag equipped with a large round pastry tip, or a large ziptop bag with the corner cut off so that the cut edge is about 3/4-inch wide.
10. Pipe 4-inch long logs of dough onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving about an inch of space between cookies.
11. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden and firm.
12. Crack open the oven door and let the cookies start to cool while in the oven before gently moving the tray to a cooling rack to firm up completely.

The 8th Day of Christmas - Maids' Buckets of Aqaufaba cheese

On the eighth day of Christmas, I made my loved ones, Eight Maids' Buckets of Aquafaba cheese

Seven bowls of Swans of swimming soup

Six Chocolate eggs

FIVE Golden Onion Rings

Four Calling non-bird pies

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or boiled for 15 minutes
• 1 cup aquafaba (preferably chickpea or other light colored bean)
• 2 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp miso paste
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)
• 3/4 tsp salt*
• 6 tbsp refined coconut oil, liquid
• 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar

*You may need to adjust the salt level a bit lower if using salted aquafaba.

Directions:
1. Blend softened cashews and aquafaba in a high speed blender until as smooth as possibly. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any large particles and return to blender. It should be very smooth after blending. You may find there are still a few cashew particles if you’re using a lower quality blender or food processor, which is why I recommend straining.

2. Add tapioca starch,  tomato paste, miso, onion powder, nutritional yeast, paprika, turmeric and salt and pulse in a blender to combine.

3. Add coconut oil and blend again very briefly. Mixture will be smooth and a little thick.

4. Heat in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat while stirring regularly. It will look like quite lumpy as the tapioca starch activates. Continue to stir, and it will eventually turn glossy and smooth, like melted cheese. When it reaches 170°F, it is done. You will see it begin to bubble around the edges and maintain its thickness. Quickly add the apple cider
vinegar and remove from heat. If your emulsion breaks (the oil starts to separate), remove from heat and stir quickly to recombine. If it’s already too far gone, you can use an immersion blender to combine it again.

The 7th Day of Christmas - Swans of Swimming Soup

On the seventh day of Christmas I made my loved one Swan wings of Swimming Soup is swimming with vegetables and farfalle (wing shaped) pasta. This recipe is altered from Oh She Glows

Six Chocolate eggs

FIVE Golden Onion Rings

Four Calling non-bird pies

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

Ingredients:

For the soup:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 6 cups vegetable broth, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable broth
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 diced sweet onion 
• 1 heaping cup peeled and chopped carrots 
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash
• 1 heaping cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
• 1 qt canned tomatoes, with their juices
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Homemade 10-Spice Mix, to taste
• Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 to 3 cups baby spinach 
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or other beans, drained and rinsed
• 12 oz farfalle pasta (we added)

Homemade 10-Spice Mix (makes 1/2 cup):

• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (we added this)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Place cashews in a bowl and add enough water to cover. Soak the cashews overnight, or for 8 hours. For a quick-soak method, soak the cashews in boiled water for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain and rinse the cashews.
2. In a blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews with 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend on the highest speed until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large pot, heat the broth over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add Herbamare or sea salt if needed.
4. Add the carrots, bell pepper, potato, celery, and diced tomatoes with their juices, the remaining 5 cups broth, and 1 to 2 tablespoons 10-Spice Mix (to taste). Stir well to combine . Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Simmer the soup uncovered for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and black pepper. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the cashew cream, spinach (or kale), and drained beans. Add more 10-Spice Mix, to taste.
6. To freeze, ladle the soup into containers (leaving 1 inch for expansion), cool completely, secure lid, and place in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.

The 6th Day of Christmas - Chocolate Eggs

On the sixth day of Christmas I made my loved ones Chocolate Eggs using the recipe from Peta.org

FIVE Golden Onion Rings

Four Calling non-bird pies

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

Chocolate Eggs
Ingredients:

1 8-oz. package nondairy cream cheese (Daiya), softened at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Decorations, e.g., chopped nuts, unsweetened cocoa, toasted flaked coconut

• Beat the nondairy cream cheese in a mixing bowl until it is smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until it is well blended. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and mix well.
• Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
• Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls or egg shapes and roll them in the nuts, cocoa, or coconut. Store the finished chocolates in the refrigerator.

The 5th Day of Christmas - Onion Rings

The Fifth Day of Christmas I made my loved ones FIVE Golden Onion Rings. This recipe is altered from allrecipes.com. These were served with Snobby Joe's and a kale salad (kale, dried cranberries, walnuts, diced apple, pine nut based Parmesan cheese with a honey mustard dressing - 1 TBS Dijon mustard, 1/2 TBS honey, 1 TBS olive oil, 2 TBS water, 1 1/2 TBS apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper)

Four Calling non-bird pies

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose gluten free flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup aquafaba

• 1  cup almond milk, or as needed
• 
  
• 3/4 cup gf dry bread crumbs
• seasoned salt to taste
• 
  
•  air fryer
• 
  

Directions

1. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.
3. Place on wire tray in air fryer. Set heat to 400 and timer to 5 minutes. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

The 4th Day of Christmas - Calling Non-Bird Pies

The Fourth Day of Christmas I made my loved ones 4 Calling Non-Birds Pies. This recipe is altered from the one from Outdoor Life
We omitted the crow, as well as all the remaining animal based ingredient. We also made this is jumbo muffin tins for individual servings, I didn't want to make 4 large pies. We served this with the remaining French Crescents. There were enough vegetables to make another 8" pie, so we did.

Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

INGREDIENTS

1 Honeycrisp apple, or similar variety
2 Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup whole mushrooms (any kind you like)
1 bunch rainbow carrots (available at farmers markets or Trader Joe’s)
1 cup sugar snap peas
3 celery stalks, diced
10 fluid ounces of apple cider
2 cups vegetable broth
1 leek (from our garden)
1 small bunch fresh parsley (from our garden)
12 sprigs fresh thyme (from our garden)
1 egg worth of aquafaba (1/4 cup)
vegetable broth
Salt
2 TBS gluten free flour

3 prepared or homemade piecrusts
For the muffin pies, we 1/4 one prepared pie shell and used it to line the muffin tin and make the top. The remaining two pie shells were used for the 8" pie.

Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add vegetable broth. Sauté leeks and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes to cook off the water in the vegetables. Add carrots and more broth, as needed. Add about ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook another 5 minutes.
Next, throw in the peas, apple and potatoes. Mix.
Hit with ¼ teaspoon of salt, and about 2 tablespoons of flour and mix. Add approximately 10 fluid ounces of apple cider. Add the parsley and thyme, and mix.
As the mixture simmers, slowly add some broth in 1/3-1/2 cup increments. We are looking to thicken the mixture to a gravy-like consistency. You have to feel your way through this step. Just think Grandma’s Thanksgiving gravy. This step will take about 30-45 minutes.
Once the mixture has reached it’s silky thickened state of deliciousness, turn out the whole works into a bowl to cool while you prepare the crust. Turn on the oven preheating to 350 degrees.
Into a pre-chilled 8 or 9-inch cast iron skillet spray with oil, and sprinkle lightly with a little salt. This keeps the piecrust from adversely interacting with the cast-iron.
Once your base crust is in the pan let it sit there for 5 minutes to stretch and relax. While the crust is settling into the pan, roll out your second crust. Put an x in the middle to create a small opening for the pie bird, if you have one. This old fashioned pie bird will let out steam as the savory non-crow pie bakes in the oven.
Now it’s time to add the cooled mixture into to the skillet. Set the ceramic birds in the middle, top with second crust, fold under and pinch the edges however you want.
Just be sure to seal the crusts to one another, and pinch the dough to ceramic pie bird to seal there, as well. We want as tight a seal as possible before putting in the oven.
Beat the aquafaba and liberally brush onto the crust. Pop the pie onto the lower rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Time can vary depending on how thick you made the crust, the size of your skillet, and the accuracy of your oven, so keep an eye on things and adjust as you go. If your crust is brown before the veggies are done, cover loosely with aluminum foil to protect from burning.
For the individual ones we baked them for 30 minutes.

The 3rd Day of Christmas - French Crescents

The third day of Christmas i made my loved ones Three French Crescents

Two turtle candies

And a pear muffin

INGREDIENTS

Dough

• 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour mix
• 1¼ cup + 2 tbsp milk of choice
• 1 rapid rise red star yeast packet or 2½ tsp
• 3 tsp xanthan or guar gum (omit if mix already contains gum)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp melted vegetable shortening + extra for parchment paper

Garlic filling/topping

• 3 tbsp shortening
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Heat ¼ cup of milk to 100 degrees. Add yeast and set aside for until foaming.
3. Topping: Crush garlic and mix with shortening. Set aside.
4. Mix all dry ingredients for the dough. Combine yeast, melted shortening and remaining milk.
5. Mix ingredients by hand for 5 minutes to help activate gum.
6. Lightly grease a sheet of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet. With greased hands, gently press out dough to form a rectangle approximately 14x18 inches.
7. Evenly spread topping along the entire dough.
8. Divide the dough in half (length wise) using a pizza cutter, cut in half again. Slice the extra long rectangle into triangles.
9. Gently roll each triangle staring from the largest end. If dough breaks, simple press together with a little water. Cover and allow to rest about 10 minutes before baking.
10. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-14 minutes or until golden brown.