I’ve worked retail for nearly 7 years, and rarely get more than a few hours off on a holiday. This year is no exception, so the hubby and I decided to skip cooking and instead try out one of the many available feasts-to-go offered in our amazing city!
Thankfully, Lazy Smurf has already created a list of all the delicious meals up for grabs, making it much easier to decide which route to take. Check it out here– you’ll find everything from Thanksgiving themed sandwiches to decadent multi-course meals.
For my friend who aren’t in the Austin area but are last-minute searching for ideas, here are some options for consideration!
This recipe for Cranberry Pie comes from a kosher Type A diet friend over at Mimi’s Cooksbox. Most of her recipes are kosher, and but only a few are vegan. She’s definitely someone you want to have around when the zombie apocalypse happens and you’re hiding out- she can make you all kinds of artisan breads, she’s a whiz with canning and preserving and smart in the ‘olden’ ways of surviving! (Her preserves even placed at the Texas State Fair this year 😉 )
“Adapted from: Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly by Joan E. Aller
Published in November 2010 issue of Country Living Magazine
(It’s in the book too)
*My Notes
Makes 1 pie (8 servings). Working time 15 minutes. Total time 1 hour, 5 minutes.
*I made two pies, see notes below.
Two 9-inch pie crusts (*I used a regular store bought crust it accommodated the 1½ cups of cranberries. For two pies, use a 12 ounce bag)
3 cups fresh cranberries (*fresh/frozen is okay, this 3 cups equals about a 12 ounce bag mentioned above)
1 cup sugar, divided
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour (I used spelt)
1 egg white (for a vegan alternative, use Ener-g egg replacer)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (*I substituted ½ cup soy milk blended with ½ cup firm tofu, blend until very smooth in a blender)
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out piecrust and arrange in a 9-inch pie pan. Pour cranberries into crust to form a single layer.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together 2/3 cup sugar and flour. In a separate bowl, beat egg white until stiff peaks form, then fold into flour mixture. Slowly stir in cream mixture until combined.
3. Cover cranberries with remaining 1/3 cup sugar, then pour cream mixture on top. Bake pie for about 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 350°F and bake for about 40 minutes more. Let pie cool before serving.
Per serving – Protein: 3 g; fat: 17 g; carbohydrate: 40g; fiber: 2g; sodium: 109 mg; cholesterol: 41 mg; calories: 313.
*Looks good. Set up fine. Next time, use the blender to blend the tofu with the soy milk, should come out smoother. Store bought crust was Hill Country Fare, HEB brand–it’s kosher. : )
12/05/2010 – Made two pies, one bag of cranberries, the filling above was enough for both pies. Used regular pie shells, not deep dish.
I’m not a huge cranberry fan, but it was delicious!!! Unfortunately, we dug in prior to taking photos, so no pretty pictures. Sorry!
Looking for an alternative to standard rolls? Try this! the same friend mentioned above makes this for us a few times each year and mmmmm it’s gone before it has time to cool. It, too, was adapted from a recipe posted elsewhere originally (linked to the blog post I found that appears to be the same thing).
Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp. or 1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
Mix the yeast and the warm water in a mixing bowl and leave alone for five minutes to ensure the yeast is alive. If it froths and bubbles, it is!
Add to the bowl:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 Tblsp. ground flax seed meal + 6 Tblsp. water, whisked together to form a jelly
3 Tblsp. olive oil
3 Tblsp. sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
Mix on medium-low speed until blended. Add:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Knead on medium low speed in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes or about 10 minutes by hand. The dough should be elastic and smooth.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turn it once to coat the top with oil, then cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 2 1/2 hours in a warm place (I used a slightly preheated oven, which then I turned off and just let the bowl with dough sit in there).
Punch down the dough, knead a bit, and then place back into your bowl in a warm place, covered with your plastic wrap, until the dough has doubled (mine took about 30 minutes).
Divide the dough into three balls. Roll each ball into a rope about 12 inches in length. Dust with flour.
Braid the strands, and pinch together the ends and tuck them under the bread.
Transfer the loaf to a baking sheet.
Brush the top of the loaf with some olive oil which will give it a lovely glaze after baking.
Cover the loaf with oiled plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise. In about an hour, it would have nearly doubled in size.
Brush the loaf again with olive oil, sprinkle some sesame seeds over it, then place it in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.
As we prepare other things leading up to Thanksgiving, I’ll share the recipes. The hubby is making sweet potato au gratin tonight, can’t wait!
georgeousaustin 