Tag: holidays

Mom’s “Dill-Cheese Potatoes” (Creamy Cheesy Dill Potatoes)

Leave a comment

A version of this dish has made its way into many family gatherings and dinnertime for as long as I can remember. I’ll admit that Mom’s version is a little different, though many of the ingredients were easily altered to make something same for everyone in our family to eat. The key here is to ensure your potatoes are super smooth—if you have a potato ricer, you’ll want to use it. Without one, I rely on some meticulous mashing skills.

Mom's 'Dill-Cheese Potatoes' aka Creamy Cheesy Dill Potatoes

3 pounds (1.4kg) white-flesh potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into large pieces
3 cups unsweetened fatty nondairy milk, such as almond or coconut beverage (not canned), divided
1/2 cup large flaked nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons roasted tahini paste
3/4 teaspoon brown mustard
1/4 cup fresh dill, minced or 4 teaspoons dried dill
6 scallions, finely chopped (greens from all 6, whites from 3)
Fine sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Cover the potatoes in cold water and refrigerate overnight. Rinse well. Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low—enough to maintain a rolling boil. Cool until softened, about 25 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, put the 2 cups of the nondairy milk and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar large measuring cup. Let stand about 5 minutes until curdled. Using a cheesecloth or coffee filter, strain the mixture until there is about 1 cup of curds remaining. Discard the drained liquid. Put the curds, nutritional yeast, tahini, and mustard  in a food processor. Process to combine. Pour the mixture, along with 3/4 cup of the remaining nondairy milk. Bring to low heat and cook until warmed through, then remove from the burner.

When the potatoes are nearly finished, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole dish.

Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot. Mash well. Scrape the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Turn the mixer to the lowest setting and slowly pour the nondairy milk mixture into the bowl, letting beat until smooth and creamy. Stir in the scallions, dill, remaining cider vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste, adding the remaining nondairy milk if needed.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until heated through and the top starts to turn golden. Serve warm.

Triple Chocolate Yule Log

2 Comments

A gluten-free, top-8 allergy-free, and vegan yule log? Yes, please. This one features a rich chocolate truffle mousse inside chocolate sponge cake topped with a creamy buttercream. A typical yule log recipe includes a lot of eggs and little fat, lending itself to the texture typical of a jelly roll sponge. Using the right combination of flours, baking powder, a bit of xanthan gum, and just enough oil to make up for the amount in the eggs helps deliver the same result.

For a variation, add grated orange zest to the filling, or spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on top of the filling before rolling. I originally developed this recipe for Allergic Living‘s 2014 holiday newsletter.

Festive Holiday Yule Log1

Triple Chocolate Yule Log

   

For the cake:
1/2 cup icing sugar, for dusting the towel and for decoration
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
2 tablespoons quinoa flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s Dark)
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon coconut oil, plus more for oiling the pan
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

For the filling:
1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
8 oz (226 grams) nondairy semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
1/2 cup nondairy buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk
2 1/3 to 2 2/3 cups icing sugar, sifted

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375º F. Lightly oil a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan (a baking sheet with sides). Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the paper with coconut oil. Dust a clean dishtowel with icing sugar, laying it out flat (you will invert the hot cake onto the dishtowel immediately after baking, so you want to have this ready.

Put the sorghum flour, quinoa flour, arrowroot flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Put the nondairy milk, ground flaxseed, and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture starts to steam and the oil is melted, whisk well to combine. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the nondairy milk mixture. Beat on high for about 2 minutes, until well combined. Turn the speed of the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, beating until just mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Turn off the mixer and stir in the vinegar.

Spread the batter onto the prepared pan, leaving a border of about 1-inch from the sides. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Carefully invert the cake onto the dishtowel. Peel the parchment off of the top of the cake. Starting at one of the long sides, and using the towel as an aid, gently roll the cake jelly-roll style (you will be rolling the towel inside of it). Cool completely in the towel.

As the cake cools, make the filling. Put the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl. Once the coconut milk is steaming (but not boiling), pour it immediately over the chocolate chips. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted. Refrigerate for about 1 hour until cool (it should be like pudding). Transfer the mixture to the stand mixer and whip on high for about 1 minute until the texture of mousse. Put the mixture back into the refrigerator.

Once the cake is cool, remove the filling from the refrigerator and unroll the cake, removing the towel. Spread the filling evenly over the cake to about 1-inch from the edge. Reroll the cake to form a log. Place the cake, seam side down, on a serving platter. Refrigerate while making the frosting.

To make the frosting, put the buttery spread in the stand mixer. Beat on medium-high for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and smooth. Turn the mixer to low speed. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of the non-dairy milk. Beat until well combined. Add 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth. Alternately add the remaining confectioners’ sugar and non-dairy milk until the mixture is smooth. Turn to high speed and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, until creamy and fluffy.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator. To make a branch coming out of the side of the log, cut a 4-inch diagonal slice off one end of the cake, placing the cut side of the piece on the side of the remaining cake. Spread the frosting over the whole cake.

Use the tines of a fork to create a rustic “bark” effect in the frosting. Dust with icing sugar for “snow”. Serve at room temperature.

Maple-Glazed Pumpkin-Pear Bundt with Crumble Topping

6 Comments

A perfect-for-brunch pumpkin cake with a crunchy crumble topping and a sweet maple glaze. If you don’t have pears on hand, try fresh cranberries, apples, or your other favourite fall fruits.

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Pear Bundt with Crumble Topping3

Maple-Glazed Pumpkin-Pear Bundt with Crumble Topping

For the crumble topping:
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon fine sea or Himalayan salt
6 tablespoons vegan buttery spread (such as Earth Balance), melted

For the cake:
1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup teff flour
7 tablespoons tapioca flour, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 cup unrefined cane sugar
1/4 cup nondairy milk
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups mashed pumpkin
2 cups finely chopped ripe pears
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

For the glaze:
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon dark maple syrup (if you don’t have dark, you may want to add the extract)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon nondairy milk, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
Pinch fine sea or Himalayan salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 10-inch (12 cup) bundt pan. Dust with sorghum flour, tapping out excess.

To make the crumble, put the sorghum flour, sugar, tapioca flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add the vegan buttery spread, stirring to mix. Use your fingers to press the crumble mixture into small clumps. Refrigerate until needed.

To make the cake, put the sorghum flour, teff flour, 6 tablespoons of the tapioca flour, the cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Put the coconut oil, sugar, nondairy milk, ground flaxseed, and vanilla extract in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Using a hand mixer or the stand mixer, beat on high speed until emulsified, about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin. Beat well to combine. Add the flour mixture. Beat on medium speed until just combined.

Put the pears in a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of tapioca flour. Toss to combine. Add the pear mixture to the cake batter, along with the cider vinegar. Stir to combine. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Remove the crumble topping from the fridge. Top the batter with the crumble in an even layer, pressing down slightly. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then put a plate over pan and turn it over to remove it. Carefully invert the cake onto a second plate so the crumble topping is facing up. Cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze, put the icing sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, nondairy milk, maple extract (if using), and salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine, adding more milk if necessary to create a drizzly consistency. Pour overtop of the crumble. Let stand about 20 minutes to set before serving.