We’re making pumpkin pie, cornbread dressing, veggie loaf, deviled eggs, and cranberry-apple sauce.
Recipe suggestions: Delicata Rice, or Stuffed Acorn Squash. For dessert, try Gajar Halwa.
Pumpkin Pie: We used canned pumpkin and followed the instructions on the can for the filling. This does contain egg, although I believe you can replace the egg with cornstarch. We added pumpkin pie spice instead of the mix of spices on the can.
Our crust recipe will make two pies. We do not make a top crust for the pie.
You need: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2/3 cup shortening (or butter, but shortening makes for better texture though it is unhealthier); 3/4 tsp salt; 1/3 cup cold water (as cold as you can get it).
How to: Mix the salt and flour in a bowl. Blend in the butter or shortening slowly, using a fork, until the mixture is crumbly (like breadcrumbs). Chill for 15 to twenty minutes. Add the water slowly, using a fork, maintaining a crumbly texture. When you are ready to roll it out, squeeze it gently into a ball and roll it out on a floured surface. The trick is, when mixing the dough, not to blend it like you would cookie or cake dough, as this will affect the flavor. Be gentle with pie dough.
Roll out the dough and gently place it in a pie dish. Cut away any extra dough from the edges. Fill with the pumpkin filling and bake at 425 F for fifteen minutes and then at 350 F for 40-50 minutes, on until a knife stuck in the center comes out clean.
Eggless Cornbread Dressing:
You need: 4 cups crumbled cornbread (this version is eggless); 4 tbsps butter; 3 stalks celery; 1/2 a large onion; 1 cup vegetable broth; salt and pepper to taste
How to: Chop the onions and celery into very small pieces (easy in a food processor). Sautee them in the butter, first onions then celery. Mix with the crumbled cornbread. Add enough broth to get the desired consistency. I prefer it to be slightly dry. Add salt and pepper, and serve warm.
Veggie Loaf:
You need: 1.5 cups yellow moong dal (lentils); 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped; 1 cup mixed bell peppers, finely chopped; 2 cups breadcrumbs; 2 tsp vinegar; 2 tsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp oil; to taste: salt, pepper, red chili flakes, basil, thyme, rosemary
How to: Cook the lentils in just enough water so they are not runny when they are done (start with about about 3 cups of water and see if you need to add any more as it cooks). Drain any remaining water. Do not throw it away – it is very healthy and can be used as a base for rasam or soup.
Sautee the onions and peppers.
In a bowl, mix the cooked dal with all the other ingredients except the bread. Mix well and refrigerate, preferably overnight, but at least a couple of hours. This will allow the dal to thicken further, and the flavors to set in.
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix in enough breadcrumbs in the dal to dry out the dal mixture without making it dense. It should still be moist. Like a sticky dough.
Place it in a loaf pan, or shape it into a loaf (if you can’t shape it, you need more breadcrumbs). Cover with foil. Bake in a hot oven at 350 F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and then bake for 10 minutes more.
Deviled eggs:
You need: 12 eggs; 4 tbsp mayonnaise; 2 tbsp horseradish; 2 tbsp mustard; to taste: salt, pepper, paprika
How to: Hardboil the eggs. Place them in cold water. Once they are cooled, peel them. The easiest way to peel them, I have found, is to tap the wider end on a hard surface. There is often a little pocket of air there in a boiled egg, and the shell cracks easily without damaging the egg.
Cut them in half lengthwise, carefully. Place the yolks in a bowl, and line the whites in a pan or around a plate.
To the yolks add the rest of the ingredients except the paprika. Add them a bit at a time, to check flavor and consistency. The final mixture should be of a consistency that allows it to be piped, but not too runny.
Place the yolk mixture in a sandwich bag and seal the top. Cut a small piece off a corner, and use it like an icing bag, to pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Shake the paprika on top when done.
For a different flavor, mix some dried dill into the eggs and skip the paprika. Or not.
Keep refrigerated until serving.
Cranberry-apple sauce
You need: 1 bag fresh cranberries (about 2-3 cups); 1 sweet apple; 1 cup water; 1 cup sugar.
How to: Peel and chop the apple into very small pieces. Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to a boil. Add the cranberries and apple and stir. Cover and cook on medium heat for about ten minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
