Vegan Triple Layer Thanksgiving Pie

I am thankful for so much: wonderful Robert (boyfriend), energetic Bruce (puppy), and my awesome family at the top of the list. A great job, a hobby that de-stresses and keeps me fed, and friends around the globe. And let's not forget the little things: all the Christmas shopping is done, I have a day off, and I have a winning new recipe! Here's a pic of the Thanksgiving plate:

That's maple glazed baked tofu, vegan cornbread stuffing, vegan mashed potatoes and gravy, vegan green bean casserole, and vegan cranberry sauce. You know I am going to make this recipe with the leftover cranberry sauce!

But the pièce de résistance was without a doubt my triple later Thanksgiving pie!

Cheesecake

Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Three layers of goodness. In one pie.

Warning, it's not your usual quick and easy recipe that you'll find here, but your hard work and patience will be rewarded!

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cu graham cracker crumbs (I made mine by putting 10 graham crackers in the food processor)
1 T vegan butter (or oil)
2 T cold water

Cheesecake layer:
1 cup soaked cashews (soak in water for 4 hours)

4 oz. firm tofu (you will need a 1 lb package total for this recipe - 4 oz for the cheese cake and the remaining 12 for the pumpkin pie)
8 oz. vegan cream cheese
2/3 cu maple syrup
1 t lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer:
12 oz firm tofu

1 - 15 oz can pumpkin puree
2 T pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cu oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cu brown sugar
1 1/2 t molasses

Chocolate Pecan Pie Layer:
2 T ground flax seed
6 T water
1/3 cu melted vegan butter
2/3 cu brown sugar
1/3 cu whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cu pecan pieces, toasted in 350 oven for 10 min
 cu semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons bourbon

Let's do it!
Step one: Preheat oven to 350° F. Make a simple pie crust by combining 1 cu graham cracker crumbs with 2 T vegan butter (or oil) and 2 T cold water. Press into a spring form pan (cheesecake pan) and prick with a fork. Blind bake for 8 minutes.

Step Two: Make the cheesecake layer by blending ingredients in a food processor. You'll have to blend awhile until the cashews are nice and creamy. Top pie crust with cheesecake layer and put in freezer for about 15 minutes while you make the next layer.

Step Three: Blend pumpkin pie ingredients in food processor and add to cheesecake layer. It should be cold enough to keep from separating the layers. Replace in freezer for another 15 minutes while you make the next layer.

Step Four: Make the pecan pie layer. This pie is good enough to serve on its own - it's delicious! Whisk the water and ground flax and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in other ingredients and add to pie to make top layer. Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Test with a toothpick. Pie will still be a little jiggly, but noticeably firmer than when you put it in. Let cool on counter top and then refrigerate overnight. Warm every so slightly in microwave before serving!
Enjoy!

Credit where it's due. My sister, Kimberly gave me the idea when she made a non-vegan version for her boyfriend's birthday!

And I used these recipes as inspiration for this masterpiece:

Cheesecake - Hungry Hungry Hippie
Pumpkin Pie - Vegetarian.com
Chocolate Pecan Pie - Your Vegan Mom

Quick & Easy & Nearly Free: Veggie Stock

Let's say your going to make these Black Bean Burgers. So, you gather this:

And chop it into this:

But wait! You're also left with this:

So the question is... what do you do with these little leftovers? You could throw them away (shame on you), feed the carrots to your dog (guilty as charged), compost them (getting warmer), or...

You can add them to your stock starter! I keep a ziplock bag in the freezer for just such scraps and when it's full or when I need broth, I don't have to use up perfectly good carrots, onions, and celery! I love this trick because it's the perfect combination of multitasking, efficiency, and saving money! And I use broth for everything - soups of course, sauces like BBQ or Teriyaki, gumbo, risotto, chili, stuffing, you name it! Just about anything that calls for water is made even better when you substitute this stock!  I make a big batch, use what I need and freeze the rest. (Sometimes I even use ice cube trays to make just the right sized servings for small portions.)

So, I said nearly free! I do add a few things to my stock: salt, white pepper, and herbs from the garden (usually sage and oregano, but just about anything works).

Here I've got kale and mushroom stems, a celery end, onion and carrot peelings, and even the core from a head of iceberg! Let it simmer for a few hours, strain and voila! You've just made stock. The possibilities are limitless! Oh, and now you can compost those veggies. And they'll turn faster because they were cooked!

Happy Stock Making!

Vegan CranOrangNut Muffins

Using oranges, cranberry sauce, and walnuts, this recipe is a great breakfast solution to Holiday leftovers!



Ingredients:

Combine the following in a small bowl:

- Zest and Juice of 3 Oranges (You should get nearly one cu of juice)

- 1/4 cu brown sugar

- 1/4 cu agave nectar (I like these two together, but this recipe is certainly flexible with sweetener options)

- 1/2 cu canola oil (They are muffins, there is really no getting around the canola oil. But hey, compared to the Thanksgiving dinner you just ate, these are practically diet food!)

- 1 T vanilla extract (Make your own by infusing vanilla beans cut in half with vodka in a mason jar for a few weeks)

Combine the following in a large bowl:

- 2 cu whole wheat flour

- 1/2 t baking soda

- 1 T baking powder

- 1/4 t salt

Have the following standing by:

- leftover cranberry sauce (about 1 cu)

- 1 cu chopped walnuts (Thest are optional, but then they wouldn't be CranOrangNut!)

Very Simple Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir.

3. Gently stir in cranberry sauce and walnuts.

Pretty in pink!

4. Fill your lined muffin tins and bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

They go in looking like this:

And come out looking like this:

 Let cool and enjoy! Although, they are delicious warm, and might not last until breakfast. In that case, you may want to look up my vegan waffle recipe. :)