This is Halloween, this is Halloween. Halloween, Halloween!

Hi everybody, it’s Kristina again from spabettie, and I am here with a post themed on my favorite holiday. I have a few recipes to share, a cute pup, and some other fun shenanigans. A big thank you to the xgfx girls for having me here again!

Using the black quinoa is perfect for a jack o lantern.

First up, my carrot-ginger quinoa pepper jacks! These pepper jacks are always a big hit with everyone, and this year I am even more excited about the filling inside – a carrot ginger quinoa, and it’s SO good! 

This next one was all I needed last year for dessert on Thanksgiving. Couldn’t wait to make it again. Good thing the nog is back in shops already…

Pumpkin Ice Cream

From one pumpkin patch to another,

these treats are sweet!

Crispy Treat Pumpkin Patch (orange cardamom flavor).

Sometimes the spiders around here are big enough to scare the cats…

and that ice cream up there?

 Makes these:  Pumpkin Milkshakes!

My dachshund Basil loves Halloween, too. He is a turtle this year, and last year he was…

a submarine!

This time of year we just call him our Halloweenie. Now back to those pepper jacks. I let out a loud squeal when I found out that Pee-Wee Herman shared them!

I was pretty excited (I love Pee-Wee…) and have to admit I did his laugh a couple times when I saw this. ;) and the other fun thing that is happening with these pepper jacks right now…

These pepper jacks are a finalist in the Yummly Halloween recipe contest, and I would really love it if you helped a vegan and gluten free recipe win!! How cool would that be?

All you have to do is visit the site here and “like” the page. No signing up for anything, just “like”. I thank you in advance, and I hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

Are you a Pee-Wee fan? What about dogs in costume?

*****

Thanks for another great post, Kristina!

Today’s treat is Spiced Chocolate Chia Pudding, a sweet and spicy Fall favorite of mine that’s yummy enough to be a dessert, but healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast.  In case you’ve been missing out on the chia goodness until now, they’re an easily digested, high fiber, nutrition-packed seed that form a gel when mixed with liquid and take on the taste of whatever you mix them with.  When left whole they remind me of tiny tapioca.  When mixed with chocolate they become a tasty and wholesome way to indulge your sweet tooth.  I love chia seeds almost as much as I love Fall.

Spiced Chocolate Chia Pudding

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 cups coconut milk beverage (or nut milk of your choice)
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup agave or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• pinch sea salt

Stir together the chia seeds and shredded coconut in a mixing bowl.

In a high powered blender mix together the rest of the ingredients until completely smooth. Stir the wet mix into the seed mixture.

Let sit for 15 minutes and stir again. At this point the pudding can be divided into individual serving cups or left in the bowl to refrigerate. I like to put mine in 8 ounce juice glasses. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving. Makes about 4 servings.

Now, this recipe is super flexible so you can make this completely raw or less raw depending on your nut milk, sweetener and cacao vs. cocoa.  It’s just a little bit spicy.  Adding more cayenne will heat it up if you’re into that sort of thing.  Enjoy!

I’m participating and taking a fun ‘n relaxing break this Vegan MoFo humpday. We’re half way through Vegan MoFo and would like to thank all our amazing guest bloggers for making Vegan Mofo happen here on xgfx!

1. What’s your favorite gluten-free flour?

2. What have you always wanted to deglutenize, but haven’t yet?

3. What’s one of your favorite xgfx meals to make?

4. Your biggest gluten-free success that makes ya most proud?

5. Most “epic xgfx fail”?

6. What product do you wish was xgfx that isn’t?

7. If you could pass along one gluten-free tip to a gluten-free newbie, what would it be?

8. What’s your favorite xgfx product?

9. Is there anything you miss being gluten-free?

10. Any xgfx techniques you’ve learned that have been most helpful?

11. Have you found a favorite gluten-free pizza dough recipe that makes your heart sing?

12. Xanthan gum. Do you or don’t you? Love it or leave it?

13. Favorite gluten free prepackaged bread.

14. What’s your favorite way to nosh on quinoa?

15. Name five of your most coveted pantry staples.

16. If you could only buy three gluten free flours to last you for three months, what would they be?

17. Any xgfx ingredients you are intimidated about trying?

18. Favorite place to buy foods?

19. Favorite meal when dining out?

20. Freebie – create your own question and have fun with it!

A special thank you to author Laurie Sadowski for sharing her holiday inspired post with us today!

♥

Here in Canada, we celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend. I love Thanksgiving – primarily because I love cooking and baking with fall themes, and where I live, we still have plenty of late summer produce, combined with fresh fall favourites.

Unfortunately, I haven’t yet celebrated my Canadian Thanksgiving. It proved to be a busy weekend, filled with my nephew’s 3rd birthday, recipe testing, and working on myriad of projects.

That being said, there is absolutely no way I won’t eventually have my Thanksgiving, where I load up on Brussels sprouts, gravy, and my other favourites.

These favourites, then, I thought I would share with you. They make perfect fall dinners, or, for those of you who haven’t had Thanksgiving yet, perfect to share with your family and friends.

I’ve written two posts on my own blog about prepping for Thanksgiving, and some of my must-have recipes are there. Cider-Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts offer you two easy ways to serve the little green cabbage, and I guarantee it tastes better than anything boiled or steamed. For those of you who “hate Brussels sprouts”, think again – these are creamy, sweet, and melt in your mouth delicious.

I’ve also served up a recipe for my favourite mushroom gravy, one that is truly open to adapting to your own tastes. Even those who used to love it made from turkey drippings ask if I am making this. All of the omnivorous folks in your home will love this, too, offering an excellent compromise for a Thanksgiving with meat-eaters and vegan/vegetarians.

I often host a Thanksgiving dinner, as well as a Christmas dinner, so I work on trying to cater to everyone. I’m pretty lucky in the way of gluten-free: though I’m the only celiac, another person in my family is gluten-free, and my sister and her family eat that way as often as possible. Further, we’re all pretty easy to compromise with. Everything can be vegan, except one main meat dish.

The thing is, I don’t really like just noshing on all of the sides. Well, I do, but I always feel there is something missing. That being said, I always try to make some sort of main dish, even if I am the only one who ends up eating it (which is never the case). Generally, it is a lasagna, but last year I made a delicious nut loaf, and was pleased with how it turned out. It got eaten pretty quickly.

Though the recipe doesn’t state this, I do recommend, if you want, to make it in advance, let it cool, fridge it over night, and then reheat it. This helps firm it up a little more. My favourite part of this recipe is it doesn’t include bread crumbs because, frankly, I want to eat my bread. Not grind ‘er up!

Happy Thanksgiving (belated or in advance!)

Nut and Mushroom Loaf

A simple loaf, brimming with nuts and a hint of mushroom flavor, this loaf is super simple to put together and is great with my mushroom gravy.

Serves about 6 to 8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
1 cup almonds, chopped (see Note)
3/4 cup pecans, chopped (see Note)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and celery. Saute until softened. Add the garlic, mushrooms and nuts. Continue to cook until fragrant. Stir in the herbs. Cook for an additional minute. Whisk the arrowroot flour and sorghum flour into the apple cider. Add it to the pan. Stir until smooth. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Use a spatula to scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until firm and lightly browned. Let stand at least 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Note: Finely chop the majority of the nuts, leaving a portion of them intact for a nice crunch. (This is easily done in a food processor). The finer chopping aids in a loaf that stays together when slicing. Similarly, if you unmold it too soon, it will not stay together when slicing.

Bring on the Mac & Cheese! (Hold the Cheese and Gluten, Please!)

Most of us did not grow up vegan. For those of you who are gluten-free, you probably didn’t grow up shunning wheat either. Cheese, bread, meat, and pasta were mainstays in the fridge and cupboards of your childhood.

Although I, admittedly, did grow up with a lot more exposure to health foods that most kids (I only found out recently that I was not among the masses when I enjoyed broccoli on homemade pizza. Go figure), I loved dairy when I was a youngster. I would make Alton Brown’s macaroni and cheese recipe (all by myself, thank you very much), which, looking back, may have contributed to the severe cramps, bloating, and headaches I got frequently at the time; complete with four tablespoons of butter and uncountable cups of full-fat cheddar cheese, I am happy to say my tastes have changed considerably for the better…. although I will forever have “the cheese button”.

Perhaps you have a “cheese button”, too? In this recipe, a strange gaggle of ingredients join together to create something that definitely begets cheese. Of course, it is not cheese, so it does not taste exactly like cheese (<— how creepy would that be?). It’s the thought that counts however, and I guarantee you will get cheesy vibes from this sauce. Pour it over some gluten-free pasta and take a trip down memory lane! Bonus: it has veggies, is low in fat, and contains nothing artificial!

Vegan [Cauliflower] Cheese Sauce

(Vegan, gluten-free, low in fat, sugar-free)
You can find orange cauliflower at the farmer’s market. Failing that, white works just fine, though the color is a bit paler. Original post on my blog, Adventures of Vegirl.

• ½ head (approx. 4 loose cups) orange cauliflower, chopped
• Up to 2 cups water, depending on you desired consistency and the dependency of your blender.
• 1 small tomato OR ¼ cup canned diced tomato OR 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cashew butter (OR 2 tablespoons cashews, if you have a gung-ho blender)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon tamari OR soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon ground tumeric
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Optional: maca powder (about 1 teaspoon, adds interesting flavor)

Chop the cauliflower and steam until soft. Drain the cooking water into a liquid measuring cup and top it off to get two cups. Add water as needed to allow your blender to process the cauliflower to a smooth consistency. The amount of water you use will give you anything from fondue, sauce, spread, and gel. Blend in remaining ingredients. Store leftover “cheese” in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Suggested uses: use as a topping or dip for cooked or raw veggies, a spread in wraps or sandwiches, or as a sauce for pasta.

For Macaroni and Cheese:

Prepare your choice of pasta (preferably whole-grain!) according to the packages instructions. Drain and rinse the pasta, and toss with sauce. If desired, cook the finished product in a pot over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. This cooks off a bit of moisture and allows the sauce to stick better to the pasta. For a quick meal, make ahead the cheese sauce or cook it while the water boils and the pasta cooks, so that all components are ready within 20-30 minutes!

Hello to all who MoFo! With Canadian Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about food. (Oh, wait, I always think about food. Anyway. . .). What I mean by that is: I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving-related food.

And when I think of Thanksgiving, I think of rich, dense, and toothsome nut roasts, savory pies, casseroles and other labor-intensive, slow-cooking main courses. I think of rich, creamy, mousse-like desserts and sticky, sweet, flaky-crusted pies. I think of au gratin vegetable bakes, Brussels sprouts, root vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes.

But mostly, I think about cranberries. What would Thanksgiving be without cranberries, right?

This recipe is a Thanksgiving-themed version of one that appeared on my blog some time ago, revamped to include both pumpkin and the ubiquitous ruby berries. It’s blended and then baked for a smooth, luscious pumpkin-kissed interior that’s fragrant with autumn spices and dotted with juicy cranberries throughout. It’s wonderful served warm right from the oven, but also fantastic the next day, straight from the fridge (and I must admit that I prefer the cold version!).

Certainly, this pudding is healthy enough to eat for breakfast, but once baked, it becomes so thick, rich and silky smooth that it takes on more qualities of dessert (and, in fact, when I offered some to my hubby for brunch, he turned it down, saying, “That’s too much like a pudding for breakfast—I’ll eat some after dinner, with cream.”). If you bake it in a fancy ceramic casserole or springform pan, call it a soufflé and set it out for dessert at your Thanksgiving meal with some Coconut Whipped Cream, and I guarantee you’ll be the hit of the holiday this year.

Baked Pumpkin-Cranberry Oatmeal Pudding
Adapted from this recipe

Partway between a mousse, a pudding and a custard, this baked dessert bears no resemblance to regular oatmeal (except, of course, that it’s highly addictive).

1/2 cup (75 g) lightly toasted hazelnuts (filberts), with skin
1/2 cup (75 g) lightly toasted walnut pieces
2/3 cup (100 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick-cook)
1 cup (240 ml) packed pumpkin purée
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp-1/4 cup (30-60 ml) agave nectar or maple syrup, to your taste*
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground ginger
1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese 5-Spice powder (or use 1/8 tsp/.5 ml cloves and about 1 tsp more cinnamon, to taste)
1/8 tsp (.5 lm) fine sea salt
1-1/4 cups (300 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla soy, almond, rice or hemp milk
1 cup (240 ml) cranberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw if frozen)

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease a 4-6 cup (1-1.5 L) casserole dish and set aside.

Place all ingredients except for cranberries in the bowl of a high-speed blender and blend until smooth (you will need to scrape down the sides as you go). If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can still make the pudding, this way: place nuts, oats, and milk in a blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Add remaining ingredients except for cranberries and blend until smooth (you may have to blend this part in smaller batches).

Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, then gently fold in the cranberries (scatter a few extra berries over the top as garnish if you like, as they won’t sink).

Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, rotating the casserole dish about halfway through, until the edges begin to puff and crack and the top appears dry (it will still seem unbaked in the middle—this is how it should be). Allow to cool about 10 minutes before scooping out and serving; may be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. Top with coconut whipped cream, if desired. Makes 4-6 servings. Store, covered, for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or freeze.

This post is linked to Ricki’s October SOS Challenge.

Technology is cool ‘n’ all, but if it was really so awesome someone would’ve figured out a way for me to dog-ear my RSS reader for this year’s VeganMoFo, which happens to kick off today. Today! Generally I don’t even use feed readers, but during The Vegan Month of Food (VeganMoFo) it becomes a real necessity. How else are you supposed to keep up with the hundreds and hundreds of blogs participating?

Or just the 30 boasting xgfx for the month? (<– Click on that to subscribe to the xgfx MoFo blog bundle).

This blog’s going to participate, too! I  know–the whole month!

When Allyson, Jessy and I launched this site in April one of the things I was most excited about was creating an online community where vegans of all kinds could come together to share their xgfx adventures, skills, knowledge and tasty recipes. We’re super excited about our inaugural MoFo, especially so because we have a huge group of folks who are going to help us make it happen.

It’s downright titillating and it’s only possible thanks to the awesome and exceptionally generous folks who will be helping us to blog, write, food-talk, round-up and picture take–all month long.  Thanks all y’all! Check out this boggling blogger list of xgfx posts to come! ALL of these blogs will be making guest appearance here this month.

1. She Let Them Eat Cake, 2. Julie Hasson, 3. Cake Maker to the Stars, 4. happyveganface, 5. Manifest Vegan, 6. Vegan Gluten-Free Karaoke, 7. Spabettie, 8. Diet, Dessert and Dogs, 9. Chew on This!, 10. In My Box, 11.Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Vegan, 12. Bonzai Aphrodite, 13. Fresh Young Coconut, 14. Welcoming Kitchen, 15. Carrie on Vegan, 16. Whisking & Writing, 17. Gluten-Free Travelette, 18. Sketch-Free Vegan Eating, 19. Barefoot and Frolicking, 20. The Adventures of V.E.girl.

We have all sorts of great things planned!

xo kittee

—

I love pancakes. To say I have an obsession would be an understatement. It’s more like an obsessed obsession.

Did that make any sense?

I am forever experimenting with every possible variety and variation of pancakes I can think of—with different ingredients and flour combos, I’ve done banana herb pancakes, chocolate pancakes, and cookie dough pancakes (eek!). Another brilliant discovery was the savory pancake—perfect for a veggie sandwich, or a classic pb&j.

But whether or not you go the traditional margarine and syrup route or aim for a more gourmet twist, these pancakes can fit the bill. What with their ever so slight sweetness and multi-purpose crumb, they are like a healthier, more whole-food version of a normal white-flour pancake, utilizing tapioca starch for a fluffier texture. It’s a great way to sneak that bean and whole grain goodness into your family– and might I recommend mixing some berries or chocolate chips into the batter?

You won’t be disappointed.

Light and Moist xGFx Pancakes

2 cups garbanzo bean flour

½ cup tapioca or arrowroot starch

½ cup brown rice flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Optional: sweetener (stevia, sugar, agave, etc.)

1 ½ – 2 cups water, more if needed

½ cup applesauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

Optional add-ins: dried fruit, chocolate chips, berries, nuts, etc.

Begin heating one or more cooking pans over low to medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the garbanzo, arrowroot/tapioca, and rice flour, in addition to the baking soda and optional sweetener. Combine dry together well, then incorporate the water—the more water, the thinner the pancake. Add optional add-ins to this almost-completed batter.

Depending on what pan you use, grease the pan if you wish. Just before cooking, stir the vinegar into the batter to activate the baking soda’s leavening properties. Ladle approximately a ¼ cup (more or less depending on you desired pancake size), and allow the heat to make bubbles form throughout the pancake. Flip and cook through on the other side. I can’t give a definite time for each side to be cooked, since different sizes and thickness determine that. Check the middle of the pancake for the first few to get the feel for your particular batch.

Serving and storage:

Great served hot plain or with sides and toppings (nut butter is highly recommended). Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for up to a day, and any leftovers put in the freezer inside an airtight bag or container. These can be made ahead and frozen, to be toasted or microwave for quick breakfasts!

photo by Serena Norr

Happy Thursday!

To celebrate the hot and steamy weather we’ve been having around here, I’d like to show off this ingenious and amazing sounding recipe from Seriously Soupy, that I seriously have to make soon! I think you should too.

Almond and White Grape Gazpacho, people!

I wish a had a giant bowl of it right now… it looks SO perfect!

Hop on over to Serena’s awesome blog and check out her recipe here.