A Worthy Tofurkey

My vegetarian best friend introduced me to tofurkey when I was 19 and I loved it. It might even have been my first experience with tofu which was probably a good way to experience something new since it had a level of familiarity and comfort. You can even find pre-made tofurkey in the stores around the holidays and all you have to do is baste and roast them, but I prefer to make mine from scratch. I find the tofu is too tough for my preference and the stuffing is sub-par. It doesn't take that much extra work and the results are way better if you do it yourself. You will need to plan ahead and prep the tofu 24 hours ahead of time.

Ingredients:

• 70 oz of extra firm tofu
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 5 teaspoons dried/powdered sage
• 5 teaspoons garlic powder
• 5 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups of your favorite stuffing

1. You need to prepare the tofu 24 hours in advance in order to allow the tofu to absorb the flavors and for it to drain out excess moisture. Put all of the tofu into a blender or food processor - do in 2-3 batches if necessary. Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, 4 teaspoons sage, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, and 4 teaspoons onion powder. Blend well. 
2. Line a colander with cheesecloth. Pour all of the tofu into the colander, inside of the cheesecloth. Place something heavy over the top and gently push down. Place something under the colander (like a plate with steep sides or a sheet pan) to catch the liquid that drains and place in refrigerator overnight. 
3.  Remove tofu from refrigerator. Scoop out whole from middle of tofu so you have a tofu bowl. Fill hole with stuffing and pack it down gently. Place the removed tofu over the hole and flatten the top. Make sure it's packed down tightly as the top is going to be the base of your tofurkey. 
4. Rub your baking dish or pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. Place on top of the colander and flip your tofurkey upside down on to the baking dish or pan. 
5. Preheat oven to 350. 
6. Mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sage, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 2 tablespoons olive oil - this is your basting liquid. 
7. Brush basting liquid onto the tofurkey before placing into the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. 
8. Allow to cool well. Slice and serve!

Cinnamon Toast Rolls

I loved cinnamon toast when I was a kid. I would butter the bread and sprinkle it with cinnamon-sugar, and then my mom would toast it up in the oven for me. These cinnamon toast rolls are the same thing I loved as a kid, but it a new package... and with icing! The sugar actually caramelizes in to a chewy glaze hidden in the folds of the crispy toast. I'm going wine tasting with some friends in Los Olivos today and decided to whip these up so we'd have a snack for the 45 minute drive.

Ingredients:

• 24 slices of white bread, crust removed
• 4 tablespoons Earth Balance or margarine, melted
• 1 1/2 cups cinnamon-sugar
• 1/2 cup cinnamon icing: powdered sugar moistened with water and flavored with cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Using a rolling pin, flatten a slice of bread. For each side, brush with Earth Balance and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar. Fold 2 sides into the middle and fold in half again. Roll up and place inside a mini-muffin pan. Repeat for each slice of bread.
3. Bake for 20 minutes. 
4. Let cool before icing. 

Aguas Frescas

Aguas frescas, drinks made from fresh fruit, water, and sugar, are hugely popular in Mexico. There is some confusion in terms internationally between these aguas frescas and bottled soft drinks. In Guatemala and Nicaragua, these are referred to as frescos, short for refresco, which in Mexico means soft drinks. Soft drinks in Guatemala are called aguas, short for aguas gaseosas, but easily confused with the Mexican aguas frescas.

The terminology may be confusing, but aguas frescas are easy to make and are delicious. This is an easy recipe which you can insert any fruit into. Some of my favorite fruits in aguas frescas are watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, cucumbers, and mangos, but the one pictured is with honeydew melon. Also add the sugar slowly as some fruits will be sweeter and not need as much. A splash of lime always livens things up too. 

Ingredients:

• 6 cups fresh fruit, cut into chunks, seeds and skin removed if necessary
• 3 cups water
• 1/4-1/2 cup sugar
• juice of a lime

1. Place the fruit and water in a blender and puree until smooth. You can strain the juice if necessary, but I usually don't mind it with some pulp.
2. Add sugar and lime, small amounts at a time until you have desired flavor. 
3. Serve over ice and enjoy. 

Easy Popcorn Balls

Popcorn balls are an iconic holiday treat. They were hugely popular in the late 19th century as a holiday food, probably because they doubled as Christmas tree ornaments (I prefer to eat them). Although they are associated with winter, the far-fetched legend of their invention says popcorn got their start in the summer. As they story goes, there was a corn field in Nebraska getting scorched by the summer sun and it got so hot that the corn started popping right off the stalks. At the same time, there was a deluge of warm rain over a sugar cane field next door. The rain washed the syrupy sugar downhill toward the popped corn, rolled it into balls, and voila, you got popcorn balls!

If you've every made popcorn balls then you know what a daunting task making them can be. The candy syrup is too hot to handle and then once it's cool enough to touch, it's too hard to get an even coating on the popcorn. It take a couple tries so be prepared to toss your first, and maybe the second, batch. And be sure to give yourself plenty of space to spread out.

This is a super easy and traditional recipe that I have taken from Paula Dean with my own tips inserted.

Ingredients:

• 18 cups popcorn- salted, but with no butter. For me this was 1/4 cup kernels before being popped.
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• non-stick cooking spray

1. Put down silicone mats or parchment paper on large working space. 
2. In medium pot, combine sugar, water, corn syrup, vinegar, and salt, and cook over high heat until it reaches 250F. Going any higher than 255F will make the syrup too hard to handle when cooled so pull off the heat at 145-150 as the temperature will raise slightly even after removed from heat. Once removed from the hear, stir in the vanilla. 
3. Pour half of the syrup over the popcorn and using a spatula, immediately start tossing. Pour the remainder of the syrup over the popcorn, and toss again to get a light even coat. 
4. Once the syrup is cool enough to touch, you need to form the popcorn into balls. Use the non-stick cooking spray on your hands to keep the popcorn from sticking. Form into 14-16 tight balls and place on parchment paper to allow to finish cooling and harden. 

Grape and Almond Soup

Behold the mighty grape. It is, quite possibly, the greatest fruit on earth because it's what wine is made of. I drink a lot of wine, but don't often consume grapes in any other form. Now I have this super easy and refreshing recipe for grape and almond soup so grapes may find their way onto my shopping list more frequently.

This is a great summer dish because it's light and there is no cooking involved whatsoever. You literally throw everything into a blender and let 'er go. Dinner in 5 minutes? No problem. Cold soup or soups made of fruit may seem kind of odd if you aren't used to these things, but I know you will like it if you give it a try with an open mind. This soup is sweet from the grapes, but is balanced with the acidity of the lime and savory onion and pepper. Try it with a peanut butter sandwich for a new take on the classic PB and J flavors!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plain soy milk (or almond milk if you can find it unsweetened, but then cut back on the sliced almonds below if you use it)
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 stalks green onion, chopped
• 1 lb seedless white or green grapes, stems removed
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Put all ingredients into a blender. 
2. Puree. Add dash of salt and pepper. 
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. 

Peanut Pasta Salad

This is a dish stolen from South Coast Deli. You won't find it on their menu though; they will whip up a batch for you by request if ordering for a large group. We always get this when getting lunch catered by South Coast Deli for work events. I've asked for the recipe, but their lips are sealed. After some experimentation, I'm confident I cracked the recipe- and it's an easy one at that!

This chilled garlicky and peanuty pasta salad is made up of only a handful of ingredients, but is more than just the sum of its parts. It's great as a side dish (bring to a BBQ or serve with sandwiches) or as a meal (I love it on a hot summer night).

Ingredients:

• 12 oz of raw spaghetti, cooked and then submerged into ice water
• 3 tablespoons veganaise
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed into a paste
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 3/4 cup roasted peanuts

1. Start by combining the veganaise, vegetable oil, and smashed garlic to create a sauce. Add salt to taste, but go easy as you can always add more to the finished dish.
2. Drain the spaghetti and toss with the sauce. It should be a very light coating, but you can add more to your liking. Mix in the green onion, cilantro, and peanuts. Add more salt if necessary. 
3. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to develop.

Butternut Squash Farfalle

I always order the same thing when we go to our favorite Italian restaurant: butternut squash ravioli. It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and tossed with sage and olive oil it can't be beat. I tried to recreate the dish a couple of times, but I am terrible at making ravioli. Then it dawned on me; why does it have to be ravioli? I can put all the same flavors into a pasta dish and forget the hassle.

If you aren't familiar with prepping butternut squash, it is important to know that it can cause "contact dermatitis" for many people. This is a minor skin allergy caused from contact with the flesh of the squash. If you experience this, just apply Cortisone cream and it should clear up in a day or so. If you have sensitive skin, you may just want to take the precaution of wearing latex gloves. Many places sell butternut squash already cut into small squares, but you'll pay a lot less if you buy a whole one and prep it yourself.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups butternut squash, cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• handful of fresh sage, prepared into a chiffonade
• 8oz uncooked dried farfalle pasta
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons crushed walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Toss butternut squash in 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Spread out on cookie sheet and roast in oven for 10 minutes. Flip squash over and roast for another 10 minutes or until softened. 
3. While squash is roasting, cook farfalle according to package instructions. Drain and set cooked pasta aside, but reserve a 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
4. Using same pot used to cook the pasta (why dirty another dish?) heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and sage, and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until sage is crispy. 
5. Remove from heat. Add in pasta and squash, and toss well in olive oil sauce. Use the reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce. It has some starch in it so will help the olive oil stick to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with crushed walnuts.