Pumpkin Pie Filling Sans Sweetened Condensed Milk

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When we started on our real food journey three years ago, the holidays were probably one of the most challenging times.  Even though I don't believe that we always have to eat real food, I'd sure like to!

So, think about the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Canned cranberry sauce.  Green bean casserole made with canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and those French-fried onion thingys.  Sweet potatoes with *gag* marshmallows.  And goodness knows what other holiday traditions we all have!

Pumpkin pie is another one of those wonderful things my family really looks forward to, but how can a good foodie (or wannabe foodie) make one of these and skip the sweetened condensed milk???

Well, here ya go, my friend.  Just one more thing to be thankful for.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Makes 1 pie

• 1 C whole, raw milk
• 1 C pureed pumpkin (drained)
• 1 T sprouted soft wheat flour, sifted
• 1 t cinnamon
• ¼ t nutmeg
• 1/8 t cloves
•  2 eggs
•  ¼ t salt
• 1/3 C sucanat

1. Combine ingredients, mixing until smooth.
2. Before pouring into pie shell, brush dough with egg white and bake at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes.  (This helps the crust from getting soggy.)
3. Bake in pie shell at 475 degrees for 10 minutes.  Lower temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking an additional 35 minutes.

Need a great pie crust?  I've got your back on this, too.  Click here.

Oh and by the way... in case you are tempted, just skip the non-dairy whipped topping that rhymes with "jewel-ship".  Real whipped cream sweetened with real maple syrup and homemade vanilla extract is so much better!

Menu Monday, November 11

This week, I will begin putting together our Thanksgiving menu.  Although it doesn't change much from year to year, by starting a couple of weeks prior, it gives me time to make some advance preparations so I don't have the mad scramble at the last minute. 

If time allows, I'm going to make the dough and form the Sprouted Wheat Mock King's Hawaiian dinner rolls.  They'll go into the freezer until the day before Thanksgiving.  Then, I'll thaw and rise then in the refrigerator to be ready to bake shortly before dinner.  Mmmmm...  Freshly baked dinner rolls without all the effort Thanksgiving Day!


Breakfast (a combination of these items):

• Eggs (we've been doing a lot of scrambles that include various veggies like spinach, mushrooms, onion, etc.); bacon or sausage; avocado; fruit/berries;
• Oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and yogurt 

Lunch:

• Leftovers
• Fruit, raw veggies, cheese, beef summer sausage

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

• Apples or bananas with almond butter
• Vanilla chia seed pudding
• Kefir smoothies

Dinner:

• Monday: No Noodle Sausage & Sour Cream Bake; sauteed carrots; whole wheat no-knead sourdough bread
• Tuesday: "Kitchen sink" omelets; fried potatoes; green salad
• Wednesday: Hamburger patties; roasted spicy-sweet potato wedges; broccoli salad
• Thursday: Chicken, mushroom and onion pizza with sourdough crust, Caesar salad 
• Friday: Leek puree; fresh fish; gratin dauphinois; best-ever broccoli; white chocolate creme brulee (using turbinado instead of sugar)
• Saturday: White chicken chili with sprouted beans; salad 

Urgent Call to Prayer

If freedom to pray in this nation is important to you, please read this.  You don't have to join the telephone call...

Menu Monday, November 4

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My hubby's birthday is on Friday!  He's jazzed because that means we get to celebrate his birthday during our special Friday night dinner.  We look forward to it all week.  Now we have something extra to look forward to and celebrate!

Breakfast (a combination of these items):

• Eggs (we've been doing a lot of scrambles that include various veggies like spinach, mushrooms, onion, etc.); bacon or sausage; avocado; fruit/berries;
• Oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and yogurt 
• Crock pot apple stuffed acorn squash (using honey) with yogurt 

Lunch:

• Leftovers
• Fruit, raw veggies, cheese, beef summer sausage

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

• Apples or bananas with almond butter
• Vanilla chia seed pudding
• Kefir smoothies

Dinner:

• Monday: :Mexican roasted potato casserole; green salad
• Tuesday: Chicken parmesan; brown rice; Caesar salad
• Wednesday: Salisbury steaks; red potatoes; sauteed carrots; green salad 
• Thursday: Mexican rice bowls with shredded Mexican beef
• Friday (My hubby's birthday!): Tossed green salad with blue cheese dressing; bacon-wrapped prawns; prime rib; garlic mashed potatoes; best-ever broccoli; Cocoa fudge cake
• Saturday: Vegetable beef barley soup; French bread; salad  

Simple Salisbury Steak

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This recipe has been adapted from an old C*mpb*ll's soup cookbook I had wandering around on my bookshelf.  I don't know about you, but in the early 90's (were you even cooking back then?!?) just about every weekday dinner included something smothered in canned cream soup.

Gives me the chills just thinking about it.

Simple Salisbury Steak

• Equivalent of 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/3 C dry bread crumbs
• ¼ C finely chopped onion
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ½ C sliced fresh mushrooms

1. Mix ¼ C soup with beef, bread crumbs, onion, and egg.
2. Shape into 6-8 oval patties.
3. Over medium-high heat, brown patties on both sides.  Remove from pan.
4. In same skillet, saute mushrooms.
5. Add remaining soup to mushrooms.
6. Return patties to same skillet.  Cover and finish cooking on low for 15-20 minutes or until patties are done.
7. Serve patties with mushroom sauce spooned over.

 

Sprouted Flour Yogurt Cake

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This recipe, adapted from Orangette, is her version of the classic French yogurt cake.  The recipe for yogurt cake is so simple, that it can be the first dessert a French child would make.  Ingredients were normally measured in the cup the yogurt was purchased in.

Yogurt cake is a very dense cake, similar to pound cake, but not as rich.  I love it with fresh berries or a fruit compote and, of course, lots of real whipped cream, sweetened with organic grade B maple syrup and real vanilla extract.

Yogurt Cake  

For the cake:

•  ½ C plain yogurt
• 1 t vanilla extract
•  2/3 C powdered turbinado
• 3 large eggs from pastured chickens
• 1-1/2 C sprouted soft whole wheat flour, sifted twice
• 2 t baking powder
• ½ C expeller-pressed coconut oil, gently melted
• Optional: 2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Optional lemon glaze:

• Juice from 2 lemons
• ¼ C  powdered turbinado

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter 9” round cake pan.
2. Place turbinado in blender or food processor.  Process until powdery and most of the large crystals are gone.
3. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, turbinado, and eggs, stirring until well blended.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, and zest, mixing to just combine.
5. Add the oil and stir to incorporate. At first, it will look like a horrible, oily mess, but keep stirring, and it will come together into a smooth batter.
6. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over bake.
8. Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.

Optional:  When the cake is thoroughly cooled, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

Variations by Orangette:  This type of yogurt-based cake is a terrific base for many improvisations. For a basic yogurt cake, simply leave out the lemon zest, and do not use the lemon juice glaze. For an almond version, try replacing ½ C of flour with ½ C finely ground almonds. You can also play with adding various fruits (if frozen, do NOT thaw before adding) or nuts, if you like. When I add fruit, I generally pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan, top it with a layer of fruit, and then pour in the other half of the batter, sometimes adding more fruit on the very top.

Purée of Carrot Soup

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Although leek soup is hands-down our family's favorite soup for a first course at our special Friday night dinners, this recipe comes in close.  This savory soup is velvety and rich, and is deceptively filling.  I always have to remember to go easy on the serving size!

Purée of Carrot Soup

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T butter
• 1 t thyme
• 2 lbs. carrots, sliced
• ½ lb. potatoes, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 C chicken broth
• pepper, freshly ground
• butter or cream
• chives or finely chopped green onions 

1.  In a large kettle, saute onion and garlic in butter until soft. Stir in thyme. Mix in carrots, potatoes, and bay leaf. 
2. Add enough chicken stock to cover vegetables.
3. Bring soup to a boil. 
4. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. 
5. When carrots and potatoes and tender, remove bay leaf and puree soup in blender. 
6.  Serve with a drizzle of cream or a small dollop of butter, freshly ground pepper, and a sprinkling of chives.