PKD Recipes

Cholent Sweet Potato Vegan

Ingredients
6 ounces dry lentils soaked 3 days
4 ½ C water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 sweet potato cooked cubed
3 carrots chopped
1 small onion chopped

½ C wild rice
¼ C shredded coconut
2 tsp cinnamon
1 clove garlic
4 pitted chopped dates

Preparation
Soak lentils for three days and rinse daily under the spigot adding fresh water. Rub the inside of your pot with olive oil. Combine lentils, wild rice and water in the pot. Cook on low for about an hour. In another pan add the oil and the sweet potato, carrot and onion. Once sautéed, add the vegetables to the pot with the lentils and wild rice. Add the seasonings. Add coconut. Cover and cook on very low for 6 hours or longer. Add the chopped dates. Serve hot with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Cholent is a Jewish stew. It is usually simmered overnight for 12 hours or more, and eaten for lunch on Shabbat (the Sabbath).

Cashew Flourless Cookies

Ingredients
1 C. cashews
½ C. almonds
¼ C. walnuts
3 dates
¼ C. shredded coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp tupelo honey

Preparation
Soak nuts for 2 hours or overnight. Add soaked cashews, walnuts, almonds to a high speed blender. Process until they form a thick paste. Add the remaining ingredients and process slowly until slightly blended but still with some texture. Preheat the oven to 350º. Form cookie patties by hand and place on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper. You may have to press the cookies with a fork. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Carrot Coconut Muffins

Ingredients
2 Carrots grated
½ C. Red cabbage grated
¼ C. Raisins
¾ C. shredded coconut
¼ Teaspoon cinnamon
1 C. buckwheat flour
½ C. Brown rice flour
½ C. Hempseed
½ C. Tupelo honey
½ C. water

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Mix ingredients until smooth. Spray two 12 count muffin tins with olive oil or line the muffin tins with paper liners. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Vegetable Terrine

Ingredients
2 Chioggia beets
2 Golden beets
2 Shallots
2 C. dry white wine (omit)
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
10 black peppercorns
3 ¼ C. cold water
½ C. chopped mixed leaf herbs
reserve stems
1 bunch fresh chives
reserve bottom third
4 tsp gelatin (2 ¼-oz envelopes)
1 carrot slice thin
1 leek
⅓ C. green beans trimmed
⅓ C. wax beans, trimmed
¼ C. olive oil additional oil loaf pan
Himalayan Pink Crystal salt
Cracked black pepper

Preparation
Roast beets:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Trim beets, leaving ¼ inch of stems intact. Wrap in 2 sheets patapar paper enclosing beets. Roast in a shallow baking pan until very tender, about 2 hours. Allow to cool. After 15 minutes, peel beets and cut into slices. Season with salt and pepper.
Make gelatin mixture while beets roast: Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of water, agitating, then lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a 3-quart saucepan. Add carrots to leek along with sliced shallots, wine, salt, crushed peppercorns, and 3 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, 30 minutes.
Add herb stems, and coarse parts of chives and simmer 10 minutes.

Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure or heatproof bowl, discarding solids. If stock measures more than 2 ½ cups, return to saucepan and boil until reduced to 2 ½ cups, about 10 to 15 minutes. If there is less, add water. Season. Stir gelatin into remaining 1/4 cup cold water and let stand 1 minute to soften, then add to hot stock, stirring until dissolved. Set aside.

Prepare Beans
Boil haricots verts and wax beans in separate batches in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling uncovered salted water until all is very tender, 6 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice in cold water to stop cooking. Drain in a colander and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Assemble Terrine
Very lightly oil terrine, then line long sides and bottom with a sheet of patapar paper, allowing at least 2 inches of overhang on each side. Pour about ¼ cup gelatin mixture into terrine and quick-chill in freezer until just set, about 10 minutes.
Lay one third of beans lengthwise over set gelatin layer. Sprinkle with one third of chopped herbs (including chives), then loosely top with half of beets, leaving some space between them (for gelatin to fill and hold vegetables together).

Repeat layering with half of remaining beans and herbs and beets. End with a third layer of beans and herbs. Stir remaining gelatin mixture again, then slowly pour in all but ¼ cup (reserve remainder at room temperature), pushing down vegetables if necessary to just cover with gelatin mixture. Chill, uncovered, until top is set, about 2 hours.

If reserved ¼ cup gelatin mixture has begun to set, heat until just liquefied but not hot, then pour over set terrine. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.

To serve
Run a thin knife along short sides (ends) of terrine, then invert terrine onto a cutting board, gently pulling on patapar paper overhang to help un-mold (discard patapar). Carefully cut terrine with a very sharp knife into 8 slices, transferring each slice to a plate as cut, using a metal spatula to hold outside of each slice steady. Drizzle oil (1/4 cup) around plates and sprinkle coarse Himalayan Pink Crystal salt and pepper over oil and terrine. Serve slices of the terrine garnished with vegetables and greens.

Note: Try not use red beets or they will dye everything red.

Vegetable Tagine

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled chopped
(allow to sit for 5 minutes)
3 parsnips peeled thickly diced
3 turnips peeled thickly soak in lemon water dice
6 dried apricots or
½ C raisins or
½ C currants
2 sweet potatoes
3 carrots peeled diced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp grated fresh galangal
½ tsp ground cinnamon or
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp ground cumin
Pinch of saffron
4 C water
1 Tbsp of Tupelo honey
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Himalayan pink crystal salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 C dried garbanzo beans (soak 3 days)

Preparation
Sauté the onions until soft. Add the garlic later so it does not burn. Add the vegetables, dried fruits, spices and water. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle top with honey, add chopped cilantro. Squeeze lemon juice over all. Adjust seasonings and serve. For a heartier tagine, one cup of pre-soaked garbanzo beans [soaked and rinsed for three days to diminish the phytates] can be added. Serve over brown rice.

Persimmon Cake

Although persimmon cake is an American dessert, it is similar to traditional English Christmas pudding or quince pudding. This style of pudding-cake is generally either steamed or cooked in an oven with a water bath, or Bain-marie. These methods of cooking ensure the pudding remains moist, does not dry out or form a crust.

Ingredients
¼ C coconut oil
1 C. Just like sugar baking® or
½ C. tupelo honey
1 C. spelt flour
1 C. persimmon pulp
(3 ripe persimmons, peeled, seeded)
1 Tbsp non-alcoholic extract brandy extract(omit)
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
½ C. chopped walnuts
1 C. currants or raisins

Preparation
In a large bowl, cream together the coconut oil and sweetener with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add spelt flour, ½ cup at a time, alternating with the persimmon pulp, eggs, and baking soda. Stir in the vanilla, spices, walnuts, and raisins and mix on low until the batter comes together, about 5 minutes. Use coconut oil on the top and bottom of a 2-quart pudding mold with a lid. Spoon in the mixture. Put the oiled lid on tightly and lock into place. Put the mold on the stove top in a bigger pot filled with enough water for ample steam so the pudding cooks thoroughly.
Bring the water to a simmer. Simmer over low to medium-low heat for about 2 hours. Make sure the water doesn’t evaporate; add more water as needed. After steaming 1 ½ hours, check with a cake tester for firmness. When the tester comes out clean, the pudding is done. Take the mold out of the water, remove lid, and unmold the cake when cool, (45 minutes-1 hour). While the cake is steaming, prepare the hard sauce.

Hard Sauce Ingredients
1 C. Just like sugar baking® or
½ C. tupelo honey
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
2 Tbsp spelt flour
5 Tbsp water
¼ C. coconut oil
1 Tbsp vanilla or
1 Tbsp rum extact

Hard Sauce Preparation
In a small saucepan, combine the sweetener, flour, nutmeg, allspice and water until smooth. Add all ingredients to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in coconut oil and extracts. Serve over warm persimmon cake. Refrigerate.

Chestnuts

Boiled Chestnuts
The chestnut tree is related to the oak and can live for up to 500 years. It is the least oily of all the nuts, and the easiest of digestion. Why do the street vendors roasted chestnuts peel so easily? The secret is to cut the X on the chestnuts, then BOIL them (in unsalted water) for about 20 min. Drain and let them cool. If you like you can broil them for a few min to give them the “roasted look” like the vendors do. Using this method you will find that ALL the chestnuts are edible – except if molded internally. Another bonus, the skin peels easily.

Shelling Chestnuts

Cut a half-inch gash on flat sides and put in an omelet pan, allowing one-half teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil to each cup chestnuts. Shake over range until oil is melted. Put in hot oven and let stand five minutes. Remove from oven, and with a small knife take off shells. By this method shelling and blanching is accomplished at the same time, as the skins adhere to shells.

Roasted Chestnuts

Preheat oven to 425 F. Find the flat side of each chestnut and cut a large X with a sharp paring knife all the way through the skin. Place chestnuts on a shallow baking pan and place in the oven to roast for about 20 – 30 minutes, depending on size of nuts. Shake pan several times to rotate chestnuts so they will cook evenly. Peel roasted chestnuts as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Once they cool completely, they are difficult to peel. However, they may be reheated briefly to aid in peeling.

Grilled Chestnuts
Place an X on the flat side. Chestnuts may be roasted on the outdoor grill. Watch carefully and turn them often.

Covered Wok Method of Roasting Chestnuts
Another favorite method for small amounts is stovetop, particularly on a gas stove. Place on top of a flame-tamer and cover with a deep lid. Roast over low heat until done, about 10 minutes, turning often to cook evenly. I tried this with a covered wok with a big dome lid. It required 20 minutes or more to become soft, but the shell was not easy to remove. Next time I will try placing an X on the flatside. Then covering the chestnuts with water and boil them for twenty minutes.

Mushroom Ravioli

Ingredients Pasta
1 C. spelt flour
1 egg (omit if wish)
⅓ tsp Himalayan salt
3 Tbsp water

Preparation Pasta
Put spelt flour, salt, and egg in a food processor. Slowly add water and continue processing until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Knead the dough together to form a ball. Allow dough to rest for 20 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 sections and roll out so it is flat. Either use a ravioli maker or roll out the dough into squares. Fill with mushroom mix and press two layers together moistening the edges with water or egg white.

Ingredients Mushroom filling
2 C. mushrooms, can use a variety
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp tupelo honey
4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
run fingers backwards on stem
1 egg

Preparation Mushroom filling
Put everything is a food processor and process until mushrooms form almost a paté. Add a tablespoon of this mixture to the cut pasta or to the ravioli form. Press the edges together. Boil water and slowly drop the raviolis into the water to cook for about 5 minutes. Be sure the ravioli does not separate.

Preparing a Pesto Sauce
In the meantime prepare a pesto sauce. Process about 3 cups fresh kale. Add to this ½ cup of walnuts and ¼ cup of olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot raviolis with this pesto sauce over all.

Sweet Potato Flan

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes steamed
1 can coconut milk
3 eggs (cannot omit)
3 Tbsp Tupelo Honey
Freshly ground nutmeg
Tsp orange zest

Preparation
Place cooked sweet potatoes in a blender or food processor. Then
add 3 eggs and slowly add the coconut milk. Taste for sweetness. Add more honey as desired. Then give a few turns from a nutmeg grinder. Add orange zest. Pour into little 3 inch ramekins. Bake at 300º for about an hour, until firm.

To serve this for a dessert add (2) two cookies on the side. The cookies should be made less sweet.

Salad Tossed Green

I call this leaving town salad because just as I am ready to travel, I use whatever I have leftover for the salad ingredients.

Ingredients
Apple diced, seeded, cored
Carrot diced into little cubes
Romaine lettuce sliced thinly and rinsed in cold water to crisp it
Shallot thinly sliced or purple onion. If using a purple onion, one can soak it cold water ahead of time to diminish its pungency.

Put the lettuce first in the dish, sprinkle the other ingredients over the top toss lightly.

Lemon Vinaigrette
3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1/8 teaspoon of Himalayan salt
Couple grinds of pepper
If not using Myer lemons add a teaspoon of mustard

Shake altogether. Allow the flavors to meld. Can add any fresh herbs you might have around like thyme or cilantro.

Pie Crust Low Fat Vegan

Ingredients
1¼ C. spelt flour
5 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp almond milk + extra water
½ tsp Himalayan salt

Preparation
Preferably in a food processor combine the flour and olive oil. If none is available use a pastry cutter or two knives. Cut the oil into the flour until it resembles coarse oatmeal. Slowly add almond milk a tablespoon at a time to the food processor until it begins to form a ball. Add additional water as needed. Turn it out onto a floured board. Put it in glass container with a lid for (4 ) four hours or refrigerate overnight. Divide into two (2) pieces.  Then add the remaining flour as you roll out the pie crust. Roll it out so it is about an inch beyond the border of the pie. I just invert the empty pie plate over the rolled dough to see if I need to roll it a bit more. Place the pie crust over the floured roller and gently place it on the pie plate. Some fill the baking pie crust with beans so it doesn’t puff up. Others put holes in the bottom crust with a fork. I just watch it bake.

Bake at 350º for ten minutes, until golden. Fill with your favorite filling.

Zucchini Patties

Ingredients
1 zucchini shredded (try a food processor)
4 pieces of spelt bread toasted for bread crumbs
(try a food processor for crumbs)
½ onion chopped
1-2 eggs

Preparation
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a fry pan. Form the zucchini into a patty shape after mixing the shredded zucchini, bread crumbs, ½ chopped onion and 1 egg together. If it will not hold together, add one more egg. Season with a squeeze of two of lemon. Sauté until golden brown then finish off in the oven or continue sautéing on the stove top. Try not to turn the patty until you think it is totally golden on one side. Serve with steamed brown rice or sweet potato baked fries or cilantro sauce.