Frugal Thanksgiving Recipes Part 3

There has been a slight change of plans with the recipes I am posting today, but that's life when you cook! You have to be able to go with the flow or you will be miserable! Especially if you work in a restaurant! I swear, some days I spend the entire day fixing mistakes, but in doing so I often created my best food! That's why I enjoy cooking and letting the food dictate what it needs! It's almost like the food talks to me sometimes.

Today, the food didn't talk to me, my oven decided to be temperamental and I did not want to bake a custardy pie in it. I thought about the pie and the flavors and came up with this super simple and delicious Pumpkin Ice Cream pie with Chai Ganache. I cut my Gluten Free Brownie recipe in half for the crust and added 1/2 c pecans. I reduced baking time to 20 minutes and baked it in a large springpan.

Here is the recipe for the filling and ganache. Make sure you allow the brownie crust to cool completely before adding the filling.

Filling:
1 qt Soy Delicious Vanilla Ice Cream, softened
15 oz can pumpkin 
2/3 c sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg

8 oz chocolate
1 chia tea bag steeped in 1/2 c boiling water

1.Mix ice cream, pumpkin, sugar and spices together. Spread on top of cooled brownies ( in a springform pan )
2. Melt chocolate in microwave for 30 seconds. Add hot tea and sitr until the chocolate is melted. Drizzle over the pumpkin filling. 
3. Chill at least 4 hours or freeze until you want to serve. 


I also made a Barley Stuffing ( instead of bulgur ). The bulgur was $2.55/lb and the barley was only $1.50/lb. 

Pecan Cherry Bulgur Stuffing:
3 T Earth Balance or Olive Oil 
1/2 t Poultry Seasoning ( salt free )
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c celery, chopped
1 t sea salt 
pinch pepper
3 C cooked Barley ( or bulgur or other grain )
1/2 c cherry flavored craisins
1/2 c pecans, chopped
1 c fresh parsley
1 t fresh thyme ( optional but good )
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 T braggs or soy sauce
Freshly ground pepper

1. Saute onion, garlic and celery with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper
2. Add Barley, cherries and pecans. Cool over medium heat for 15 minutes. 
3. Finish with fresh parsley, thyme and soy sauce
4. Taste and adjust seasoning

I keep putting off the cheesy mashed potatoes.. tomorrow I promise! 


So, tomorrows recipes will be the potatoes, lentil loaf and either the Raw Collard Salad or Cooked Collard Side. 


Since I had my oven on today, I made pizza! Cheese recipe here. It was so good, although I have eaten too much wheat this week and I am paying for it big time with an upset stomach and hives. 

Roasted shrooms, onions, garlic, jalepenos, spinach and cultured almond cheese

I think I'm going to go totally gluten free again soon. I think I'm OK with gluten, and slowly add it back to my diet and then I hit a wall and get sick and break out in hives everywhere.