Pumpkin Cutlets & Solstice Dinner

At the end of last week, I revisited my squash nuggets recipe -- this time, making cutlets instead of nuggets! I also didn't have any squash handy, so I used a 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin instead of the mashed squash. I used thyme, oregano, sage, marjoram, garlic powder, and a bit of salt to season them. They were superterrific this way! We ate them with brown gravy and cranberry relish, with some lovely green beans in a dijon vinaigrette made by our friend Jimmy on the side.

Then on Tuesday night, we had dinner with my dad and brother to celebrate winter solstice! This picture is a bit dark because we were dining by candlelight, but the meal was amazing. We had a celebration roast with a pomegranate glaze and extra pomegranate jelly on the side, some roasted root vegetables, a lovely salad with chunks of oranges and an orange vinaigrette, and rolls like my dad's grandmother used to make for the holidays. Delicious! The pomegranate glaze and jelly were made from squeezing the juice from pomegranate seeds, whisking that together with a bit of cornstarch and a bit of agave nectar, and then continuing to whisk as it heated and thickened! P did all the juice squeezing, so he really did all the hard work -- and the end result tasted amazing.

For dessert, there were chocolate covered pomegranate seeds, an eggnog cake, and plenty of soy eggnog. Zelda chowed down on the pomegranate jelly, the rolls, and some cake for dessert; based on her reactions, I'd say her first solstice was a success!

Vegan Sufganiyot!

A little more appropriate for Hanukkah, tonight I made sufganiyot -- sponge-y doughnuts filled with jam and covered with powdered sugar. In fact, the word 'sufganiyot' comes from 'sfog,' the Hebrew word for sponge. Slightly healthier than the normal variety, these little guys were baked instead of fried.

They came out great! Perfect sponge-y texture, filled with a dollop of raspberry jam. Zelda is not to be trusted with sticky jam, but she chowed down on plain doughnuts -- while P and I ate the gussied up ones. I modified the recipe from here, but the most important modification was making doughnuts that were fillable instead of doughnuts that already have holes all the way through! I've made those doughnuts about a million times and they are awesome, so do yourself a favor and try them out!

Vegan Matzo Brie

Sure, it's the wrong holiday for matzo, but I haven't had matzo brie in forever -- and P has never had it! -- so I decided it was as good a time as any to whip some up.

with powdered sugar

There are lots of parameters for matzo brie: is it matzo or matzah? is it brie or brei? it is more like scrambled eggs or more like french toast or a fritatta? is it sweet or savory?

The variety I'm used to from my childhood is the sweet, french toast-like version -- and so that's what I made! Not the most photogenic, but totally delicious -- topped with maple syrup, jam, or powdered sugar. Even Zelda devoured the matzo brie!

with raspberry jam

Matzo Brie

• 12 unsalted matzo (one box)
• 1 box silken tofu (I used firm, but it doesn't really matter)
• 1/2 c non-dairy milk of your choice (I used rice milk)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp black salt
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Break the matzo into pieces that are about two inches on each side and run the pieces under cold water. Drain them in a colander, and set aside -- the matzo should soften up quite a bit.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Place the softened matzo in a large pan and cover thoroughly with the tofu mixture. The matzo should be totally coated in the tofu mixture throughout, so make sure it gets evenly distributed! A rubber spatula can help with the spreading.

Cook for about seven to ten minutes on one side, then flip the mixture over so it can brown a bit more on the other side -- about five more minutes. You may want to cut the matzo brie into a couple of big pieces to flip it more easily.

Serve with jam or maple syrup!