Holiday Pecan Pie

Ingredients
2 cups chopped pecans
2 tablespoons molasses (blackstrap or regular)
3/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons bourbon (or water)
2 tablespoons nut butter (any kind, or vegan butter)
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Pre-bake your pie crust (if using homemade crust). Bake crust without fillings for 10 minutes at 400F.

Whisk together all ingredients and let sit at least 30 minutes in the fridge, during which time it will thicken, thanks to the flaxmeal. If the flax is good, the mixture will be noticeably thicker when you take it out.

Preheat oven to 350F. Pour filling into the pre-baked crust. Arrange any extra pecans over top, if desired. Bake on the center rack 35 minutes. Do not open the oven door, let sit in the turned-off oven an additional 10 minutes.

Adapted from
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2017/12/11/vegan-pecan-pie-recipe/

Makes
One 9" pie

Simple Pie Crust

Ingredients
1-1/4 cup all purpose flour, plus a bit more for rolling
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening (or vegan butter)
4-6 tablespoons cold water

Directions
Add the flour and salt to a large bowl. Cut the shortening into cubes and scatter on top of the flour. Use a fork to cut the shortening into the flour. Keep going until the mixture reaches a crumbly texture.

Add the cold water 1-2 tablespoons at a time (you want the water to be cold so that it doesn't melt the shortening). Mix. Continue to add water until the dough comes together-- you should be able to form a ball. Flatten your ball of dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. Let chill for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

When you're ready to make your pie, take the crust out of the refrigerator, and roll it flat on a flour-dusted surface.

Some recipes require a pre-baked or blind baked crust. For others, you will simply add the crust and filling at the same time. Make sure to check the pie recipe.

Makes
One 9" pie crust

Sofritas Burrito Bowl

Ingredients
21 oz extra-firm tofu (1-1/2 normal-sized blocks of tofu)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder

SAUCE
Blend these
1 or 2 medium poblano peppers
1/4 cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce with additional adobo sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Stir in
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions
Prep the tofu
Preheat your oven to 400F.

Drain and press the tofu for several minutes.

Slice the tofu into about 1/2 inch thick slices. Place on parchment paper covered baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle a bit of garlic and cumin on top. Place in oven and bake. You'll need to flip the tofu once or twice. It should take about 15 - 25 minutes per side, depending on the size of the slices.

Once the tofu is a browned and crispy at the edges, remove from oven to cool.

Make the sauce
The poblano peppers need to be roasted until blackened on the outside. The easiest way to do this is broil them in the oven, on a baking sheet, for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Once they're nice and charred and the skin is starting to split, take them out of the oven. Use a fork or tongs to peel the skin off. Cut them open and remove the seeds. Chop or dice into small-ish chunks (they're going into the blender, so it doesn't matter too much).

Blend together the poblano peppers, peppers in adobo, 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth, diced onion, garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Stir into the sauce: the nutritional yeast, salt, cumin, coriander, pepper, and oregano.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sauce mixture to the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes, to allow the onion and garlic to cook down. Add the remaining 1/4 cup vegetable broth.

Finally, turn the heat down to medium, and crumble or dice the tofu, and add it to the pot with the sauce. Simmer everything together for 5 - 10 minutes. Then your sofritas is ready to eat.

Prepare other burrito bowl additions, such as:

• Rice
• Beans
• Salsa
• Corn salsa
• Diced onions
• Chopped lettuce
• Tortilla chips

Combine everything in layers, and enjoy! Also makes a great meal-prep option for to-go lunches.

Makes
This recipe makes enough softritas for about 3 burrito bowls.

Adapted from
https://yupitsvegan.com/copycat-chipotle-sofritas/