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1 teaspoon chili powder, preferably ancho (if you use a regular supermarket chili powder, cut down the cumin below)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
½ cup raw pistachios
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
½ teaspoon coarse salt (I like Maldon sea salt on these)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the spices in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil and agave.

Spread the nuts on a large baking sheet and roast for about 12 minutes, until they start to get toasty and aromatic.  Watch them carefully to make sure they don’t burn.

Remove to a bowl and toss with the olive oil mixture, stirring well. Add the spices and stir briefly. Return to the tray and roast for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt to taste and cool before serving.

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Mint Chocolate Thins
Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

1/2 cup organic canola oil or high-oleic safflower oil
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon organic sugar, divided
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 T. almond milk (can substitute dairy milk)
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Rounded ¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3.5 ounces 70% or 72% dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the oil, ½ cup sugar, maple syrup, agave, milk and extracts.  In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until combined. Gently mix in the dark chocolate.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little of the additional sugar. Bake 11 minutes (don’t worry if they don’t look done – they flatten and harden after coming out of the oven). Cool for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

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1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped (about 4 cups, packed)
1 cup pearled barley
1 cup dried black eyed peas, rinsed
4 cups vegetable stock
14-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably small dice (I used Bionaturae)
4 cups water
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot. Sauté the garlic, onion and carrot for 10 minutes. Add the kale and sauté another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the black-eyed peas and barley are both tender, about 1 hour.  Season with salt to taste (it may not be necessary if your stock was salted.)

Serves 4

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Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Galette

Use your favorite crust recipe if you have one, but I liked the nuttiness of the rye flour from this recipe adapted from Kim Boyce’s elegant Good to the Grain. The dough comes together much like pie crust; I used my food processor which is described in the recipe. To un-veganize it, just use butter. It would also be good with a little Fontina or feta cheese. (Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free)

Rustic Rye Dough

Ingredients:

1 cup rye flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces (1 stick | ½ cup) vegan margarine such as Earth Balance, cold
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1.) Sift together dry ingredients. Add to food processor bowl.

2.) Cut butter into ½ inch pieces and add to dry ingredients. Pulse to combine, about 15 seconds. Butter should be slightly broken up but need not be uniform.

3.) Add vinegar. Add 6 tablespoons of ice water and pulse to combine. Pinch a piece of dough between your fingers; if it’s crumbly, add more ice water, one tablespoon at a time.

4.) When the dough stays together when pinched, scrape it onto a piece of plastic wrap, sprinkle a few drops of ice water on top, and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.

5.) After the dough has chilled, turn it out onto a floured surface. Shape it into a square and roll it into a rectangle about 8×11 inches. It’s ok that the dough is ragged, it will come together.

6.) Fold the dough in thirds like a letter. Rotate the dough so that the seam is farthest away from you. Roll the dough out into a 8×11-inch rectangle again and fold it a second time. Rotate, roll, and fold a third time, then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour, or up to 3 days before baking.

Filling:

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, approximately 1 pound
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
12 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini and oyster)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon rubbed sage, or 1 tablespoon fresh minced sage leaves
Optional: ¼ cup dry white wine

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375F. Peel the butternut squash, cut it in half length-wise, and scoop out the seeds. Dice the squash and place in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of olive oil and stir to coat. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until tender.

2.) While the squash bakes, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add onion slices. Add ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Add about ¼ cup of water to deglaze the pan.

3.) Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a skillet and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes until mushrooms are amber. Add ¼ cup of wine, if using, and stir until reduced.

4.) Combine squash, onions, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with sage and ¾ teaspoon of salt, mix well.

5.) At this point you can refrigerate the fillings, or you can assemble and bake the galette.

Assemble and bake:

1.) Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2.) Unwrap chilled dough on a floured work surface. Roll into a circle about 14 inches across, turning frequently. Use a bench scraper to transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.

3.) Pour filling into the center of the dough and spread out about 9 inches across. Fold extra dough over the edge, pleating roughly. It doesn’t have to be elegant – it’s supposed to be rustic and homey.

4.) Bake galette at 400F for 30-40 minutes until crust is golden brown. Slice and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8 as part of a Thanksgiving meal

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Mashed Potatoes, Celery Root and Parsnips

2 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 large celery root (about 1¼ pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped into chunks
3 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk of choice: reduced-fat buttermilk or soy milk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the celery root, parsnips, potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover well with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are all tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain, return to pan and shake over high heat for 20-30 seconds to evaporate the moisture. Put through a ricer or mash well with a potato masher. Continue to mash as you add the oil, then the milk, adding the milk gradually until you get the texture you prefer. Stir in chives (if using), salt and pepper.

Serves 8