Yum! The ultimate holiday indulgence… pumpkin cheesecake. Although this isn’t exactly calorie free, this recipe is much healthier than a traditional cheesecake. Most are made with 4 packages of cream cheese! I’m all for a treat or two over the holidays, but I prefer to make better for you items that are just as delicious as the “real thing.”

I made Morgans Pumpkin Buttera few weeks ago and was looking for a fun way to use some of it up. You don’t have to make the butter to enjoy this recipe, but I highly recommend it. Not only will you get to use it in this cheescake recipe, but you’ll also have leftover pumpkin butter to spread on other holiday fare.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingerbread Crust

Crust Ingredients:
1 cup gingersnaps, finely crushed
1 cup walnuts, finely crushed
4 tbsp. Earth Balance margarine, melted

In a blender or food processor, finely combine the walnuts and gingersnaps. Empty into a bowl and add the melted maragine. Quickly stir to distribute the margarine amoung the crumbs. Empty the crust batter into a 10″ springform pan and press crust into the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until set. Remove from oven and combine ingredients for filling.

Filling Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Morgans Pumpkin Butter *
1 package silken tofu
1 8 oz. container tofutti cream cheese or other cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar or maple syrup
2 tbsp. corn starch or arrowroot powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and combine until creamy and smooth. Pour ontop of the crust and bake for 45-50 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Mine came out a bit cracked ontop but you can avoid this by baking in a water bath. Simply cover the seals of the springform pan with aluminum foil (so the water doesn’t seep in and make the crust soggy) and place in a larger baking dish filled a few inches deep with water. Bake as directed above.

*No time to make pumpkin butter? No problem. Just combine a cup of pumpkin puree with 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and a touch of ginger. Process with the other filling ingredients.

Enjoy!

Whenever I do cooking demonstrations or talks on whole grains, I try to push quinoa as much as I can. I LOVE this grain. I made this and the tempeh salad cups for fun Sunday lunch with friends. Nothing fancy, just a yummy herb dressing tossed with quinoa. I used red because I liked the color contrast, but any variety of quinoa will do. Remember to wash it before you cook it, otherwise it might taste bitter.

Red Quinoa with Herb Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
Handful basil leaves, minced
Handful parsley, minced
4 springs thyme, minced
1 tsp. dried sage
salt/pepper
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients together except quinoa. Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add rinsed quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10-13 minutes. Add warm quinoa to dressing and toss to combine. Good warm or cold!

Easy and Delicious!

First off, I am so excited to get a new camera next week. This picture doesn’t do this dish justice. It was so colorful and flavorful. I actually wish I served it on Halloween because the orange and black together were stunning!

I loved the idea of putting Nori in a salad, thanks The Health Seekers Kitchen! I made this for a quick weeknight dinner with the ingredients I had on hand, but feel free to empty out your fridge and pile on the vegetables. The carrot-ginger dressing is one of my favorite go-tos. Use the leftovers as a dip.

Carrot-Ginger Dressing:
2 large carrots, diced
1 1/2 tbsp. white miso paste
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. oil
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. minced ginger*
2 tbsp. water

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor to combine.

Salad: makes 4
1-2 sheet(s) nori seaweed, julienned
1 large avocado, diced (or 2 small)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
1 head radicchio, shredded
1 head savory cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, matchsticks. 
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Combine all ingredients in large bowl except seeds and nori. Toss to combine.

To serve, dish out salad, top with dressing, nori, and sesame seeds.

*I used the tube ginger, found in the produce section of most supermarkets. It worked great in the dressing and saved me time and energy!

Even though the weather is getting cooler, I’m still craving crunchy salads. I made a version of this for a bridal shower last year and it was a big hit. I think this would be perfect paired with some brown rice or cup of soup.

Tempeh Salad Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:
1 lb. tempeh
2 large carrots, fine diced
3 stalks celery, fine diced
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 bell pepper, fine diced
3 tbsp. capers
1 red pepper, roasted and diced (or about 4 large pieces from a can)
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped 
Bibb or Butter Leaf lettuce -about 2 or 3 leaves per person

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 small lime, juiced
2 tbsp. agave nectar, maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Place tempeh in steamer basket, cover and steam for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients except for the dressing and the lettuce cups. When the tempeh has cooled, grate with a box grater or finely chop with a knife. Add to the vegetable mixture. In a blender or by hand, combine together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over the tempeh salad and toss to coat.

To serve: place a large spoonful of salad onto lettuce cups. Wrap and serve!