Pumpkin Cheesecake

In the food world, Fall means one thing: pumpkin. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin carvings...the list goes on. Canadian Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and while pumpkin pie is usually my go-to dessert, sometimes it's nice to switch things up. I made this cheesecake to serve to a large group of my omni friends, and I was a little paranoid about the amount of tofu the recipe calls for. I was frantically tasting the raw batter, then the cooked batter, then the chilled cake to see if it would be palatable to non-veg taste buds, but in the end it was a great success. Once the cake is cooked and cooled, all you taste is pumpkin and spice.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (makes 1 cake)
Adapted from La Dolce Vegan

1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookies
3/4 cup pecans, finely ground
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 14-oz package of firm tofu
1 12-oz package of soft or silken tofu
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and cloves
6-10 pecan halves
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and lightly oil a 9-inch spring form pan.

In a food processor, blend the first 4 ingredients and press mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Rinse out the food processor and throw in the remaining ingredients (except the pecan halves and maple syrup). Blend until smooth and pour into prepared pan. Arrange pecan halves on top and bake for 75 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely. Spoon maple syrup on top of cake and refrigerate overnight.

Groovy Garden Vegetable Casserole

Unless ketchup counts, I don't really eat enough vegetables, which doesn't make a lot of sense for someone who also never eats meat or dairy. I decided to make this casserole because I realized I was living off of bread and Daiya for the past two days and that can't be good. This meal was the best way I could think of to break my vegetable fast: it's mostly veggies, which is healthy, but it also has a carby/cheesy topping, which makes it taste good. This is also just the thing to use up any stale bread and/or unused vegetables laying waste in your fridge, so get creative with the filling and use whatever you have on hand.

Groovy Garden Vegetable Casserole (serves 4-6)
Adapted from La Dolce Vegan

For The Filling:

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups kale, finely chopped
2 cups broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup parsnip, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

For The Topping:

3 slices of bread, roughly chopped
1/2 cup vegan cheese
1/2 cup firm tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the onion in the oil until translucent. Add remaining filling ingredients, stir, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the topping ingredients until smooth (it should look like a ball of stiff dough).

Place cooked veggies in the prepared dish, top with the topping, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

NB: I definitely used a way-too-small pan to cook the vegetables.