Featured Recipes

Prune Puree
By Mary McDougall

So many people have written to me about not being able to purchase a good fat replacer, or even if they can find one, it can be very expensive.  I used Wonderslim Fat Replacer for years (and you will see references to it in many of my recipes). When they stopped making that product, I switched to Sunsweet Lighter Bake and used that as the fat replacer in many of my recipes.  Both of these products are very similar, basically made from dried plums and water.  I discovered it is so easy to just make your own fat replacer at home that you will never go out looking for a product you can buy again.

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Servings:  makes about 3 ½ cups

2 cups dried pitted plums (prunes)
warm water

In a glass 4 cup measuring container, add 2 cups of dried plums/prunes, up to the 2 cup line.  Do not remove them.  Add warm water up to the 4 cup line.  Let rest for 3-5 minutes.  Place the water containing the plums/prunes into a high speed blender or a food processor.  (If you do not have a large food processor, this will have to be done in batches.)  Process until the mixture is the consistency of applesauce.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Hints:  This will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks, but I like to freeze it in smaller amounts that I know I am going to use in future recipes, maybe ½ cup amounts.  It will keep for at least a year in the freezer, just remember to thaw in plenty of time to use in your recipe.  I use this in brownies, pancakes, muffins, etc., wherever you need a good substitute for fat in baked goods. 

Slow Cooker Chili
By Heather McDougall 

We serve this chili over either baked potatoes or steamed brown rice. 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 hours
Serves: 6 – 8

2 cups dried chili beans
1 red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 packet Simply Organic Vegetarian Chili Seasoning, or chili seasonings of your choice
1 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 cup fresh or frozen corn

Combine all ingredients, except corn, into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 8 hours. Add the corn during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Serve with toppings of your choice. 

Mexican Rice Soup
By Heather McDougall

To toast the rice, put the rice in a preheated pan on medium-high heat. Stir constantly until rice is light to dark brown in color, about 5 minutes.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  6

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 15-ounce can kidney beans
1 15-ounce can black beans
1 15-ounce can pinto beans
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup long grain rice, toasted
Salt to taste

Toppings:
Chopped tomato
Sliced scallions
Salsa
Baked Tortilla Chips

Saute onion, garlic, and 1 tablespoon vegetable stock or water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat for 7 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Serve with toppings of your choice, or the ones listed above. 

Chopping Onions (without crying)
By Mary and Heather McDougall

Recently we heard about a way to chop onions without crying. We were rather skeptical at first, but since we have tried so many different methods, with no success, including a few really strange ones, we decided to give it a try. So for the past 4 weeks Heather and I have been chopping onions by only breathing through our noses. Don't talk or open your mouth at all. And to our great surprise it works! The true test was when I was chopping all of the onions to go into our holiday stuffing. I use a food processor to chop them because there are so many. And for the past 40 years I have had tears running down my face during the whole process. Not this year though, not one tear!! I was so surprised, and thrilled, that I just had to share it with all of you. We'd love to hear what you do to stop from crying when chopping. What methods do you use? We'll share a few of the best ones on Facebook.

The following recipes are by Lindsay Nixon from her New Cookbook, Happy Herbivore Light and Lean.

As with any Happy Herbivore cookbook, Happy Herbivore Light & Leancontains flavorful, plant-based recipes that take 30 minutes or less to prepare with health promoting ingredients and no oils, processed foods or artificial sweeteners.

Deviled Eggs
Makes 12

Soy-free, Gluten-free, Fat-free, Quick, Budget

Ann Esselstyn taught me how to make these incredible faux deviled eggs. Her recipe was simple: hummus, Dijon mustard, green onions, and paprika. I added a little black salt to give the deviled eggs a little more egg flavor and added some additional seasonings my mother used in her deviled eggs recipe as well. I swear

I could eat two dozen of these eggs all by myself!

6 small red potatoes
¼ c hummus (plain)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
pinch black salt
hot sauce (optional)
paprika or smoked paprika (garnish)

Boil potatoes until fork-tender, then let cool completely. Meanwhile, mix hummus, Dijon, garlic powder, and onion powder together, plus a pinch of black salt, stirring to combine. (Add hot sauce here if you prefer a spicy deviled egg.) Taste, adding more Dijon or black salt to taste, then set aside. Once potatoes cool, slice in half long-ways and use a little spoon or melon baller to scoop out a small circle of the potato flesh (this is your "egg"). Spoon hummus mixture into the hole and garnish with paprika.

Chef's Note: Black salt is also called kala namak. Not to be confused with Hawaiian black lava salt. 

Lentil Joes
Makes 6
Gluten-free, Fat-free, Quick, Budget, Pantry

Sloppy joes—or, as my family calls them, "wimpies"—were one of my favorite childhood foods before I became a vegetarian. I've never had much success mimicking my mom's recipe (vegan or not—I swear she's holding back a secret ingredient!), so I decided to take a totally new approach and use lentils. It's not Mom's meatloaf—er, sloppy joes—but this recipe is deliciously different, quite filling, and very easy to make!

For years my lunchbox revolved around a sandwich. Although I've become more creative with my lunches over the past few plant based years, I still love going back to the classic sandwich with two sides option.

vegetable broth

1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ c tomato sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
1 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (optional)
2 ½ c cooked lentils
¼ tsp ground cumin
1–2 tbsp brown sugar hot sauce or cayenne pepper
smoked paprika

Line a large skillet with a thin layer of vegetable broth and saute onion, garlic, and bell peppers until onion is translucent, bell peppers have softened and turned a mellow green, and most of the broth has evaporated. Add remaining ingredients (hot sauce or cayenne as desired, plus a few dashes of smoked paprika) and stir to combine. Warm, stirring occasionally, over low, and then serve.

Meatloaf Bites
Makes 8
Gluten-free, Quick, Budget

One afternoon I grabbed what I thought was corn from the freezer but later realized it was mixed vegetables. Once they thawed on the counter I knew they weren't going back in, so I looked for a new, inventive way to use them. A can of kidney beans started calling, and before I knew it I had a vegetable-filled meatloaf in the oven. Since this meatloaf is baked in a muffin tin (great for serving sizes and portion control), I call it meatloaf "bites" and, yes, leftovers are great as a burger!

1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp chili powder (add another 1 tsp if you like it spicy)
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (recipe in full cookbook)
1 c frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
6 tbsp instant oats

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or use nonstick. Mash beans in a bowl with fork or potato masher until well mashed. Add remaining ingredients, except oats, and stir to combine.

Stir in oats. Spoon into muffin tin and pack down. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp on the outside and fairly firm to the touch (firms a bit as it cools). Serve with ketchup, Quick Gravy (pg. 188), etc. 

Microwave Peach Cobbler
Single serving
Soy-free, Quick, Budget, Single serving

After the success of the Mug Cake in Everyday Happy Herbivore I wondered if I could make a pie or cobbler in a mug in my microwave. Still working on the pie, but this cobbler rocks!

1 peach, sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 tbsp white whole-wheat flour
2 tbsp instant oats
1 tbsp rolled oats (optional)
1–2 tbsp brown sugar
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
1–2 tbsp nondairy milk (more with fresh peaches; frozen peaches are juicier)
1–2 tbsp vanilla vegan yogurt

Place peaches in your mug and set aside for a few seconds to thaw peaches if they're frozen. In a small bowl, whisk flour, instant oats, rolled oats (if you want a slightly oat-y cobbler), brown sugar, and a few dashes of ground cinnamon (about 1⁄8 tsp), and a light dash or two ground nutmeg, until combined. Then stir in nondairy milk. Place the oat mixture on top of the peaches and microwave 1–2 minutes, until the oat topping has cooked and looks a little like oatmeal. Top with yogurt and serve.

The recipe for Festive Pumpkin Stew, the featured photo seen at the top of all our pages this month, is available in the November, 2004 McDougall Newsletter and the Dr. McDougall Mobile Cookbook app for iOS devices.