Vegan Pumpkin Pie

No cream or eggs, none none none. Sure, it tastes different. But think of it this way: it's almost healthy! Aren't we all being told to eat more soy all the time? Here, try this recipe and see how easy it can be to eat tofu. It turns out well with canned pumpkin or with pumpkin you cook yourself.

Also included are instructions for cooking a whole, raw pumpkin, preparing a vegan fresh pie crust, and using leftover cooked pumpkin.

Ingredients:

1 350-g box of silken firm tofu, drained
1 heaping cup of cooked or canned pumpkin
1 to 1 1/4 cups brown or golden sugar, not packed tight
dash salt
4 teaspoons blended "pumpkin pie spice" OR:
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dry ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoons nutmeg
1 pie crust

Method:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Blend the tofu in a food processor or with a blender until smooth and cream-like, for about four minutes. Stop the machine every once in a while to scrape large pieces of tofu down into the machine's blades. Add the cooked pumpkin and blend some more, again stopping the machine and scraping the mixture down. The result should be a light orange-colored paste with no lumps of tofu.

Put the paste into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, salt, and spices. Mix well and spoon it into the pie crust; decorate with cheerful shapes of leftover crust, if desired. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until the crusts are dark brown (but not burned).

Serve warm or chilled, plain or topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes:

This pie takes about two hours to prepare, depending on how you budget your time preparing all the ingredients, and whether you have pie crust and cooked pumpkin available.

A single good-sized sugar pie pumpkin will usually yield enough material for two pies: the recipe doubles easily.

The pie refrigerates and freezes well.

When preparing this recipe and any other food you enjoy, please use organically-grown vegetables, fruits, grains, and flavorings. The Earth you save may be your own.

Grandma's Hot-Water Pie Crust

This recipe could well be two hundred years old. It is English or Scottish in origin, and used to call for lard and butter. I've modified it for vegetarians. Another note: white flour works better than whole-wheat flour. You lose nutrition, but it's a pie crust, not a staple.

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
1 large teaspoon margarine
3/4 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups pastry flour or 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

Mix up the shortening, margarine, and water until creamy. While it's still creamy and not yet cold, sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a dough forms. Try not to knead it while forming it into a large ball. Separate the dough into two equal balls for easier rolling; each portion will yield a single 9-inch pie crust or one dozen small tart shells.

Chill the dough before rolling it out, but not overnight (depending on your fridge, 20 to 40 minutes). Use all-purpose flour, not pastry flour, for rolling. To freeze: Roll the dough into individual pie crusts and place in an airtight container, placing a sheet of wax paper between the sheets of dough. Fold the sheets as necessary to fit in the container, but thaw completely before unfolding!

Tom's Quick Canola Pie Crust

Inspired by the recipe above, this recipe is not quite as flaky, but contains no hydrogenated oils and does not require chilling in advance.

Ingredients:

1 cup canola oil
3/4 cup water
4 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly to combine the baking powder with the flour. Add the oil and water. Mix until a dough forms. Try not to knead it while forming it into a large ball. If the dough is too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time. Separate the dough into two equal balls for easier rolling; each portion will yield a single 9-inch pie crust or one dozen small tart shells.

Roll the dough out right away and press into pie plate. You're ready to add your filling and bake your pie!