https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-spanakopita/#recipe

Here’s what we made:
-Savory potato, chickpea & veggie hash (seasoned with classic Thanksgiving herbs) 
-Homemade applesauce 
-Fresh cranberry sauce 
-Roasted squash 
-Miso-maple peas & carrots 

Every dish is easy to make, perfect for two or four people — just double it for more guests. It’s comfort food that loves you back! 

Watch next:
Lentil Shepherd’s Bowl (Healthy Comfort Food)
Chickpea Cookies (No Flour, No Refined Sugar)

Ingredients for potato dish:
-4 potatoes, diced
-2 stalks celery, chopped
-4 carrots, diced
5 mushrooms, chopped
-1 onion, diced
-1 garlic, chopped
1cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning
-1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp avocado oil(optional)

Instructions:
Chop all vegetables and drain and rinse chickpeas. Heat up frying pan and add oil if using oil. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and mushrooms and fry, stirring frequently, for roughly 5 min. Now add garlic and stir and fry for 1 minute more. Add chickpeas and spices, mix for 3 minutes more and it’s ready!

Applesauce:
-5 cups apples, peeled and chopped
-2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup water
-2 Tbsp maple syrup

Add apples, water and cinnamon to a pot on the stove on med-high heat and boil for roughly 10-15 min, stirring occasionally, until apples have cooked down. Once they are ready. add maple syrup. Stir in and enjoy!

Cranberries:
-3 medjool dates
-1 cup water
1 pound bag of cranberries
-2 Tbsp maple syrup
-Zest of 1 orange
-Juice from 1/2 orange

Add dates and 1/2 cup water to a small blender and mix well. Pour cranberries, other 1/2 cup of water and date paste/juice into a pot on medium heat for a small boil. Let simmer while they pop and stir time to time. Add orange zest and juice. Stir. Remove from heat once they’ve popped and softened and it’s jelly consistency(roughly 10-15min) taste and add desired amount of maple syrup. Mix well and enjoy!

Miso Maple Side dish:
Boil Carrots and add in frozen peas for the last 2 min. Strain and add 1 Tbsp Miso and 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup. Stir and enjoy!

RECIPES:

Chickpeas – 1 pound(or 2 and a 3rd cup) of dried chickpeas, 6 cups water. Add a small piece of Kombo in to help with digestion and add iodine to the beans. Set to sealing. Pressure cook for 45 min. Natural release for 20 min.

Black beans – 1 pound(or 2 and a 3rd cup) of dried black beans, 4-5 cups water, 1/4 onion. Add a small piece of Kombo in to help with digestion and add iodine to the beans. Set to sealing. Pressure cook for 25 min. Natural release for 20 min.

Black eyed peas –  1 pound(or 2 and a 3rd cup) of dried black beans, 6 cups water. Add a small piece of Kombo in to help with digestion and add iodine to the beans. Set to sealing. Pressure cook for 10 min. Natural release for 10 min.

Here’s the closest you can get to a “flaky” pastry-style crust without oil, butter, margarine, nuts, seeds, or added fat—keeping everything McDougall / Esselstyn compliant.
Traditional flakiness comes from solid fat, but you can mimic layers using aquafaba (whipped chickpea liquid), very cold dough, and gentle “folding.”
The texture won’t be identical to butter pastry—but it’s surprisingly light and crisp for a no-fat crust.

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🥧 Oil-Free “Flaky” Pastry Crust

Makes one 9-inch crust

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (cold)
• 4–6 tbsp aquafaba, well chilled
• ½ tsp salt (optional)
• ½ tsp baking powder (helps lift layers slightly)

Method

1. Chill everything:
   Put the flour, bowl, applesauce, and aquafaba in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Cold dough = more lift.
2. Mix dry ingredients:
   Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder.
3. Add applesauce:
   Add the applesauce and cut it into the flour with a fork.
   It should form moist crumbs (not a paste).
4. Stir in aquafaba:
   Add 4 tbsp aquafaba and mix with a fork until it just comes together.
   Add more aquafaba 1 tbsp at a time only if needed.
   Dough should be soft but not sticky.
5. Create layers (the “flaky” trick):
   • Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
   • Pat into a rectangle.
   • Fold the rectangle in thirds like a letter.
   • Rotate 90°, pat out again, and fold again.
   • Repeat 2–3 times.
     This traps tiny moisture pockets → steam → lift.
6. Roll out:
   Roll to about ⅛ inch thickness. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate.
   Trim edges, tuck, and flute.
7. Pre-bake (recommended):
   Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes to set the structure.
   Do not overbrown.

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🎃 Esselstyn-Friendly Pumpkin Pie Filling

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy preferred for richness)
• ½ cup dates, soaked 10 min in hot water, then blended
  or ⅓ cup date syrup
• 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (helps thicken; omit if avoiding flax)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1–2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• Pinch cloves
• Pinch salt (optional)

Method

1. Blend everything until completely smooth.
2. Pour into the pre-baked crust and smooth the top.
3. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45–55 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly but is not wet.
4. Cool completely (several hours) to set.

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💡 Tips for Best Texture

• Cold aquafaba = more lift.
• Don’t overwork the dough; gluten toughness is the enemy.
• For extra crispness, bake the final pie on a preheated baking stone or sheet.
• Whole-wheat pastry flour produces a much lighter texture than regular whole wheat.

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✔ Fully compliant with:

• Esselstyn (heart-disease reversal)
• McDougall (Starch Solution)
• No oil, no margarine, no butter, no nuts, no coconut, low-fat

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