Ingredients

12 ounces (340 g) fresh or frozen cranberries*
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh-squeezed orange juice* (about 1 large orange)
1/4 cup (60 ml) grade A maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional add-ins: ½ teaspoon orange zest, cinnamon stick, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, chopped pecans, blueberries, etc.

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Stir the mixture frequently to ensure nothing burns or sticks to the pan. The filling is “done” once it has thickened and most of the cranberries have popped.
Use a fork or potato masher to pop the remainder of the cranberries, if desired. Let cool completely before serving as desired; leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to one week.

Notes

Cranberries: frozen cranberries work well here, but you will need to simmer them for an additional 1 to 2 minutes as they release more liquid in cooking
Orange Juice: There isn’t a huge final difference in flavor if you use fresh or pasteurized OJ, since the mixture is being cooked. Use whatever is easier for you!
Sweetener: maple syrup can be replaced with equal parts date syrup, vegan honey, coconut sugar, or brown sugar

https://frommybowl.com/healthy-cranberry-sauce/print/6806/

1. Start with a clean, organic, waxy, thin skin potato
2. Microwave until soft (just a few minutes, or use THIS METHOD)
3. Peel & slice
4. Cook at 400° in airfryer (airfryers are mini tabletop convection ovens, but a regular oven works fine)
5. Shake airfry basket (or turn fries in oven) only once or twice

Nutrition Facts

This post is about the full recipe, but honestly I make it simple! The complicated recipe comes lower on this page.

MY SIMPLY SAUCE

In handheld wand-blender CUP combine healthy (naturally sweetened, low salt, no oil) :

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Just a few cashews (presoaked)
• Tomato paste
• White vinegar

After blending add (for crunch) :

• Dill pickle relish
• Onion (fresh chopped)

That’s all! But if you want to see original recipe – read further.

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COMPLICATED SAUCE

Ingredients
½ cup (raw) cashews [I only use ¼ cup]
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
3 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon reduced-sodium tamari
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch to ½ teaspoon sea salt (+/-)
[Add 2 teaspoons dill pickle relish after blender for crunch!]

Instructions
* Place the cashews into a small bowl, cover with boiling water, set aside for 15 minutes, then discard the water and place the cashews into a high-speed blender.

* Add all the remaining ingredients into the high-speed blender with the soaked cashews.

* Blend on high until smooth and emulsified, scraping down the sides occasionally.

* Serve as a dipping sauce for fries. Also, it makes a spread for sandwiches.

Notes
* Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

* Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

* Servings:  Makes 1 cup

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Tablespoon
Serves 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories 33
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g, 3%
Cholesterol 0mg, 0%
Total Carbohydrate 3.3g, 1%
Dietary Fiber 0.2g, 1%
Protein 0.7g, 1%
Iron 2%

MY LOWER FAT VERSION!

INGREDIENTS

Crust Layer:

½ cup Grape-Nuts cereal
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans — your choice)
6–7 pitted Medjool dates
1 tsp vanilla extract (or ½ tsp vanilla bean powder)
1–2 tsp water if needed

Pumpkin Spice Layer:

3 1/2  cups  pumpkin puree
12 pitted medjool dates
4 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 ½  tsp ground cinnamon
¾  tsp ground ginger
½  tsp ground nutmeg
¼  tsp ground cloves
2 tsp vanilla extract (1 tsp vanilla bean powder)

Chocolate Layer:

½ cup unsweetened chocolate
½ cup plant milk
6 tbsp date sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Crust:
1. Add Grape-Nuts, oats, and nuts to a food processor; pulse until the texture is coarse but even.
2. Add dates and vanilla; blend until it begins to stick together.
3. If it still seems crumbly, add 1–2 tsp water and pulse again.
4. Press firmly into a parchment-lined pan (8×8 or similar).
5. Chill while preparing the pumpkin layer.

Pumpkin:
1. Blend all ingredients until completely smooth.
2. Spread evenly over the prepared crust.
3. Bake at **350°F (175°C)** for about **25–30 minutes**, or until the center is set and the edges look slightly dry. [I baked it for an hour to get pumpkin to set.]
4. Let cool completely before adding the chocolate layer.

Chocolate:
1. Melt chocolate with plant milk over low heat or in a double boiler.
2. Whisk in date sugar until dissolved and smooth.
3. Spread gently over the cooled pumpkin layer.
4. Chill until firm.

TO SERVE

Refrigerate at least 2–3 hours (overnight preferred).
Slice and serve chilled.

If perfect cuts desired, chill in freezer 15 minutes before cutting w/ chef’s knife.

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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(no oil, no butter, no sugar; optional low salt)
Makes 1 double crust or 2 single crusts

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🌾 **Ingredients**

Dry
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Wet
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) thick unsweetened plant yogurt, very cold
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water
• 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• Optional: 1–2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (only if dough seems dry)

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🧑‍🍳 **Instructions**

1️⃣ Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk flour, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl.

2️⃣ Add the cold yogurt
Drop small spoonfuls of cold yogurt into the flour.
Cut in with a fork or pastry cutter until you get coarse crumbs.

3️⃣ Add the liquid
Drizzle in ice water + vinegar a little at a time.
Stir gently until the dough just comes together. Slightly shaggy is perfect.

4️⃣ Chill the dough
Divide into two discs, wrap, and chill 30–60 minutes.

5️⃣ Create flakiness (easy folding technique)
For each disc:
• Roll into a rectangle
• Fold into thirds (like a letter)
• Rotate 90°
• Roll again
• Repeat 2–3 times
(This layering is what gives you flakes without butter or oil.)

6️⃣ Roll, fill, and bake
Roll out to fit your pie dish.
Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10–12 minutes.
Reduce heat to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking according to your pie filling.

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💡 **Tips for Success**
• Keep everything cold for best flakiness
• Mist with water if dough cracks
• Brush with plain plant milk for golden color
• Add herbs for savory pies or a splash of vanilla for sweet pies

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