Dinner 29: Vermont

Menu

Maple-Lemon Roasted Chicken
Maple and Mustard Roasted Root Vegetables
Pure Maple Fudge

Review

My granddad was coming to visit, so I chose Vermont, because it's a state near where he lives, which is in Canada. I thought he'd like to have food that he might already know. Everything we looked at had maple syrup in it, which was good because I really like maple syrup!

I chose roasted chicken and vegetables, with two different kinds of maple sauces on them, and maple fudge, which was a bit tricky to make without any milk in it.

I liked all the food, because like I said, I like maple. The chicken was super yummy and I had a lot of it! I liked the veggies too, but not as much as the chicken. The maple fudge was really, really good and Mommy even used cookie cutters to make it into maple leaf shapes! I was sad when the maple fudge was all done, because it was so good.

Recipes

Maple-Lemon Roasted Chicken

(original recipe from Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association)

1 4-pound chicken
2 lemons, one quartered and one for juicing
6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 small onion, quartered
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Peel one of the lemons, removing long, thick strips of zest. Reserve the zest and juice the lemon into a bowl. Add the maple syrup and olive oil and whisk to combine.

Rub the chicken all over with the lemon zest and garlic cloves. Stuff the cavity with the quartered lemon, onion, garlic and lemon zest. Brush with the lemon-maple mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken in a shallow roasting pan until done, brushing on additional lemon-maple mixture after each 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Maple and Mustard Roasted Root Vegetables

(original recipe from Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association)

1/8 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped root vegetables of your choice (we used parsnips, potatoes and carrots)

Combine maple syrup, mustard, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper until well mixed. Toss vegetables in the mixture until well coated. Add to roasting pan with chicken (above) and cook until done.

Pure Maple Fudge

(original recipe from rectories)

4 cups soy milk

4 cups maple syrup

2 dashes salt

In a saucepan, simmer the soy milk over low heat until it is reduced by half. Allow to cool slightly. Add maple syrup and salt.

Using a candy thermometer, cook over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 240F, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Without stirring, gently remove from heat and pour into a bowl (do not scrape the sides of the pot!) Allow to sit 5 minutes.

Stir the fudge until it holds its shape. This should require effort towards the end. Pour it into a pan lined with wax paper and smooth the top. Allow to cool completely.

Once set, slice into squares or cut into shapes.

Dinner 28: North Dakota

Menu

Fleischkuekle
Knoephla Soup
Carrot-Apple Side Dish
Lefse with sugar

Review

I chose North Dakota next, because it's next to Canada. When we looked up recipes a lot of them had names that were really hard for me to say, but that's because they're from other languages that I don't speak. I decided to have a food that's like meatballs in a kind of dough, a soup that had dumplings in it, an apple and carrot salad, and a dessert that was like thin pancakes, but I forget all the names.

I loved the food from North Dakota! The meatball things were delicious and I had leftovers at school lunch the next day and the soup was so good I had two cups of it at dinner and more of it at school, too. I asked Mommy to make the soup again, because it's my favorite soup ever. The dessert was really good, too. Like rolled up pancakes with sugar and margarine on them. The margarine was all melted, though, so it did make a bit of a mess.

Recipes

Fleischkuekle

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

Filling:
1/4 pound ground beef
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer powder
3 tablespoons warm water
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk

2 cups oil for frying

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, salt and pepper until well blended. Set aside.

Combine egg replacer and water until thoroughly mixed.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add egg replacer mixture and soy milk. Stir until well blended. Form the dough into 2-inch balls and, on a floured surface, roll out into circles 1/4-inch thick.

Form the beef into small balls, as many as you have dough circles. Place one on each dough circle and fold the dough around it. Seal the edges completely.

Heat the oil to 365F and fry the balls until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

Knoephla Soup

(original recipe from Food.com)

Knoephla Dumplings:

3 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Water, as needed

Soup:

4 cups water

2 cups chicken broth

1 large onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 cups potatoes, diced

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 bay leaves

1 cup soy milk

Mix flour, salt and baking powder together to make a stiff dough. Add just enough water to make a stiff dough.

Roll the dough into 1/2-inch ropes and cup into 1/2-inch long pieces. Set aside.

In a large soup pot, add water, broth, onion, celery, potatoes, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, garlic and bay leaves. Boil until potatoes are done, about 15 minutes. Add soy milk and knoephla. Simmer 30-40 minutes.

Carrot-Apple Side Dish

(original recipe from Taste of Home)

3 medium carrots

1 cup water

1/2 tablespoon dairy-free margarine

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 dash cinnamon

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

In a saucepan, cook carrots in water until crisp-tender. Drain the water and add margarine, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Mix well, then stir in the apple. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cornstarch and cold water into a slurry. Stir into the carrot mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Lefse with Sugar

(original recipe from Cooking Channel)

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 cup soy milk

2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain.

Combine potatoes with soy milk, margarine, sugar and salt and mash until smooth. Place mashed potatoes in the refrigerator to cool down, about 30 minutes.

Once cooled down, add the flour to the potatoes and work gently into a dough. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Take 2 tablespoons of the dough and form it into a ball. On a floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a very thin circle, adding flour as necessary to avoid sticking.

Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Turn the parchment paper upside down and gently peel off the circle of dough. Place the dough on the heated skillet and cook until brown speckles begin to form, about 1 minute. Flip the lefse and cook another 30 seconds. Transfer lefse to a place and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

To serve, spread with margarine and sprinkle with sugar, then roll up. If the lefse are cold, they can be warmed up in a heated skillet.

Dinner 27: Ohio

Menu

Skyline Chili
Burnt Carrot Salad
Dairy-Free Nut-Free Buckeyes

Review

I chose Ohio this week, because it also starts with 'O' just like Oklahoma last week. I chose a kind of chili that's served on spaghetti, a carrot salad and a candy that usually has peanut butter in it. Mommy said Daddy wouldn't like the chili, but I wanted to have it anyway!

Mommy was right that Daddy didn't like the chili, but I did - I really liked it on the spaghetti! It was kind of like spaghetti and meat sauce but also kind of different. And I liked the carrots, too, even though they were a bit burnt, which they were supposed to be. The best part was the dessert though! They were chocolate covered candies made from Sunbutter, which were delicious! I wanted to have more and more and more of them! Yum!

Recipes

Skyline Chili

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

1 pound ground beef
2 cups water
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 bay leaf

To serve:
cooked spaghetti
raw onion, diced
grated cheddar soy cheese

Place the ground beef in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil, stirring and breaking up the beef to a fine texture. Simmer the meat until thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Add water as necessary to prevent the chili from burning.

Serve with raw onions and a generous amount of grated soy cheese over spaghetti.

Burnt Carrot Salad

(original recipe from Metropole)

2 large carrots, peeled and trimmed
2 firm avocados, thickly sliced
1/2 cup grated soy cheese
1/4 cup pickled red onion
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the carrots in half lengthwise, then cut them into 3.5 inch segments. In simmering salted water, slowly poach the carrots until they are easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove carrots from water and set aside.

Bring a heavy pan to medium high heat and coat with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Once the oil starts to smoke, season the carrots with salt and pepper and lay them in the pan, cut side down. Turn the heat down to medium and let the carrots develop a nice, even, dark char. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine carrots, avocado, soy cheese, onion, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and dress with lemon juice and olive oil.

Dairy-free, Nut-free Buckeyes

(original recipe from Adventure of a Gluten Free Mom)

1 1/2 cups sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup dairy free margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners sugar
10 ounces dairy-free chocolate

In a large bowl, mix sunflower seed butter, margarine, vanilla and confectioners sugar to form a smooth, stiff dough. Shape into balls, using approximately 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on parchment paper covered pan and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Slowly melt chocolate in a double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat.

Remove the candy from the freezer. Insert a toothpick into a ball and dip into the chocolate, leaving a small circle at the top uncoated. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, chocolate side down and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining candies. Refrigerate 30 minutes to set.

Dinner 26: Oklahoma

Menu

Oklahoma-Style Onion Burgers
Best Ever Pinto Beans
Creamed Corn
Faux Pecan Pie

Review

I chose Oklahoma because it's OK! We looked at a lot of recipes, and I decided to have burgers with onions, beans, corn and a pie that usually has nuts, but my mom said we could make it with pretzels instead.

I went shopping with Daddy, but we didn't have to get anything special since it was all stuff we usually get. Except the beans, it took a while to find the right kind of beans because they were put in a different place.

My favorite part of dinner was the burger with onions. Usually I don't like onions, but I ate all of these, they were so good! I also liked the corn, and the beans were okay, too. The pretzel pie was very very sweet, and I loved it. Sometimes I don't like very sweet stuff, but this pie was great. Too bad I was only allowed small slices!

Recipes

Oklahoma-Style Onion Burgers

(original recipe from Serious Eats)

3/4 teaspoon canola oil
1 pound ground beef, divided 6 small balls
salt and pepper
2 small onions, thinly sliced
6 slices soy Cheddar cheese
6 soft hamburger buns

Heat canola oil over high heat until smoking. Add beef and press down with the back of a spatula until flattened and very thin. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Working quickly, spread onions evenly over cooking burgers and press down to embed them in the meat. Let cook until well browned, about 2 minutes more.

Carefully flip the burgers and onions with a spatula. Let cook until the onions begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add soy cheese and top bun. Place the bottom bun upside-down over the top bun to steam.

When buns are soft, transfer the bottom bun to a plate. Add condiments, if desired. Lift onions, burger and top bun all together and place on bottom bun.

Best Ever Pinto Beans

(original recipe from Allrecipes.com)

1 pound dried pinto beans
6 cups water
4 slices smoked bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6.5 ounces tomato sauce

Cover pinto beans with water in a large bowl. Soak beans for 4 hours, changing water every 30-45 minutes. Drain.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add beans, bacon and salt. Add more water, if needed, to cover the beans by at least 1 inch.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are just starting to soften, 2-3 hours.

Stir in brown sugar and tomato sauce. Simmer until beans are tender, about 1 more hour.

Creamed Corn

(original recipe from Allrecipes.com)

16 ounces frozen corn kernels
5 ounces soy cream cheese
1/3 cup dairy-free margarine
1/3 cup soy milk
2 teaspoons white sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a dutch oven, combine all ingredients. Cook for 30-45 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Faux Pecan Pie

(original recipe from Southern Plate)

4 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer powder
7 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine, melted and cooled
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 deep dish pie shell, unbaked

For topping:
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
3 tablespoons dairy-free margarine, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, whisking until well combined. Pour into the pie shell.

Combine all topping ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well, until pretzels are coated. Sprinkle evenly over pie.

Bake for 1 hour, covering the crust with foil after 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Dinner 25: New Jersey

Menu

Ripper with Chili
Disco Fries
Diner Salad
Saltwater Taffy

Review

I chose New Jersey next just because I decided to try it. I didn't really have a reason. I wanted to have the ripper hot dogs because they look cool and I wanted try the chili sauce to compare with Rhode Island and Michigan. I also chose disco fries, a salad that was like cole slaw, and saltwater taffy because Daddy really likes it!

I didn't really like the hot dogs because they were kind of crunchy, but I did like the sauce. The fries were really good and the salad was ok, even if I didn't like the peppers in it. The saltwater taffy was the best part! I helped Mommy pull it and pull it and pull it when the candy had cooled off enough to touch. That part was hard to do, but it tasted so good when it was done. And it made a lot! We made almost 100 pieces!!

Recipes

Ripper with Chili

(original recipe from The Weiser Kitchen)

Oil, for frying
6 hot dogs
6 hot dog rolls
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Texas Wiener Sauce (see recipe below)

Heat oil to 350F. Fry hot dogs until casing rips, about 3-5 minutes. Drain hot dogs on paper towels.

Put a layer of onions at the bottom of each bun. Add the hot dog and top with chili sauce.

Texas Wiener Sauce

(original recipe from Roadfood.com)


1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 tablespoon cumin
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound ground beef
8 ounces tomato paste
1 cup water
3 ounces ketchup
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped onion

In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In a saucepan, brown the ground beef while breaking it into very small pieces. Drain most of the grease.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomato paste and water and combine well. Add the spice mix, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce and onion and mix well.

Simmer for at least 1 hour, adding water as necessary.

Disco Fries

(original recipe from Food.com)

Steak cut French Fries

Dairy-free Cheese Sauce, warmed (see recipe below)

Beef gravy, warmed

Preheat oven to 450F.

Arrange fries on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Pour gravy and cheese sauces over fries.

Dairy-free Cheese Sauce

(original recipe from Milk Allergy Mom)

1 tablespoon flour

3/4 cup soy milk

1 tablespoon dairy-free margarine

1 cup shredded cheddar soy cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk flour into milk and set aside.

Melt margarine in a saucepan. Slowly add the milk mixture to the margarine, stirring constantly.

When the mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and add shredded soy cheese. Stir until soy cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Season to taste.

Diner Salad

(original recipe from Allrecipes.com)

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, grated

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, onions, carrot, pepper and cucumber.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, sugar and salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Cover tightly and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Saltwater Taffy

(original recipe from Food.com)

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine

1/4 teaspoon green food coloring

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Calibrate candy thermometer by boiling water.

Lightly grease a jelly roll pan and set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and water in a 2 quart pan.

Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.

Heat mixture without stirring, until it reaches 255F (or adjusted temperature based on candy thermometer calibration). Remove from the heat immediately and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Pour into prepared jelly roll pan. Allow to cool until just able to handle.

Greasing hands thoroughly and regularly, gather taffy into a ball and pull. Continue pulling until the candy is light in color, very hard to pull and no longer sticky.

Divide the candy into 4 balls. Pull into a 1/2 inch thick rope. Cut into 1 inch pieces using greased scissors. Set pieces aside for 15-30 minutes before wrapping individually in waxed paper or plastic wrap.

Dinner 24: Arizona

Menu

Navajo Fry Bread Tacos
Chilled Corn Soup
Prickly Pear Ice Cream

Review

I chose Arizona because it's close to New Mexico on the map, and I wanted to see if the food was the same kind of thing. I chose to have tacos made on fry bread instead of the regular kind of tacos because we hadn't had any tacos yet and they looked good. I chose corn soup because I've never had corn soup before. And I chose ice cream made from prickly pear, which is cactus fruit because I wanted to know if it tasted cactus-y.

Mommy ordered some prickly pear syrup on the computer and it came a few days later! On the day we were going to have our dinner, I got sick, so we waited another day, but Mommy made the ice cream that first day - it was really pink! Then we had the dinner the next day and it was really good!

I liked the tacos a lot - I even tried some tomato pieces on mine, but didn't really like those. The fry bread was delicious! I liked the corn soup, too. But the ice cream was the best part! Because it was really pink! I even think it was a bit prickly like a cactus. I'm really glad we had lots more to eat during the rest of the week, too.

Recipes

Navajo Fry Bread

(original recipe from Allrecipes.com)

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
oil, for frying

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk and mix until the dough comes together. Add flour, if necessary, to form a soft bread dough. On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet to 365F. Oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and shape into discs 1/4 inch thick, with a depression in the middle. Fry until golden on both sides, turning only once. Drain on paper towels.

Indian Tacos

(original recipe from What's Cooking America)

1/2 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 cup black beans
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 tomato, diced
1 cup shredded Cheddar soy cheese
4 cooked Navajo fry breads

In a large frying pan, over medium heat, brown beef and onions. Add beans and cook until heated through. Remove from heat.

To assemble tacos, layer beef mixture, lettuce, tomato and soy cheese on each fry bread.

Chilled Corn Soup

(original recipe from Local Farm Foodie)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 leek, cleaned and minced

6 cups water

3 1/2 cups corn kernels

1/4 cup soy milk

2 sprigs thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté onion and leek in olive oil until golden brown.  Set aside.

Bring water to boil in a stock pot. Add corn kernels, onions and leeks and simmer for 30 minutes.  Purée until smooth and add soy milk, thyme and salt and pepper. Place in refrigerator until cool.

Prickly Pear Ice Cream

(recipe inspired by Back to the Kitchen)

3 cups soy milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups prickly pear syrup

Whisk together all ingredients until sugar is completely dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Put in ice cream maker and freeze following instructions.

Dinner 23: Washington

Menu

Porchetta Sandwiches
Walla Walla Sweet Onion Soup
Mariner's Garlic Fries
The Big Pink Cookie

Review

I chose Washington next. I don't know why. I think because it starts with a 'W' or maybe because it's far from us. Anyway, it was hard to find foods that didn't have any fish in it, but we chose a sandwich from a famous sandwich place, onion soup, fries from the baseball team and a big pink cookie! I thought the cookie looked awesome because it was big and covered in pink frosting!

The pork for the sandwiches had to cook for a long time. It smelled really good. Then Mommy had to make it into the sandwich filling by cutting it up with forks. They were really good sandwiches. I had more the next day at school! I liked the onion soup, too, and ate all of it. And the fries were really tasty, especially because they came with a bit of apple, which was pretty funny! My favorite part was the cookie - it was really pink! And really good! But it was so big I couldn't finish it all the first night.

Recipes

Porchetta Sandwiches

(original recipe from The Moonlit Kitchen)

For roast:
5 pound pork shoulder
2 bulbs fennel, topped and whole
2 large onions, peeled and whole
1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup fennel top, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
salt and pepper

For sandwich:
1 slice white sandwich bread, crust removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
2 crusty baguettes

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Place fennel bulbs, onions, and carrots in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Add the wine.

Generously salt and pepper the pork shoulder and place it on top of the vegetables. Top with diced fennel tops, garlic, parsley, thyme, and fennel seeds.

Place the roast in the oven to 5-6 hours.

Remove the carrots and break up the pork and remaining vegetables with a fork. Set aside.

While the roast is cooking, allow the bread slice to stale on the counter. Crumble into bread crumbs and combine with garlic, parsley, and olive oil. Set aside for 1 hour.

Sauté the onion and pepper with a small amount of olive oil. Set aside.

To assemble the sandwich, cut each baguette into 4 sections and slice to open. Spread some of the garlic spread on each side and top with generous servings of porchetta, peppers and onions.

Walla Walla Sweet Onion Soup

(original recipe from Cottage Grove House)

3 tablespoons soy margarine
6 cups sweet onions, thinly sliced and quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup soy milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt margarine in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, uncovered, for another 5 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the white wine.

Add stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in soy milk, season with salt and pepper and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes.

Mariner's Garlic Fries

(original recipe from Your Homebased Mom)

4 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small wedges
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 apple, cored and cut into wedges.

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Toss potato wedges with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast potato wedges, turning occasionally, for 45 minutes, until tender and brown.

While potatoes are roasting, lightly sauté the garlic. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Mix with parsley and set aside.

When the fries are ready, toss with garlic and parsley mix. Serve with an apple slice or two.

The Big Pink Cookie

(original recipe from Baking the Goods)

For the cookies:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 cups soy margarine
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
1/4 cup soy milk

For the frosting:
4 ounces soy cream cheese
1/4 cup soy margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
red food coloring

Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cardamom in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together margarine, shortening and sugar for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts and soy milk until combined.

Slowly add the dry ingredients, beating until smooth. The dough will be very soft and sticky.

Divide the dough in two and shape into discs about an inch thick. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

While the dough chills, prepare the frosting:

Cream together soy cream cheese and margarine. Slowly add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Add red food coloring, one drop at a time, until desired color is achieved. Set frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Roll out the dough to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into large circles and place on lined baking sheets an inch apart (6 to a sheet).

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges just start to brown. Transfer cookies to racks and allow to cool completely.

Generously frost with soy cream cheese frosting.