Spiced Red Bean Burgers

My partner bought me some Vital Wheat Gluten on Ebay, so I decided to get experimenting with it. Vital wheat gluten can also be purchased from http://www.lowcarbmegastore.com/, http://www.flourbin.com/ and http://www.honest-to-goodness.org.uk/ .
These are influenced by the chickpea cutlets recipe from Veganomicon, the flavour is very different though. We ate them in homemade wholemeal buns with lots of Reggae Reggae sauce. Also on our plates were potato and sweet potato wedges and a spinach and grated carrot salad.

Ingredients:

1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp white pepper
1tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 large sprig of basil, chopped
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1tbsp liquid smoke (optional)
1/4 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Centigrade or Gas Mark 6.
Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Mash the kidney beans until no whole beans remain. Add the remaining ingredients and knead together for about three minutes.
Form into four flat, round patties. Place the patties on the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, then flip the patties over and bake for a further five minutes.

Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce

Another pumpkin recipe; this one proves I don't only eat desserts. We ate it served on a bed of raw spinach.

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps vegetable oil
500 grams pumpkin puree
1-2 tsps dried sage
1 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Generous shake of black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable stock
500g gnocchi

Directions:

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan, add the onion and cook on a low heat for ten minutes, stirring frequently. Add the
garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Add the pumpkin, sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for ten minutes at a low heat,
stirring frequenly. Add the vegetable stock and cook for a further five minutes.
Meanwhile cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions.
Drain the gnocchi, then serve topped with the pumpkin sauce.

Nutty Maple Cookies

Ingredients:
100g peanut butter
120g plain flour
4tbsps maple syrup
Water
12 almonds

Directions:
Mix together the peanut butter, flour and maple syrup. Add enough water to form a stiff dough. Form the dough into twelve
walnut-sized balls and place on a baking sheet, flatten each ball slightly. Decorate each one with an almond.
Bake at 200C for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Tart With Pecan Crust

This is the first of what will probably be many pumpkin recipes. I have two pumpkins to use over the next couple of weeks. The recipe called for a 15oz can of pumpkin, but I substituted home made pumpkin puree for this.

Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients: 1 pumpkin

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius/Gas Mark 3. Cut the top off the pumpkin and scrape out the guts and seeds with a spoon. Reserve the seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds, if you wish. Cut the pumpkin into quarters, place in oven and bake for one hour.

When the pumpkin is cooked, remove from oven and leave to cool. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scrape the pumpkin flesh from the skin and place in a food processor. Blend until smooth.

Pumpkin Tart With Pecan Crust

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pecan halves
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
•  
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree OR 420g/15oz home made pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Set rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9 inch pie plate. Set aside.
2. Spread nuts over a baking pan. Toast for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the smell of nuts fills the kitchen. Set aside 16 pecan halves for garnish.
3. Combine oats, flour, remaining pecans, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse until mixture becomes a coarse meal. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Whisk together oil and 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and mix into dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Press mixture into prepared pie plate. Crimp edges. Bake for 10 minutes, and set aside to cool.
4. Blend soymilk and arrowroot in the food processor until the arrowroot is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 15 seconds. Add pumpkin, 1/2 cup maple syrup, ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and cloves; process until thoroughly blended. Pour filling into baked crust, and smooth the top with a spatula.
5. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and the outside inch of the filling is set. Don't worry if the center is still soft; it firms up as the pie cools. Transfer pie to a wire the rack. Gently press toasted pecan halves into hot filling in 2 concentric circles. Cool to room temperature, and then chill until set, about 3 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

The original pumpkin tart recipe can be found on http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/pumpkin-tart-with-pecan-crust/Detail.aspx