Halvah

This is not like the halvah I bought at the store. I think I like it even better though.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup rose water*
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cup tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
powdered sugar

Soak the shelled pistachios in water for ten minutes to soften the skins for easy removal, then chop.

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, rosewater, and lemon juice and stir. Insert a candy thermometer, turn the heat on medium and heat the mixture until it boils and the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Turn the heat off and cool the syrup for a couple of minutes.

In a small saucepan, insert thermometer. Heat tahini on  medium heat until the thermometer reaches 120 degrees. Be very careful not to burn it.

Slowly add tahini to the hot sugar syrup. Mix it with a whisk until everything is combined. Add vanilla flavoring and chopped pistachios and mix again until the mixture starts to thicken.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan. Cover it with aluminum foil or cling wrap and leave it in the  refrigerator for thirty six  hours. Then take it out and cut into squares, roll into balls, and dust with powdered sugar.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 36 g
Servings per Recipe: 24
Calories: 153 Calories from Fat: 83
Total Fat: 9.2g, 14% of Daily Value**
Saturated Fat: 1.3g, 6% of Daily Value
Sodium: 17mg, 1% of Daily Value
Total Carbohydrates: 16.5g, 6% of Daily Value
Dietary Fiber: 1.7g, 7% of Daily Value
Sugars 12.8g
Protein 3.1g

Vitamin A 1%

•

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 7%

•

Iron 8%

* You can use plain water. Rosewater makes it awfully nice though. You can find it in better markets in the international foods aisles.
** Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Peanut Butter Miso Soup

Don't be put off by the idea of peanut butter and garlic. This is so good!

Ingredients
All quantities are approximate. Adjust to suit your taste.

1 cup water
1  tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Gomasio*

Heat water til just simmering. Add remaining ingredients to a cup or a bowl, add water, and stir.
Optional: Garnish with chopped scallions or chives, add Thai red curry paste or Sriracha, toss in tofu or tempeh, add your favorite steamed vegetables, noodles, anything else you like.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 275 g
Servings per Recipe: 1
Calories: 138 Calories from Fat: 85
Total Fat: 9.5g, 15% of Daily Value**
Saturated Fat: 1.9g, 10% of Daily Value
Sodium: 797mg, 33% of Daily Value
Total Carbohydrates: 8.9g, 3% of Daily Value
Dietary Fiber: 2.1g, 8% of Daily Value
Sugars 2.6g
Protein 6.4g

Vitamin A 0%

•

Vitamin C 2%

Calcium 4%

•

Iron 5%

* Japanese sesame seed and salt condiment
** Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Apricot Pie

Ingredients

1 recipe of Pie Crust
5 cups of fresh or frozen peeled and halved apricots
or 3 15 oz. cans of apricot halves
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nondairy butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie pan with half the dough. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place in freezer.

Toss fresh or frozen fruit with sugar, flour or cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt. If using canned fruit, drain, reserving 1/2 cup juice, and toss canned fruit with sugar, flour or cornstarch, lemon juice, reserved juice, and salt. Mix well and allow to sit and thicken for fifteen minutes.

Place fruit mixture into frozen pie crust. Dot surface with small pieces of nondairy butter, and cover with a pricked or vented top crust, or a lattice. Bake at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes. Slip a cookie sheet under the pie, reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes, until thick juices bubble through the vents. You may need to cover the edge with a pie crust ring or aluminum foil to keep it from burning.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 199 g
Servings per Recipe: 8

Calories: 512 Calories from Fat: 224
Total Fat: 24.9g, 38% of Daily Value*
Saturated Fat: 4g, 20% of Daily Value
Sodium: 649mg, 27% of Daily Value
Total Carbohydrates: 68.4g, 23% of Daily Value
Dietary Fiber: 3.1g, 12% of Daily Value
Sugars 34.1g
Protein 6g

Vitamin A 59%	•	Vitamin C 19%
Calcium 3%	•	Iron 13%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Pie Crust

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup chilled no-trans-fat vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons cold nondairy butter
6 tablespoons ice water

Sift together flour and salt. Cut half the shortening and nondairy butter into the flour with a pastry blender, balloon whisk, or your fingertips til it has the consistency of cornmeal. Work quickly and lightly, as allowing the ingredients to become warm will make the crust tough instead of flaky. cut the remaining shortening and nondairy butter into mixture til it forms pea-sized particles.

Sprinkle the mixture with ice water and blend just til it sticks together. Divide the dough in half, and form into balls. Roll out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin into a roughly circular shape til it is about three inches larger in diameter than your pie pan.

To place the dough into the pan, roll it loosely around the rolling pin, place the rolling pin over the edge of the pan, and unroll, allowing the crust to sink into the pan. Gently coax the edges into the pan, trim, and chill before filling.

This recipe makes enough dough for two one-crust pies or one double-crust pie.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 66 g
Servings per Recipe: 8

Calories: 332 Calories from Fat: 195
Total Fat: 21.7g, 33% of Daily Value*
Saturated Fat: 3.5g, 18% of Daily Value
Sodium: 541mg, 23% of Daily Value
Total Carbohydrates: 30.1g, 10% of Daily Value
Dietary Fiber: 1.1g, 4% of Daily Value
Protein 4.3g

Vitamin A 19%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1%	•	Iron 10%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet