<br>Miyoko is one of the McDougall cooking instructors for our live-in programs in Santa Rosa, CA. I have included some of her favorite holiday dishes in this month’s newsletter. Miyoko has promoted healthful, vegetarian/vegan cuisine for 30 years. As the founder of Now and Zen, a vegan food manufacturer with nationwide distribution, she developed products such as the UnTurkey, HipWhip, a line of gourmet vegan cakes, and a low-fat vegan chocolate chip cookie that is still enjoyed by customers on United Airlines. She has written three vegan cookbooks and is a former contributor to publications such as Vegetarian Times Magazine. Miyoko, her products and her unique approach to vegan cuisine have been featured in numerous publications, television and radio shows, including the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Newsweek, New York Post, ABC World News Tonight, NPR’s Marketplace and California Report. She has given cooking demonstrations nationwide as well as in Japan.<br>
<br>Currently, she is working on a vegan cooking series with a comic twist. She lives in Marin County with her husband, Michael and her three children, and enjoys being involved in community theatre and running in the hills with her dog. Miniature pumpkins make a lovely serving dish, but sugar pie pumpkins work as well. Pre-bake the pumpkins in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes until you can cut them easily with a knife. If using miniature pumpkins, cut off the tops and scoop out the seeds. Reserve the shells for use as the serving bowls. If using a sugar pie pumpkin, cut into quarters and scoop out the seeds. If desired, reserve the seeds for another use. Scoop out the softened flesh and measure; you should have about 3 cups (a little more will be fine). Meanwhile, sauté onion in a small amount of water, covered, until tender.<br>
<br>Add the pumpkin, apple, chestnuts, stock and wine. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Puree in a blender. Return to the pan and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. To enrich, whisk in the cashew milk, or thin out with extra stock if needed. Pour into the pumpkin shells to serve. Combine cashews and water in a blender for 2 to 3 minutes until absolutely smooth. The more cashews you add, the richer the resulting milk will be. Straining is not necessary. In a 350 degree oven, prebake the squash for about 15 minutes until you can get a knife into it. If using Zephyr squash, place the squash on a cutting board, rotating to find a side that will allow the squash to sit and not roll over. Slice off the top of the bulbous part of the squash at a diagonal and scoop out the seeds. It will look like a large spoon (even more so after you have eaten them).<br>
<br>If using acorn or delicata squash, pre-bake whole until just soft enough to cut in half. After cutting in half, remove the seeds. When you liked this information along with you want to receive more details about manufacturer of shiitake mushroom extract powder as Raw Material for food generously stop by our web site. While the squash are baking, you can prepare the risotto. In a heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the water or stock and add the diced onions and minced garlic. Over medium-low heat, sauté the onions and garlic until tender, adding a little salt to flavor. Add the dry Arborio rice, and continue to sauté for about 3 or 4 minutes. Add a half-cup of the stock and stir until mostly absorbed. Keep adding a half-cup of stock at a time, stirring almost constantly; this will prevent the rice from sticking and yield risotto suspended in a creamy sauce. After you have added about 2 cups of stock, add the wine, sage and kale. Continue by adding the final cup of stock in two increments, until the rice is somewhat tender but still has a hard core.<br>
<br>Add the almond meal, stir well, and remove from heat. Spoon this mixture into the hollowed-out squash. Sprinkle almond slices over the risotto and return to the oven to bake for about a half-hour. This is actually made with pearled spelt, which does not require the overnight soaking and 2 hour cooking that real farro does. It produces a result that is not as chewy as true farro, but is extremely rich and earthy in flavor and texture. Soak the porcini mushrooms in the hot water and set aside while you begin to prepare the risotto. Sauté the onions and garlic in a small amount of water or stock until tender. Add the farro and cook for a few additional minutes. Add one cup of mushroom broth and stir every couple of minutes while simmering. When the liquid has mostly been absorbed, add an additional cup of stock. Keep stirring often. Meanwhile, prepare the mushrooms as instructed below (the mushrooms can be prepared simultaneously with the risotto).<br>