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Thanksgiving as a self-contained concept is a
beautiful thing. We cook; we travel over the river and through the woods.
We gather at table, we give thanks, and, ultimately, we eat too much.
That’s fine. I love every minute. The problem is this: Thanksgiving is no longer a
glorious eating event unto itself. Instead, it sets the stage for the great
American eating season. With that first bite of turkey, we launch into a
six-week-long feeding frenzy that includes Christmas cookies, Yule logs,
cheese balls, eggnog, and a whole bunch of booze to ring in the new year. Far be it for me to suggest counting calories; I
enjoy food too much to pull out a calculator while chewing. But perhaps, as
holiday menu planning gets underway, we could be a wee bit more mindful in
the fat and cholesterol department. Humor me for a moment, and do a mental scan of your
Thanksgiving favorites. Is everything on the menu loaded with meat or dairy
fat? (Come on, be honest, and don’t count the Jell-O mold.)
There are ways to be nice to your heart while
maintaining tradition as well as culinary integrity. Maybe that stuffing
would be just as delicious without sausage this year? And would the world
come to an end if those mashed potatoes were whipped with lower-fat
buttermilk instead of the traditional stick of butter and slew of cream? For dessert, I’ve got an easy fix (Don’t
worry, it’s not a bunch of grapes). Make pumpkin pie
— with
tofu. Before you throw this column in the trash, hear me out. Silken tofu,
when pureed with canned pumpkin, works seamlessly in pumpkin-pie filling. I
couldn’t believe it myself, but the tofu version is just as creamy
and pumpkin-y as the high-fat version. You’ll save your party more
than 600 grams of cholesterol, too. But do yourself a favor: Don’t
tell a soul. For diehard fat lovers, a tofu pie
will be hard to swallow. And what they don’t know will help their
hearts.
Contact Kim O’Donnel at
kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
TOFU PUMPKIN PIE
One 16-ounce package of silken tofu, drained One 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin purée 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves One 9-inch pie shell
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Blend tofu and pumpkin in a food processor until
combined and looking orange. Add sugar and vanilla and blend until well
combined. With a rubber spatula, scoop mixture from food processor bowl and
into a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir by hand until
they are well integrated. Pour into 9-inch pie shell. Place pie shell on a
baking tray, which goes into the oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat
to 325 degrees. Bake for about 45 minutes, until filling is nearly set. You
may also notice slight cracks, which is a good indication that the filling
is set. Remove from oven and cool for about one hour. Cover
with foil and place in refrigerator until cold, at least one hour. Best
served cold.
This article appears in Nov 16-22, 2006.
