Move over Pumpkin Pie. Here comes a Maple Pecan Pie that we all can enjoy!

I have two brothers.  My younger brother is a talented writer/editor and my older one is a gifted chef.  Every year the chef treats our family to an amazing dinner to celebrate the fall birthdays.

 

Not only was the gourmet food to die for, but so was the view

This past weekend he had us over to his Vancouver apartment and treated us to three memorable courses:

Root Vegetable Inspired Appetizers

Mediterranean Themed Main Course

Maple Flavoured Desserts

Is your mouth watering yet?  Trust me, it should be.  And the best part is that he made it all allergy friendly, so I could truly enjoy these masterpieces. 

Here is a breakdown for those of you curious of what each course entailed:

• Appetizers: Root Vegetable Soup; Yellow Beet Hummus with a variety of Root Vegetable Chips; and a Beet Panna Cotta with Pickled Carrots, Diakon and Turnips.

• Main Course:  Stuffed Chicken over top of Puttanesca; Lamb Meatballs with a Mint Yogurt; an Empanada stuffed with Ratatouille topped with some delicious yellow sauce; Rice Pilaf; Lemon Roasted Potatoes; and Maple Glazed Carrots

• Dessert: Unset Vegan Maple Fudge underneath a Maple Pecan Pie with a Gluten Free Crust topped with Maple Bacon Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I happened to arrive when he was preparing the Maple Pecan Pie...and it quickly became my favorite.  Made on a gluten free crust made it enjoyable for both me and the 'regular eating' guests.

So today, I share with you the recipe from Post Punk Kitchen and the little extra's he added to make it special (you will find those in a bolded green).  I will share the basics, for more details be sure to visit the link.


Chocolate Maple Pecan Pie/Tarts
 
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (goat butter) 
6 oz extra firm silken tofu (1/2 of a tetra pack)
1/4 cup cold unsweetened plain non-dairy milk (Quinoa Milk)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecan halves  
1/2 a bag of vegan chocolate chips

Note: Leftover filling can be used for ice cream topping, or if you are like me, you can eat it by the spoonful. 

Melt together sugars and maple syrup to make a caramel.  Add goat butter the take off heat.

In a blender mix tofu, cornstarch and non-dairy milk

Add tofu mixture, vanilla and pecans to caramel mixture

Optional: add chocolate chips and stir

Pour mixture into prepared pie crust and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

The finished product!

 
What a great night and a great menu! The good news is that he caters! and is a great teacher- I have learned so much and I am thankful that he taught me that just because you have limitations on your diet doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a delicious, gourmet meal.  Be adventurous, or else you may never find out that yellow beets make a great hummus!