Vegan MoFo: Tofu-Veg Potstickers and Butternut Squash-Persimmon Pie!

Dinner was our old standby: tofu and veggie potstickers. We like to dip these into soy sauce mixed with chinese mustard, sweet hot chili sauce or yummy spicy peanut sauce.

1 14 oz. package of firm tofu, drained and crumbled/smooshed
2 cloves garlic minced
2-3 scallions, minced
1 carrot, shredded or chopped very finely
2 ribs celery, chopped very finely
1/2 cup finely chopped spinach or zucchini or both
2 TB mushroom soy sauce or 1 TB regular soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
gyoza or wonton wrappers (read the ingredients to make sure they don't contain egg.)
small dish of water

Combine all ingredients and set aside. Take a gyoza wrappers and place on a plate or cutting board. Fill with 1 heaping tsp. of filling. Dip your finger into the water and wet the edges all the way around. Fold one side over and crimp to close. Keep doing this will all the wrappers until you have used up all the filling.

Heat a large pan (with lid) over medium high heat. Add 2 TB of canola oil to the pan. Place 4-6 gyoza in the pan to brown on side about 2-4 minutes. Flip over and add 1/4 cup water to pan and close the lid. Let steam for another 2-4 minutes or until the gyoza is transparent and cooked through. Use more oil as you continue to cook them. Serve hot with dipping sauce of your choice.



I have a bunch of persimmons that I picked from my tree in the backyard and been wanting to make persimmon pie. The thing is there are only 2 out of the bunch that I picked that are very soft and ripe. The rest are still unripe and very firm. I was so anxious to make this pie and I knew that only 2 persimmons couldn't make a pie so I combined them with mashed butternut squash. The persimmon flavor is kind of lost in all the squashness but hey, I got to have my pie! I adapted this pumpkin pie recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan. (Ps. The best pumpkin pie recipe I've ever tried!)