Insta-Pie! (15-minute Apple Almost-Pie)

Have you ever wanted a sweet snack, maybe a quick and easy dessert to appease that mid-week after dinner sweet-tooth? Well, make sure you keep a box of graham crackers in your pantry and apples in your fridge... And- this recipe can be easily made vegan by using vegan graham crackers (Nabisco Original Graham Crackers are vegan) and oil instead of butter... it's just as good. It takes less than 15 minutes and makes a quick yet substantial dessert for 2, or a taster for six.

The best part is: you can whip up the apples while you're preparing dinner and let it sit while you're eating--or even prepare a big batch of diced apples to keep in the fridge to put on crepes or mix with granola and yogurt/soygurt--so that all you have to do is pop your delights in the toaster oven for 5 minutes when you're ready for dessert!

6 graham crackers

1-2 tbsp butter (or oil, with 1/2 a pinch of salt if vegan)

1 apple, diced

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp maple syrup (or 1/2-1 tsp brown or regular sugar)

2 tbsp grated cheddar cheese (optional, omit if vegan)

1. In a small saucepan on medium heat, brown the butter or heat the oil.

2. Sauté the diced apple in the butter for 4 minutes, until it's starting to soften, then add the cinnamon, lemon juice, and maple syrup or cinnamon. Turn heat down to medium-low continue to cook for around 5 minutes- until cooked through.

3. On your toaster oven baking sheet, arrange 6 graham crackers. Spoon apple mixture evenly (about 1 heaping tbsp. per cracker) over each cracker. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

4. Heat in toaster oven either on toast setting or at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes, until cheese melts. Even if omitting the cheese, do this step, as the sauce over the cracker in the oven will soften the crackers slightly so that they become more like pie crust. Because the crackers are softer, make sure you use a spatula to remove them from the tray... eat immediately.

I Can't Believe It's Tofu! Dip

1 package silken tofu

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 tsp. finely ground salt

2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (freshly ground seeds are best)

1/2 tsp. garam masala**

1 tsp. curry powder or paste**

1/4 tsp. powdered ginger (or 1/8 tsp fresh, grated)**

1/8 - 1/2 tsp. chipotle chilli powder, to taste

3-4 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. unpasteurized honey (or maple syrup)

1/2 cucumber, seeded and finely diced

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and finely diced

1/2 - 3/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped)

1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped**

(** = optional)

1. Let the tofu drain in a mesh strainer or colander to drain excess liquid for a few minutes, with the option of pressing lightly against it with a towel.

2. Whip the tofu in a large bowl with a fork and add all the spices, the lime juice, the soy sauce, and the honey (everything that isn't diced or chopped to provide texture). Whip vigorously, or use a hand blender to get a smooth texture. You can also use a food processor, regular blender, or a hand mixer with a whisk attachment.

3. Once whipped and blended set the mixture in the freezer to thicken (for 10-15 minutes) while you chop the cucumber, apple, cilantro and almonds. Stir them in by hand with a spoon.

4. Let the dip refrigerate for at least half an hour (2-3 hours, or overnight is best) to allow the tofu to absorb the flavours.

5. Serve with sliced pita or cucumber slices.

You can easily substitute a container of natural yogurt instead of tofu if you can't have soy.