Pamela Anderson, known for her role in “Baywatch,” has recently released a cookbook titled “I LOVE YOU: Recipes From the Heart,” dedicated to her two sons, Brandon and Dylan. Originally intended as a personal gift, the cookbook now features a compilation of 80 recipes aimed at providing nourishment for the soul.
Anderson, who has a lifelong passion for cooking and gardening, shares her enthusiasm for plant-based cooking and her appreciation for nature in this new collection. During an appearance on “Good Morning America,” she showcased her recipes for harvest veggie pot pies, cooked in a muffin tin, along with a spicy sourdough gingerbread Guinness cake topped with caramel sauce.
In her cookbook, Anderson reflects, “I like these pies because they’re individual and easy to prepare in a muffin tin – small enough to be handled. With young kids, you feel like you’re always throwing something in their hands as they run out the door. I like to add some yummy rubbed sage gravy to mine as I sit alone at my kitchen table…taking a breath.”
For those interested in trying her recipes, here is a look at the harvest veggie pot pies and a decadent gingerbread cake.
Harvest Veggie Pot Pies
Makes 10
Dough:
3 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon plant butter, frozen or chilled
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed
2/3 cup ice water
Filling:
4 cups diced butternut squash
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plant butter
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 sage leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine
Gravy:
2 tablespoons plant butter
1 tablespoon unbleached organic all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened plant milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 sage leaves, thinly sliced
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
1. To make the dough, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the plant butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir the flaxseed into the water, then add to the bowl. Knead until a soft dough forms, divide into two pieces, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. For the filling, combine squash, cranberries, and shallot on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast until golden, about 30-40 minutes, then let cool.
4. Heat the plant butter and remaining oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, cooking until softened. Stir in garlic, beans, and sage, season, and cook until golden. Add wine, cook for an extra minute, then let cool.
5. Assemble the pot pies using the chilled dough—creating bottom crusts in a muffin pan and smaller top crusts. Fill with the veggie mixture, seal, and pierce holes in the tops. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes.
6. For the gravy, combine plant butter and flour over medium heat, then add plant milk, soy sauce, and sage. Simmer until thickened, season, and set aside.
7. Allow pot pies to cool for 5 minutes before serving with gravy.
Sourdough Gingerbread Guinness Cake with Caramel Sauce
Makes 1 (9 x 13-inch) cake
Cake Ingredients:
2 cups plus 6 tablespoons unbleached organic all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup plain unsweetened plant yogurt
6 tablespoons water
1/3 cup active sourdough starter (optional)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
3/4 cup plant butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup Guinness
3/4 cup regular molasses
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup plant butter
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, water, sourdough starter, and flaxseed.
3. Melt the plant butter in a saucepan over medium heat until light golden brown, then stir in brown sugar, Guinness, molasses, and spices. Mix into the flour mixture with the yogurt.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. For the sauce, combine brown sugar, coconut milks, plant butter, and salt in a saucepan and cook until thickened. Stir in vanilla.
6. Allow cake to cool, then dust with powdered sugar and serve with caramel sauce.
Pamela Anderson’s “I LOVE YOU” is now available for those who want to explore her plant-based recipes and culinary passion.