Artichoke Dip

This is REAL artichoke dip.  No spinach, no stringy mozzarella, just the bare minimum, real deal, 100% hot artichoke dip.  In fact, the first time I ever saw artichoke dip on a bar menu I was so excited, and ordered it, not knowing it wouldn't be anything like mine!  I didn't know then, but I know better now.  This is a staple in my house in the winter months, and has always been a family favorite.  I think it's even better the next day, spread on slices of bread and toasted under the broiler.

Artichoke Dip

Drain and chop 1 can of artichoke hearts.  Stir into:
1 cup parmesan cheese (the Kraft kind is fine, it's what I use all the time, my mom uses the shredded kind that comes in the little plastic tub)
1/2 cup mayo, vegan mayo works perfectly!
1/2 cup yogurt
(You can use one whole cup of mayo or vegan mayo, but I have found that the yogurt makes it a little less sinful, and adds a nice flavor.)

Stir it all together until everything is well blended.  Put into a glass pie plate, or similar small baking dish, and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.  Let sit a few minutes before serving.  Can be made ahead of time and reheated the next day.  If you are making this for a party, one recipe is never enough.  This stuff is so yum.

Serve with crackers or good crusty bread slices.
I have never added spinach to this recipe, but those days are numbered.  I will update this recipe when it happens.  I have added a container of fresh crab meat to the recipe before, it was beyond amazing.  It made for a perfect for a Christmas Eve snack with an ice cold beer!

Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

I never knew how easy French Onion Soup was to make, and the fact that it can be vegetarian made it even better!  I taught my best friend how to make this soup, and once a year, she thanks me for it!


French Onion Soup

Peel and slice about 5 cups of onions.  I never measure anyway, I just go for it.
Cook onions in about 3 Tbs. vegetable oil until just starting to brown.
Add about 7 cups of water, a pinch of tarragon, 1/2 tsp. salt and about 1/4 cup good quality soy sauce/tamari.
Add 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes if you have them.
Stir everything well,
Bring to a boil, then simmer until ready to serve.

I love onion soup with bread and cheese, but I don't like big globs of melted cheese swimming in my soup broth.  It's hard to chew, and I'm afraid of choking on it as well!  I serve my onion soup with toasted sourdough with a slice of cheese melted on the toast.  It's much better this way for me.  See whatyou think!  You can always go the traditional route, and top witha slice of bread, cheese, and broil it until wickedly good and bubbly!

Bodega's Blue Chips

 before and yum

 

 

There is this little bar by my place called Bodega.  They make some pretty good stuff, and every evening on my balcony I can smell their garlic fries drifting over.  Well, I have mastered the garlic fries, but recently I was there and had the most amazing munchie food ever.  You don't need a recipe, just the ingredients:

Bodega's Blue Chips

spread out on a platter to put under the broiler one bag of unsalted kettle potato chips.
Sprinkle on a package of blue cheese crumbles and bacon, which you can make very quickly and easily in your over, here's how:  Line a cookie sheet with foil,  put bacon on cookie sheet, putin the oven,  turn the oven on 400. set the time r for 20 minutes.  About half way throu, drain the bacon grease from the pan.  Continue to bake at 400.  Perfect and quick.
Put the pan of chips, cheese and bacon under the broiler just long enough to get teh cheese gooey and melty  Take out of the oven and top with sliced green onions.
Indulge, enjoy, repeat.

Homemade Candy Bars

 

If you are a regular consumer of store bought candy bars, then this may take an adjustment, but, try it because it is delicious, amazing, and sort of healthy even!  I plan to make these again experimenting with diffrent types of nut butters.  Next on the list, peanut butter.  I absolutely LOVE peanut butter.

Homemade Candy Bars

In a food processor, mix together well:
4 1/2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 Tbs. cold water
1/4 tsp. salt
Press into a pan lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer.
This is the nougat layer

Next, make the caramel layer:
Combine 3/4 cup raw tahini
3/4 cup maple syrup or agave
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4- 1/2 cups + shredded coconut
mix until well combined.
Press onto the nougat layer and put back in the freezer for one hour.
after the hour, cut into bite size pieces.
Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan while stirring until completely melted and smooth.  drizzle over the cut and seperated candy pieces on parchment paper (don't use a wire rack, they will stick.  I found that out the hard way.) Put back int he freezer unti lchocolate is set,  Unfortunately, these don't survive long out of the freezer, but that shouldn't be a problem, they are so yummy you will have them gone in no time.

GF Grain Free Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins have always been my favorite. 

I like this idea of using almond meal to replace flour in pastries.

These feel healthy.

Grain Free Blueberry Muffins
In a food processor, grind 2 cups of roasted, UNsalted almonds to a fine meal.
Add right to the food processor:
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
3 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
zest of one lemon
Mix well, then gently fold in:
3/4 cup frozen blueberries

Spoon into muffin tins and bake at 350 for 25-30 min., 15 min. for mini muffins.

Chicken Curry Puffs

I had these as take out once, and was so disappointed that I decided to make my own!  Super yummy.

Chicken Curry Puffs
Boil one package of boneless skinless chicken breasts.  Drain and cool, then dice into small pieces.
Chop one onion.
Saute the chopped onion and chcooked chopped chicken in olive oil until onion is limp.
Add about 2 Tbs. curry powder, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup water.
Cook and stir until heated through.
Set aside.

Pastry
Use a food processor if you have one!
Mix together until the mixture resembles crumbs:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter (or vegetable oil)
slowly add:
1/2 cup cold water
mix for a minute, then using your hands, form the dough into a ball. 
Roll out on a well floured surface until fairly thin.
Cut out into circles (I use a mason jar)
Place about 1-2 tsp. filling on each round
dip your fingers in water and moisten the edge of the circle all the way around.  Fold over to make a half moon, and pinch seal with your fingers.
Cook in hot vegetable oil until crispy and brown

Dipping Sauce
Mix together about 2 tablespoons of apricot jam + 1 Tablespoon pepper jelly or chili sauce.  Add red pepper flakes for heat, add a littl water to stir to a dipping sauce consistency that you like.

Tofu Pies (v)

this is silken tofu

Tofu is amazing, and these recipes prove that it can take any form or flavor.  Perfectly smooth and cool, these are great summertime dessert recipes followed by my favorite savory tofu dishes that I have been making for years. 

But, dessert first!

Chocolate Tofu Cream Pie

3 cups silken tofu *important!  Silken tofu has more water added during production which gives it a silky texture.  Silken tofu comes in shelf stable aeseptic packaging like the photo above.
1/2 cup melted soy butter or butter substitute
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp salt *don't omit this!  It helps the cocoa to taste like chocolate!
1/2 cup water, soy milk, almond milk, etc. as needed for blending

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth.  Scrape down the sides and be sure to blend completely and evenly.
Pour into a prebaked or pressed pie shell and refridgerate for a couple of hours.
Don't freeze..the tofu does weird things when frozen!  You will not be happy!


Banana Tofu Cream Pie

Blend in the order given:
2-3 bananas
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Add:
2 1/2 cups drained silken tofu

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Scrape down the sides and be sure to blend completely and evenly.
Pour into a prebaked or pressed pie shell and refridgerate for a couple of hours.
Don't freeze..the tofu does weird things when frozen! You will not be happy!


Tofu Cheesecake

This is one seriously amazing pie.  This tastes as close to real cheesecake as a fake cheesecake can!

3 cups silken tofu, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Scrape down the sides and be sure to blend completely and evenly.
Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until set in the middle. Cool completely, and best served cold with fresh a fruit topping.

graham cracker crust
In a food processor, combine and blend well:
1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup melted margerine or vegetable oil
1 Tbs. sugar or honey
Mix well then press into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate.  This crust does not need to be pre-baked for cheesecake, but if you want to use it for the tofu cream pies, then bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes & let cool completely before filling.

pie crust
Mix together 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup oil.  Add just enough warm water to form a ball (about 2 Tbsp).  Roll out on a well floured surface, or between two sheets of waxed paper and place in the pie pan.  Bake at 325 for 8-12 minutes or until evenly golden.

Tofu Pot Pie

This was a classic standby in my house.  I made this for my dad in the height of my vegan glory days, he liked it, and that meant a lot coming following all the "eeeewww, tofuuuu!" comments!  He wasn't just being nice, he really liked it and didn't pick out all of the tofu.
get everything ready to make the assembly a snap.  I do things in this order:
-cook and drain one bag of frozen mixed vegetables
-make two pie crusts and set aside
-fry the tofu
-make the gravy
-add the veggies to the gravy
-add the tofu to the gravy
-mix and bake
-eat

Fry the tofu:
Combine in a small bowl:
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp celery seed
Add and stir to coat:
2 cups drained tofu cut into small pieces
Heat a skillet and saute tofu in:
2 Tbs. oil
Cook in oil until browned.
Remove tofu and drain the oil from the pan. 
Make gravy!
Add to the hot pan:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 Tbs. oil or butter oil or butter
cook until bubbly then keep whisking and add
2 cups water
1 Tbs. soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
Add to the gravy:
one bag frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained.  Stir in the tofu and mix well.
Using the pie crust recipe above, make two crusts: one for the bottom, and one for the top.
Pour the mixture into the pie shell and top with the other crust.  Crimp the edges with a wet fork and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until top is browned.

Tofu Quiche
This is a great recipe for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It's good hot and cold, and is pretty amazing with cheese baked into it.

Steam or boil one to two heads of broccoli, chopped.  Drain and set aside.
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tbs. butter or oil
Fry the onion until limp and remove from the pan. 
Add to the pan:
1 Tbs. butter or oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
Cook for a few minutes and set aside with the onions.

In a food processor, combine and blend until creamy:
2 cups regular tofu, drained
2 Tbs. oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
2 Tbs. flour
Add the onions and mushrooms and blend until combined.  Stir in the broccoli and mix well.
Pour into an oiled pie plate and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until filling is set in the middle.


Tofu Spinach Pie
I made this recipe using home grown beet greens once and I swear it was the best thing I ever ate.  This is seriously good food.

Saute until soft:
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup oil
Stir in:
2 cups spinach, cooked and drained
Remove from heat and mix in:
2 cups tofu, drained and crumbled
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Place in a partially baked pie shell, cover top with an unbaked crust, poke holes in the top crust and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Shish Kebob

Hands down, this is my favorite meal: my family's shish kebob.  Even though my dad would make this year round, it reminds me of summer.  It is my quintessential, most favorite, summertime meal.  Originally, the recipe used lamb, marinated in a garlic and lemon juice/olive oil/red wine concoction.  We had it that way for years, but the meat has to marinate overnight, and one time my mom used chicken because we didn't want to wait.  That's how I make it.  This is one of the easiest meals to make, even if you don't have a grill, this can be prepared in a 400 degree oven, and finished off under the broiler.

Shish Kebobs

Make the bbq sauce:
Mix together about 1 1/2 cups ketchup or chili sauce + 1-2 Tbs. yellow mustard + 2-3 Tbs. brown sugar, maple syrup or honey.  Add about 1 tsp. each garlic and onion powder.  Stir to blend.

Get all the stuff ready:
1 pkg. chicken breast tenders, cut into bite size pieces big enough to fit on the skewer
1 large zucchinni, cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into wedges, seperate the layers
1 green pepper, cut into wedges like the onions
1 pkg. mushrooms, washed, stems removed
1 pkg. cherry tomatoes
1 pkg bacon, cut in half

Get everything ready to assemble, and fire up the grill about half way through the assembly of the kebobs.

Wrap a piece of chicken with a piece of bacon and put on the skewer.  Start adding the veggies, making sure each kebob gets at least one of everything.  The cherry tomatoes fit nicely with the mushroom caps, and the peppers and onions do well securing the chicken.  For some reason, I always put zucchinni on the ends.  And there are always a few random leftover kebobs at the end.  I usually make one or two of just chicken or just veggies.

Grill or bake the kebobs until the meat is done, then brush with sauce.  Cook until sauce is hot and starting to carmelize.

Eat & be happy!

- After the food is done, you've eaten every last bit of chicken, and the dishes are all put away; the grill is still warm enough for smores! Put grahm crackers on the grill and top with a chocolate bar, or in this case, a peanut butter cup, top with a marshmallow, and shut the grill.   Leave it be for a bit, and when you remember to go get it, the chocolate will be gooey and the marshmallow will be warm and squishy.  Top with another graham cracker and indulge!

Eat & be happy.

GF Flourless Carrot Cake

I love everything about this cake.  Not only is it flourless, but it uses less than one cup of sugar for the entire recipe.  This cake smelled like carrot cake long before it was even in the oven, and the taste is exactly what you would expect carrot cake to taste like; light, spiced, and sweet.  The texture is also pleasing; it's cake, made from ground almonds, and the outer crust has a delicate and nutty crunch.  I was amazed.  You can make this cake with ground walnuts or pecans, too.  Yum.

  

Flourless Carrot Cake

Heat oven to 350.

Blend together well in food processor:
1 1/2 cups ground UNsalted almonds
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
fresh lemon zest from one lemon
Set aside. 

Grate 2 cups fresh carrot and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine 4 large eggs + 1/3 cup brown sugar.  Beat with electric mixer for a good, long, time - until the mixture is thick.  Really, really thick.  Thick enough so that it forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifeted from the bowl.

Alternately add the carrot and the almond mixture until all is combined.

Pour into prepared Pans:
- To bake as cupcakes:
Spray the muffin pan with oil and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  I made ini cupcakes.  They were super yummy.

- To bake as a cake or a loaf:
Spray the baking dish well with oil and line with parchment and spray with oil again.  Use a spring-form pan if you have one.  (I made this as a cake and didn't line the pan with parchment; the cake ended up sticking to the bottom!)  Bake for 45 minutes and check.  The cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cups agave
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons cream 
Cream together until smooth and well combined.
Set in fridge to thicken, then stir again before frosting cupcakes. 

Pickled Blueberries (v)

Pickled Blueberries

2 qts. fresh whole washed blueberries
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks, broken, 1 tsp. whole cloves, 1 tsp. whole allspice; tie up spices in a small cheesecloth sack.

Put spice bag in a big pot with the vinegar and sugar, bring mixture to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the berries and cook on medium low heat until they are heated through, shaking the pot every now and then to stir.  This should take about 8 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 12 hours at room temperature.  This is when the magic happens!

Pour the blueberries into a colander that is set over a bowl.  Remove the spice bag, and transfer the berries to sterilized jars.

Return the liquid to the pot and add the sugar.  Bring to a boil, and boil briskly for about 4 minutes to thicken the syrup a bit.

Pour the hot syrup over the berries and seal the jars.  Be sure to leave 1/4" space at the top of the jar!
Water bath for 10 minutes, cool completely then store, serve, enjoy!

Killer Dillers (v)

This is my favorite pickle recipe.  It is a classic garlic dill, crisp and delicious.
If you have never made pickles before, try it.  It's pretty easy, you just need some equipment:  a BIG pot to boil a lot of water in, a rack to put the jars on in the pot, I just used a round metal cooling rack.  I can put 4 jars in my big pot.  You also need canning tongs, to pick up hot glass jars out of that big pot of boiling water, and you need jars, bands and lids, and of course, your ingredients.  In a nutshell, first, you sterilize the jars (boil them in the big pot), and sterilize the lids (boil in a small pan).  You want everything to be extremely clean.  After preparing the jars, fill the jars with the produce, make the brine and pour it over, then seal the jars in a water bath and boil for 15-20 minutes.  You want to pack the cucumbers into the jars, pour the brine over them, but don't fill the liquid all the way to the top of the jar.  Leave about a quarter inch of space.  Take a butter knife and slide it down into the side of the jar and press inward, pressing against the cukes to release any air bubbles.  Put the lids and bands on and give them the water bath to seal.  Cool the jars completely on wire racks on the counter.  This is when they seal.  You will hear the jars "ping" as they seal.  It's a very rewarding sound!  If you love pickles as much as I do, you will never go back to store bought pickles ever again!

KILLER DILLERS

Boil  until salt is dissolved:

2 cups water2 cups white vinegar
2 Tablespoons kosher salt

Pack into clean jars:
Pickling cucumbers whole, sliced or cut into spears.

Fresh, peeled garlic cloves, 2 or 3 per jar
fresh or dried dill, about 1-2 Tbs. per jar
a few whole peppercorns per jar

pour the brine over and fill jars to about 1/4" from top.  Seal with lids and bands and seal in a water bath for 15 minutes.
Cool on wire racks.

(Tempeh) Curried Chicken Salad (v)

This is one of my summer staples.  I love chicken salad, but I love this even more because it's healthy.  Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake.  It really doesn't have much flavor, which is great because so many things can be made with it!  I always steam or boil my tempeh first to get it moistened.  It kind of smells like bread when I'm steaming it.  You can make this plain, but I always seem to add curry to it.

Tempeh Curried Chicken Salad
Boil or steam one package of tempeh for about 5 minutes.  I usually boil or stem it whole or cut in half. 
Drain and rinse with cool water.  Chop into small pieces that resemble the texture of chicken salad.  Put into a bowl with:
1 large stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup raisins or chopped red grapes
1/4 cup yogurt or mayo
about 1/4-1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 Tablespoon pickle relish
1 Tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut
juice of half of a lime or lemon

Stir well to incorporate all ingredients and put in a covered container to chill.
salt to taste.  Delicios as a sandwich filling, on crackers, or by the forkload.

Ramen

Eggy Cheesy Ramen; This is college food, and it's damn good college food.  Ramen noodles are ramen noodles, but the addition of one egg and a slice of American cheese magically transforms this ho-hum cheap meal.

Eggy Cheesy Ramen

Cook the ramen noodles as you normally would.  Once the noodles are done, crack one egg into the pot and gently stir it around to break up the yolk.  While that cooks, prepare your soup cup.  Put one slice of American cheese into the bowl and add the noodles on top.  Stir to distribute the melting cheese and enjoy.  I never make plain ramen noodles anymore.

Ramen Dinner

Sometimes I will cook a package of ramen noodles and add fresh chopped bok choy, sliced mushrooms, green onions, and thinly sliced flat iron steak.  Delicious, a meal in a bowl.

Crab Rangoons

Asian yum yums!!

My mom and I both love rangoons.  If you love them too, go get the stuff and make them.  Beware though, it's dangerous knowing how easy these are to make.  Never again will you pay a ridiculous amount for take out rangoons ever again.  Why would you?!

Crab Rangoons

1 pkg. wonton wraps
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup real crab meat

Mix ingredients well.  To assemble, place one wonton wrapper on a flat surface.  place about a teaspoon of filling onto the wrapper.  Moisten two edges with water and fold the wonton wrapper to make a triangle.  Press the edges hard to ensure a seal.
Fry in hot oil on both sides until golden and crispy.  Drain well on paper towels and enjoy!

For a dipping sauce, I used a mixture of  1/4 cup homemade pepper jelly and and 1 Tbs. apricot jam plus a little crushed red chili flakes.  You can also use any kind of chili sauce plus apricot jam.  Thin with a little water to your desired consistency.

Lemon Cookies (v)

No butter, no eggs, no milk, a perfect little lemon cookie!

Lemon Cookies

In a large bowl, mix tegether:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. fresh lemon zest

In a seperate bowl, mix together:
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Add the liquid mixture to the drys and mix until completely blended into a cohesive dough.
Place by teaspoonful onto oiled cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

(I used olive oil in my cookies, and they turned out great!  I also added a handful of shredded coconut to the last half of the dough.  delicious!)

corn (v)

One of my favorite foods ia also one of the  most consumed in America: Corn.  The summer before I moved to Ohio, I ate fire roasted Michigan sweet corn on the cob on a daily basis.  I would wrap corn on the cob in foil with a little olive oil salt & pepper and throw it on the fire pit and forget about it for an hour or so.  At some point I switched to using olive oil and old bay, which is my standby now! 
Before I started throwing the corn in the fire I would boil it on the stove like my mom used to do.  I feel like I could never get it right, or keep it consistent!  I used to eat boiled corn on the cob with umeboshi plum paste, and it's still one of my favorite corn on the cob seasoning.  Plum paste is extremely salty, it's a Japanese food.

Here are some of my favorite corn recipes:

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob, cleaned
olive oil
salt & pepper
foil

Since I don't have an outdoor fire pit anymore, I now roast corn in the same manner in my oven.  I wrap it and season it the same, and throw it in the oven at 350 for maybe 40 minutes.  You might have to experiment to find out how long is good for you.  I will eat corn on the cob raw, so I'm n ot picky about cooking it perfectly.  Even if it goes too long, it's still delicious!


Corn Butter

This is an amazing butter-like spread.  It's almost magical.  This works perfectly on toast and is so butter like you will probably be amazed that it's made from corn!

Mix together in a saucepan
3/4 cup water
4 Tbs. fine yellow cornmeal
Cook over medium stirring constantly until thick.
Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes & put in food processor or blender.
Add:
3/4 cup silken tofu, drained
1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp. salt
Blend until smooth and pour into a container with a lid and stick it in the fridge.  It will firm up after being chilled, and actually melts on hot food.
The corn butter only keeps for about a week.


Corn Fritters

2 cups corn kernels (canned or thawed frozen corn works great)
Blend in the food processor until chopped.
Add 2 Tbs water + 2 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot
2 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. milk or milk substitute
salt & pepper
Blend until mixed.
Heat oil in a skillet and drop the fritters in by spoonfuls.  Fry on each side until golden and crispy, and drain well.  Sprinkle with old bay or salt.


How to make Popcorn on the stove

No microwave, no air popper, I make mine in a pot on the stove.

Get a pot with a lid.  Pour about 1 Tbs. oil into the pot and add popcorn kernels to cover the bottom of the pan.  Put the top on and turn on the heat.  Listen.  Once the first kernel pops. start shaking the pan back and forth on the burner until the popping escalates, once it starts going crazy, turnt he heat off but keep shaking until all the popping stops.  Pour into a serving bowl and the rest is up to you!

Hummus (v)

I love that you can get pre-packaged hummus at pretty much any grocery store, but if you can make it yourself, do it.  Chick peas are only 79 cents a can, and homemade hummus beats the pants off of the grocery store stuff any day.  It is a staple in my fridge all summer long.  It makes a great light and easy meal, not to mention it's healthy and cheap to make!  I always use tahini that has been roasted, so be sure to look for that kind, and if you can find it, get it.  The brand I use is called Joyva and comes in an orange and white can.  Unroasted tahini is fine, but the flavor is a lot different!  I make hummus constantly throughout the summer.  Don't limit yourself to chick peas, other beans make great hummus dips too!

this is the good stuff

Hummus

In a food processor combine and blend well:

1 can chick peas, drained

juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 tsp. salt

1 clove garlic

Blend until creamy and well combined.  You may need to add a little water to help blend.
Transfer toa serving dish and top with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika.

This is the basic recipe.  I always add something to this, cumin, black pepper, oregano; but my favorite addition is a jar of roasted red peppers, drained.  You can also add a jar of artichoke hearts or chopped black olives.  Possibilities are limitless, really. 

Lemonade, two ways (v)

Nothing can satisfy the quench of real lemonade.

Classic Lemonade

Make a simple syrup: 3/4 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup hot water
Combine with:
4 cups water
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Stir well and chill, serve over ice.
Add crushed raspberries strawberries or blueberries.



Agave Lemonade

Combine:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup agave syrup
3 cups water
Stir well and chill, serve over ice.
Who knew a cactus could be so sweet?!

Give limes a chance! 

Use fresh lime juice in place of the lemon juice using either recipe for refreshing limeade.

Mac & Cheese

In our house, there were two kinds.  The good kind and theirs.  These were in addition to the late night standby, the boxed stuff with the cheese powder mix; but when we made real mac and cheese, we had to make two kinds to satisfy the four of us.

Mom & I liked the good kind.  Elbow noodles cooked to perfection with real, sharp, hand grated cheddar cheese.  Theirs, my sister and my father,  was the classic southern creamy velveeta and elbow noodles.  Both are delish, but I still choose the good kind when I want mac & cheese.  Mom taught me how to make it, and I've never measured any ingredients.  It's just one of those dishes that you make by throwing the stuff in the pot and letting it all melt.  This is how I do it:

Mac & Cheese, The good kind

Cook and drain enough elbow noodles to satisfy.  While the noodles are hot, add shredded sharp cheddar cheese, a pat of butter and a little milk.  Cook and stir until the cheese melts.  Stir in about 1 Tbs. sugar.  This is what makes this mac & cheese magical.  Once the cheese is completely melted and incorporated, transfer to serving dishes and top woth freshly ground black pepper.

Comfort food.

Waffles (v)

I will choose a waffle over a pancake any day.  Eventually, I will write an entire cookbook on waffles alone.  I'm a freak about them.  This morning, I made some plain waffle batter.  I made one plain waffle.  Then I made one strawberry, one blueberry, and two coconut waffles.  I figured it was time to share the basic waffle recipe.  You can add whatever you want to this recipe.  It's super easy and delicious.  Waffles are always a dinner option for me.  I got my waffle iron for 5 bucks at a garage sale in Kalamazoo.  Best 5 bucks I've spent in a long time!

breakfast, lunch, dinner, whenever.

Waffles

In a large bowl, stir together:

1 1/4 cups flour

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

In another bowl, mix well:

2 Tbs. oil

1 1/4 cup water

OR

1/2 cup milk or soymilk or almond milk or whatever + 3/4 cup water (You can even use yogurt!)

Mix the wet ingredients into the drys and mix only until ingredients are blended.  You want a somewhat lumpy batter.  Stirring too much makes the batter tough.

Bake in a preheated and well oiled waffle iron.

I always add something to the batter.  This morning, I added 3 Tbs. cornmeal & 1/4 cup oatmeal.  I added a little extra water to make up for the added dry ingredients.

For coconut waffles, all I did was add about 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut to the batter.  I wanted there to be a prominent coconut flavor, so I added about a Tbs. or two of coconut rum and stirred it in.  The waffles not only smelled amazing as they were baking, and they tasted like a slice of sweet southern coconut cake,  Next time I will add vanilla.  I'll post the official recipe when I perfect it!

That's the great thing about this recipe, you can add whatever you want.  Like pizza, nothing is truly off the list for waffle ingredients.  I have made savory vegetable and cheese waffles before, and I have thrown just about everything edible in a waffle before with good end results!  Have fun experimenting!

Waffles freeze very well and are magical when reheated in the toaster or the broiler.  Just be sure to wrap them well so they won't get freezer burn, if they last that long in the freezer!

*this recipe makes yum pancakes too.  Silver dollar size turn out the best!

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Fried Plantains (v)

I first had fried plantains atr my sister's house one Christmas.  Her husband is Cuban, so I called her one day for the how-to on fried plaintains.  I bought 5 big green plantains at the store so I was excited to cook them; until I talked to my sister.  She said they have to be ripe, so they went immediately into a brown paper bag under the kitchen sink.  For two weeks! Waiting for them to ripen is the hardest part of this recipe.  Finally, my plantains are ripe so it's time to cook them.  I'm going to first just fry them in their pure state, tomorrow I'm going to make a proper meal out of them with a bed of steaming hot quinoa and a spicy black bean and mango sauce.  For now, here's how:

before & yum

Fried Plantains

Get ripe plantains, or do as I did; buy the green ones and put them in a brown paper bag to ripen.  This can take up to two weeks.  Mine did, but it was worth the wait because they are good and sweet and perfectly ripe.  I let them get brown, but not too brown. 

I peeled mine and cut them in half and set them into the hot oiled cast iron pan.
Let them brown completely on one side.

Flip over and press down into the pan.  You want to flatten it out a little but not too much.  I used my spatula at first, but the bottom of my glass measuring cup worked better.

Let brown on that side too.
Transfer to a plate with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

And now, the possibilites are endless!
= Yum.

Ok, so I made the plaintains, ate two and put the rest in the fridge.  Yesterday, I made a big pot of quinoa, my favorite grain, and I made a black bean sauce to go with the plantains.  Here's how I did it:

Fried Plantains with Black Bean Sauce

Sautee in olive oil, one onion, chopped, and one poblano pepper, chopped, one clove of garlic, minced.  Once the onion and pepper starts to look good and yummy, add about a teaspoon of cumin seeds, some salt and pepper.  You can make this spicy by adding cayenne or jalapenos, my sauce was a little milder than i wanted it.  Next time I'm using a jalapeno!  So, this is the sofrito!  Sautee for a few min longer and remove from the heat.  In a small saucepan, put in a can of black beans, add all the liquid in the can too.  Simmer until hot, then stir in the sofrito.  Heat through.  Add salt and pepper as needed.
To reheat the plantains, I put them in a hot skillet and put a lid on it.  Flipped them over and heated them gently until they were hot all the way through.
Put a big pile of quinoa on the plate, arrange the plantains, and top with the beans.  I also added fresh chopped mango and cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.  Next time I'll make a fresh mango salsa, like a pico, with raw onion, tomato, mango and lime.
So yum!

Tiny Kitchen

Working in a tiny kitchen isn't easy.  I have had to get rid of a lot of unnecessary items to make room for the things I use the most, which I'm now glad for.  The blender was the first thing to go.  I never used it!  The food processor does the job of two so the blender didn't stand a chance.  I replaced my set of five pots and pans with two.  A large pot with a lid, and a small pot with a lid.  Good, old sturdy pots with hefty handles that don't get hot and good fitting lids!  I kept two cast iron pans, and one cookie sheet, although, a second cookie sheet is in order.  I kept my popover pan and one muffin pan.  

When I first moved back to the city, my mom helped me unpack the kitchen stuff.  She said she kept waiting to open up a box with the dishes.  Little did she know, I don't have a normal set of dishes like most households.  Instead, I use small plates and only own two dinner sized plates.  It's because that's what works for me.  I don't need a four piece place setting.  I never have three guests over for a sit down meal!  I went to the thrift store around New Year's to get clear glass cocktail plates for my party.  I figured it was a better option than buying paper plates that would just be thrown away.  Turns out the little glass plates have been perfect for my everyday use.

I was having trouble figuring out how to arrange my cabinets for pans and dishes, as I only really have two.  These big white glass vintage mixing bowls are my favorite, and I wouldn't replace them for any other mixing bowls.  They take up a lot of space though.  Today, I found my solution.  This hanging wire basket fit the two bowls perfectly, and the top basket is the best spot for my little glass citrus juicer.  The basket used to house onions and garlic, but the only place I can really hang is is behind the stove.  When the oven was on, the onions and garlic were getting too hot!  Now they reside in the fridge, and my mixing bowls have a happy new home.



Doggy Treats

Dogs like cookies too!!

Doggy Treats

Preheat oven to 350.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup dry milk
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup water + 1 Tbs. beef broth powder

MIx all ingreduents well.  Roll out on a floured surface and cut shapes.
Bake for 20 minutes

Additional variations:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. powdered kelp
1 Tbs. Nutritional yeast
1Tbs. Flax seeds

Chocolate Pudding

This pudding is so easy! 

It can be vegan if you use soy milk or almond milk or coconut milk or whatever it is you like!

Once you learn to keep unsweetened chocolate in the cupboard, you'll be amazed how many yummy things you can whip up late at night to satisfy that sweet tooth!  I used to make this a lot back in the day, I always used soy milk.  I don't even buy soy milk anymore, and I have never made it with actual dairy milk.  I'm sure it's good with any type of milk or milk substitute. 
It is chocolate pudding, afterall.

Chocolate Pudding

In a medium saucepan, melt:
3 squares unsweetened chocolate in 2 2/3 cups milk
Mix together:
1/4 cup cornstarch & 1/2 cup sugar,
Stir in 1/3 cup milk
Add to saucepan and cook, whisking, until thickened and smooth.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.
Enjoy hot (which is actually really yummy), or, cool completely.  To prevent a skin from forming on the top, cover with plastic wrap; press the plastic wrap down onto the surface of the pudding so that air can't get to it.  (I actually like the thick skin that this pudding forms.  Maybe I'm weird!)
This pudding is really yum with whipped cream on top.  That's not a vegan option, sorry!

Pesto

grow basil, make pesto.

Pesto

Blend in a food processor until well combined:
2 cups fresh clean basil
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
salt & pepper to taste

Once blended, transfer to a half pint jar.  Fill the remaining space in the jar with olive oil, this acts as a "seal" until you are ready to use the Pesto.  Store in the fridge.  Add 1/2 cup parmesan to the batch of pesto mixture once you are ready to serve. 

Pizza

 I love pizza.  Love, love, love it.  But, it has to be thin crust.  I don't like breaddy pizza crust or Chigago style deep dish.  I'm a New York style pizza girl 100%.  Here is my recipe for thin crust:

Pizza Crust

Preheat oven to 425.
Mix together in a big mixing bowl:
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar or honey
Let yeast dissolve.

In a small  bowl combine:
2/12 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil

Mix the drys into the wet ingredients and mix to form a ball.  Knead for a few minutes then set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle cookie sheets with cornmeal & roll out into two pizza crusts, or stretch them out like I do to make a more rustic style pie.

Top with whatever you like and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.
In my kitchen, anything is a pizza topping. Sometimes I go for just cheese, sometimes I put seaweed or brown rice on my pizza.  Or crabmeat.  Or cashews, peppers, herbs, pepperoni, onions, muchrooms, tomatoes, pesto, feta, hummus, kale, tabouli.  You name it, I'll probably put it on a pizza!

Nothing for Lunch

Sometimes when there is nothing for lunch, there is!  I try to always keep raw nuts, cheese and some type of fruit in the fridge.  Even a simple lunch of a tomato or a cucumber dressed with a little plain yogurt & dill can be satisfying and filling!  Even just salt and pepper with fresh raw vegetables is yum!  When I lived in Alabama I had a very nice garden with plenty of space for the herbs to go crazy.  I used to have lunches of fresh herbs with cheese and crackers.  Sometimes my meals would be based around what herbs needed to be trimmed back!

Now that I'm back in the city I don't have the space for a huge garden, but I still love fresh herbs and vegetables.  I have a balcony where I just planted a pot of culinary herbs.

Lemon Thyme was my favorite with cheeses, but it was also the perfect companion to a flat iron steak that I grilled in my kitchen one afternoon.  After cooking the steak I topped it with a little butter and chopped fresh lemon thyme.  It was the first steak I had ever made for myself. 

I was vegan for about 15 years! 

I'm not anymore, and here's how I made my first steak:

how to cook a steak in a cast iron skillet

Take the battery out of your smoke alarm.

Make sure to have the steak, a clean plate, a pot holder, a pat of butter, freshly chopped herbs and a fork to grab the steak all ready.

Heat your cast iron pan to really really hot.  I mean hot hot.

Don't oil it.  A seasoned cast iron pan is all you need.  The fat from the staek is enough oil to cook it.

Have everything ready, because once you throw the steak ont he pan you can't walk away from it! 

Throw the steak in the pan and cook for 2 minutes, undisturbed.  This is going to generate a lot of sizzling, popping and smoke.  Don't worry, you're not burning it, you're cooking it perfectly.

After two minutes exactly, turn the steak over and cook for another 2 minutes.  Keep the burner on high.  Again, lots of smoke but this is good.

After 2 min on that side, your steak is ready.  Put the steak on a plate and top with butter and freshly chopped herbs.  I used lemon thyme and it was amazing.  I put freshly ground black pepper on my steak too.

Cover with foil and let sit for 5 min.  I know this is really hard to do, but it makes the steak so yummy so be patient and wait out the entire 5 minutes!

Amazing, and no grill needed, or wanted.

Lunch can be simple and healthy.  I'm a grazer; I snack all day long.  I always have.  I've learned that eating little healthful tidbits all day works for me.  Keeps me energized, happy, satisfied, and I feel good about what I'm snacking on.  I like salty snacks every now and then too, but my first option is always something nature had intended as instant food.  Always keep popcorn in the cupboard.  Always have a good chunk of cheese.  Raw nuts are good snackin, but also help out in lots of other recipes!

Next time you think there's nothing for lunch, look again, maybe there really is!

Breakfast, Anytime.

I used to hate eggs.  Even things that had eggs in them I couldn't stand.  But I wasn't being fair to the egg, because it turns out, it's the yolk that I don't like (and I actually do like the yolk when cooked into soups, like Ramen noodles for example).  I actually really like egg whites!  Once I came to this realization, I made an old favorite that my grandma used to make, minus the egg yolk; Egg in a Basket.  My version has wo egg whites, a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, plenty of fresh ground black pepper, a thinck slice of a red ripe tomato and a huge pile of mushrooms sauteed in olive oil.  I learned from the British to have friend mushrooms with breakfast.   It really completes the meal!



Egg in a Basket Mimi Style

For each person:

1 slice of bread with the center cut out, save the center!

2 egg whites

1 thick slice tomato

olive oil for sauteeing

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

Sautee the mushrooms in olive oil until done.  Set aside.

Toast the bread and the bread cut-out, in the pan on one side until browned, turn over and add the egg whites to the center of the bread.  Top with cheese slice and tomat.  Cover and cook until egg is done.  Top with the bread cut-out and fresh black pepper.

Transfer to a plate and top with the sauteed mushrooms.

Another good way to make an egg:

A friend of mine found a recipe where you bake an egg in an avocado half.  We tried it, and it was really good.  Paired with a thick slice of sourdough toast, this is a very satisfying breakfast.  I think even a thin slice of ham under the cheese would be delicious too...

Here's how we did it:



Baked Egg in Avocados

For each person, one avocado half and one egg.  Cheese and seasoned salt.

Cut the avocado and remove the pit.  Set each avocado in a little foil nest in a cast iron pan.  This little nest holds the avocados upright so that the egg won't spill out!  Put the pan on the oven rack and the crack the egg into each half.  Depending on the size of your avocado, all of the egg may not fit.  You can scoop out the avocado a bit more before adding the egg if you need more room!

Top with shredded cheese and bake at 400 until egg is done.  Sprinkle with a little seasoned salt.  I made mine without the yolk and it was amazing.  The avocado had such a great flavor, and the egg and cheese combined with the warm and creamy avocado left me wanting another one!





Whole Millet Crackers (v)

I love crackers, and homemade crackers are the best.  These are a wholesome, rustic and grainy cracker.  This recipe lends well to a variety of flavors, and I have yet to mix cheese into the dough, but I bet that would be pretty yum. You can grind millet in a blender, food processor or coffee bean grinder.

Whole Millet Crackers
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine:
1/4 cup + 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. honey
1/2 cup water
In a seperate bowl, combine:
1/4 cup whole millet
1/2 cup ground millet
1 cup flour
Add the drys to the liquid mixture and mix well to combine.
Oil a baking sheet and roll the crackers out directly on the cookie sheet.  I can't tell you how many times I forgot to do that; it's not fun trying to get the dough from the couter to the cookie sheet.  So, remember: Roll the dough out on the cookie sheet.
I like thin crackers, so I split this dough between two cookie sheets.
After I roll it out ont he pan, I sprinkle with everything; poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, cumin seeds; basically any seed I have in the cupboard, along with a light sprinkle of salt.  I press the toppings into the dough with the rolling pin.
Score or pre-cut the crackers, or just make one big cracker to break apart once cooled. You can use cookie cutters to score or cut the cracker dough.
Bake for 10-20 minutes until golden.

Oven Roasted Artichokes (v)

Artichokes are one of my favorite vegetables.  Sometimes my dinner consists of this: one whole roasted artichoke.  So simple, so yum.  If you are new to artichokes, don't be afraid, just be sure to snip the leaf tips off, they are sharp!  And when you get to the heart, scrape away the fibrous hairs that cover the heart; these are inedible and you will be sorry if you try.  Kind of like a cactus in a sense, so scrape it all away and enjoy that heart!!!  I used to always boil arichokes.  A process that seemed to take forever.  The roasted artichoke is so much better! 

How to oven roast an artichoke:
Preheat oven to 350.
You will need:
1 artichoke
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
lemon juice
salt & pepper
foil
Trim off the sharp points of each exposed leaf.  I use scissors for this.
Next, takle a big sharp knife and cut off the top third of the artichoke.\, and cut off the stem to make a flat bottom.
Place the trimmed choke on the foil and stuff the garlic cloves down into the artichoke.  Drizzle generously with olive oil, squeeze a little lemon juice over th eyop and wrap it all up.
Bake it at 350 for about 45 minutes.  It is done when the leave come off of the artichoke with ease.

How to eat it:
Pull each leaf off and scrape the leaf in your teeth.  You don't eat the leaf, you just scrape the yummyness off of it.  The further you get into the choke, the more edible the leaf becomes.  But beware, some of the leaves are still very sharp at the tip!  Once you get to the center of the choke, then you will want to scrape the hairy part off of the heart.  So now, after all that delicious hard work getting to the center you are rewarded with the best part of the choke.  Usually by this time my hands are covered in olive oil salt and pepper, and I scrape the bowl with the heart and eat it.  I have taken the heart and chopped it up and added it to scrambled eggs before to.  It was beyond amazing.
I love artichokes, maybe you will too!

That Hot Fudge Angel Food Cake Frosting

Beware.  This is not really frosting, it's a sinful, decadent, bad for you, oh-my-God delicious chocolate fudge sauce, topping, whatever you want to call it, you'll want to eat it with a spoon.  On ice cream. On brownies.  On cake, doughnuts, muffins, cereal, pancakes, waffles, bread, your finger.  But my mom used to make it especially for homemade angel food cake, and that is how it is best.

Mom's Chocolate Fudge Angel Food Frosting
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbs. real butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate in the milk over low heat.  Stir constantly.  This takes forever but be patient.  Burnt chocolate sucks.  Keep stirring and cooking until it's thick; hot fudge consistency.
Add 1 Tbs. butter & 1 tsp. vanilla extract and stir in completely.

Chocolate Squash Cake

This is an awesome cake that utilizes all of that yellow squash that the garden usually pumps out!  Any summer squash will do, and you won't even know it's in there.  This is not a healthy cake, just cake with a healthy ingredient.

Chocolate Squash Cake
Melt 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate with 1/4 cup vegetable oil.  Cool completely.
Cream 1/2 cup butter until light. 
Add:
2 cups sugar
3 beaten eggs
1 Tbs. vanilla
Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blend well.
Mix together the dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with 1/3 cup milk, sour cream or yogurt.
Mix in 3 c. shredded summer squash, squeezed.

Bake in oiled cake pan (9x13) for 40 minutes.  Can be baked as cupcakes too, check at 10 min, may need to bake for 15-18 minutes. 

GF minimalist peanut butter cookies

I got this recipe from my friend Lindsay.  When I first saw it I said, are you sure this is the whole recipe?  Yep.  Grain and flour free, but somehow it works!

minimalist peanut butter cookies
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine:
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar

roll into small balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Flatten.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.