Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

•  1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
•  1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425
• Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. 
• I doubled entire recipe but only used one can of sweetened condensed milk plus one can full of whole milk to adjust sweetness.
• Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. 
• Cool
• Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Chestnut Italian Wedding Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen 1-inch cookies

1 cup cooked chestnuts
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon + additional for coating
A few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour

Chop-chop-chop those chestnuts as fine as you can, then use an electric mixer to whip the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, flour and chestnuts and beat until well blended.]

Divide dough and wrap each half in plastic, chilling for one hour or until firm. Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and a few pinches of cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside. Working with one half of the chilled dough at at time, roll it into 2 teaspoon-sized balls in the palm of your hand.

Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet but no need to leave more than 1/2 inch between the cookies; they won’t spread.

Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 14 to 17 minutes.

Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet.

Gently toss warm cookies in cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely.

To touch them up before serving, you can sift some of the leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture over them.

Do ahead: Dough can be chilled in the fridge for a day or two, longer in the freezer. Chestnuts can be roasted in advance, kept at room temperature for a day or so. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.

Basalmic Glaze Baked Chicken

Marinade:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions:

• Whisk together everything in marinade and place chicken in marinade for at least 20 minutes
• Preheat oven to 425
• Cut up potatoes and mix with olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Toss to mix.
• Coat frying pan in cooking oil and preheat pan
• Sear chicken for 2 minutes on each side
• Dump potatoes on top of chicken
• Bake at 425 for 20 minutes (about 10 minutes in, pour remainder of marinade on top of the chicken)

(I like my vegetables a little more well done, so I cook the potatoes and chicken separately and then combine to serve)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups packed brown sugar (original recipe said 1.5 cups sugar)
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose or unbleached flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
• 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until blended. Stir in vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda and salt; stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
2.  Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
3.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Oven Roasted Veggies

Preheat oven to 475

Toss together:

• potatoes (roughly chopped)
• carrots (I used baby carrots cut in half)
• onion (roughly chopped)
• rosemary (I just threw in a few sprigs)
• garlic (I use pre-chopped because I'm lazy)
• adobo (or salt and pepper)
• EVOO

Toss everything in together and mix, then spread out on baking pan and roast for 25 minutes, stirring once about halfway through.

Chicken quinoa salad

1/2 cup cooked quinoa 

2 handfuls spinach, roughly chopped

A few sprigs of basil, roughly chopped

1/2 can of black beans

1 8 oz package of mushrooms, roughly chopped and cooked

1/2 pound cooked chicken (I used adobo chicken)

1 cup pico

Layer all ingredients. Stir to combine when ready to eat. Delicious!!!

Protein Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup quick coooking rolled oats
• 1 cup raw peanuts
• 1/2 cup organic, no sugar added peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup dried dates or 15-20 manjool dates (available at Publix)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

• put all ingredients except eggs and vanilla and choco chips into food processor
• pulse a few times
• separate bowl, whisk egg and vanilla
• pour in and pulse all together
• mix in chocolate chips
• put into baking dish (9x9) and use spatula to pat down
• bake at 350 for 35 minutes
• let cool in pan and then cut up into squares

delicious!!!

Pizza Pasta

Preheat oven to 350

Boil pasta to al dente (takes about 10 minutes).

Layer noodles, tomato paste, olives, and pepperoni.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

Nutella Cofee

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons nutella
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup coffee (I use cold brewed coffee)
pinch of cinnamon

Blend everything in a blender and serve over ice. I added in a splash of cream for a little extra creaminess (also, I used almond milk instead of regular milk). You can also add a splash of Frangelica for a more adult version. :-)

DELICIOUS!!!!!

Wilted Kale miso salad

Takes about 1 hour from start to finish. 

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa 

2 cups water

1 pound of kale

Garlic

Olive oil

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 pound Brussels sprouts

1 package (8 oz) mushrooms

1/2 a large stalk of celery

4-5 green onions

2.5 tablespoons of miso paste

Juice of one lemon

I package feta cheese crumbles

Instructions:

Boil quinoa in 2 cups water and then let sit till all water is absorbed

Heat olive oil in a wok. 

Add 1 tablespoon of diced garlic and brown

Add chopped kale and cook till wilted, adding salt and pepper to taste. I usually add a few tablespoons of water to help steam it a bit and then set aside

Chop up Brussels sprouts and then pan fry with cooking oil (I like to use coconut oil)

Wash and chop mushrooms, then cook in same pan as Brussels came out of. As they sweat out the water, add in 1 tablespoon of miso paste to flavor. 

Wash and finely chop celery, add to the other cooked vegetables (do not cook)

Finely chop up green onions and also add to the other cooked vegetables

Juice one lemon and mix together with 1.5 tablespoons of miso paste to make dressing. Pour over vegetables and add salt and pepper to taste (I used 1 tablespoon of adobo)

Mix in cooked quinoa and feta

Eat warm or cold

Tofu scramble

This actually has as consistency that is remarkably similar to scrambled eggs!!

Ingredients:

• one cube tofu
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• onion (roughly chopped)
• 2 handfulls of chopped kale
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 1 teaspoon adobo
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Cut up the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and let the water strain away from tofu for about 10 minutes. Pour away excess water.
• pour oil into the pan and put onion in with it. Stir to brown onions
• Add in kale and stir. Add about 2 tablespoons of water to help steam the kale.
• Add tofu (make sure you have strained as much water away from the tofu as you can)
• Sprinkle on garlic, cumin, curry, and adobo
• Smash the tofu to make it crumble, mixing in the spices as you do so
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Serve warm. It's delicious over bread.

I also like it with peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms.

Baked Tofu

This is a nice way to de-liquidify tofu and make it more firm and very tasty for use in noodle dishes or stir fry dishes as a meat substitute.

Ingredients:

• One cube tofu
• Two tablespoons soy sauce (I like to use dark soy)
• One tablespoon sesame oil

Instructions:

• Cut up tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and let the water drain out of it for about 10 minutes.
• Strain the water away from the tofu and place in a ziplock bag to marinate with the soy sauce and sesame oil.
• Marinate for 30 minutes or overnight
• When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350
• Place cubes of tofu so they are not touching on top of parchment paper and bake for about 30 minutes.
• Serve warm by itself, or refrigerate to use another day.

Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients (already adjusted for less sweetness):

• 1 1/2 cups coconut oil
• 1.5 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree 
• 2 tablespoons of nut milk 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats 
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 2 teaspoons baking soda 
• 2 cups miniature chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F 
• Beat coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl until creamy. 
• Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.
• Mix flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl
• Stir into liquid ingredients until combined. 
• Fold chocolate chips into batter. 
• Drop 1 to 2 tablespoons batter for each cookie onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of each cookie are lightly browned, 9 minutes.

Vegan Miso Grits

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp. Coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. finely minced garlic
• 3 tbsp. white miso paste
• 2 1/2 tbsp. water
• 1 1/2 cup cashew milk (or other nut milk)
• 1 cup quick-cook grits
• 1 salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped shallots
• 8 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
• Add miso and water; stir until miso dissolves. 
• Add cashew milk. 
• Increase heat to high and bring to a low boil.
• Add grits, stir, and return to boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. 
• Cook for 5 minutes or until grits are thickened. 
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, melt 2 tbsp coconut oil over medium-high heat. 
• Add shallots and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes. 
• Serve mushrooms over grits and season with additional freshly ground pepper if desired.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Already dialed down the sugar to make it less sweet)

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup coconut oil
2. 1/2 cup brown sugar
3. 1/4 cup almond milk
4. 1 tbsp vanilla
5. 2 cups flour
6. 1 tsp baking soda
7. 1 cup chocolate chips (trader joe's chocolate chips are accidentally vegan)

Mix first 4 ingredients, then add rest of ingredients. 

Spoon by tablespoons onto baking sheet (I like using parchment paper so nothing sticks)

Bake for 8 minutes.

Delicious!!

***great variation: do 1.5 times the tecipe except for flour. For flour, keep the same amount and add in 1 cup of oats. Also add in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder***

Chocolate oat chocolate chip ones:

Cocoa Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1½ cup (188 grams) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup (213 grams) brown sugar, packed
• 9 ounces (255 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ cups (150 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, add the cubed butter, water, semi-sweet chocolate, and brown sugar. Melt completely, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the rolled oats.
4. Drop by the tablespoon onto the prepared sheet pan, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes, until edges are set. Let cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or in the freezer between layers of parchment paper for a few months.

Vegan Dumplings

Ingredients:

1 package of dumpling skins
1 bok choy (finely diced)
1 red or green or yellow pepper (finely diced)
1/4 cup dried mushrooms, rehydrated and finely diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
oil for the pan
1/4 cup of clear noodles (vermacelli)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon miso paste
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in pan, add garlic.
Add bok choy, pepper, and mushrooms and cook till soft.
In separate pot, boil noodles till soft, cut up with food scissors.

When vegetables are tender, add in strained noodles and miso, soy, salt, and pepper and stir fry. This is the filling for the dumpling skins.

Fill dumpling skins with the filling and pan fry, adding in a few tablespoons of water to cook the skins.

Serve hot.

Chinese Egg Custard/ Egg Tart

One large deep dish pie crust
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 cup water
9 eggs
1 dash vanilla
1 cup evaporated milk

But I had no evaporated milk, so I used some creamer instead:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot water
1.5 cups cashew milk
9 eggs
1 dash vanilla
1/2 cup half and half

Instructions if using the first ingredients list (this recipe has already been adjusted for sweetness. You will want to use about 3/4 cup sugar if making for dinner party):

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Mix sugar and hot water (heat the water first) until all sugar has been dissolved, let mixture cool, or add in cashew milk or additional water for quicker cooling.
3. Add in rest of ingredients and stir till smooth (Other recipes say to pour mixture through strainer, but we all know I'm too lazy to do that. I just poured into pie crust).
4. Bake for 25 minutes.

Banana Flower Salad

This was probably the most or one of the most labor intensive dishes I've ever made. The people who ate it were divided on if they liked it or not. Some did, some didn't care of it, so it might be an interesting dish for some culinarily adventurous people, but maybe not a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

• Banana Flower
• 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame or olive oil
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 handful of mint leaves

Instructions:

1. Clean and prepare the banana flower
1. Take off leaves (you can serve salad in leaves if you are feeling up to it - I was too lazy)
   

   
2. Shuck the flowers by taking off the outer leaves and stamen (this takes FOREVER)
   
3. Once you get to the middle part (when the outside leaves are pretty tender as well as the stamens, you can just chop up the middle part into small pieces and also throw in the lemon water mixture)
   
4. As soon as you shuck the flower, put into lemon water mixture to prevent oxidation (I used the juice of 2 lemons and then 2 cups of water) and soak for about an hour
2. Cut up one bunch of cilantro and the mint leaves
3. Mix one teaspoon of garlic hot sauce with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sesame or olive oil and wisk together
4. When it's time to serve, strain the banana flower from the soak.
5. Combine all ingredients and toss together.

Potato Gnocci

2 yellow potatoes
1 or 2 eggs
2 cups flour
pasta sauce
some oil for frying if you like

1. Speed cook the potatoes in the microwave
1. roughly cut peeled potato into chunks
2. add about 1/4 cup water to potato in microwave safe bowl
3. microwave for 7 minutes
4. mash potatoes
2. Add 1-2 eggs to potatoes and mix
3. Flour cutting board and place about 1/2 cup of potato mixture onto cutting board
4. Mix with flour on cutting board till you have proper consistancy
5. Smash to about 1/2 inch thick and cut into rough squares (or roll into long rolls and cut off 1/2 inch pieces)
6. Place into a pot of boiling water and remove when they float
7. You can either toss into pasta sauce right then or pan fry and toss with sauce.

Kale and Farro Salad

1 cup farro
2 cups packed torn Tuscan kale leaves (about 2 ounces)
1/4 red onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup packed mint leaves, thinly sliced, plus whole small leaves for serving
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta, preferably French

1. Cook farro
1. Cover farro with a few inches of water
2. Bring to boil and boil for 10-12 minutes
3. Strain farro and allow to cool
2. Put oil in pan and stir fry kale (I like more kale so I used about 4 cups of kale) until wilted
3. While kale is wilting, cut up onion and mint and place in bowl
4. Add lemon juice to bowl as well as olive oil, salt and pepper, and feta cheese
5. When kale is done, add to bowl as well as farro and toss.
6. Serve warm or cold.

Eggplant and tomato curry

INGREDIENTS

kosher salt and black pepper
1tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2teaspoons curry powder

DIRECTIONS

• Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, eggplant, curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until eggplant is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the vegetables from heat and stir in the basil if desired.
• Serve over rice.

Roasted Okra

•  18 fresh okra pods, sliced 1/3 inch thick 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Bertolli Olive Oil Extra Virgin 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste 
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, or to taste

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Arrange the okra slices in one layer on a foil lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Fuzzy Melon Stir Fry

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 shallot, chopped
1/3 cup ground pork
8 pinches salt
2 cups of fuzzy melon, peeled washed, and cut into bit sized chunks
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water

oil pan, turn on medium heat
stir fry garlic and shallots for 30 seconds
Add in ground pork and salt
stir fry and break up pork into pieces until cooked
reduce heat and add in melon, chili garlic, soy, and water
stir, and cover and cook for 18 minutes or until melon is tender

Mushrooms, Kale, and Potatoes

Serves 2-3

3 cups chunked potatoes

2 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

4-5 cups chopped exotic mushrooms (about 1 pound)

6 cups packed, coarsely chopped kale

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1.5 teaspoons chile paste

1. Put potatoes in saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Set aside

2. Put onion, garlic, and mushrooms in pan and fry over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 5-6 minutes until tender. Add kale and stir to combine. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Add cooked potatoes and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

3. Add soy and chile and cook or 3-5 more minutes until kale is tender and potatoes are somewhat browned. Serve warm.

This was delicious, and I didn't have a frying pan large enouh for all of the things, so I just mixed all the veggies after they were cooked in a large bowl and threw the sauce on top, mixing everything with the sauce in the bowl. Turned out great!!