quinoa with chickpeas and tomatoes

1 cup quinoa

1.75 cups water

1 cup chickpeas

1 tomato (chopped)

1 clove garlic (minced)

3 tbsp lime juice

olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt/pepper to taste

Combine quinoa and water and cook ~15-20 mins until water is absorbed.  Then stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, lime juice and olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper.  Heat and serve.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

mugaddara (beans and rice and onions)

3/4 cup lentils (I used Fench lentils, aka Puy)
1 tsp salt, divided
1 cup rice
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions or 3 medium onions

1 single serving size greek yogurt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp corriander
1/4 tsp cayanne
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp salt

Slice onions very thin and cook in the butter and 2 tbsp of the olive oil over med heat.  Once softened (~5 mins) turn up to med-high heat and cook 10-12 mins.  Add remaining tbsp of oil and turn up to high, cook another 5ish minutes until bottom onions are a little crispy.

Cook lentils with 1/2 tsp salt in 4 cups water, ~20 mins.  Drain

Cook rice with 1/2 tsp salt in 1.5 cups water ~15 mins, let sit 5 mins after they are done cooking.  Combine rice and lentils in one large pot, add onions when onions are done cooking.  Let sit ~15 mins to let flavors meld.

Mix together all yogurt and spices and serve with mixture.

Adapted from food52.com

corn chowder

6 ears corn
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
~1 tsp thyme
~1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp salt
black pepper
1 tsp dried chives
1 lb white skinned potato (diced)

Saute onion and garlic ~10 mins (let cook while preparing corn).  Remove corn from the 6 ears, add to soup onion mixture along with corn cobs and spices.  Add enough water to just cover corn cobs and simmer ~30 mins (until potato is cooked through).  Blend to desired consistency with emersion blender.

adapted from rachel ray

banana oatmeal muffins

1.5 cups flour
1 cup oats (I used quick cooking)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
4 bananas (mashed)
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine butter, milk, eggs and mashed bananas, mix throughly.  Add sugars, mix well again.  Add dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt), mix until just throughly wet.  Stir in chocolate chips and pour into muffin tins (this filled 15 muffins), bake at 350 ~20-25 mins

Indian eggplant-bhurtha

1 large eggplant
1 medium onion
1 med-large tomato
1 large clove garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp freshly grated)
1 tsp cumin (can sub 1/2 cumin seed and 1/2 tsp ground cumin-add seed before onion and let toast a few minutes)
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper


Eggplant:

Coat eggplant with a little oil.  Roast eggplant whole at 425 for ~45 mins until soft (skin will char and be VERY easy to remove, fork will pierce through flesh very easily).  Remove skin and dice eggplant.   Set aside (or, time it so it the onion mixture has been cooking ~10-15 mins when eggplant is done/diced and add directly to onion mixture).  

Onion mixture:
Saute diced onion (dice it fairly small) in ~1 tbsp olive oil with cumin and ginger ~ 5mins until soft.  Add remaining spices, and the tomato (diced).  Cook ~5-10 mins until tomato softens.  Add eggplant and simmer ~10-15 mins.  Serve with quinoa, or, rice, or, bread.

adapted from allrecipes.com

ginger and black pepper simple syrup

1 large ginger root (peel, thinly sliced it was ~1/4-1/3 cup)
1.25-1.5 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp black pepper

Bring ginger, water, sugar and pepper to a simmer, simmer ~30-40 mins (add extra water if it boils too much off, you should end up with about 1 cup after straining).  Let cool, strain and store.  Mix in a 1:2 ratio with alcohol

mint simple syrup

1 large bunch mint, leaves rinsed and chopped (I used the entire bunch I got at the market)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Bring water, sugar and mint to a simmer over medium heat.  Stir until sugar dissolves, simmer ~1-2 mins.  Let steep/cool for 30-60 mins, strain and store.

Drink:
Mixed in a 1:2 ratio of syrup to whiskey/rum

tempeh crumble over pasta

1/2 lb rigatoni pasta

1 package tempeh
1 large carrot (shredded with a cheese shredder)
1/3 of a large onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
soy or tamari sauce (~1/4 cup)
olive oil

In a large saute pan, place soy sauce and 1/4 cup water.  Add 1 tbsp oil, add tempeh (crumble through fingers).  Place lid on pan and steam/cook tempeh, crumbling and stirring, ~5 mins (tempeh will adsorb a lot of the liquid, add more water as needed).  WHen water evaporates add onion/garlic, sauté until soft.  Add shredded carrot and spinach and more liquid (taste-add soy/tamari or water, don't add too much soy/tamari).  When pasta has cooked through, drain and combine.  Mix well, taste and add more soy/tamari if needed.  Let sit 5 mins and serve.

adapted from http://www.theppk.com/2011/10/tempeh-orzilla/

no bake oatmeal cookies

~15 dates
~3/4-2/3 cup oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
~1/4 cup golden raisins

Remove pits from dates.  Puree dates with 1/2 cup oats and cinnamon.  Add/puree more oats until mixture is able to hold together, yet is not too sticky.  Mix in raisins and form into little squares/balls

Adaptes from Ani Phyo

potato salad-no mayo!

1 lb potato (diced, boiled until cooked through, cooled to room temp)
1 avocado
1 lime
~1/2 of a medium cucumber (diced)
1 small tomato (diced)
jalepeno to taste
salt to taste

Puree avocado, jalepeno and lime juice in a food processor until completely smooth.  Add salt to taste (~1/2 to 1 tsp).  Mix with the potato, cucumber and tomato.  Serve/eat within a few hours (before the avocado browns)

adapted from theppk.com

orange juice jello

1 cup cold orange juice
3 cups hot orange juice (heat to boil)
4 unflavored gelatin pouches
optional sugar to taste
optional frozen fruit (1 bag)

Sprinkle gelatin over 1 cup cold juice and set aside.  Bring 3 cups juice to a boil, then add in gelatin/cold juice.  Stir to completely dissolve.  Let cool 20-30 mins at room temperature, add in any additional fruit and then pour into desired containers.

I later pressed the jello through a potato ricer to improve the texture.

eggs cooked in tomatoes

olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2.5 cups diced tomato (I used canned, would have been better with fresh)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
cayenne to taste
4 eggs

Saute onion until translucent, add garlic and cook another ~30 sec.  Add tomato, cumin, paprika, salt and cayenne and cook until fairly thick and juice is boiled off (~10 mins uncovered), make 4 divets in the tomato and crack an egg in each one.  Cover and cook until firm.

adapted from all recipes.com

Quinoa and black bean salad

1 tsp oil
1/2 med onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup quinoa
1.5 cups water
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayanne pepper
salt/pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1.5 cups black beans (or 1 can, drained)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Saute onion in oil, add garlic and sauté another 30 sec.  Add quinoa, water, cumin and cayenne.  Bring to a boil and simmer until done ~20 mins.  Stir in corn and black beans, heat through, mix in cilantro.

Adapted from all recipes.com

cranberry rum

1 cup rum

1.5 cups frozen cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

Combine rum and sugar and mix well. Puree cranberries in food processor, mix with rum and sugar. Let sit for 2 weeks, mixing everyday. Strain and drink.

lamb orzo spinach mediterranean salad

1 lb ground lamb

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tbsp ground coriander

4 cups fresh spinach (chopped)

2 tomatoes (seeded and chopped)

1/2 lemon (juice and zest)

1 tbsp chopped mint

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 cup crumbled feta

Mix together spinach, tomato, mint, green onions and feta. Cook pasta, drain and mix with spinach mixture. Cook lamb with garlic and salt, mix with spinach mixture. Toss with lemon juice/zest and feta

adapted from all recipes.com

mac and cheese-easy!

8 oz egg noodles

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

1.5 cups cheddar cheese (a good tasty brand, or else the end dish will be bland)

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 tbsp butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 350. Bring water to boil, meanwhile mix/shred above ingredients EXCEPT 3/4 cup cheddar cheese. Cook egg noodles until al dente (3ish mins), drain and add to mixture. Pour into 8x8 inch pan, top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake 25 mins. Remove foil and bake 10 mins.

adapted from all recipes.com