tempeh lettuce wraps

romaine lettuce

1 package tempeh
1 medium carrot (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1 can water chestnuts (drained, chopped)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup rice vinegar (if you have it)

Saute carrot and garlic a few minutes, add ginger, chestnuts and crumbled tempeh.  Add water/soy sauce and cook ~15 mins.  Serve in lettuce

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