Fish & Peppers

Prepare the Ingredients

• Coconut oil
• Chopped peppers
• 2 minced shallots
• 3 3 inch pieces of lemon grass, bruised
• 1 tsp Na rog (chili & dried shrimp paste)
• 1 fat pinch of ground turmeric (not shown)
• 2 Fish filets
• 1 tsp Fish sauce
• Lime
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh Thai basil

Ooops...I neglected to take a photo of:

• Heat a little coconut oil
• Saute shallots, lemon grass, na rog until soft.
• Add turmeric and stir in

Cook Fish

• Add fish and fish sauce.
• Cook until done.
• Plate the fish & wipe out the pan
• Cook peppers on high heat to blister the skins, but still keep a little crunchy, and splash with fish sauce.

Serve

Serve the fish and peppers with the fresh herbs and a lime wedge. 1/8 lime was enough.

Vietnamese Pork Chop & Salad

• Rub pork chops with grilling paste and let sit for a couple hours.
• Grill chops.

Serve with:

• Pickled carrot & daikon
• Fresh Thai basil & cilantro
• Nuoc Cham

Lemongrass Chicken

Prepare the Ingredients

• Marinate 4 cut up chicken thighs in 1 TBL fish sauce and 1 TBL curry powder
• Mince 4 shallots
• Lemongrass: take one stalk, remove the outer leaves, slice into thing rings, pulse in a coffee grinder until fine...about 3 TBL.
• Mince 4 bird chilies
• Chop 1 sweet onion.
• Slice the greens of 2 onions.
• 4 TBL coconut milk

Stir Fry

• Cook the chicken in a little coconut oil, remove, and set aside.

• In a little more coconut oil, saute shallots until soft.
• Add lemongrass, bird chilies, and stir until fragrant.

• Add coconut milk
• Add chicken and sweet onion

• Stir fry until onions are tender but still crunchy.
• Salt to taste.
• Remove from heat and stir in the green onion.

Nom

Five Spice Chicken and Snow Peas

Prepare the chicken

• Cut 4 large chicken thighs into bite sized chunks.
• Mix thoroughly with 1 TBL of Chinese five spice powder and set aside.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients

• 8 oz snow peas, trimmed

• 6 shallots minced

• 1 inch chunk of ginger, grated and minced
• 4 bird chilies, minced

• 2 TBL Hoisin sauce
• 2 TBL soy sauce
• 1 TBL sesame seeds

Stir fry the chicken in a little coconut oil until cooked, remove, and set aside.

In a little more coconut oil, stir fry the shallots until they're soft, add the ginger and chilies and stir until fragrant. 

Add the Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and snow peas. Then stir fry until the peas are still crunchy.

Add the chicken and salt to taste, and stir for another minute.

Enjoy.

Thai Curry 1

Prepare the Ingredients

• Put 3 soup spoons of Thai red curry paste in a bowl and whisk in a little hot water to thin out the paste.
• Add a little salt or fish sauce.
• Marinate cubed, extra-firm tofu in the curry for about 30 minutes.
• The same procedure could be used with chicken, etc.

Fry & Sauté

• Fry the tofu in coconut oil until browned. 
• Remove and set aside.

• Add a little more coconut oil.
• Sauté minced shallots and garlic until soft.
• Add any remaining curry paste from bowl.
• Add lemon grass, galangal, ginger, chillies, and lime peel (or leaf).
• Stir for a minute.

Simmer

• Add the vegetable stock.
• Simmer covered for about 30 minutes.
• Remove and discard the lemon grass, galangal, ginger, and lime peel.

• Add coconut milk
• Add some fun vegetables. I used chopped gailan, tomato, and shitake mushrooms.
• Simmer uncovered stirring occasionally until vegetables are al dente. 
• Add tofu back in and heat through.
• Adjust with salt or fish sauce. I didn't need to add any as the stock was salty enough.

Nom Nom Nom

• Serve it alone or with steamed rice.

Cambodian Chicken Curry

This sounds kind of intense, but it has a delicate flavor.

First put this in food processor to chop up, but it won't puree it.

3 large lemongrass stalks, with the woody outer layer removed
4 fat garlic cloves, peeled
3 good sized shallots, peeled
1 large jalapeno pepper, de-stemmed and seeded

Next puree it in the blender with:

1 tsp dried galangal (or ginger) powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 can coconut milk

Then take 1 lb chicken thighs chopped into chunks and sear in hot coconut oil. Add curry puree and cook unlit the rawness of the shallots and garlic lowers. Add:

1  1/2 cans coconut milk
5 kaffir lime leaves (same concept as bay leaves, so don't eat them)
2 tbl fish sauce or shrimp paste

Bring to boil, then simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Salt to taste. Serve with steamed rice or baguette; Cambodia was a French colony.

Tempeh Tarragon

Prepare rice and cool completely. Alternately, you can cook them separately as wild rice can have a longer cooking time.

1/2 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup wild rice
2 cups water
salt

To bake tempeh: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut tempeh into cubes. Mix together oil, vinegar, tamari, honey, mustard, tarragon and garlic. Add tempeh. Toss to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes toss and bake for another 15 minutes, or until browned and crispy on edges. Let cool.

3 pounds tempeh
3/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup tamari (quality soy sauce)
4 tablespoons honey
3 1/3 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon tarragon
3 1/3 teaspoons minced garlic

To assemble: Chop cabbage, celery, scallions, parsley, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Add rice and tempeh cubes. Toss everything together.

1 pound green cabbage, chopped ( I used a 1 pound bag of shredded cabbage)
1/4 bunch celery, chopped fine dice
1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1 3/4 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon

Chicken Marsala

Once again in the cast iron Dutch oven...

1 lb of chicken breasts cut lengthwise in halves, thirds, and or pounded and dredged in

flour. Brown well in

vegetable oil, and set aside when done.

If the crust in the pan is burnt, wipe out with a paper towel or else leave.

Add a little more oil and

1/2 lb sliced mushrooms and cook until mostly done. Add

2 TBL butter and melt. Then add

4 minced cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned.

Add

1/2 cup chicken broth,

1/2 Marsala, and return the chicken to the pan.

Cook until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced a little bit.

I ate the whole thing in one sitting, so I'll make a double batch the next time.

Steak Pizzaiola

In the cast iron Dutch oven add:
2 Tbl olive oil and
4 cloves minced garlic

When garlic is fragrant (don't brown) add:
1 can diced tomatoes,
1 can stewed tomatoes,
Black pepper to taste,
Red pepper flakes to taste.
Mash up tomatoes, and bring to a simmer.

In a frying pan add:
Cooking oil (olive oil will burn) and bring to medium high heat and add:
1 1/2 lbs cube steak (yes Im going for cheap), cut in about 6 pieces, and lightly dredged in flour.
Brown well on both sides.

Set aside meat on paper towels.
Simmer sauce until reduced a little.
Add salt to taste,
Italian seasoning, and
Meat and simmer until it is cooked through.
Serve topped with a generous amount of fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

PS...don't forget to add Marie Barone's special ingredient...the love.

Steak Pizzaiola

In the cast iron Dutch oven add:
2 Tbl olive oil and
4 cloves minced garlic

When garlic is fragrant (don't brown) add:
1 can diced tomatoes,
1 can stewed tomatoes,
Black pepper to taste,
Red pepper flakes to taste.
Mash up tomatoes, and bring to a simmer.

In a frying pan add:
Cooking oil (olive oil will burn) and bring to medium high heat and add:
1 1/2 lbs round steak or cube steak, cut in about 6 pieces, and lightly dredged in flour.
Brown well on both sides.

Set aside meat on paper towels.
Simmer sauce until reduced a little.
Add salt to taste,
Italian seasoning, and
Meat and simmer until it is cooked through.
Serve topped with a generous amount of fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

PS...don't forget to add Marie Barone's special ingredient...the love.

Sauerkraut

People who heat up sauerkraut straight from the can and think they can serve it that way are vile and corrupt. At bare minimum you should do the following. Some people even get all zany and add diced apple to the onion stage.

2 cans of sauerkraut, drain in a colander.

In a large skillet add:

Some oil (or bacon fat) and sauté
1 medium onion, diced, until see through but not burned so you might want to use medium-low heat. Add
1/2 tsp caraway seeds.

Then add:
Sauerkraut,
An itty bit (no I don't use metric) of water, and
Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauerkraut is tender and tasty. Add tiny amounts of water only as needed to keep the whole business from burning.

You can serve this sauerkraut with your favorite German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, or Hungarian meal. Often I like to eat it straight out of the skillet with a fork.

Goulash...

...the Hungarian kind.

In your favorite cast iron cauldron add:

A little oil and
4 medium onions, diced.

Cook this over low heat until the onions are totally cooked, see through, but not browned, and add:

5 cloves of garlic, mashed.

Stir into onions for about 30 seconds and then transfer onion and garlic to a bowl. Then turn up the heat to medium-high, and to the cauldron add:

Some more oil and
2 lbs of cut up stewing beef that has been coated with
3 TBL flour.

Brown the beef.

Then add the onions and enough water to just barely cover the beef, stir, turn the heat down to low. Simmer covered and stirring occasionally, until it is tender. The result shouldn't be dry or soupy, but stew-like. Then turn off the heat and stir in:

1/4 cup ground paprika. Yes, that's cup not tsp. If you want to go all out, find sweet Hungarian paprika.
Salt to taste: it may require a bit.

If you need carbs, you could serve with noodles, Spätzle, dumplings, or caraway rye rolls and butter. Sauerkraut, red cabbage, or beets would be good on the side too.

Élvez! Which means enjoy in Hungarian.

PS: if you don't use a cast iron cauldron (and it has to be your favorite one), I cannot be responsible for the the heat temperatures or when to turn the heat off, etc. Oh, and I did NOT forget to list tomatoes, celery, corn, or any other such abomination. This is Hungarian goulash, not yo mama's.

Succotash...

...the quintessential American dish

Fry up
9 slices bacon, drain, dry, chop, and set aside.

Saute in
1 Tbl vegetable oil
1 c onion diced,
1 c red bell pepper diced, and
2 c corn (fresh/frozen) until onions become more translucent.

Add
2 c delicata squash peeled, seeded, and large diced,
2 c lima beans (canned) drained,
the bacon,
a splash of broth,
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning, and
simmer until squash is just tender and the broth has evaporated.

Add
a splash of cream,
salt,
black pepper to taste, and
incorporate and simmer a minute more.

Barley & Vegetable Soup

Sautee 1 Tbl chopped garlic in
1 Tbl olive oil.

Add 8 c water,
3 vegetarian stock cubes,
3 bay leaves,
3 small dried red chiles,
1 medium zucchini diced,
1 large orange beet cut in thick juliennes,
1 can diced, seasoned tomatoes, and
simmer covered for 45 - 60 minutes.

(or use whatever vegetables and legumes are on hand)

Add 1/2 c barley,
1 can prepared lentils (drained and rinsed),
1 can lima beans (drained and rinsed),
season to taste,
and simmer 30 - 45 minutes.

Mango Salsa

1 large ripe mango diced
1 or 2 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
the juice of 1 phat juicy lime
1 or 2 minced cloves of garlic
chopped fresh cilantro
salt

1 diced ripe avocado is a good add too

This sandwich is the bomb!

• Slice open a fresh focaccia (like the mini focaccias at the Wedge) to make a sandwich.
• Smear bottom piece of focaccia with fresh guacamole.
• Add a layer of thinly sliced cheese. ( I used smoked provolone.)
• Add a layer of thinly sliced sweet bell pepper.
• Add a layer of romaine lettuce.
• Add a layer of thinly sliced cucumber.
• Shake some vinaigrette (I used Briannna's Home Style French Vinaigrette NOT cheap Italian) over.
• Add top piece of focaccia.
• Slice in to serving pieces.

I suppose other vegetables like sprouts could be added, but raw tomatoes are dirty and vile.

Guacamole

I’m a purist and don’t like extra things in my guac.

Mash 2 ripe avocados.
Add the juice of 1 juicy lime.
1 fat clove of garlic mashed
Salt to taste. ( I actually use Goya Adobo seasoned salt.)
Stir very well.

Theresa's Salsa

Put the following in a blender:

8 oz can tomato sauce
1 seeded and diced jalapeno
3 oz can green chiles, drained
1/2 medium onion diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 garlic salt
Blend
Add 15 oz can stewed tomatoes

Pulse, but leave a little chunky.

Sour Cream & Dill Potato Salad

1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
3 tbsp. vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. fresh, snipped dill
4 c. sliced cooked new potatoes
1 c. thinly sliced celery
3/4 c. finely chopped onion
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper and dill weed; mix well. In a mixing bowl, combine potatoes, celery, onions and eggs. Add sour cream mixture and toss lightly. Chill several hours to blend flavors. Makes about 5 cups

Nuoc Nam

This is that wonderful sauce for Vietnamese egg rolls and salads.

1 1/2 Tbl sugar dissolved in
1/4 c hot water
3 Tbl fish sauce (nam pla)
juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic minced
crushed red pepper to taste

Broccoli Soba

• Peel the trunks of 4 broccoli (use the heads for something else) and julienne them longwise and steam for 5 minutes. Add
• 1 julienned carrot to the broccoli and
• 1 package of soba (Japanese buckwheat pasta) to the unsalted boiling water. Continue till all is done.
Meanwhile make a sauce of:
• 4 minced cloves of garlic sautéed in
• 1 Tbl of olive oil. Add
• ¼ cup tahini (sesame butter)
• ¼ cup of water
• ¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley
• 2 tsp ground oregano
• Sea salt & black pepper to taste
Simmer for a couple of minutes. If sauce gets too thick add more water or too thin more tahini. Toss soba, vegetables, and sauce together.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Kind of a Mediterranean, North African, Provence style of tuna salad. Use it for sandwiches, or it it is quite good on not so Mediterranean rye crisp or in a lettuce cup.

2 cans albacore tuna drained
3 hard-boiled eggs finely chopped
1 small red onion finely minced
1/4 c finely chopped Provence (or simply black) olives.
2 Tbl chopped capers
1 c finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Cucumber Apple Relish

1 medium cucumber skinned, seeded, and diced small
1 small apple skinned, seeded, and diced small
½ small onion diced small
1 large clove of garlic minced and mashed
Cilantro fresh chopped
Pinch of galanga powder
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of allspice
Mini pinch of red pepper
Salt
Juice of 1 lime
Splash of water
Stir and refrigerate before use.

Lentil and Pea Soup

1 small onion diced and
4 cloves of garlic minced sautéed in a little
Oil. When sautéed, add
2 tsp curry powder,
1 tsp ground cumin, and
1 tsp ground ginger and continue for 1 more minute. Add
6 cups of hot water,
¼ cup dried lentils,
¼ cup dried split peas,
1 medium potato shredded,
1 large carrot shredded,
3 bay leaves, and
2 veggie stock cubes. Simmer for 1 ½ hours then add
Handful of spinach fresh chopped. Simmer for another 30 minutes and
Salt to taste.

Laab Nuea (Ground Beef Salad)

1 lb Ground beef (I use finely chopped flank steak instead)
1/4 cup Limejuice
2 Tbl Fish sauce (nam pla)
1/2 tsp Galangal powder (kha pon)
6 Shallots or garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbl Green onion, chopped
2 Tbl Cilantro leaves, fresh and chopped
1 tsp Thai red chili pepper, ground (prik khee no pon)
15 Mint leaves

Combine the beef with the limejuice, fish sauce, galangal powder and shallots. Heat a skillet and cook the beef mixture on medium-high heat until the beef is cooked and the liquid is cooked off.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the chopped green onion and cilantro. Mix thoroughly so that everything is well combined. Remove to a serving plate, spoon the ground pepper on the side of the plate if desired, and garnish with the mint leaves.

Serve with an accompaniment of raw vegetables, such as long string beans or snake beans, sliced cabbage, green leaf lettuce/Chinese lettuce, basil leaves, and swamp cabbage or spinach. (I serve it rolled up in cabbage leaves with sticky rice, or as a cold salad with ramen or cellophane noodles.)

Iced Tea

6 tea bags (Lipton, generic orange pekoe, etc)
1/3 c raw sugar
4 c hot water
stir, steep 15 minutes, discard tea bags
juice of 1 large lemon
4 c cold water
refrigerate

Hot Artichoke & Spinach Dip

1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup evaporated milk
8 oz Velveeta
2 c shredded Swiss cheese

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
1 diced red bell pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, cover, cook on low setting for 3 hours, stirring occasionally until melted.

So I basically pulled this one off out of thin air. Next time I might try cream of celery soup (instead of the mushroom). I don't know if I liked the Velveeta; sure it melts easily, but it has a fake taste. Maybe muenster or brie might be good. Also the Swiss isn't set in stone, cheddar, mozzarella, or provolone would all be good.

More or different veggies would be good too, like slivered water chestnuts, chopped olives, green onion, etc.

Gumbo...

...oooh weee, start with a big pot

• In 2 Tbl vegetable oil, sauté the “trinity”, which is
• 1½ cups diced onion,
• 1½ cups diced green bell pepper, and
• 1½ cups diced celery, and then also add
• 1 cup of fresh sliced baby okra. Cover so the steam helps cooking and prevents burning. Stir occasionally until vegetables are soft.

Meanwhile make your roux in a frying pan

• ½ cup melted butter and
• ¾ cup flour

Stir constantly over medium heat and cook until the roux is as brown as you can get it without burning it. The darker the better, but if it burns, you have to start over. When all is done, incorporate the roux into the pot of vegetables. Add

• 12 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 regular sized can of diced tomatoes without most of the liquid
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp ground oregano
• Black pepper to taste
• Sweet & hot red pepper flakes to taste…gumbo should have some heat. Simmer until things come together…maybe 20-30 minutes. Then add
• ¾ - 1 cup uncooked rice and final ingredients listed below and simmer another 20-30 minutes.

Here’s where you can get more creative. For a vegetarian gumbo you can add

• Fresh chopped greens…this is called gumbo vert and is big during Lent
• Cooked black-eyed peas or similar beans

Other options include

• Shrimp
• Crawdads
• Oysters
• Clams
• Scallops
• Crab
• Chicken
• Sausage…like Andouille, Boudin, or Chaurice

I made mine with

• 3 cans of clams without most of the liquid
• 1 lb of lump and whole crab leg meat

Green Bean Salad

one bunch fresh green beans, trimmed, halved, and lightly steamed
1/2 bunch fresh italian parsley, chopped
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 small red onion finely minced
1.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes soaked in the hot water from the steaming for 5 minutes then finely chopped

dress with:
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
garlic salt

Dirty Rice

Brown ¾ - 1 lb of ground pork. Crumble it up good. Add
½ cup of diced onion,
½ cup diced celery, and
½ cup diced green pepper. Continue until soft and drain. Then add
2 ¼ cups hot water,
1 vegetable bullion cube,
1 can of tiny shrimp (drained),
2 Tbl butter, and
5 – 6 tsp Cajun Spice Blend*. Stir well then add
1 cup long-grained rice. Simmer covered on low until done.

Cajun Spice Blend

Of course, this can vary, but make up a bunch and keep it on hand. Pulverize it all in a spice/coffee grinder. Also if you use commercial blends, be aware that they contain much salt.

2 Tbl onion powder
2 Tbl garlic powder
2 Tbl dried oregano
2 Tbl sweet paprika
1 Tbl black pepper
1 Tbl red pepper
1 Tbl celery seed

Curried Lamb with Apples and Raisins

2 small onions chopped and softened in
½ stick of butter, then add
1 lb lamb chunks and continue until browned. Add
4 tsp curry powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp paprika and continue for another minute. Add
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup of water
1 large apple skinned and diced
½ cup of raisins
1 packet of Sazon Goya con Azafran
1 tsp salt or more to taste
Simmer and stir occasionally for an hour.
Serve with Indian style potatoes or rice.

Cauliflower

Part 1
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (veg-all, peas & carrots, etc) thawed
1 head cauliflower chopped small and steamed until ½ to ¾ done
Combine both and set a side to drain well

Part 2
In a large pan with a few Tbl peanut oil add
4 cloves of garlic minced,
2 Tbl ginger paste,
1 tsp cumin seeds and stir a minute.
Add vegetables and cook well.
Add 2 tsp ground coriander,
2 tsp Garam Masala and
Salt & pepper to taste.

Spiced Potatoes (Tarkari)

This is good hot or cold

• 6 medium peeled potatoes boiled. Refrigerate then dice 3/4 - 1 inch.
• 4 Tbl oil over medium heat. Add
• 3/4 cups onion finely minced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds. When onion is quite soft, add
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt and stir. Add the
• The potatoes and incorporate, then toss with
• 2-3 Tbl fresh lemon juice and
• 1/3 cups chopped fresh cilantro

Lentils with Tomato & Spinach

1/3 cups lentils boiled in 4 cups of salted water until tender but not mushy. Drain.

3 Tbl oil over medium heat, add
3/4 cups onion finely minced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 small whole dried red chiles
4 bay leaves. When onion is quite soft, add
2-3 Tbl fresh lime juice
The lentils
1 cup diced tomato (I used canned salt added without the liquid)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
Salt to taste, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Cabbage & Peas

4 Tbl oil over medium heat. Add
1/2 tsp mustard seed. Once mustard starts to pop, add
1 medium cabbage chopped
1 cup thawed peas (a few raisins and/or peanuts are good too)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt and red pepper to taste.
Stir-fry until cabbage is tender-crunchy and slightly browned.

Broccoli & Tofu Salad

2 heads of broccoli, chopped, and blanched
6 oz firm (nigiri) tofu, cut into 24 pieces, fried, and then each cut in half
1/3 bunch fresh Thai basil, chopped
5 green onions chopped

dress with:
sesame oil
mirin
tamari shoyu
rice vinegar

Broccoli Salad

2 cups blanched fresh broccoli florets,
1/4 cup slivered almonds,
1 Tbl sesame seeds,
2 chopped green onions
salt & pepper to taste

Dressing

2 Tbl sesame oil
2 Tbl mirin
2 tsp tamari
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Super Borsht...

...'cuz sometimes you have way too many beets.

Cut up 1 lb boneless pork ribs into chunks and brown in
1 tbl bacon fat with
1 medium chopped onion.

Add 6 cups hot water,
3 vegetable bullion cubes,
3 bay leaves, and
1 can sauerkraut.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Then in a separate pan bring 5 beets to boil and and reduce to a simmer. Simmer soup and beets for 45-60 minutes. The beets should be cooked through but still firm.

Remove pork from soup, pull it apart, and return to soup. Drain, peel, coarsely grate beets, and add to soup. Add more hot water to adjust "brothiness" and salt and pepper to taste. Return to boil then serve.

Serve with rye bread and butter and with or without a dollop of sour cream in the bowl...I prefer without.

Beets!

• Take 3 bunches of baby beets, washed well with greens.
• Cut off the greens, and place the beet roots in a roasting pan,
• Toss with olive oil and
• Add rosemary sprigs.
• Roast at 375 for about 30 minutes.
• Remove skin while warm, and cut in half.
• Meanwhile sauté the greens
• In olive oil and
• Add a splash of balsamic vinegar.
• Season with salt and pepper and
• Place on plate, top the greens with roasted beet root.

Marinated Mushrooms

Small button mushrooms
Fresh lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt
Minced garlic
Herbs

Trim away the mushroom stems flush with the cap. Add equal parts fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt minced garlic & herbs to taste. Marinate caps for 1 day in the refrigerator.

Vegan Lasagna

Layer the following...

marinara sauce

brown rice or whole wheat lasagna noodles boiled al dente and patted dry

"cheese filling"
2 Tbl cloves chopped garlic sauteed in
2 Tbl olive oil tossed with
10 oz package shredded super firm (nigiri) tofu
2 Tbl oregano
1 Tbl nutritional yeast (could be optional, but it adds a cheesy flavor)
salt & pepper to taste

1 large zucchini sliced long, wide, thin, seasoned

3 portabella mushrooms sliced, brushed/sprayed with olive oil, seasoned, and roasted

1 large carrot cut into matchsticks

...in this order...

1 marinara
2 pasta
3 "cheese"
4 zucchini
5 marinara
6 mushrooms
7 pasta
8 "cheese"
9 carrots
10 marinara
11 vegan parmesan & seasoning

Cover with foil, bake at 350 for 60 minutes, let rest 15 minutes, serves 4