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