mushroom stroganoff

I think I learned how to make this in 1st grade. My mom was obsessed with mushrooms like everyone in my family and this could be put together cheaply for a pile of people and fast

Slice 1 onion and 1 lb mushrooms....(if you eat meat you can braise 1/2 lb of meat here instead of half the mushrooms) any mushrooms will do but I usually use cremini here as they are cheaper than the wilder sorts and have more flavour than white button.
If you happen to have dried shitake on hand rehydrate a small handful. Cut them up and toss the water in too.
Sautee onion and mushrooms at medium heat with 1 tb butter and 1 tb olive oil until the onions become translucent and the mushrooms begin to give off fluid. If you have it add 6oz  of wine and 4 oz glass water, otherwise 10 oz of water will do just fine.Salt and pepper to taste. Do not lower the heat. Once the liquid is reduced by half turn off the heat. The add ins following will curdle if heated much. Add either 3/4 yogurt, 8oz sour cream or 8oz vegan sourcream. Stir and serve over brown rice or buttered (gf) broad noodles with something green or some sauerkraut.

aloo tamatar bhaji (potato tomato yummy stew) and cucumber raita (vegan)

heavy bottomed pot (I use a #10 sized cast iron skillet)
Cumin 3 tb whole and 1 tb ground
2-3 tb butter,olive oil, or ghee (olive oil seems to work better than many other plant oils)
1 onion
5 toes garlic
1 3 in piece of ginger
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
32 oz canned tomatoes
2-3 oz lemon juice
2-3 med potatoes (waxy type) washed and chopped into homefry sized cubey things (no need to peel)
1 jalapeno(2 serranos or 2 thai chiles) chopped & one half green pepper (or use more chiles but most kansans won't eat it)
salt to taste
1 bunch cilantro
water

Optional  (1 10 oz can drained chickpeas or equivalent cooked amount)

1.warm pan on med high heat, heat oil then add spices and onions, ginger and pepper but not the garlic as it will burn
2. when onions are translucent add garlic, stir fry another 1-2 minutes then dump  chickpeas & potatoes and coat in spices
4 next:  put all in crock poton medium high or bigger soup pot and dump in tomatoes
3. add 3 cups water for crock pot on high or 3-5 cups in soup pot. simmer until tomato sauce consistency 1-2 hr open on stove top or 8 hr in crockpot ..now salt to taste add lemon , more ginger,spices or oil for changes in consistency and flavour as desired (gets better with a little time too)
garnish with chopped cilantro
serve with rice and cucumber raita, and maybe some naan
--------------------------------------------
cucumber raita
-----------------------
add
1 clove garlic minced
2 tb fresh chopped onion
1/2 cucumber chopped
add one cup yogurt (or soy yogurt) or 1 cup vegan sourcream plus 2 tb lemon mixed well
mix in salt to taste
small pinch garam masala
1 tsp whole cumin
 mix and refrigerate for 1/2 hour minimum before serving so flavors blend

caraway lentil stew -recipe is easily halved or multiplied, freezes well (vegan)

2 cup/ 16 oz brown or green lentils

6 cup water or veg broth

2 cubes or 2tb vegan boullion -unnecessary when using veg broth (use no salt variety please as the salty flavour gets eaten by the starches if added during cooking and makes the sodium level sky rocket. They also make your lentils take forever to cook. )

1lb or more cooking greens , a large head of kale or 1/2 a small head of cabbage (or any other mild cooking green such as chard ,spinach,dandelion,mustard, mache, etc... or for a sour soup 1/2 cup good sauerkraut)

7 toes roasted garlic (mashed) or 4 of unroasted (minced)

2 sliced onions sliced in rings or one cleaned leek (use the greens too)and one onion

2 tb caraway
lemon juice, apple vinegar or white wine for brightening

4 veg sausages of your choice (completely optional- but holy grail sausage and eggplant sausage are neato in this one)

2 whole sliced carrots if desired

5 sliced mushrooms if desired

1-2 waxy type potatoes if desired

1- 2 tb olive oil

1. put broth or water in large pot (or crock pot) add boullion, (if using), lentils and caraway
2.wash your greens(even if they are pre washed)
3.bone your greens for kale or mustard .Make an ok sign with your dominant hand with the narrow end of poking through the hole. Pull firmly with non dominant hand and squeeze gently with dominant hand. This should neatly de-rib the really woody sections of kale, collards, or mustard . The ribs can now be chopped fine and used as you might use celery.
4. rip up de ribbed greens or slice cabbage. Throw in your soup pot pot.

5.take all other veg except carrots and potatoes and saute in olive oil until onions are transclucent, taking care not to let your garlic burn ( if roasted just add it to the soup during the simmer. cool with brightening liquid of choice, lemon, wine , vinegar (go very light and add more during the simmer if desired). add all veg including roots to soup pot.

5. once lentils begin to soften (about 45 minutes)reduce to simmer.
6. adjust seasoning like salt, brightener, pepper,caraway add sausages. keep warm until serving

for crock pot version just saute veg and prep all and add to crock pot on low for no less than 8 hrs. no need to pre boil. soup should be creamy and lumpy in texture . add sausages during last hour of cooking (as otherwise they fall apart). eat within 4 days or freeze it.

apple squash soup (can be crock potted)

1 butternut squash peeled and seeded
1-2 lg apples chopped (no need to peel)
2 ribs celery chopped
1 chopped onion
1 tb smoked salt if available
3 tb almond butter (you can skip this if you don't have it but it's much cheaper in bulk)
4 toes garlic chopped
8 cups water or stock
cinnamon
olive oil 1-2 tb
opt: sage, 12 oz white beans,1 cup dry lentils,bacon or analouge, red bell peppers
Saute all veggies except squash in olive oil. add to pot. pour in broth and everything else but the almond butter. Stir every 10-15 if on stovetop or more often if using bean or lentils as they stick. cook on crockpot low for 6-8 hours.  Mash up big pieces using bottom of ladle or immersion blend for creamier texture.When reaches desired squishiness remove from heat,add almond butter and stir. serve hot.