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.

Strawberry balsamic dressing

Makes a bottle so I hope you have one clean.

put all ingredients

1 c frozen (or fresh) strawberries

1/2 tsp dried mint

4 or 5 grinds pepper

1 tb honey

1 cup water

pinch salt

1 clove minced garlic

1 tb olive oil

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

Put all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer a cover.

Stir occasionally until volume is reduced to 1 cup. Allow to cool before bottling as hot liquid makes glass break.Keep in the fridge. Should be a bit syrupy. Leave out the garlic and oil if using this as an icecream or custard topping.

horchata (vegan or dairy)

So I finally got around to making non powdered horchata...it's apparently pretty easy.

soak 1 cup rice (white or brown) and a cinnamon stick or 1 tsp cinnamon in 3 cups water.
Cover and leave it alone for 8-12 hours.
throw this in a blender and blend until the rice is powdered add 1/2 c sugar (or 1/4c crystallised stevia/splenda), 1 tsp real vanilla or almond and a few grates of nutmeg. add 3 more glasses of water or milk or almond milk or halvsies of both and blend again. It will be creamy and frothy with or without milk. strain through fine sieve or tea towel or old t shirt. squeeze the liquid through. chill. shake before serving as it will seperate. I add more nutmeg and cinnamon at serving time mmm.

• next I'm going to try starting with rice flour and see how that goes

ummm rice flour...not so good.

kale(and other)greens

This is possibly the simplest cooked format for greens I have. It works with kale, collards, chard, sorrel, mustard,spinach, broccoli and cauliflower leaves. Also, sweet potato leaves, so I hear) turnip but please mix turnip with something else because otherwise it gets unpleasant. Most of the time it's pretty close to free because it's february and the garden is still making kale. This stuff freezes well. It's tasty healthy and easy. It's good hot or cold. This means it's the one used most frequently on everything from bibimbap to serving it with BBQ Tofu and cornbread.

1 lb (usually 2 biggish heads) cooking greens (anything but cabbage). Rinse well
Rip leaves from veins using your hands and rip up smaller if very large Set these aside. Toss dry bits but save stalks. Chop the stalks.
Mince 4 cloves garlic
1/2 chopped onion (red or yellow but not white as we need the sweetness)

Heat 1 tb Oil (usually olive) in cast iron  The iron will change the flavour in a good way.  Add the onions and stalks from the greens and saute until the onions become translucent. Now add the garlic. If you added it earlier the flavour will be less strong and more bitter because the garlic probably burned.
Add the leaves now .
They should wilt and be about 1/3 smaller before you
Add 1 tb lemon juice ,
1/2  cup water

and either 1/2 TB bird chile powder or 1TB samabal oelek or 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1/2 TB ancho pepper powder.
1 TB soysauce or 1/4 tsp smoked salt
greens should turn vibrant and lightly chewy. If you like them less chewy or you picked older/ rougher greens (like collards or plantago for example) add an extra 1/2 c of water.
Stir occasionally until water evaporates. Serve.

Rummaging the fridge papaya salad

Optimally you will have most of the ingredients on hand...except the sprouts and green papaya. Dinner will be ready in less than 15 minutes because I'm tired from going to 8 million places for groceries as is my wont and the last stop was the Thai market over at Berwyn where they sell prepped green papaya shreds for under 2$ a lb. This isn't a proper papaya salad. I just like it anyway.

For the sauce:

2 tb tamarind paste or 4 tamarind pods (soak either in 2tb water and squish until the water is DARK Brown

1 tb honey

2 tb soysauce

2 tb samabal oelek or sri racha

1 green onion

2 tb dried shrimp if you like but totally not necessary

mix this and toss with the other stuff

You'll need

1 lb shredded and seeded green papaya

3 tb peanuts chopped or crushed

basil

cilantro

baked tofu chunks

another chopped green onion

And any of the above you like:

leftover mushroom steak bits

broccoli leaves

any leftover lettuces that haven't wilted

mung sprouts if you want

pieces of fresh tomato

leftover cooked green beans

rehydrated cellophane noodles if you like (put 2 pkg mung/ yam noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.drain and chill for later. Mix into salad after chilling.

Baked Custards (gf, cf options)

You will need

4-6 oven safe ramekins, cups or bowls 1-2 inches in depth

a deep baking dish that fits  the ramekins and can hold water to just below the rim of said vessels. I use a lasagna pan.

Put the cups down in the baking dish now to see if they fit.

To put water on to boil and preheat oven to 325F

Then mix these in a biggish bowl.

2 cups dairy or almond milk, cream, or half and half (the last time I made it with a mix of almond milk and cream.)
2 eggs (egg substitutes have not worked here for me)
1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg (alternately use a plane grater to cover surface lightly and that should be enough
1/4 c of plain,vanilla sugar, turbinado, or maple sugar (honey and maple syrup don't seem to work here)
a pinch of salt

Optionally, add any 2 or 3 of the following
1 tsp preferred extracts (vanilla, almond and lemon all work well)
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup jam, or fresh fruit (drain excess liquid)
2 tb cocoa powder
lemon or orange zest

Mix all ingredients until incorporated.

Ladle the batter into the ramekins/cups. carefully pour hot water water into the big dish so that the water stays below the rims. Transport this to the oven and try to make sure water doean't splash into your cups.
Bake (at 325 F) 35-50 minutes until it wobbles like jello and a fork or skewer comes out clean. You can serve this chilled or warm as it is good both ways.


If you need gf or cf options please make sure all ingredients are gf and cf.
this can be pre- prepared in bulk for events.

So what do you eat?: Baked Custards (gf, cf options)

So what do you eat?: Baked Custards (gf, cf options): You will need 4-6 oven safe ramekins, cups or bowls 1-2 inches in depth a deep baking dish that fits the ramekins and can hold water to...