Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

2 1⁄2 cups water

2 cups raw cashews

2 juice of lemons

3⁄4 teaspoon paprika (not sweet)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (heaping)

1 teaspoon onion powder (heaping)

3 teaspoons salt

1 (7 ounce) can pimientos (including the liquid) Rotel, or roasted red peppers or salsa

1⁄2cup nutritional yeast (not brewers yeast!)

tumeric

Directions

1. Soak raw cashews for a few hours (this will help the sauce be more smooth and less

grainy from the nuts though the flavor is good either way).

2. Put 2 1/2 cups of water into a blender with all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

3. Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan and add the remaining water.

4. Heat the mixture in a saucepan for about 20 minutes.

5. Stir continually to prevent it from burning.

6. Add water to desired consistency (optional).

7. Use as a nacho cheese dip or as a replacement for cheese on other yummy foods!

Jen's notes- I find that 2/5 cups of water is sufficient. I also like to blend the cashews, water, and spices first, then pulse it with the ROTEL. Or instead of ROTEL, pour in some of your favorite salsa after you put it in the pan. This way, the sauce has a little texture. Stir continually with a spatula. It is wonderful and makes a lot. Well worth the effort.

Simple Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Cookie and Kate

Apple filling
2 ¼ pounds Granny Smith apples (about 5 large or 7 small), cored and sliced into ¼” thick wedges, skins on
⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
¼ cup water, or bourbon or brandy, or apple cider or apple juice (I like 2 tablespoons bourbon and 2 tablespoons water)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or 1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg


Oat, almond meal and pecan topping
1 cup old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free crisp)
½ cup firmly packed almond meal or almond flour
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional but recommended)
⅓ cup lightly packed coconut sugar or brown sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular)

Don’t forget vanilla ice cream or whipped coconut milk, for serving!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9” square baking dish. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey and water until combined. Add the lemon juice, starch, cinnamon and allspice, and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture over the apples and toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond meal, pecans, coconut sugar and salt. Mix in the melted butter and the yogurt. Stir until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture is moistened throughout.
4. Once the apples have baked for 20 minutes, give them a stir and redistribute them evenly in the baker. Dollop small spoonfuls of the oat mixture evenly over the filling (see photos, no need to pack it down). Return the baker to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 more minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is nice and golden.
5. Let the crisp rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream, I insist. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 5 days.

Pasta with Kale Pesto and butternut squash

NY Times Cooking

1 ½ pounds butternut squash

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more for squash

 Freshly ground black pepper

1 small bunch (about 1/2 pound) lacinato kale, center ribs removed

8 ounces pasta (penne rigate works well)

⅓ cup toasted pine nuts

2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

 Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

 Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

 Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a vegetable peeler to peel squash, then halve it lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Dice squash flesh into 1-inch pieces, place on a baking sheet, and toss with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread pieces into an even layer, making sure there is space between them. Roast, stirring squash pieces once or twice, until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; have ready a bowl of ice water. Drop kale into boiling water and cook for 45 seconds. Use tongs or slotted spoon to transfer kale to ice water. Bring water in pot back to a boil, adding more if necessary so there is enough to cook pasta.

Drain kale well, then wrap tightly in a dry kitchen towel and squeeze thoroughly to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop leaves. When water in pot comes back to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions.

In a food processor, pulse together kale, nuts, garlic, salt and lemon zest until mixture is smooth and salt has dissolved. With motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt dissolved in a little lemon juice, if necessary.
Drain pasta, reserving a little cooking water. Toss pasta with kale pesto and some pasta cooking water if necessary to help it coat pasta. Add cheese, lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve topped with squash and more cheese.

Oatmeal Cake

My friend Jen made this delicious oatmeal cake that was so moist and wonderful, I had to get the recipe.

Combine 1/5 cups boiling water and 1 c of oats. Let stand for 10 min

 Mix into the oatmeal-

1c sugar

1c brown sugar

1/2c butter

1 t baking soda 

1.5 t cinnamon

1 t baking powder

1/5 c flour

1.5 t vanilla

1.5 t salt

Bake at 350 for 20min

Frosting-

3/4c sugar

1 t vanilla

1/3c evaporated milk

3/4 c chopped walnuts or almonds (toasted)

1/2 c melted butter

3/4 c coconut 

Pour over hot cake, (roast for 1-2 min, in oven to toast coconut)

Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon

The Kitchn
Jen coon made this for my family after baby luke arrived. it was very tasty and I want to make it again.

• 2 teaspoons oil or ghee
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 t ginger powder or 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
• Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 dried hot red pepper, or pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed or lentils
• 1 pound baby spinach
• 1 (13 to 14-ounce) can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed

• For serving:
• Whole roasted sweet potatoes
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Toasted unsweetened coconut

Heat the oil or ghee in a large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh ginger, lemon zest, and red pepper, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes, or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.

Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful. When all the spinach has been added, add the coconut milk, lemon juice, ground ginger, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and cook until the chickpeas are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and lemon juice if needed. Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes, with cilantro leaves and toasted unsweetened coconut to garnish.

Recipe Notes

Serving: This is thick enough to eat on its own with a fork, but it's also saucy enough to serve over pasta, rice, quinoa, or another grain.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat gently over low heat on the stove.

Baingan Bharta, Roasted Eggplant Dish

Baingan Bharta (freeze extra for quicker dinners)
INGREDIENTS

2 pounds eggplant

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 fresh hot green chile like a jalapeño, or more to taste, thinly sliced (discard seeds for less heat)

1 pound fresh tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, thin stems included

2 teaspoons garam masala

PREPARATION

1.Prick the eggplant with a thin-blade knife. Grill over or next to very high heat, turning as necessary until the skin is blackened and the eggplant collapses. Or broil, or roast on a heated cast-iron pan in the hottest possible oven. It will take about 20 minutes.

2.When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel (this will be easy) and trim away the hard stem. Chop or mash in a bowl, with lime juice.

3.Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chiles and cook for another minute. Add the tomato, turmeric and salt. Cook until the tomato is soft, 5 minutes or so.

4.Stir in the eggplant purée and cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and garam masala and turn off the heat. Serve hot with warm chapati bread or pita, or over rice.

YIELD 4 servings

Whole Wheat Batter Bread and Cinnamon Rolls

Whole Wheat Batter Bread and Cinnamon Rolls- original recipe by Jen Coon, green highlights are amy's comments

4c whole wheat flour
2 envelopes rapid rise yeast (2 1/4t in one envelope) or 1T plus 2t yeast (I used more 2-3T) amy's additions
2 tsp salt
1 3/4c water and (1/4-1/2c powdered milk)
¼ cup honey
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4c flax
1/2 t cinnamon

Follow step 1 and let sit for 30-60min.  Add the flax/wheat bran and flour till it is a not sticky, compact ball. Let sit 30-60min.  then form into bread, rolls, or cinnamon rolls

Original Recipe

4 cups whole wheat flour
2 envelopes rapid rise yeast
2 tsp salt...
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup milk
¼ cup honey
3 Tbsp coconut oil
½ cup wheat bran or flax

Directions
1.  Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, and salt in a large bowl (or large food processor). Heat (on stove or microwave) water, milk, honey, and oil until very warm (120-130 degrees). Add the warm liquid to the flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.  Allow the mixture to sit for 30-60 minutes. This is called the sponge. It will get very big and bubbly.
2.  Add ½ cup flour and the wheat bran; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter.  At this point, you can do several things.
For Bread: I only add 1-2T of honey. Place dough in a greased 9”x5” loaf pan. Cover, let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; let cool on a wire rack.

For Cinnamon Rolls: Shape the dough into a compact ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Meanwhile, measure ¼ cup coconut oil, ½ cup honey, cinnamon and mix together. You may need to warm slightly to get the oil to melt into the honey, but then put it in the fridge so it gets a little more viscous. It needs to be spreadable but not runny.
Lift the dough out (without punching it down) and lay it onto a clean floured surface. Using your hands or a rolling pin, shape the dough into a large flat rectangle. Dough should be about 1/3rd inch thick.
Spread the honey butter mixture evenly over the rectangle. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Then add whatever things you like! Like raisins, walnuts, pecans, chopped chocolate, coconut, candied ginger or orange peel, dried fruits like cranberries, apricots, etc. Sometimes I soak the dry fruits in juice or milk before adding them, so they soften up. Get creative!
Roll the dough up into a log, trying to wind it up firmly. Cut log into even slices and place into an oiled casserole pan. (12-14 rolls) Leave even spacing between them for the dough to rise.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until they begin to fill the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden. Brush honey butter on top for a golden finish.

Pulau

From Jen Coon

Oil
mustard, cumin, anise seeds
chopped onion
garlic
ginger
almonds or cashews
1/2c corn, peas, and/or carrots
cadamom pods
curry leaves
turmeric
chili powder
garam masala
salt

This is delicious flavored rice. It works well in a pressure cooker if you have one, reduces the cooking time quite a bit. For this recipe, I’ll describe the amounts as if you were making three cups dry rice)

• Heat a small amount of oil in a large saucepan on med heat (5-6). Add a little bit of mustard seed, cumin seed, and one or two anise seeds. Fry until seeds begin to pop.
• Add one small finely chopped onion, several crushed cloves of garlic, and two tsp. fine...ly grated ginger.
• Add a small handful of whole nuts, almonds and/or cashews are best. Add around a half cup mixture of corn/peas/carrots.
• Add 2-3 cardamom pods (crush slightly), 2-3 curry leaves, ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chili powder or more, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 ½ tsp garam masala, 1 tsp salt.
• Rinse the rice and add it to the mixture. Stir until the rice is mixed in and hot.
• Add water. For regular cooking, double the amount of water for the amount of rice. In a pressure cooker you need slightly less water, maybe one and a half times.
• Cook as you would plain rice. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is soft. Remove from heat, let sit a few minutes, then stir. In a pressure cooker, once full pressure has been reached, it only needs 5-7 min.
• Taste, add salt as needed.
• To serve, garnish with chopped cilantro (fresh coriander).

Jen Coon's Version of Dressing for Asian Noodle Salad

Jen Coon's version FOR THE DRESSING for Asian Noodle Salad:
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• rice vinegar 2 tbsp
• 1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds with ½ cup water to soak
• 8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (liquid aminos)
• 2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
• 2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapenos, Chopped
• Chopped Cilantro
• three scallions

Panda Cake

This is the cake we made for Ev's second birthday party which was panda themed, and the cake was shaped as a panda face, hence the name, Panda cake. It is a chocolate cake with thick peanut butter frosting. The batter has zucchini and pumpkin in it, making it nice and moist. The flavors and texture develop after cooking then chilling in the fridge. Enjoy!
Panda Cake
Makes 2- 8”rounds
...

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup brown sugar (I have experimented with alternative sweeteners, such as dates and honey with good success here.)
1 1/3 cup pumpkin
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup almond milk
Frosting:
1 cup natural peanut butter
½ cup greek yogurt
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sweetener (agave)
honey for drizzling
(I skipped the yogurt and added a little more honey for sweetener. I blended the peanuts into butter then added vanilla and LIQUID honey. Solid honey and makes a terrible texture.)
Directions:
For the cakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place liners in the pans. Mix together the whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sifted cocoa powder. Set aside.
In a separate bowl mix the vanilla, brown sugar, pumpkin, zucchini, egg and almond milk.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined (the batter will be thick).
Fill each cake pan 2/3 of the way full. For round cakes, bake for 30 minutes, until springy when touched.
For cupcakes, bake at 375 for 17-20 minutes.Let cool completely before icing.
For the frosting:
Stir together the peanut butter, Greek yogurt, vanilla and Stevia. If you prefer a sweeter icing, add more sweetener to taste. Ice the cakes right before serving Drizzle honey over top. Due to the lack of fat in the recipe and the Greek yogurt in the icing, if not eaten immediately, the cakes should be kept in the refrigerator. (This cake actually tastes better cold, in my opinion)

Tangy Shredded Cabbage Salad

Tangy Shredded Cabbage Salad

Adapted from Ruta Kahate via SFGate.com, 6/8/07
Revisiting this in March 2013 minus the chile (3 year-old accommodation) we were reminded of how much we adore those toasted mustard seeds. When they pop, they smell and taste like popcorn. It’s incredible, and it was so lovely to have a salad component to an Indian meal.
Serves 4
2 cups tightly packed, shredded green cabbage (use the large holes of a grater)
1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more as needed
1/4 to 1/2 to 1 teaspoon table salt (adjusted from 1 tsp. as a few commenters found it too salty)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
Instructions: In a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, chile, lemon juice, salt and sugar. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You are looking for a well-balanced, sweet and sour taste.
Heat the oil in a small skillet or butter warmer over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds, covering the pan with a lid or splatter screen. When seeds top popping, immediately pour the oil over the cabbage salad and toss well. Let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to blossom.
Serve cold or at room temperature.

Goes well with Everyday Yellow Dal

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/06/and-then-i-moved-into-the-refrigerator/

1 cup yellow split peas, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
1 large tomato (about 8 ounces), cut into 8 wedges
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, finely ground
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (I used 1/4, thought it was plenty, although I may be a wuss.)
1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves (I abhor cilantro, and always replace it with flat-leaf parsley.)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions: Drain the dal (split peas) and place in a large saucepan. Add the tomato and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until peas are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pick out any tomato skins and whisk dal to emulsify it. Keep warm over very low heat.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the cumin seeds, covering the pan with a lid or splatter screen. After the seeds have stopped sputtering, add the onion and saute over medium heat. About 3 minutes later, add the garlic and saute until most of the onion has turned dark brown, about 5 minutes altogether. Add the coriander, turmeric and cayenne, stir and pour mixture over the dal. Add the cilantro, butter and salt to the dal and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.