Horchata

Ingredients:

5 cups water, boiled
1/3 cup rice (long grain)
1 cup almonds, blanched
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup 2:1 simple sugar or honey, to taste
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, slightly whipped (optional)

Toast rice, almonds, and cinnamon stick in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 until light golden brown.

Place the rice mixture in a spice grinder or food processor until very fine. Place into a pitcher and stir in 3 cups boiling water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Pour the mixture into a blender and blend.

Spread a folded cheesecloth over a fine mesh sieve and place the sieve over the pitcher. Pour rice mixture through the sieve. Push down remaining liquid with a spoon.

Stir 2 cups cold water, sweeting agent, and vanilla into the rice.

To serve, pour ice into glass and fill glass with the horchata. Top with the whipping cream and sprinkle cinnamon.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups hot water
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon salt
butter, melted
brown sugar
cinnamon

Add water to yeast and sugar and set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat butter, sugar, and salt together until creamy. Alternately add the flour, egg, and yeast mixture and continue beating until well combined. Knead for about 2 minutes until smooth dough forms, adding more flour as needed. Cover and allow to rise, half an hour.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface into a rectangle. Spread evenly with melted butter, cinnamon and a generous amount of brown sugar. Roll up into one large roll, keeping the seam downwards.

Cut rolls using dental floss about 2 inches thick and place onto greased baking sheet. Let rolls rise in baking sheet for about half an hour.

Bake for 10 minutes at 425 and then 5 minutes at 350.

For frosting, combine 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and some vanilla bean paste. Frost rolls after they are cooled.

Persimmon Brownies

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 cups persimmon, pureed in a food processor
1 cup milk
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat sugar and butter until creamed. Add the persommon pulp and stir until incorporated.

Gradually add milk and eggs, alternately with the flour and remaining ingredients.

Bake at 350 for 44 minutes.

Barbecue Salad

Ingredients:

iceberg lettuce, chopped
romaine lettuce, chopped (optional)
black beans
corn
cilantro, finely chopped
red onion, thinly sliced
jicama, cut into matchsticks
tomatillo, chopped (optional)
ranch dressing (sour cream, dill, chives, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, parsley)
barbecue sauce
lime juice
cumin
fritos or tortilla chips, broken into small pieces
avocado, cut into cubes

Combine all vegetables and refrigerate. Toss with fritos, avocado, ranch, lime, cumin and barbecue sauce before serving.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (or 1 cup flour and 1 cup almond flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cup sugar
6 ounces greek yogurt
3 eggs
15 ounces pumpkin puree
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a bowl, beat together sugars with the yogurt. Add in eggs one at a time then the pumpkin, oil, and vanilla, beating until smooth.

Gradually add in flours, spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Bake in a loaf pan or bundt pan for 60 minutes at 325.

Okra Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seed (optional)
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
2 poblano peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups okra, sliced
1/2 cup coconut milk
salt, to taste
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Allow lentils to soak a few hours. Drain.

Saute onion and garlic in the oil. Add poblano pepper and all the spices and saute until fragrant.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, and lentils. Cover and allow lentils to cook for about 20 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and okra, cover, and cook for an additional 10 minutes until okra along with the lentils are tender. Season with salt.

Garnish with the cilantro. Serve over basmati rice or with naan.

Chipotle Carrot and Kamut Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup kamut
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
3 carrots, sliced
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 cup honey roasted sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro

Soak kamut in water overnight.

Cook the kamut until it is tender. Toss with the olive oil and allow to cool.

Toss the carrots with a pinch of salt, chipotle powder, and grapeseed oil. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, toss all the ingredients. Serve room temperature or chilled.