Black Sesame Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons more
1/4 cup black sesame powder
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup milk


Beat butter with salt and sugar. Add sesame powder, eggs, vanilla, and baking powder. Alternately add flour and milk.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

For matcha glaze, combine 1 teaspoon matcha, 1 teaspoon hot water, and enough confectioners sugar until desired consistency is reached

For matcha cream cheese frosting, combine 1/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup cream cheese, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 4 ounces cream cheese, and 1/2 tablespoon matcha.

Chili Cashew Tofu Noodles

Ingredients:

8 ounces rice noodles
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 block firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
4 red chili peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 cup bamboo shoots (optional)
1 cup whole roasted cashews
hot pepper sauce, to taste
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
4 green onions, chopped, divided white and green parts
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Soak noodles in hot water for half an hour (not all the way through).

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and lime juice.

Heat coconut oil and add tofu. Fry the tofu in the oil and add garlic, chili peppers, red bell pepper, and white parts of the green onion. Cook for about 5 minutes then add cashews. Stir in rice noodles and bamboo shoots. Fold in sauce, hot pepper sauce, and remaining green onion. Cook until noodles are al dente. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil and cilantro.

Garnish with more cilantro and serve with a wedge of lime.

Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

1 head of romaine lettuce
1-1/2 cup black beans
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved and quartered pieces
1-1/2 cup corn
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 large avocado, sliced (optional)

1-1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup lime juice
1 large clove of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 jalapeno, seeded (optional)

Combine all vegetables except for avocado in a bowl.

Combine dressing ingredients in food processor and pulse until pureed. Add water to thin, as desired.

Serve salad with dressing drizzled on top and sliced avocados to garnish.

Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
red pepper
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch squares
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup couscous or moghrabieh
salt
1 zucchini, quartered
1/2 cup basil, chopped
2 teaspoons orange zest

Saute onion in olive oil. Add cumin, salt and pepper and stir until aromatic.

Add butternut squash and tomato paste. When heated, add vegetable stock and mograbieh (if using) and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and couscous (if using) and season with salt. Cook 5 more minutes or until squash is tender.

Remove from heat and stir in basil and orange zest.

Lemon Garlic Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
12 cups swiss chard, chopped
2 tablespoons water
lemon juice
lemon zest
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese, grated

Saute garlic in olive oil and add swiss chard and water. When swiss chard is wilted add lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Roasted Cauliflower Pasta

Ingredients:

6 ounces angel hair pasta
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
salt
pepper
nutmeg
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
fresh basil leaves, chopped
fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped
shaved parmesan cheese (optional)

Cut the cauliflower into small pieces and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Spread onto baking sheet and cook at 425 until spotted with brown, stirring once during baking. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile dry roast the hazelnuts and cook pasta, reserving some of the water.

In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add pasta, lemon zest, reserved water, cauliflower, vinegar, basil, and hazelnuts. Saute until cooked through.

Garnish with parsley and parmesan.

Okra Cornmeal Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
1 jalapeno, chopped thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups okra, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 egg
1-1/2 cup water
oil

Combine all dry ingredients. Whisk in egg and water. Stir in jalapeno, garlic, and okra.

Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan and drop batter 1/4 cupful at a time, flattening each one. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.

Serve with tomato slices and hot sauce.

Coconut Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

1/2 cup arborio rice
3 cups unsweetened vanilla coconut milk
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut
zest of 1 lime
1 mango, diced
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
2 tablespoons cashews

In a saucepan, stir together rice, coconut milk, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 35-45 minutes.

Meanwhile dry roast shredded coconut in a shallow frying pan.

When pudding is thickened and rice is al dente, remove from heat and stir in toasted coconut and lime zest. Pour pudding into 4 ramekins. Top with mango pieces, cashews, and more toasted coconut. Garnish with lime zest immediately before serving if desired.

Sultan's Delight (Hunkar Begendi)

Ingredients:

-Stew-
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 package beef substitute
1/2 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, finely diced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 small roma tomatoes, finely diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and pepper

-Eggplant Puree-
2 large eggplants
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup kashkaval or parmesan cheese
3/4 cup milk
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Cook onion in the oil until soft. Add beef and jalapeno and cook for a few minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and some water. Cover and bring to a boil until stew is cooked through. Add paprika, salt, and pepper.

Roast the eggplant and remove the skins. Mash the pulp of the eggplant and stir lemon juice into it. Set aside.

In a saucepan, prepare roux sauce by melting butter and adding the flour. Gradually stir in the milk. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Stir in the eggplant.

To assemble, make a bed of the eggplant puree on a shallow dish. Spoon stew over it and garnish with the parsley.