Jamaican Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 large carrots, cut into large pieces
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cumin
a pinch of allspice
a pinch of nutmeg
3 cups vegetable stock
1 small red potato, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
juice of 1/2 small lemon
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a saucepan and add carrots. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Add the onion, cover and continue to cook for another 20 minutes. Add green onion, pepper, and the seasonings. Allow to cook 5 minutes before adding stock, bay leaf, and potatoes. Cover and bring to a simmer. Allow potato to cook through.

Transfer soup to blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return to the saucepan and add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with plantain chips.

Jamaican Chard Turnovers

Ingredients:

1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded
2 green onions
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon jamaican seasoning (optional)
salt and pepper
10 cups swiss chard
2 ounces vegan cream cheese
30 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

Combine peppers, onions, and garlic in the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Heat oil in the skillet and add vegetable mixture. Gradually add chard and cook until wilted. Stir in seasonings. Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese. Allow to cool slightly.

Brush sheet of phyllo with butter. Repeat until there are five layers cut the dough in half. Place some of the chard filling on corner of dough and fold unto triangle. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush with butter followed by egg wash if desired.

Make slits through the top with a sharp knife, making sure not to cut through the filling.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes on parchment paper.

Three Sisters Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup hominy or corn
1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup butternut squash, diced
1 cup potatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
salt and black pepper, to taste

Bring vegetable stock with potatoes to a simmer. Add squash and corn. Allow to simmer until potatoes are tender. Add beans and sprinkle flour over soup, stirring briskly until soup is thickened. Add butter and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with bread rolls.

Asian Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa, cooked
2 cups broccoli, cooked
1 cup carrots, shredded
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup oats
6 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 egg (or 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 2 tablespoons water)

Combine broccoli, carrots, garlic, ginger, oats, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and sesame seeds in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.

Stir quinoa and breadcrumbs into mixture then add egg.

Shape mixture into patties. Allow to set for 20 minutes before cooking with a bit of oil on each side.

Serve on buns with white cabbage, shredded carrot, and teriyaki sauce.

Mediterranean Skillet

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1-1/2 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 package imitation chicken
1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons basil, chopped
salt and black pepper

Cook onion and garlic in the grapeseed oil. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until golden. Add tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and cook until slightly softened. Add artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, olives, and imitation chicken.Bring to a simmer and add oregano and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. When spinach is wilted, remove from heat and stir in olive oil, parsley, and basil.

Serve with couscous or barley.

Seven Layer Dip

Ingredients:

refried beans
guacamole
vegan sour cream
cumin
chipotle powder
lime juice
green onion, chopped
cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, minced
black olives, chopped
vegan cheddar cheese, shredded

Spread beans on the bottom of a flat surface plate. Spread guacamole over beans, leaving 1/2 inch.

Mix sour cream with lime juice, cumin, and chipotle powder. Spread in similar fashion over guacamole.

Top guacamole with pico.

Toss green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro together. Place in a ring around edge of tomatoes. Do the same with the olives.

Place shredded cheese on the center.

Serve with tortilla chips (drizzled in lime juice and chili powder).

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

6 roma tomatoes, finely diced
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
angel hair or linguine
parmesan cheese
pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Combine tomatoes, basil, parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Allow flavor to blend by refrigerating a few hours preferably.

Cook pasta and toss with tomato mixture. Garnish with the parmesan and pine nuts.

Harissa Lentils and Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1/4 cup harissa paste
1 tablespoon greapeseed oil
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cups cauliflower florets, cut small
1/2 cup red lentils
1/3 cup tomato puree
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock

Cook onion in the oil. Add cauliflower and cook until slightly wilted.

Stir in all remaining ingredients. Cover and allow to simmer 20-30 minutes, adjusting water as needed.

Serve over bulgur or couscous with a wedge of lemon. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Ingredients:

2 cups strawberries, stemmed and halved
1/4 cup basil
1/3 cup lemon sections
stevia, to taste
water

Blend strawberries, basil, and lemon until pureed. Add stevia and about 2 cups of water. Serve over ice.

Chickpea Masala

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic
2 green chili peppers
1 inch ginger
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 tomatoes, diced
2/3 cup tomato puree
1-1/2 cup chickpeas
1 cup water
salt
cilantro, chopped

Mince or puree the garlic, peppers, and ginger.

Cook onion in the oil. Add garlic, pepper, and ginger. Add cumin, coriander, and cayenne.

Add the tomatoes, puree, and chickpeas. Add enough water to reach desired consistency. Season with salt.

Garnish with cilantro before serving.

Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash, cut into rings, seeds discarded or zucchini
1 small red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
6 plum tomatoes, halved
12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 pound rigatoni
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons pecorino cheese

Toss the squash and onion with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in single layer on a baking sheet.

Toss tomatoes and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on second baking sheet (tomatoes cut side down).

Roast both cooking sheets at 350. The squash should take about 45 minutes. The tomatoes should take about 1 hour.

Cut squash into bite sized pieces.

Discard tomato skins and coarsely chop the tomatoes. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water.

Toast pine nuts in a skillet with 1 tablespoon oil. Add crushed red pepper and olives. Cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetables and cook another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in pasta water, basil, and parsley. Toss with pasta. Garnish with pecorino.

Challah

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs, divided
2-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds

Dissolve yeast and some of the honey in the water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Stir in remaining honey, one and a half of the eggs, flour, salt, and butter. Knead for 5 minutes until dough is no longer sticky. Cover dough and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Divide dough into three parts and with oiled hands, shape into strands. Braid the stands on lightly greased parchment paper or silicone mat. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

Brush remaining egg over the dough and sprinkle with seeds. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.