Butternut Tahini Spread

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (485 grams), diced
1-1/2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
35 grams tahini paste
60 grams almond yogurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon black and white sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon date syrup
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Toss the squash with oil, cinnamon, and salt. Bake until tender and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Alternately can boil and mash with a fork. Add the tahini, yogurt, and garlic. Season with more salt as needed. Spread onto a plate and drizzle with date syrup and sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Serve with pita bread or crackers.

Cauliflower and Hummus Pita Pockets

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower, cut into medium florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili flakes
zatar seasoning
salt
red cabbage, shredded
green onion, chopped
parsley, chopped
olive oil
lemon juice
cucumber, sliced
hummus
tahini
mint, chopped
pomegranate arils (optional)
pita bread, cut in half

Toss the cauliflower with oil, chili flakes, zatar, and salt. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Combine cabbage, green onion and parsley with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.

Spread hummus into each pita pocket and top with the cabbage mix, cucumber, and cauliflower. Drizzle with tahini and sprinkle with mint and pomegranate.

Mexican Fattoush

Ingredients:

3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
cucumber, cut into half moons
corn, grilled or oven roasted
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
pomegranate seeds (optional)
avocado, diced (optional)
juice of 2 limes
olive oil
sumac, to taste
a pinch of cumin
salt and black pepper, to taste
pita or tortilla chips, roughly broken

Combine lettuce with the veggies and toss with the dressing ingredients. Top with the chips before serving.

Plantain and Black Bean Burritos

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1-3/4 cup black beans
1-1/2 teaspoon mexican seasoning
salt, to taste

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 plantains

guacamole
cilantro lime rice
flour tortillas

Cook the garlic and onion in the oil. Add the beans, seasoning, and salt. Slightly mash the beans with a fork and set aside.

Meanwhile, slice the plantains into 1/2 inch thick pieces and fry on each side until golden, sprinkling with salt, as desired.

Assemble burritos by heating the tortillas and filling with rice, beans, guacamole, and plantains.

Spaghetti with Spinach and Pea Pesto

Ingredients:

8 ounces spinach (or plain) spaghetti
1 bag baby spinach
1-1/2 cup peas
2 tablespoons vegan parmesan
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Cook the spaghetti in salted water. Strain the pasta, reserving its water, and set aside.

Cook the peas and the spinach in the reserved water and transfer to a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped. Stir the pesto into hot pasta. Garnish with basil and pine nuts.

Knafeh Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked
1/2 cup coconut milk or cream
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup agave
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon rosewater
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
a pinch of salt

1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon rosewater
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups kataifi
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil or melted vegan butter

1 tablespoon slivered pistachios
1 teaspoon rose petals

Combine the cheesecake ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a wax paper lined pan and freeze until firm, a few hours or overnight.

Prepare the sugar syrup by boiling the sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved. Add the rosewater and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

Place the kataifi in a bowl and pour the oil or butter over it as well as the sugar. Massage the oil to evenly coat the pastry. Press about a third of the kataifi into the same size pan as the cheesecake, pressing up the sides about an inch. Bake until golden brown, flipping over as needed. Pour some of the sugar syrup evenly over it while it is hot.

Using shears, cut the remaining kataifi into small pieces. Heat a skillet or frying pan and cook the remaining kataifi until golden. This can also be roasted in the oven.

Place the kataifi base on a plate and stack with the cheesecake layer. Top with the remaining kataifi pieces and drizzle more of the sugar syrup. Sprinkle with pistachios and rose petals.