Vegan Mac & Cheese

Baked Vegan Mac & Cheese!!!

Ingredients:

• Pasta of your choice - I chose pin wheels, macaroni is good too :)
• 2.5 cups Vegetable Broth
• 0.5 cup Coconut Milk
• 2 cups of Raw Cashews - soaked in water for 4-8 hours
• 1/2 Yellow Onion
• 5 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• Small Can (4oz) Green Chilies
• Chili Powder
• Turmeric
• Cayenne Pepper
• Paprika
• Mustard seed or powder
• Cilantro
• Salt & Pepper
• Bread Crumbs for topping when broil
• Broccoli and Cauliflower (optional)

Start:

1. Cook the onion and garlic in a pan with some olive oil until transparent
2. Boil Pasta al dente while you set everything up - then spread out in a cast iron skillet
3. On the side, you can cook up small pieces of broccoli and cauliflower in a pan with some olive oil, a little bit of the sauce you just made and a small amount of water
4. Put everything in a blender: cooked onion & garlic, vegetable broth, soaked cashews, coconut milk, corn starch, green chilies, chili powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, paprika, mustard seed, salt & pepper - liquefy the sauce
5. Pour sauce over pasta in the cast iron skillet and sprinkle bread crumbs over the pasta
6. Place in oven on broil for 2-4 minutes, or until breading looks toasted
7. Serve Vegan Mac & Cheese HOT and mix in broccoli and cauliflower if interested!

Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo - crock pot slow cooking

Ingredients: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time 6-8 hours

• Chicken Legs / Drumsticks (2 pounds) 
• Rice
• 3 medium Red Potatoes
• 1 whole Sweet Onion
• 2 red bell Peppers
• 1.5 cups of Red Wine for cooking
• Couple Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 5-6 cloves of Garlic
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Oregano
• Turmeric
• Cilantro
• Garlic powder
• Salt & Pepper

Start: 

1. Rub chicken with coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, Oregano, garlic powder, salt & pepper
2. Place chicken on bottom on crock pot 
3. Cut up red potatoes and spread out on top of the chicken
4. Blend onion, red bell peppers, red wine, olive oil, garlic cloves in a blender to make sauce
5. Pour over potatoes and chicken
6. Add fresh cilantro on top 
7. Cook on the low setting on the crock pot for 6-8 hours or until the meat falls off of the bone
8. Serve over rice 

Veggie Pasta Primavera !

Veggie Pasta Primavera !
SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!

Ingredients:

• Pasta! Or make your own! (http://mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-homemade-pasta.html)
• Red or orange pepper
• 1/2 onion
• Garlic cloves
• Some asparagus 
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes (12 oz.)
• Cooking white wine
• Olive oil
• Lemon 
• Chives
• Parsley
• Oregano
• Basil
• Salt & Pepper

Start:

1. Pour some olive oil and cooking white wine in a pan
2. Peel and smash a handful of garlic cloves
3. Cut up an orange or red pepper and 1/2 an onion 
4. Put the peppers in the pan and cook part way on medium heat
5. Add the asparagus, onion, and garlic and continue stirring and cooking until onions become clear and the other veggies are cooked... 
6.  Boil pasta on the side in salted water
7. Sprinkle a little bit of all seasonings listed above
8. Generously squeeze half a lemon into sauce
9. Once everything is cooked, add 12 oz. can of chopped tomatoes and broth
10. Heat until bubbly and serve hot!
11. Add Parmesan cheese to top it off! 

White Bean Hummus !!

White Bean Hummus !

Ingredients:

• 12oz can of white beans 
• Avocado oil (or olive oil)
• Fresh Lemon
• Sesame seeds
• Sesame oil
• Cumin
• Salt & Pepper
• Parsley
• Cayenne pepper

Start:

1. Drain beans, Rinse beans, Pour beans in food processor
2. Pour in a generous amount of Avocado oil (more than you think)
3. Pour in a little bit of sesame oil and sprinkle a little bit of sesame seeds
4. Squeeze all the juice out of half a lemon
5. Sprinkle in the rest of the seasonings - cumin, parsley, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper
6. Mix well. You might need to add more avocado oil

EAT!! Dip pita, carrots, spinach, snap peas, whatever! ENJOY! 

Southern Okra Soup

Southern Okra Soup - In a Homemade Beef Broth!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of beef shank on the bone and bone marrow (preferably some meat on it as well)
• 2 pounds of okra
• 1/2 onion
• 2 large carrots
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes (12 oz)
• 1 whole garlic cluster 
• paprika
• sage
• oregano
• parsley
• sugar
• salt & pepper

Follow the steps below:

1. Begin by covering the beef shank on the bone with salted water (this will be your broth for the soup, so you want to start off with just enough water, not too much, you can always add more later if the both has too much flavor) 
2. Boil beef shank in the salted water for an hour to an hour-in-a-half until the meat becomes somewhat tender
3. Chop up carrots, onion, celery, and smash the garlic 
4. Place all veggies MINUS the okra into the pot of boiling water (with beef shank). You will add the okra at the last minute because they cook quickly
5. Pour can of chopped tomatoes in with the fresh veggies and bring to a low boil.
6. Sprinkle in the oregano, parsley, sage, sugar, pepper, and paprika to desired amount. 
7. You will need so much salt to make good tasting broth. If it doesn't taste like much, add more salt. 
8. Cook until veggies are tender. 
9. Add in the okra 15 -20 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup. Serve when okra is tender. 
10. You might need to add more salt once placed into smaller bowls. 
11. Eat up! 

Chicken Tortilla Soup !

Chicken Tortilla Soup !
The best soup ever!

Ingredients:

• I cheat! ah! Buy a rotisserie chicken! (shhhh...) / half a roasted chicken / chicken breast
• A lot of chicken broth (at least 3 cans)
• Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce - canned (Very specific! This will make or break your soup!)
• 2-3 carrots
• 1-2 celery stalks
• 1/2 an onion
• Garlic
• Fresh cilantro
• Parsley
• Oregano
• Salt & Pepper 
• Avocado
• Tortilla chips
• Olive oil

Start:

1) Chop up carrots, celery, onion, and garlic

2) Pour olive oil in a large pot and saute the carrots - cook for 5-8 minutes

3) Add in the celery, garlic, and onion with some chicken broth

4) Keep the heat on medium and add a little bit of salt, pepper, parsley, oregano

5) Take two tablespoons of the Red Adobo sauce and 2 whole chiles. (The chiles and the sauce make for a very strong and spicy flavor, please taste the broth after a couple minutes before adding any more. I added too many one time (3) and almost ruined the soup.)

6) Cook for 15-20 minutes or until all veggies are tender

7) Cut the chicken breast off of the chicken and pull the meat apart with your fingers. Depending on how much soup you would like to make, use 1 or 2 chicken breast(s), or add in the dark meat if desired! 

8) Add enough chicken broth to cover all of the veggies and chicken - I like mine to be a little brothy. :) 

9) Now you get to eat it! Pour in bowl!

10) Garnish with fresh sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and crushed up tortilla chips! 

EAT!

Meatloaf with Balsamic Reduction Drizzle !

Meatloaf with Balsamic Reduction Drizzle !

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound or so of Ground Meat (Turkey, beef, whatever - just not too lean)
• 1/2 of an Onion
• a handful of Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 of a Red Pepper 
• 1 medium size Carrot 
• 1/2 cup or so a Bread Crumbs
• 1 egg
• Parsley 
• Oregano
• Basil
• Thyme
• A little Paprika
• A Pinch of Cumin
• Salt & Pepper
• Mustard
• Brown Sugar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Chicken Broth

Start:

1. Ok, There are a lot of ingredients... but, it is good and worth it. If you want to drop a couple, I am sure it will taste good! 
2. Put the ground meat in a large bowl with one Egg, the Bread Crumbs, all the listed seasonings, (Parsley, Oregano, Basil, Thyme, a little Paprika, a pinch of Cumin, Salt & Pepper)
3. Chop up Carrot, Garlic, Onion, and Red Pepper in a food processor (or just really small pieces)
4. Pour chopped up Veggies in big bowl with the Meat, Egg, and Bread Crumbs
5. Mix together with an electric mixer
6. Put mixture in a small baking pan 
7. Spread a generous amount of mustard and brown sugar on top of meat
8. Bake in oven, covered with tin foil, on 375 degrees for 45 min - 1 hour or so
9. When meatloaf is almost finished cooking, Pour a good amount of Balsamic Vinegar and a little bit of Chicken Broth in a pan, 
10. Heat on medium for a couple minutes, then reduce to low and heat for a couple more minutes. (You will know it is ready to be a glaze when the Reduction is half of the amount of liquid you started with.)
11. Drizzle Balsamic Reduction Glaze on top of Meatloaf in a zig zag shape for presentation

You are done! It is good? Isn't it!!??