Delectable Lasagna serves a lot, 10-12 people, but keeps well covered in the refrigerator (for 7-10 days), and reheats perfectly.  Serve it with a salad and hot garlic bread. 

2 Tbsp good olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 lb. firm tofu

36 oz. great spaghetti sauce (our family loves Mom’s) or see recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce below…

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

15 oz. ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 cup grated parmesan (grate it fine and measure after grating)

1 cup grated romano (grate it fine and measure after grating)

3 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 box uncooked lasagna noodles (you’ll need at least 8 noodles)

I’ve never found ricotta made of rice or soy, but vegan (non-milk, made of rice or soy, usually) cheese can be substituted for all other cheese.

Heat oil in a big skillet on medium heat.  Add onions.  Crumble tofu into the skillet, stir it together with the onions.  Sauté (that means stir it around while it cooks in the oil) onions and tofu until the onions look kind of clear instead of white.  Add spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning, stir and let heat up.  Stir every few minutes.  If it splatters when bubbles pop, turn the heat down.

Next mix together the ricotta, egg, romano and half the parmesan.  Set aside.

Butter or spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish so the lasagna won’t stick to it.  Ladle a little sauce (about ¼ cup) in the bottom and spread it around (this also helps with sticking).  Put a layer of lasagna noodles in the bottom so their edges touch.  Break off pieces of noodles to mostly cover the bottom.  They don’t have to cover every little space; do not put them on top of each other.  Evenly spread half the sauce onto the noodles.  Wet the entire surface of the noodles (moisture from the sauce cooks the noodles).  Next dot spoonsful of the ricotta mixture around, using half of it.  Gently spread the ricotta around with a fork.  Sprinkle half the mozzarella evenly over the surface.  Make another layer of noodles, sauce (use the rest), ricotta (use the rest), and mozzarella (use the rest).  Sprinkle the top with the remaining parmesan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until it’s bubbly around the edges and a little browned on top.  Enjoy!

Spaghetti Sauce

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, quartered

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

18 oz. tomato paste (3 small cans)

16 oz. water (paste cans, filled not quite full)

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 yellow squash, grated

1 stalk broccoli, diced (stalk and florets)

whole fresh basil leaves, up to 10 (if available)

          or

1 tsp dried basil (if fresh not available)

2 Tbsp Italian Spice mix

1 Tbsp brown mustard

Saute the onion, peppers, garlic and mushrooms in the oil in a big pot until the onions are softened.  Stir in the tomato paste and water until all combined, then add everything else.  Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 20 minutes or until you’re ready to eat (it can simmer all day).  Ladle on top of spaghetti, or use to make lasagna, eggplant parmesan or any other Italian dish.  Serves about 10 on spaghetti.

Garlic Bread

What is so magical and delicious about garlic bread?  The smell of heating garlic bread will bring people from all over the house, saying, “What is that wonderful smell!” and they’ll make cooing noises when they eat it.

This serves 6-10.  It’s lovely when something so pleasing is also easy, and fun!

1 long, fat loaf French bread

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

4-6 cloves garlic

Slice the bread with diagonal slices about 1 inch apart.  You can slice all the way through or just nearly all the way through.  This part takes some muscle … you might be able to get an adult helper to do the slicing while you prepare the garlic butter.

Put the butter into a microwave-save dish or a small pan.  Heat in the microwave oven or on the stove until melted.  Peel the garlic and put it through a garlic press, holding the press right over the melted butter so it falls in.  Scrape out the remaining garlic in the press, and add that, too.  Stir the garlic in with a pastry brush.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lay the bread longways on a piece of aluminum foil big enough to fold completely around it.  With the pastry brush, paint butter (try to get some garlic on each stroke) on the front and back of each piece of bread.  When you’ve painted all the pieces, paint the rest of the garlic & butter over the top of the loaf and seal it up in the aluminum foil.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the smell is filling the house.

Garlic bread is a great add-on to a baked main course, because you can just slide it into the oven with the other dish for the last 15 minutes of baking time, and everything is ready at the same time!

Veggies -n- Dumplings

2 Tbsp butter                                                    1 cup flour

2 cloves garlic, put through press                      1 Tbsp baking powder

1-1/2 bags frozen mixed vegetables                    pinch salt

3 T flour                                                           2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream                                         1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup vegetarian bouillon or stock

1 to 2 cups milk

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

- Saute vegetables and garlic in butter. 

- When vegetables are heated through, add 3 Tbsp flour, mix thoroughly.

- Simmer 3 minutes. 

- Add cream and bouillon, mixing well as it heats and thickens.

- Add milk to desired consistency.  You don’t want it too thick, since you     need some extra moisture to steam the dumplings with. 

- Add pepper to taste. 

- Return to simmer, if necessary.

- Drop dumpling batter by tablespoonsful into the vegetable mixture.

- Cover, simmer 12-15 minutes.  Do not uncover for at least 12 minutes.

Dumpling Batter

- Combine cup flour, baking powder, salt. 

- Beat egg yolks with buttermilk. 

- Combine egg mixture gently with dry ingredients. 

- Drop by tablespoonsful into vegetable mixture.

- Cover, simmer 12-15 minutes.  Do not uncover for at least 12 minutes.

Serve in bowls, using a big ladle to get a good scoop of vegetable mixture and a couple of dumplings in each serving.  Makes six large servings, or ten smaller ones.

Hummus

This is a terrific basic hummus recipe that serves 4.  You also can add some ground cumin, a tiny pinch of fennel seed, a little ground cloves, cilantro, or parsley.  Experiment to find what you like.

15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained into a bowl (also called chick peas)

2 oz. (4 Tbsp or ¼ cup) tahini

4 Tbsp or ¼ cup lemon juice

3 Tbsp olive oil

black pepper – freshly ground if you have it

Put everything into the blender or food processor and blend it until it’s smooth.  If it’s too thick to process, add a teaspoon of the bean liquid at a time until it works.

Serve this with Love Slaw, pita bread, and fresh vegetables or fruit salad.  Cucumbers are good with it, and it’s great as a sandwich spread.

2 cups grated raw carrots

1 cup grated raw beets

½ serrano chili, seeded and minced finely (if you like it really spicy)

          or

¼ jalapeno chili, seeded and minced finely (if you like it a little spicy)

          or

a dash of cayenne pepper (which was how we made it at coop)

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp chopped cashews, stirred around in a skillet on medium-low heat until

golden (this is called “pan toasting”)

Mix the carrots and beets.  Combine the lime juice, maple syrup, chili or cayenne, and cilantro, and pour it over the carrot/beet mixture.  Sprinkle the cashews over the top.  Beautiful, sweet, tangy, and delicious!

First:     garlic

            grain

            bay leaf

Then:  (these are some ideas, listed from hard to soft, but go shopping and be adventurous)

Last:     miso

Into a pot, put ¾ cup of water for each person you’re cooking for.  The pot should be less than half full.  Turn the heat to medium-high.  Add 1 to 4 garlic cloves, cut in two, for each person. Add 1 Tbsp grain (quinhoa, barley, or brown rice are nice) for each person and a bay leaf, if you like. 

Start with the vegetables that are hardest and take longest to cook.  NOTE: hard roots can be tricky to cut; be careful or get some help.  Cut up one kind at a time, and add it to the pot.  Choose the next hardest, cut it up and add it.  By the time you get to the last ones, that need little cooking, you’re ready to add the miso and eat!

The soup can hold on the stove for some time – turn the heat to low and wait until right before serving to add the miso.  When it’s time to eat, take some broth out of the soup and mix the miso into it with a fork – use 1 Tbsp miso per cup of water you measured at the beginning.  Mash the miso with the fork onto the bottom or side of your bowl until it’s dissolved in the water.  Turn off the heat under the soup, stir the miso into the soup, and eat!

Rice & Beans Casserole

This tasty Mexican-style casserole is so easy,  you can make it for your family and guests often.  This recipe serves 6-10, depending on how hungry everybody is.  It contains lots of protein and calcium, and the only fat is what’s in the cheese!

2 cups brown rice

8 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cans cooked black or kidney beans; drain about half the liquid

1 pound grated mild or sharp cheddar cheese (dairy, rice, soy, or other)

1 medium-sized jar mild picante sauce

sour cream (dairy or vegan alternative)

Combine the rice and garlic with 6 cups water, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and cover.  Simmer according to the instructions that came with your rice.  Some kinds of brown rice cook only 15 minutes, others take as much as an hour.  While the rice cooks, make a pretty, crunchy salad. When the rice is cooked, take the pan off the burner.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put the cooked rice into a big bowl with the beans (including half their liquid), a third of the cheese, and half the picante sauce (if you like a mildly spicy dish).  Stir it all together.  This will be a fun, gooey mess!  Try to stir gently to keep beans from being smashed, but even if they are smashed, they’ll still taste good.  Spread this mixture evenly in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  It doesn’t have to be perfectly flat on the top; in fact, it’s nice if it’s a little rough-looking.

Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle half the remaining cheese (another 1/3) on top, and heat another 5 minutes, to melt the cheese on top.

Serve with the sour cream, picante sauce, grated cheese, salad, and a smile!

Earth Mash

What do all the vegetables in this beautiful dish have in common?  They’re all root vegetables.  And what do all root vegetables have in common?  They’re highly nutritious, since it’s their job to store nutrients for the plants that grow from them.

That’s why the name “Earth Mash”: because all the veggies in this mash come from within the earth.  The red and orange roots give it a startlingly lovely color.  Earth Mash can be served as the main course or as a bright, nutritious and delicious side dish.  You can serve gravy alongside, but really it’s unnecessary.  They’re perfect just as they are.

1 onion, diced

½ bulb garlic, each clove peeled and cut into chunks

2 potatoes, diced

½ sweet potato, diced

2 beets, diced small

1 turnip, diced

3-4 carrots, cut in half and sliced thinly

other root vegetables you like, diced small

1 Tbsp butter, optional

¼ cup heavy cream, optional

freshly grated black pepper

½ to 1-½ cups broth, milk (soy, rice, or dairy), or liquid from the steamer

Put all your diced roots into a big steamer basket over an inch or more of boiling water.  Cover and steam for 20 minutes.  Check for doneness – check the sweet potatoes and beets, especially – and cook for five minutes at a time more if necessary until they’re soft.  Move the steamed vegetables into a big bowl that won’t tip over while you’re mashing them.  Add the butter, cream, pepper (put in more than you think – 30-50 twists), and ½ cup liquid.  (And a little salt, if you choose.)  Using a potato masher, mash all together.  If it’s stiff, add ½ cup more liquid at a time until it is as you like it.  You can’t get it wrong … it will be brightly colored and yummy, and your guests will love it! 

Serve and enjoy!

In a big pot, put

2 large onions, chopped

4 to 6 chopped green onions – the whole things, except the little hairy roots

1 large can chopped tomatoes

a head of garlic – peel the cloves and cut the larger ones in smaller pieces

the leafy parts of 4 sprays of parsley, snipped tiny with scissors

2/3 cup bulgur wheat

3 tsp Better Than Bouillon or 3 bouillon cubes

2 ¾ cups water

1 tsp dried oregano

1 ½ Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp salt (optional)

½ tsp black pepper (about 50 turns of the grinder)

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 can corn, drained

2 ½ cans red kidney beans with juice

to make it SPICY, add

3 to 5 little cans diced green chiles, juice and all

4 shakes cayenne pepper

(to make it just a little spicy, add 1 can green chiles)

Use big pots so you can stir without spilling.  Place all ingredients into the pots and stir them together well.  Heat on medium-high, stirring very often (this will keep things from sticking to the bottom and scorching, which makes the whole pot taste terrible).  When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to simmer, stir well, and cover.  While it’s simmering, stir it every five minutes or so.  It will be ready to eat after about 45 minutes, but it can simmer and keep for hours.  (If you leave it simmering a long time, keep stirring it every 5 minutes or so, and add a little water, about ¼ cup at a time, if it starts getting too thick.)

Corn Bread (for the Chili)

3/4 cup flour or spelt flour

2-1/2 tsp baking powder

1-2 Tbsp sugar, sucanat or brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt (optional)

1-1/4 cups cornmeal

1 egg

2-3 Tbsp melted butter

1 cup milk

-Grease pan.  Preheat oven to 425F.

-Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave oven.

-Combine all the powdered ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cornmeal) until well mixed.

-Beat the egg a little bit in a separate bowl, then add the butter and milk to the egg. It will seem a little curdled, but it’s okay.

-Add liquid ingredients to powdered ones and mix together in a few quick strokes. 

-Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

This recipe makes roughly sixteen small or ten big pieces. 

I would guess six or seven recipes would be about right for serving fifty-some-odd people, since some will want more than one piece.

*Be sure to make some cornbread with the spelt flour for those who are allergic to wheat.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp crushed red-pepper flakes

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

½ tsp salt, optional

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

1 pound broccoli (cut up in little pieces, about ¼ inch, including stems & leaves)

¼ pound fresh spinach, without stems, washed & chopped or torn up

½ cup water

French bread rounds, bagel chips, or crackers

2 Tbsp grated coconut, if desired for garnish

This starts out big and cooks down, so start with a pretty big, preferably non-stick pan.  Heat oil in the pan over medium-low heat.  Add the cumin and red pepper and fry for ½ minute.  Stir in lime juice, salt if you use it, pepper, vegetables, and water (that’s everything!).  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until they cook down to a chunky spread (it’s amazing, but they really will, in about 45-60 minutes).

Let people serve some spread onto a plate and top their own bread or crackers.  Or, if you want to spread the topping, do it right before serving, so the bread or crackers don’t get soggy.

Serving suggestions

This spread is soft, so serve it with something crunchy that’s a different color.  Something that’s a little sweet is also good, since the spread is savory.  For example:  If it’s made with broccoli and spinach, the dip will be green, so you could serve it with apples, red bell pepper slices, or lightly steamed carrots.

It’s very tasty, and pretty, sprinkled with a little bit of grated hard cheese, like parmesan.

This is great for a party, or to prepare ahead, since it holds well on the stove on low heat.  Be sure to stir it occasionally (every 5 minutes or so), and to add a tablespoon or two of water if it gets too thick or dry.

Veggie Enchiladas Olé!

These delicious from-scratch enchiladas take a while to prepare, but are really worth it.  This is a good, basic Mexican sauce.  If you’re looking for a good, basic Italian sauce, use this recipe and make the following changes:  leave out the chili powder, cumin, one can of tomatoes and the green chilis, and add a small can of tomato paste and a little water, if it needs it.

3 Tbsp olive or canola oil                                              4-oz can chopped green chilis, opt.

1 large onion, chopped                                     1 tsp chili powder

2 green peppers, chopped                                            a pinch of sugar

2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press                       ½ tsp ground cumin

2  14-oz cans tomatoes (whole or chopped, and                 salt & pepper, to taste

not spiced – if they’re whole, drain and save the juice

and chop them)

14 corn tortillas

2 cups dehydrated refried beans or 2 cans refried beans

12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (dairy, rice or soy will work)

12 oz. monterey jack cheese, grated (dairy, rice, or soy)

1  4-oz can chopped green chilis, optional

1  4-oz can whole green chilis, optional

If you’re serving with Spanish Rice, do the rice first … it takes longer than anything else.

Make the sauce.  In a large skillet, sauté onion and green peppers in oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent (clear-looking).  Add the tomatoes, juice and all.  Add the garlic.  Then add chilis if you want your sauce a little spicy.  Add sugar, chili powder, cumin, and pepper (and salt if you choose).  I don’t add salt at all, especially to dishes with cheese, because cheese is salty.  Let the sauce heat up, then turn the heat to low and leave it until needed.  Stir every few minutes.

Build the enchiladas.  Combine hot water with your dehydrated beans if you’re using them.  Follow the directions that came with them (it’s usually about 1 ¼ cup water to 1 cup beans).  When the beans are ready, make an assembly line on a counter or table.  Put in this order:  tortillas, sauce, beans, cheese, casserole dish.  Get ready:  this is best done with your hands, and gets very messy!  Coat a tortilla on both sides with sauce, so it will be softer and less likely to crack.  Put two tablespoonsful of beans (this will look like too little, but it’s plenty), and a sprinkle of cheese in a line down the middle of the tortilla.  Roll it up and place it in the casserole dish with the loose edge on the bottom and pointing toward the middle.  In this position, when they start to unroll – which they will do, they’ll run into the side of the casserole.  You can also wedge them against other enchiladas, of course.  Fourteen enchiladas will entirely fill one 9 x 12 casserole dish.  You can use all the beans, but don’t use all the cheese or sauce, and here’s why:   When you’re done rolling, pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve with Spanish Rice (recipe follows), refried beans, tortilla chips, hot sauce, and sour cream.

Spanish Rice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 ½ cups quick-cooking brown rice (15 minutes)

3 cloves garlic, cut in little pieces

1 small can tomato paste

1 can water

3 cups water or vegetable broth

Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent; add the green pepper.  Add the rice and garlic and stir around until it’s good and hot.  Add the tomato paste and can of water and combine well, then add the 3 cups water or broth, stir, and bring to boil.  Spanish rice takes much longer to cook than regular rice … usually three times as long.  So plan ahead.  Test as for regular rice:  when a kernel of rice is soft, it’s ready!

4 cups bouillon or stock

2 medium-sized avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut in chunks

1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice

(salt)

freshly ground pepper, preferably white

Tangerine Cream (recipe follows)

Warm the oil or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the coriander, chilis, and spinach, and cook for a few minutes.  Add the liquid and bring the whole thing to a boil.  Remove it from the heat.  Add the avocados.  Puree the mixture in a blender until it’s smooth and the little seeds are crushed.  Strain it if you like.  Stir in the lemon juice and add salt and pepper if you wish.  Cover and chill until ready to serve … several hours is preferable.

Ladle into little soup bowls and swirl about 2 Tbsp of Tangerine Cream into each bowl.

Tangerine Cream

1 ¼ cups plain yogurt (nonfat is fine)

¼ cup unsweetened coconut, shredded

3 Tbsp fresh tangerine juice

1 tsp grated tangerine zest

2 Tbsp fruit-sweetened apricot jam or jelly

Drain the yogurt in a seive with little bitty holes (or line it with cheesecloth) for several hours until there’s only 2/3 cup left (that’s about half).  Discard the drained liquid (or drink it, or use it in smoothies).  Combine all ingredients and mix until creamy.  Chill until ready to serve.  This can be made up to a day ahead, covered, and kept in the refrigerator.  It can also be served hot, if you prefer!

Start the Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows) first.  While the potatoes steam, put the cut up vegetables in a steamer basket, all except the bell pepper and anything canned.  Put the lid on the steamer, and steam over boiling water for 5 minutes.  (If you don’t have two steamer baskets, just wait until the potatoes come off the heat to begin steaming the pie vegetables.) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix the steamed vegetables with the remaining veggies (not with the mashed potatoes).  Make the Gravy (recipe follows).  When the vegetables, mashed potatoes, and gravy all are ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the vegetables evenly in a buttered or sprayed 9 x 12 casserole dish.

Pour a recipe of gravy – or enough to liberally cover the vegetables all over.  Save the rest if there’s any left over.

Carefully spoon smallish blobs mashed potatoes over the vegetables and gravy.  Use plenty!  Spread the potatoes evenly … go all the way to the edges to seal in all that good gravy.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are a little browned.  This tasty dish will delight your diners every time.

Mashed Potatoes

These are elegant mashed potatoes, as part of Shepherd’s Pie or by themselves, with or without gravy.  And they make a smashing side dish with other food, too, of course.

10 cups cubed white or red potatoes (leave skins on, cut in cubes of 1-2 inches, then measure)

6 cloves garlic, put through a press or cut up tiny

1 onion, cut up

1 Tbsp butter

¼ cup heavy cream

freshly grated black pepper

½ to 1-½ cups broth, milk (soy, rice, or dairy), or liquid from the steamer

Put the onions, potatoes, and garlic in a big steamer basket over an inch or more of boiling water. Cover and steam for 20 minutes.  Test for doneness – the potatoes should be really soft; steam five minutes longer if necessary.  Pour the potatoes, garlic, and onions into a big bowl that won’t tilt when you work with it.  Add the butter, cream, pepper (put in more than you think – 30 to 50 twists), and ½ cup liquid.  (Also a little salt, if you choose.)  Using a potato masher, mash all together.  If it’s stiff, add ½ cup liquid at a time until it’s the way you like it.  Different people like their mashed potatoes softer or stiffer, and any way is delicious.

Delicious Veggie Gravy

This is wonderful on biscuits, with mashed potatoes, over cutlets, or, of course, in Shepherd’s Pie!

½ cup butter

½ cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped (you can make it without, but the onion makes it much better)

mushrooms (optional, sauteed in broth or butter before you start and set aside)

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

¼ cup soy sauce

3 cups broth or bouillon

Heat the fat in a skillet over medium heat and add the onion.  When the onions are translucent (that means kind of clear instead of white), turn the heat to medium, add the yeast and flour and stir around for 2 minutes.  Then stir in the soy sauce.  It will thicken surprisingly.  Keep stirring until it’s all the same texture.  Let it cook another minute.  Stir in the mushrooms, if you’re using them.

A whisk is a good tool to use for this next part.  Add 1 cup of the broth and stir until it thickens.  Add ¼ cup more broth at a time, letting it thicken each time, until it’s the thickness you like.  If, after adding all the broth, it’s still thicker than you prefer, add 2 Tbsp water at a time until it’s right.

Other Easy Entrees

All these are kid-tested – simple to make and delightful to eat!

Sundried Tomato Roll-ups

Heat 2 Tbsp water with 5 sundried tomatoes; cover and let sit for 10 minutes.  Cut tomatoes (save juice) up small, and combine them, their juice, and an 8-oz block of cream cheese until the cheese is uniformly pink and the tomato bits are scattered throughout.  Spread this mixture thinly on big, burrito-sized whole wheat tortillas.  Roll them up tightly.  Cut them in ½ to 1-inch wide little rolls, stick each one with a toothpick, and place on a platter to serve.  Enjoy!

Boiled Eggs

Put eggs in a pan; fill with room-temperature water to an inch above them.  (Put a tea bag in the water to identify them as boiled later, if you use white eggs.)  Heat on medium-high until the water’s steaming all over and biggish bubbles are rising to the top of the water continuously.  Turn the heat to low.  Simmer for 15 minutes for size large eggs, 12 for small, 20 for extra-large.  Carefully drain hot water and fill with cold tap water.  Let sit 10-15 minutes, then eat, use in recipes, or transfer to refrigerator for later use.

Deviled Eggs (Sonya and Sasha call these “Angeled Eggs”)

Slice a boiled egg in half longways.  Gently pop the yolks out into a little bowl … place the white halves on a plate.  Add 2 tsp salad dressing per egg to the yolks.  Other yummies to add?:  tiny amounts of cayenne, pickle relish, tiny minced onions, crushed pineapple, nutmeg, tiny minced celery, lemon juice, salt and pepper … use your imagination!  Smash it all together with a fork.  Fill the little white egg “boats” with mounds of the filling, and top with shakes of paprika or sprigs of parsley.

Chalupa Bar

This is wonderful for kids or parties, or both.  Set out on a table or buffet for people to build their own:  flat chalupa shells, refried beans, grated cheese, picante sauce, sour cream, lettuce chopped small, little diced tomatoes, diced onions, maybe some black olives.  This is fun, pretty, reasonably nutritious, and easy.  It’s like a flat, crispy burrito that you make yourself … fun!

Veggie Beanie Weenies

Slice up some veggie wieners (like Tofu Pups, Not Dogs, or Wonder Dogs) into little chunks and heat them with canned baked beans (if you choose to avoid pork, check the labels).  This is amazingly simple, and always a big hit.  Serve it with something green and crispy.

Frito Pie

Make some veggie chili, either using the recipe in this book or the very good dehydrated mix from a natural grocery’s bulk department.  Serve with Fritos or a more natural brand of corn chips, diced onions, grated cheese (soy works), and something raw like carrot sticks (to be eaten separately).  Usually, people layer Fritos on the bottom, then chili, onions if they like, and cheese … but I put my chips on top of the chili so they stay crisp!

Salad

This is one dish you could live on the rest of your life.  It’s lovely, fun to make, fun to eat, full of nutrients, and almost free of fat.  Change what you put in your salad based on what else you’re serving, flavors you’re craving, what colors you choose to look at, and what inspires you in the grocery story or refrigerator.  You can serve it every day and make it different every time!  Have fun!

Buy organic selections if they’re available and you can afford it.  This recipe makes enough for a side salad for 6-10, or a main dish for 2-4.  For a side salad, make about a cup per person:  ½ cup greens and ½ cup everything else.  If it will be a main course salad, make 4-6 cups total per person:  2-3 cups greens and 2-3 cups other ingredients.

4 cups greens, preferably organic (lettuce, kale, spinach, etc., or a mixture)

2 small or 1 large tomato

1 avocado

2 green onions

½ yellow squash, cut small

1 carrot, grated or cut in thin slices

the florets of a broccoli stalk

1/3 cup little pieces of cauliflower

½ celery stalk, sliced in half lengthwise, then cut in little slices

½ red bell pepper, or any other color

about ½ cup red cabbage (cut cabbage by taking a slice; the slice will come

apart in pretty little slivers … cut them if they’re too long)

any other vegetable that inspires you

other interesting additions can be:

          feta cheese

          raisins

          good black or green olives

          nuts … pinoles (pine nuts), slivered almonds, cashews, or pistachios

Cut everything up, using different sizes and shapes to make your salad more visually appealing.  If your greens need to be smaller, tear them instead of cutting so their edges won’t wilt.  Toss everything together or layer nicely.  If you have ingredients you’re not sure everybody likes, such as tomatoes, avocados, green onions, or feta cheese, serve them separately.

Serve with a nice salad dressing that you’ve made or bought.

Fruit Salad

Sweet, tart, and great for you.  Vary the ingredients based on what you like and what’s particularly yummy-looking at the grocery store.  This was the kind we made in coop.  This particular recipe makes enough for 6-10 people.

1 pint (2 cups) strawberries, cut up

a little carton fresh blueberries

          and/or

a little carton fresh raspberries

1 Asian pear, cut up

1 banana, sliced

1 tangerine, peeled and sectioned

2 Tbsp lemon juice

½ cup coconut

Combine all fruit, sprinkle with lemon juice and mix again.  Sprinkle the top with coconut and serve.  Yum!

Chocolate-Dipped Fruit

This dessert is pretty and easy, and people love the combination of fruit and chocolate. 

8 oz. semisweet chocolate

1 ½ cups walnuts or pecans, chopped small

1 apple, washed, cored and cut into 8 sections

1 tangerine or orange, peeled and sectioned, with the white stuff peeled off

grapes, washed and snipped into little bunches with scissors

Melt the chocolate in a small, shallow dish either in the microwave or on the stove.  Be gentle with it:  take it away from the heat while it still has a few little lumps in it, and stir until they’re melted.

Put the chopped nuts in a pie plate.

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.

Dip a piece of fruit in chocolate to coat on one side, dip next in nuts, and place on waxed paper.  Continue until you run out of ingredients.  Put your tray in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Smoothies

Smoothies are easy, delicious, and good for you.  Additions are numerous, and the ingredients can change every time based on what you have in your refrigerator, or what tastes you choose.  This is the kind we made at coop.

One 5-cup blender full serves 4-6

1 ½ bananas

3 cups strawberries, with their stems trimmed off

1 ½ cups apple juice

½ container fresh blackberries

½ mango, peeled and cut in chunks

Put everything into the blender, put the lid on, and blend until smooth.  Keep cold until ready to enjoy!

Other good ingredients for smoothies are peeled pears, peaches, or plums, all kinds of berries (frozen or fresh), protein powder, carrot juice, ice cream, rice dream or frozen yogurt … use your imagination!

Glory Hallelujah!

This dessert is really easy and delicious, but you don’t want to make it too often because it’s so rich.  The Kahlua version is really great … our whole family eats it, but I didn’t presume to have the coop class make an alcoholic dessert!  We made it with OJ and vanilla.

Glory Hallelujah also can be made with other kinds of cookies.  Unfortunately for those of us who choke up on too much dairy, there’s no substitute I’m aware of  for all that delicious whipped cream.

1 ½ cups crumbled coconut macaroons

½ cup sugar

½ cup cognac, Kahlua, or ½ tsp vanilla plus orange juice to make ½ cup

1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream, whipped stiff

Blend crumbled cookies, sugar, and liquid until thoroughly mixed.  Carefully fold in the whipped cream.  Spoon into dessert cups and freeze for 1-3 hours.

Strawberry Shortcake

This is really comfort food: sweet, rich, and pretty.  This recipe serves 4.

1 quart (4 cups) strawberries, sliced – all but 2 really pretty ones

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)

2 Tbsp sugar

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾ milk (dairy, rice, or soy)

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup chilled whipping cream

1 tsp powdered sugar

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

a drop of vanilla (only a drop)

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Mix flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir in the milk and melted butter until just blended.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Smooth into a ball.  Gently knead 20 times.  Pat to ¾ inch thick (this is pretty thick) and cut into rounds with a floured 3-inch cookie or biscuit cutter.  Place rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and smelling wonderful.  Cover the cooked shortcakes with a clean cloth until time to use.

Split in half crosswise and place bottom on a small plate.  Spoon strawberries on the bottom shortcake, put on the top, and spoon some more strawberries on top.  Put a big dollop of whipped cream on the top.  Cut the two saved strawberries in two, and crown each pile of whipped cream with a beautiful strawberry half.  Serve!

 Uncle Joe’s Key Lime Pie

Crust

16 graham crackers (crushed in a bag)

3T Sugar

3T melted Butter

mix the ingredients and press them into the pie pan to form the crust

Filling

1 can sweetened condensed milk (15 oz)

1 T grated Key lime rind or lemon rind

1/2 cup Key limejuice

(1/4 t salt)

(2 slightly beaten egg yolks)

Mix together and stir until thickened

            (the milk and juice react to each other!)

Pour this into the crust.  Put it into the fridge for a while to set.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1T confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

1/2t vanilla extract

Pour these into a bowl  and beat with the mixer until sort of stiff.

Spread the whipped cream over the pie.

Eat

Blueberry Grunt

Blueberry grunt is a classic New England dessert

which is like a cobbler, but is made on the stove

instead of baked, and has dumplings instead of crust.

Any mixture of berries is equally delicious.

3-4 cups blueberries (frozen are fine)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1-1/2 tablespoons orange zest

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch salt (optional)

1 large egg yolk

2 to 3 tablespoons buttermilk

heavy  cream

Combine the blueberries, 1/2 cup of the sugar, cinnamon stick, zest, cloves, and juice in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.  (For a juicier slump, add 1/4 cup water to pan.)  Simmer gently, about 5 minutes, until the berries are soft and juicy.  Discard the cinnamon stick.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt if desired, and remaining sugar in a bowl.  Lightly beat the yolk and buttermilk in a measuring cup with a fork.  Stir into the flour and mix just until blended.  Let batter sit a minute or two.

Drop the batter by half tablespoonsful on top of the berry mixture.  Cover the pan tightly with the lid.  Simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are puffed all over and a look a little dry on top (in other words, are cooked through).  Do not uncover the pan for 12 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

Serve hot or very warm with slightly beaten cream spooned on top.  Serves 4.

(Incidentally, you can make this dessert with any combination of berries, and adding dried cherries or dried cranberries to the mixture  is also delicious.  If you’re making a different combination, you might need to add 1/4 cup water if there isn’t enough juice.)

No Egg, No Dairy Delicious Chocolate Cake “Cokeyed or Crazy Cake”

This is based on old recipes for when eggs and milk weren’t available.  Baking soda is the riser.  The soda starts to work as soon as it comes in contact with the vinegar, so bake the cake immediately after mixing.  Applesauce can be substituted for any part or all of the oil, to make it nearly fat-free.

.

1-1/2 cups unbleached flour                        5 Tbsp total oil and/or applesauce

3 Tbsp cocoa                                                  1 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp baking soda                                           1-1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar                                                     1 cup cold water

(1/2 tsp salt, optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Measure flour into a bowl, then sift cocoa into the flour.  Mash the lumps out of the baking soda until it’s completely smooth, then add it to the flour/cocoa.  Add the sugar.  Add the salt if you want salt.  Mix all the dry ingredients together very well.

Make three wells (scooped-out holes in the top of the dry mixture), two small and one large.  Put the oil in the large well, the vinegar in a small one, and the vanilla in the other small one.  Pour the water over the top, then mix it all together gently.  STOP MIXING when you can’t see the flour.

Pour into a greased 9 x 9 cake pan or about 12 muffin cups.  (A double recipe makes three 9” round cake layers.)  Bake the big pans for about 30 minutes, the muffins about 20 minutes, or until they smell good, pull away from the sides of the pan a little, and look the same all over the top.

Cool the cake/s until warm before eating or icing.  It’s great without icing, but here are two good ones.

Delectable Chocolate Icing

4 oz (ounces) good semi-sweet chocolate             shake of salt

4 Tbsp butter                                                              3 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

3/8 cup hot water, cream, or coffee                        2 tsp vanila    

(1/4 cup hot water)                                                    3 Tbsp cocoa

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler, add 3/8 cup liquid, (salt,) and vanilla.  Remove from heat.  Add cocoa, stir until smooth.  Gradually add sugar.  If needed, add additional 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp at a time until you get the texture you want.

Very Simple Yummy Vanilla Icing

Sift 4 cups of confectioner’s sugar, add a dash of salt if you like.  Add 2 tsp vanilla and beat in cream a little at a time until it spreads well.  It’s easy to add too much cream, so start with 1/4 cup, and add 1/2 tsp at a time after that until it’s the way you want it. 

Truly Excellent Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 or 3 eggs

1-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1-1/2 cups quick rolled oats

(3/4 cup fine nut pieces)

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup raisins

·        Cream sugar and shortening on medium speed with an electric mixer.  Add 2 eggs, mix in thoroughly. 

·        Separately combine flour, soda, cinnamon. 

·        Add powdered mixture to creamed sugar/shortening/egg mixture, combine thoroughly.  If the mixture is so dry it falls apart, add the additional egg. 

·        Add remaining ingredients, stirring gently. 

·        Drop heaping tablespoonsful on ungreased cookie sheets.  Do not flatten them; they will flatten as they bake. 

·        Bake at 350 F for about 8 minutes. 

·        Cool on wire racks; store in airtight containers.  This usually makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

You also can make this recipe into chocolate chip cookies by omitting the raisins and adding chocolate chips instead, stirred in at the end and baked just the same.

Happy eating!

Cyclops Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

additional sugar

about 60 milk chocolate kisses

          _______________________________________________

In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and peanut butter until homogenous (the same all the way through).  Add 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add milk, egg, and vanilla.  Beat well.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Gradually add dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture, beating well. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls, then roll the balls in additional sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (until edges are firm).  Take out of the oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss in the middle of each hot cookie.  Lift the cookies onto a rack to cool.  Makes about 60 cookies.

Red- White-and-Blue Waffle Cakes

Food:

2 cups each, of strawberries (red), bananas (white), and blueberries (blue).

1 Box of 16 refridgerator waffles.

1 pint of cream for whipping. ( you can also use any kind of ready made whipped-cream, but get a lot!)

1 teaspoon of vanilla (for the whipped cream)

A rounded tablespoon of powdered sugar (also for the whipped cream)

Materials:

1 cutting board.

1 knife.

A mixer (if you are going to make your own whipped cream.)

3 large(r) bowls.

4 large spoons.

Plates.

The recipe:

Chop the strawberries and bananas into small pieces, (remember to wash the fruit), put them into bowls, and put the blueberries into one of the bowls. Follow the instructions on the box of Eggos, and while they are cooking, (if you are making your own whipped cream) whip the cream, with the sugar and vanilla When everything is ready, put one waffle on a plate, spread it with one 1/3 cup of strawberries, top with 1/4 cup of whipped cream, then another waffle goes on top of that. And then 1/3 cup of bananas, then 1/4 cup of whipped cream, a waffle goes on top of that, 1/3 cup of blueberries in the center of the waffle, and then a little bit bigger dollop of whipped cream.

Recipe makes 5 cakes.

Notes from Kathleen: this would be great for a party, where guests can build their own cakes.

My family has served a cake sized one at different birthdays for me, or one of my two brothers, or my sister. And I made some little cakes for a fathers day dinner. It can be served for any meal you can think of, and even those that you can’t think of. It was originally made for my mother’s birthday, made of big homemade waffles, but Eggos make it much faster.

Salad Dressing

So your salad’s made.  Now what do you put on it?  Here are some combinations to get you started.  There are infinite salads, and infinite dressings to put on them.  Experiment and see what tastes you like together!

Italian Herb Dressing

¼ cup oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar (balsamic is also nice)

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp oregano flakes

1 tsp basil flakes

¼ tsp thyme flakes

2 cloves garlic, put through a press

a little salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

¼ tsp oregano flakes

¼ tsp basil flakes

1 clove garlic, minced or put through a press

¼ cup minced green onions

salt and pepper to taste

Honey Dill Dressing

¼ cup honey

¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp sugar

½ cup finely chopped green onions

3 Tbsp fresh parsley

½ tsp dried dill weed or 1 Tbsp fresh dill

Whichever kind you choose, or with your own ingredients (tahini is delicious in dressing), put everything in a cruet, a bottle or jar with a tightly-fitting lid, or a plastic container that seals, and shake energetically until the dressing is well blended.  Serve with salad, so people can choose how much they want.