Tomatillo salsa

Chop 4 - 5 large tomatillos
Dice 1/4 of a large onion
Mince a large garlic clove
Mince a tablespoon of cilantro

Chopped ingredients

Heat oil in a sauce pan
Saute the onion until soft
Add the garlic until the garlic is fragrant but not brown
Add 1 tablespoon of cumin powder and stir
Add the tomatillos

Salsa cooking

Keep the heat on medium high. The tomatillos should quickly release moisture and begin to cook down. Cook until the tomatillo mixture is boiling and the tomatillos break down into a thick salsa.
Add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Garnish with cilantro, cool and serve with chips!

Yum!

Potato soup

• Slice a large onion
• In a large soup pot, melt 4 tbsp butter using medium - high heat
• When the butter is bubbling, add the onion
• Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft
• Add a full bulb of garlic, no need to chop or mince
• Add about 6 medium potatoes, cleaned and cubed. The skins can remain on if they look good. I used red potatoes. 
• Add about 8 cups of vegetable broth and two bay leaves
• Heat to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaves and discard. If the bulb of garlic was added intact, fish it out and push the garlic cloves back into the soup, discarding the peel and stem. 
• Using a hand blender, puree the soup. If you don't have a hand blender, carefully ladle the soup into a blender and puree, then return the soup to the pot. 
• Add about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and white pepper
• Drain and rinse a can of small white beans, add to the soup
• Simmer for about 5 more minutes to warm the beans, then ladle into bowls. 
• Serve with crusty bread.

Potato soup

Leftover pasta bake

Start with a large portion of leftover pasta, sauce mixed in.
Spray a large baking pan with oil
Spread about 1/2 of the pasta evenly in the pan.
Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Pasta and feta layers

In a pot, boil chopped kale in water for about 5 minutes.

Kale in boiling water

Drain the water off and top the pasta with the kale.
Slice a small eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Heavily salt each side. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. When the time is up, rinse the salt off and pat the eggplants dry.

Eggplant sitting with salt

Slice a small yellow squash into 1/4 inch rounds.
Spray a baking sheet with oil

Eggplant, squash layer on top of pasta and feta layer

Spread the eggplant and squash on the baking sheet and roast at 400 F for about 20 minutes. When the veggies are beginning to brown, remove them and carefully place them on top of the kale, in the baking pan.


Spread the remaining pasta evenly over the top.

Leftover pasta - ready-to-bake!

Sprinkle again with feta cheese.
Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes, until the pasta is hot.
Serve with crusty bread

Who says leftovers aren't fun! More please!

Roasted cabbage

1/2 cabbage cut in 1/2 again and sliced in about 1 inch sections
spray olive oil on roasting pan
spread cabbage evenly
spray the top of the cabbage again

spices in grinder

In a grinder, combine 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed and 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns. Grind coarsely.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix. Scatter the spice mixture over the cabbage.

Roast in an oven at 400 ºF for about 20 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and starting to turn golden.

roasted cabbage

Mashed cauliflower

Chop a small cauliflower into pieces
Chop a potato into small pieces
Put a couple of inches of water in a deep pot. Add the potatoes to the water. Place a steaming basket on top of the potatoes and put the cauliflower in the basket. Steam for about 20 minutes.

Cauliflower in the steamer, with chopped potatoes in the water

In a small sauce pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil.
Add about 1 tablespoon of minced garlic or chopped garlic tops. Saute for about 5 minutes.

Garlic tops 

Add about 1 cup of almond milk and a small pinch of saffron threads and warm to infuse the flavors.

Garlic, almond milk and saffron

When the veggies are soft, drain the water. Mash the veggies with the sauce to make a creamy mashed cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper.

Ready to blend!

Ready to serve!

Pesto pasta with veggies

Heat a large pot of water
When it begins to boil, add the pasta and fresh peas
Cook for about 10 minutes, until the pasta is soft

Meanwhile, in a saute pan, heat oil and sauté 1/2 of a small onion sliced.
After the onion begins to brown, add sliced yellow squash. Be careful to cook the squash gently, not too hot, so the squash stays firm.
Add a handful of chopped walnuts. If your pesto is frozen, add it now to begin to soften it.

Drain the pasta and peas and return them to the large pot.
Add the vegetable-pesto mixture to the pasta and peas. If you are using fresh pesto, add it now.
Mix until the pesto coats everything uniformly.

In the sauté pan, heat a small portion of oil. Add the leftover steak (already cooked), chopped into bite size pieces. Portion out the pasta into the sauté pan, to heat the steak, enough for the hunter to eat.

While the steak heats, portion out the kids plates to allow the pasta to cool before it is served.

Top with crumbled feta and fresh diced tomatoes.

kids portion - no meat

Hunter's portion, in the sauté pan before toppings added

Egg and tuna salads - two for the price of one!

Prepare eggs using the hard boiled egg recipe.
In a large bowl combine:

Moist ingredients

• 1/2 diced onion
• 2 slices of a small fennel bulb, diced
• 6 chopped hard boiled eggs
• 2 tablespoons mustard (yellow or dijon)
• 2 tablespoons Miracle whip or equivalent
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon sweet relish

chopped fennel

Mix well
Separate about 1/3 into another bowl
Add one can of tuna to the new bowl and mix well

Add the salad of choice to toasted or fresh bread. Top with Tabasco for the grown ups.

Tuna salad on top, egg salad on the bottom

Grown up sandwiches!

Kid sized sandwiches

Toddler serving!

Green bean and squash salad

Totally made this up - no joke!

leftover steamed green beans
2 yellow squashes, raw and shredded (with a grater)

Raw, shredded squash

Dijon mustard dressing:

1. In a medium size bowl or measuring cup, mix the following:

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 heaping spoonfuls of Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Slowly pour honey for about 8 seconds

chopped hard boiled egg
chopped tomato

combine and serve - it is that easy!

Green bean and squash salad

Stuffing balls with a twist

1 loaf of stale bread - preferably flavorful like multigrain or seeded, chopped into small pieces
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground white pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
about 16 oz broth or onion soup
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 ear of corn, cooked and kernels removed (leftovers!)
about 1/4 cup of hemp seeds (for extra nutrients)
1 onion chopped
stems of swiss chard chopped, about the same amount as the onion
4 garlic cloves smashed

soup, swiss chard, bread chopped, leftover corn, onion & garlic

saute onion and swiss chard until soft
add garlic and spices
remove from heat and cool

combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well
spray a baking sheet with oil
form the stuffing into balls using your hands and place on the sheet

bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes, until brown

Ready to go in the oven

Portion for the 15 month old - stuffing ball and green bean salad

Portion for the kiddos - stuffing ball, Trader Joe's fish nuggets and green bean salad