Corn cakes

I based this off a combination of a recipe for arepas and a recipe from Recipezaar for corn cakes. I used grits because it was what I had in the house, though a corn meal might be even better and then you could remove the corn starch as an ingredient. I'm still looking for Goya masarepa to make real arepas though! Another option might be to leave out both the oil and the corn starch for a lower fat option.

1 - 1.5 c grits (I started with 1 cup and then added some more when I saw it was too watery)
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 c boiling water
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 Tbsp corn starch

1. Mix the grits and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add the boiling water and stir very well.
3. Add the olive oil and corn starch and stir again.
4. Let it sit, mixing occasionally, until a thick batter is formed.
5. Heat some more olive oil in a skillet and scoop about 1/4 c batter into the pan.
6. Flatten a little with a spatula if you want thin patties, add more batter if you want larger and thicker patties.
7. Fry both sides until crispy and browned. Blot oil so they don't get soggy.
8. Slice open and make your favorite sandwich!

Butternut Squash Soup (egg-free, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free)

I love all sorts of squashes, but especially butternut squash. I've looked at a number of butternut squash soup recipes on Recipezaar and taken the best elements of the ones I saw to create this soup. Top with crunchy croutons, sweet potato chips, rum or any topping you feel like.

Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 - 1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 small butternut squashes
6 cups water
cinnamon powder
cumin, ground
powdered ginger
rosemary, dried
chili powder
salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Slice the butternut squashes in half. Place face down in microwave safe dish containing about 1 inch of water. Microwave on high for about 8 minutes.
2. Let the squash cool. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Scoop the softened squash out of the peel and set aside.
3. Saute the diced onion, garlic and red pepper for 5-10 minutes in vegetable oil.
4. Add the butternut squash and the water.
5. Add the seasonings to taste.
6. Cook for 30 minutes or until flavors are blended.
7. Puree with immersion blender OR let cool and them puree with food processor or blender.
8. Reheat before serving.

Refrigerator pickles

These went over really well with my husband. Spices are very flexible, the first time I only used these spices but the second time I put in some chili powder and onion powder.

2-4 small cucumbers or 4-8 pickling cucumbers (depends on size of jar and cucumbers)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill
8-16 whole black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Sliced cucumbers in any fashion you use and place into jar. If your jar is big enough and your cucumbers are small enough, put them in whole.
2. Mix together the water, sugar and vinegar in either a pot or a microwave-safe container.
3. Heat on stove or in microwave until the mixture is hot and the sugar is completely dissolved.
4. Pour spices over the cucumbers.
5. Pour the sugar-water-vinegar mixture over the cucumbers until it reaches the bottom of the jar's neck.
6. Cap jar and invert several times to distribute the spices.
7. Place into refrigerate and wait at least one day before eating.

Vegetarian Sandwich with fig and peach jam, vegan cheese and baco bits and lettuce ( Vegitarian, Kosher, Citrus Free, Dairy free)

Microwave fig and peach jam:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups diced fresh figs (6-10 figs, depending on the size of the figs)
1/2 cup seeded, peeled peach, diced
1 1/2 cups of sugar (reduce if you want, though it won't set as well)
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon oil

2 (8-ounce) canning jars

Method

1 Place the ingredients in a large ceramic or glass bowl or casserole (we use a 2-quart pyrex measuring cup), stir to combine, let sit for 30 minutes for the fruit to macerate in the sugar.

2 Place in microwave. You will cook the fruit mixture on the high setting for approximately 15 minutes. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, after about 6 to 8 minutes, stop the cooking and stir. Continue cooking and stir every few minutes. At about 13 minutes the mixture should start to get viscous. If you spoon out a bit on to a small plate that has been in the freezer, you can push the mixture around a bit with your finger tip to see how thick it is. If it is runny, cook it a couple minutes more. You can also check by seeing how the jam runs off of a spoon. If it seems to firm up a bit as it drips, it's done.

If you use a large pyrex measuring cup as we have done here, you can see that you start with close to 3 cups of liquid. You want to boil it down to 2 cups.

3 Pour out the jam into jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headroom from the top of the jars. If you want to keep your jam in a cupboard, then use sterilized jars (heat them in the oven at 200°F for 10 minutes). If you plan to eat up quickly and will keep them in the refrigerator, regular clean jars will do.

Homemade Vegan Baco Bits:

1 cup plain textured vegetable protein (TVP) granules
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1/4 cup oil

Combine TVP and boiling water in a small bowl; let stand several minutes to rehydrate. Combine tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar and liquid smoke; add to TVP and mix well.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet; add TVP mixture. Cook over medium heat until browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
Cool before storing in the refrigerator.

Microwave Gluten Free Roll

Ingredients:

2 Tbs oil
1/2 pinch of salt
1 egg
2Tbs flaxseed meal 2 Tbs Rice flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix all ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl or container, and microwave on high for 1 minute or until center is set (it will get larger in the bowl). Let set in bowl for one minute, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool. When it is cool, slice through the middle with a bread knife.

Once all these items are made, place some fig and peach jam on the bread, put lettuce on it, put vegan baco bits on the lettuce, top with vegan cheese, and grill until the cheese is melted

3 bean salad (vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, etc)

3 bean salad (Linda's recipe)


Beans are a great source of fiber and protein, especially for vegetarians or those who don't much meat or fish. This recipe is quick and really easy. Canned vegetables are a great way to get nutrients even in the middle of the winter, when it's hard to find good fresh produce. Feel free to play with the spices, this is a recipe that's great for experimentation! Sometimes I add diced jalapeño or serrano chilies to the salad to heat it up, or I make it a 5 bean salad with the addition of white beans or pinto beans or lima beans. You could also add corn and other vegetables to make it a layered salad in a beautiful glass or crystal bowl. Cumin is a spice native to the Middle East, it's very characteristic of dishes in the area. It's very savory and has a distinctive flavor, really very enjoyable. It's purported to be an antiseptic and aid in digestive health.

1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas
1 15.5 oz can of pink beans, kidney beans, or red beans
1 14.5 oz can of cut green beans
1/2 red onion, diced small or 3 small shallots, sliced very thin
5 cloves of garlic, diced small
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tarragon, cider or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all 3 cans of beans in a large bowl or container.
2. Dice onion/shallots and garlic; mix into the bean mixture.
3. Pour the oil and vinegar over the salad.
4. Add all the spices.
5. Mix very well.
6. Taste to determine if more oil, vinegar or spices are needed.
7. Serve immediately or, for better flavor, marinate in the fridge until it's time to eat.