Vegetable Passion

1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons pepper flakes
2 tablespoons brown sugar*
3/4 cup unsweetened passion fruit juice*
1 small cabbage cut in slivers
1 pound tofu - crumbled
1 cup summer squash  - cubed
1 cup cut corn
1 cup chopped celery

* If you can find only sweetened passion fruit juice, eliminate the brown sugar and add the juice of one lime

* Option 3 - If you cannot find passion fruit juice at all, use 3/4 cup pineapple juice plus the juice of 1 large lime.

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil, then  add other vegetables and spices, juice and tofu

Cook slowly for about 20 minutes over low to medium heat. Vegetables should be cooked, but not soft. Serve over rice.

It's a sweet and sour vegetable dish that is guaranteed to ignite your passion to eat more vegetables!

Pi is all the irrationality I need.

Unknown

Oat Nut Breakfast Bar

For a take-along breakfast, a hiking snack or an after school snack.

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped cashews or macadamia nuts
1/2 cup honey
2 egg whites
1 cup chunky peanut or almond butter
1 cup rolled oats (If you use the slow cooking kind, grind at least half of them in a coffee grinder.)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Spices as you like: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom


Sifted powdered sugar - approx 1/2 cup. Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to sugar if you like. Mix well.

For best results, chop the cranberries into bits and make sure that the cashew pieces are quite small, too. Mix all of the ingredients together except the powdered sugar/cocoa mix.

Shape dough into 2 x 2 x 1/2 inch squares on baking stone or cookie sheet with parchment paper. This recipe should make approximately 20 squares.

Bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees. Let cool slightly. Freeze in order to make the bars more transportable. A handy method is to put two or three in a small Ziplock bag.

Live Simply, Laugh Joyfully, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly

                                                                      Author Unknown

Apple Custard Dessert

This delicious apple dessert could be made in any size from single serving to casserole. This is what I used for a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.

Preheat over to 375.

Line the bottom of the casserole dish with about five or six layers of filo dough and melted butter. Pie crust would also work if you do not like to work with filo dough.

Peel about 12 med to large apples, slice them quite thin and set aside while you mix the batter.

Custard batter: Mix 1 cup sugar - brown or white, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup soft butter.
Add 2 beaten eggs.
Add 1 cup cream and 1 cup whole milk (or 2 cups half and half).
Add the sliced apples to the mixture and stir enough to coat the slices.
Pour the apple mixture into the casserole. Sprinkle a little cinnamon over the top. Cover with foil.

Set the casserole dish on top of a cookie sheet to prevent the bottom layer from scorching.

Bake for 50 min, then uncover and bake for another 10 or 15 min or until apples are soft.

This can be served hot or cold and quite obviously with ice cream.

PS to rhubarb fans - this is essentially the recipe for a rhubarb custard pie, which is the best dessert in the universe by some measures, namely mine!

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.
Dr. Carl Sagan

Wild Rice Burgers

I recently went with my niece and nephew to a Duluth, Minnesota restaurant called Grandma's, where I had one of the best veggie burgers I have ever tasted. Ever in search of burger options, I resolved to try and reconstruct this one for myself. I make no claims to know how Grandma's restaurant created the burger, but I love wild rice and am willing to experiment. Try it and feel free to make comments!

Cook a cupful or so of wild rice until all of the grains are curled - about 1 1/2 hours. This will make the rice just slightly sticky. (Wild rice requires lots of water - at least 4 cups for 1 cup of rice.) Cool it slightly.

Sauté a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, a few chopped mushrooms, and some minced onion in a generous amount of olive oil.

To form the patties, use about 2 cups of cooked rice,
3 eggs,
1/2 cups of bread crumbs (or coconut flour to go gluten free)
sautéed mushroom mix,
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry
1 heaping tablespoon parsley

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pour some coconut oil on a baking sheet and form patties, leaving an inch or more of space between each patty. About 6 of these  will fit on a sheet. Bake on one side for about 20 minutes. When they are firm enough, flip them with a spatula and bake for 10 - 15 minutes on the other side.

Remove the sheets from the oven, and let the patties cool. Eat them in a burger bun with all of your favorite condiments. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator or the freezer.

SOUTHWEST VERSION: The second time I made these, I used Anaheim chilies instead of mushrooms and a little Creole seasoning instead of curry.  Even the non-vegetarians in my family thought these were delicious.


I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge and dreams are more powerful than facts.
Robert Fulghum

Eggstrata Sweet or Savory

This is a great breakfast if you have plenty of time the day before, but not much time on the day of!

These can be either sweet or savory

Ingredients for sweet version

8 eggs

1 ½ cups fresh berries  (Frozen, thawed, and drained berries would work, too)

1 cup heavy whipping cream or plain full fat yogurt
1/3 to 1/2 cup honey

12 slices day or two old bread - crusts cut off

8 ounces cream cheese

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

This breakfast dish is started the day before it is to be baked and eaten.

1. Thaw and drain the berries if you are using frozen berries.

2. Soften the cream cheese.

3. Add the salt, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, cream or yogurt and cream cheese and stir well.

4. Break the bread into small pieces – ½ inch cubes or smaller. Put them in a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish.

5. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and stir vigorously. Mix cream cheese batter and the eggs, and pour over the bread pieces.

6. Cover the casserole dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.

7. Preheat oven to 325 and bake for about one hour or until the center of casserole is firm.

Cut into squares and serve with any or all of the following: syrup, fresh fruit, and whipped cream.

For savory version:

8 eggs

1 ½ cups cooked sausage

1 cup heavy whipping cream or plain full fat yogurt

12 slices day or two old bread - crusts cut off

8 ounces cream cheese

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper
6 leaves chopped basil
1/3 cup chopped, fresh parsley
pinch of rosemary

Directions:

This breakfast dish is started the day before it is to be baked and eaten.

1. Cook and crumble the sausage.

2. Soften the cream cheese.

3. Add the spices and herbs, cream or yogurt, and cream cheese and stir well.

4. Break the bread into small pieces – ½ inch cubes or smaller. Put them in a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish.

5. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and stir vigorously. Mix cream cheese batter and the eggs, and pour over the bread pieces.

6. Cover the casserole dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.

7. Preheat oven to 325 and bake for about one hour or until the center of casserole is firm.

Drizzle a little melted compound butter over the squares before serving.


One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness, for it is usually returned.
William Shakespeare