Curry

2 med yellow onions - peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves - chopped
2-2.25 lbs chicken - cut to 1/2" cubes
1 2" cinnamon stick
6 cloves
2 tbl paprika (I use 1 tbl half-sharp, 1 tbl regular)
2 tbl crushed coriander seeds
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper (I leave this out and we add cayenne to taste on our plates.)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
2 large yams - cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup coconut milk  
1 cup cream of coconut (found with drink mixes)
 (Instead of the coconut milk and cream of coconut, I use a box (7oz) of organic creamed coconut and add 3 cups water.)

stir fry onions & garlic in 3 tblspoons water. Med heat 8-10 mins. Add chicken and let it cook for a few mins. Reduce heat to med-low. Throw in everything else. Cover and simmer. Stir occasionally for ~1.5 hrs.

we eat it over squash or quinoa.

Mashed califlower

1 head of califlower, steamed or roasted
1-2 tablespoons of butter
shredded pepper jack cheese
raw sharp cheddar cheese
chives
salt and pepper to taste (smoked salt is good)

optional: sour cream

hit all ingrediants in steep sided bowl with immersion blender. add condiments to taste and mix in with spoon. I like my texture on the course side.

Dessert balls

1 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dates

blend in food processor (if a struggle for a small machine, break into smaller batches). this is the base for the following recipes

alternate: try some dried apricots, try all dates, try other nuts

coconut lime balls:
juice of 1/2 lime
3-4 drops lime essential oil
handful of dried coconut

peppermint chocolate balls:
some cacao nibs
4 drops of peppermint essential oil

cinnamon chocolate ginger balls:
some cacao nibs
1/2 to thumb size piece of fresh ginger
couple shakes of ginger powder
couple shakes of cinnamon

Chocolate

1 cup (1/3 lb?) organic cacao nibs or cacao powder
1/2 cup ghee
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
some course sea salt

bring coconut and ghee to room temperature using a double boiler (just almost all liquid)

rest of ingredients in food processor, blend, add warm liquid, blend

pour into 8" x 8" Pyrex dish, let set up in fridge or in freezer for 20 minutes. cut into bite size squares and store in fridge or freezer.

good with almond butter spread on top


alternate: blend in some almonds during 1st part of food processor

modified from recipe on www.homemademommy.net

Italian Dressing

1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 Tablespoon onion powder
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 Tablespoon dried parsley (optional)

3 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon flax seed oil
4 Tablespoons olive oil (total oil - 1/3 cup)
10 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (2/3 cup)
~2 Tablespoons lemon juice (optional - juice of 1 small lemon or 1/2 of a large lemon)

In a small bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Store in a sealed container.

To prepare dressing, combine1 heaping Tablespoon of the the dry mix with the water. Add the other liquid ingredients and shake vigorously. 1-3 Tablespoons per serving averages out to about 10 servings per bottle.

Started this recipe with one off of the 'net, eliminated the sugar and extra salt and changed some of the ratios and particulars of the liquids.

soba noodle salad

8 oz soba noodles
1 c frozen shelled edamame
1.5 c shredded carrots (2-3 carrots)
1.5 c thinly sliced scallion (1 bunch)
0.5 c chopped fresh mint (less)
1 lg orange
2 Tbsp white miso
1.5 - 2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
0.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more)
0.25 tsp sale (ignore)

Cook noodles till about 3 mins from done, then add edamame to pot for remaining time.

empty into colander; rinse w/ cold water. drain. mix with carrots, scallion and mind.

Grate orange to produce 0.5 tsp zest. Juice orange to produce 4 Tbsp liquid. Place zest and juice in mixing bowl and mix in remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over noodles, etc. & place in fridge.

Better if it sits for a while for flavors to blend.

Ratatouille, pressure cooker

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 eggplant, chopped into chunks
1 zucchini (2 if small), same size chunks
1 yellow squash, same size chunks
2-5 mushrooms, bigger pieces
3-4 tomatoes, chunks
1 onion, medium to large diced
2 carrots, similar sized chunks
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon basil
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt (add to garlic while mincing)

heat cooker, medium-high, add oil when hot
saute onions, 1 min
add carrots, 1 min
add squash (zucchini, etc), 1 min
add eggplant, 1 min
add garlic, pepper, thyme, tomatoes, mushrooms, 1 min
add water
close pressure cooker, heat on medium high till pressure reached, turn burner to low, pressure cook for 4 minutes (total of 20-30 minutes from start of cooking portion), release pressure, open, add basil, enjoy hot with cous-cous or quinoa or as leftovers (flavors meld great the next day)

Play with ratios & ingredients (make sure the volume stays below the pressure cooker max fill line (OK, make sure you can at least close the lid and by the time it's done, it will probably be around the max fill line ;-))

I joke with Donna that it only takes 4 minutes to cook, and since I pre-cut and pre-measure everything, there are only 9 (or 10) bowels to clean up afterwards!