Cauliflower Carrot Soup

This soup is warm, flavorful and perfect for the wintertime.

Estimated preparation time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower
• 3-4 cups carrot
• 1 large potato
• 1 onion
• 1 head of garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Red chili flakes
• Italian seasoning
• Broth

Procedure

1. Sauté garlic, chopped onions and carrots with all the seasonings for about 5-10 minutes at medium to medium-high heat, until carrots have a nice sear starting. 

2. Add the chopped potato (peeled if preferred) and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chopped cauliflower and give it another 5 minutes. 

3. Add broth to almost cover the vegetables. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are cooked through, and blend until smooth. Simmer another 5 minutes. 

4. Serve with a dash of cream, a slice of toasted baguette, or au naturel. 

Sweet Potato and Beet Bruschetta

This bruschetta seems very atypical, but no te preocupes, is fire.

Estimated preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Sweet potato
• Beets with beet greens
• Baguette
• Feta
• Lemon aioli

Procedure

1. Peel and slice sweet potato into round whole slices.

2. Season with salt and pepper. Sear in oil until golden brown on either side.

3. Peel the beets and reserve the beet greens. Slice beets as desired and give it a quick pickle or toss in olive oil and seasoning and bake at 400-450F on either side until cooked, caramelized and crisped.

4. Take the beet greens and julienne. Toss in a lemon vinaigrette lightly.

5. Slice the baguette and smear some of the lemon aioli, layer with the sweet potato and next the beet. Top with the feta and bake at 400-450F until feta looks sizzled lightly. 

6. Top with the beet greens and go wild.   

Oyster Mushroom Salad

For an incredibly delicious salad, go wild with this recipe.

Ingredients

• Oyster mushrooms 
• Salad greens
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper 
• Parmesan

Procedure

1. Toss mushrooms with olive oil and salt and pepper.

2. Cut off the top of the head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Bake the mushrooms and the head of garlic at 400-450F for 20-30 minutes. Stir mushrooms halfway through.

4. Squeeze roasted garlic out and add to the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, what have you. Shake thoroughly.

5. Dress salad with the vinaigrette and top with shaved parmesan and the mushrooms.

Papa's Bulgarian Salad

This salad is crisp, refreshing and perfect for the summer. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Estimated preparation time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of parsley
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1-2 cucumbers
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1 cup feta cheese
• Juice of one lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Procedure

1. Chop vegetables to a small or medium dice. 

2. Add lemon juice and olive oil, adding more or less of either if desired. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and toss. 

3. Add feta cheese and serve chilled. 

Cream Cheese Wontons

What a coincidence - ran across this recipe after our trip to Quang's.

Baked Crab Rangoon

1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small green onion
4 oz imitation crab
3 oz cream cheese
14 wonton wrappers

Cut up the crab and mix it in with garlic salt, worcestershire sauce, green onion and cream cheese (i would microwave the cream cheese for about 40 seconds to soften)
 
Spoon into wontons.

Bake at 425 °F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with sweet/sour sauce.