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. 

Taiwanese Peanut, Pineapple Ice Cream and Cilantro Dessert Spring Rolls

This dessert is fast, refreshing, and surprising.

Ingredients

• Peanut brittle
• Pineapple ice cream
• Rice wrappers
• Cilantro

Procedure

1. Crush peanut brittle.

2. Dip rice wrapper in warm water for about 5 seconds. Take out and place on a plate to assemble.

3. Assemble by sprinkling the crushed peanut brittle onto the rice paper, add dollops of the ice cream and top with more peanut brittle and cilantro. 

4. Wrap it together like a spring roll. Have a munch.

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.

Falafel

This recipe makes very flavorful falafel.

Estimated preparation time: 30 minutes
Estimated total time: 3-7 hours
Adapted from epicurious

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas (or dried)
• 1 onion
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4-6 tablespoons flour
• Vegetable oil

Procedure

1. Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, seasonings, baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour and pulse in a food processor.

2. Try to form dough into small balls. If it sticks to your hands, add more flour.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours. 

4. Heat 3 inches of oil.

5. Form small balls and fry in the oil. If the ball falls apart, add more flour.

6. Fry on both sides about three minutes each side until golden brown. 

7. Drain on a paper towel.

8. Serve with tahina on pita with tomato slices, onion, feta, what have you. 

Chiles Rellenos

This recipe is from Carmina's mom. It is simple and quite tasty.

Estimated preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 poblano peppers
• 2 eggs
• Oaxaca cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Oil

Procedure

1. Burn pepper skin on a flame or under the broiler. Peel off the burnt skin.

2. Take seeds out of pepper and fill with Oaxaca cheese, fresh Mozzarella, or whatever cheese preferred.

3. Separate eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the egg yolks. 

4. Dip the stuffed peppers in the egg mixture and lay carefully into the hot oil. When the crust reaches a golden brown, flip and cook. 

5. Take off the heat and drain on a paper towel. Season pronto.

6. Eat as is, or in a taco.

Em's Lentil and Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Sauce

Em found these tacos when we were trying to be vegetarian for a Friday. They are real dank.

Estimated preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 onion
• 1 head of cauliflower
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
• 0.5 cup crema or sour cream or conceivably yogurt
• 0.25 cup mayonnaise
• 0.5 cup cilantro
• 1-3 limes, zested and juiced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper

Procedure

For the lentils

1. Sauté garlic, onions and add salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and whatever desired seasoning.

2. Add lentils and water. Simmer until cooked. 

For the cauliflower

1. Chop cauliflower into 0.5 in chunks. 

2. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, Italian seasoning, garlic perhaps.

3. Roast at 400-450F. Flip halfway through cooking. Cook for maybe 20-30 min. 

For the chipotle sauce

1. Mix all the ingredients together.

2. Taste and add more chipotle or lime or garlic etc as desired.

3. Chill at least 3 hours if using fresh garlic.

To assemble

Put the lentils and cauliflower on a taco, drizzle or inundate with the sauce. Perhaps top with classic taco accoutrements. Have a munch.