Drunk Polenta

1. onion
2. garlic
3. mushroom
4. apple
5. lemon zest
6. polenta

in a large pot, bring water and red wine (3:1) to a boil, then simmer
+ rosemary, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, salt, pepper

sauté 1, add 2-5

add polenta to wine&herb mix, cook 5 minutes, stir in sauté
+ earth balance + nutritional yeast + soy cream (optional)
cook until thick

grease a bowl, into which you will dump the polenta mix
refrigerate for a couple hours
slice it up and fry or bake

serve with asparagus or kale, etc.

Coconut Curry Soup for Velupillai Prabhakaran and LTTE

As close an approximation I could get to Sri Lankin cuisine with the things I had in the kitchen. Make it with seasonal veggies (e.g. the first asparagus of the season!).

1. onion

2. carrot

3. asparagus

4. small red potato (roasted)

5. coconut milk

6. veg stock

7. red chili paste (red chile pepper + rice vinegar + lime + garlic + cumin + coriander + turmeric + food processor)

sauté 1, add 2. add 5-7, simmer. add 3-4. 

garnish with cilantro or mint. serve with a side of basmati rice. 

The Return of Plantains+Black Beans

1. plantain

2. onion

3. rep pepper

4. garlic

5. corn

6. green olives

7. black beans

sauté 1-4, then 5-7. 

+ lime, cumin, coriander, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper

top with chreezy sauce made from cashew butter + nutritional yeast + honey (opt.)

serve over quinoa

Sweets 'n Beets Bake

1. sweet potato (between a julienne and a shred)

2. golden beets (likewise)

3. corn (frozen's fine)

4. cherries (dried, sweet or tart)

5. seitan (spiced with fennel, paprika, oregano, mustard)

6. quinoa

7. onion

8. red pepper

9. beet greens

10. garlic

bake 1-6 (+ broth, tahini, mustard, garlic, paprika, fennel, rice vinegar, sugar or honey), covered, 40 minutes, then uncovered, 20 minutes

sauté 7-10 + cumin, garlic, lemon juice

serve bake over greens, top with crushed cashews, enjoy!

nutty italian

1. onion

2. garlic

3. zucchini squash (sliced thin)

4. spinach

5. green tea

6. cashew butter

cook rigatoni in green tea

saute 1, then 2-4 (I throw the spinach in at the very end so that it just barely wilts)

make sauce from 5 & 6 (+ tamari, sesame oil, basil, honey, horseradish/wasabi)

toss it all together, top with crushed peanuts or cashews

Gumbo! Gumbo! Gumbo!

Southern U.S. + Med = SoMed

1. onion

2. garlic

3. celery

4. carrots

5. tomato paste

6. beans (lima, butter, and/or navy)

7. okra

8. yam

9. corn

prepare beans

soften yam in oven

saute 1-4, add 5 & water/stock

add 6-9

+ bay leaf, basil, cumin, turmeric

+molasses

serve over quinoa or rice, garnished w/ chopped green olives

Coconut-Sweet Potato Soup

1. onion

2. garlic

3. lemon grass

4. carrot

5. coconut milk

6. sweet potato (cubed)

saute 1-3, add 4-5 (thin with vegetable stock if desired), + ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt to taste

bake 5 at 450' until crisp

cook noodle of choice, drain and toss in sesame oil

put everything in a bowl, over fresh kale (or leafy green of choice)

Cheaper than Pine-Nut Pesto

1. walnuts

2. cilantro (or basil)

3. honey (optional)

4. lemon juice

5. olive oil

6. kalamata olives (optional)

7. garlic 

8. chile pepper (if you want it spicy)

all in the food processor

+ salt and pepper to taste

serving ideas:

a.) spread it on ciabatta and make a spinach-sprout-tomato sandwich

b.) spread it on penne and garnish with diced tomato 

c.) spoon that shit straight into your mouth, you won't regret it

Miso-Soba Salad

1. salad greens

2. bean sprouts

3. mushrooms (thinly sliced)

4. carrots (likewise)

5. cilantro

6. green onion

cook soba noodles

mix everything and toss with:

miso paste (thinner or thicker depending on desired soupy-ness)

chili-garlic oil (chili pepper + garlic + rice vinegar + sesame oil, combined in food processor)

Sweet Potato - Plantain Hash

1. sweet potato (cubed, small)

2. plantain (likewise)

3. onion 

4. garlic

5. red pepper

6. corn

7. currants 

mix everything with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey (opt.)

+cumin, basil, cayenne pepper

roast, covered, until potatoes are soft, then broil uncovered until browned

Sweet & Spicy Eggplant-Pumpkin Spread

1. eggplant

2. onion

3. garlic

4. pumpkin

5. red pepper

5. tomato

6. currants 

roast 1-5. saute 6 & 7.

+ lemon juice, red wine vinegar, basil, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, honey or turbinado or agave nectar (optional)

throw everything in a food processor with olive oil to taste; add 1 tablespoon water at a time to desired consistency.

spread on anything, or just eat with your hands, it's that good

Autumnomia

Lasagna for the people.

1. pumpkin

2. onion

3. garlic

4. shiitake (or other) mushrooms

5. spinach (or arugula, if you self-identify as an elitist)

6. silken tofu

7. tomatoes (canned works fine, preferably whole) + sauce or paste

8. lasagna noodles

halve and seed 1, roast, also roast the seeds (season to taste, I recommend a little nutmeg here)

cook the noodles (unless you have those magical bake-only ones), rinse in cold water, coat in olive oil

separately, make a killer tomato sauce (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme... recipe upon request)

separately, saute 2 until caramelized, add 3 and 4 (each sliced thin), then 5

combine 1 (roasted) and 6 in a food processor + salt and pepper to taste

layer: noodle - tofu/pumpkin mix - saute - seeds - sauce (repeat, ending with noodle and light sauce on top)

bake for a while

Magenta, Raw

a very versatile (and easily modified) slaw

1. red cabbage

2. beets (peeled)

3. carrots (also peeled)

4. onion (you guessed it)

5. garlic (yup, these too)

6. cilantro (chopped)

7. sliced almonds or sesame seeds

8. currants or dried cranberries

shred 1-5 in a food processor, add 6-8

+ miso paste, ginger, olive and/or sesame oil, lemon juice, rice wine or cider vinegar, tamari, honey (optional)

mix well; if possible, let sit at 115' for a few hours, refrigerate

raw serving suggestions: over sprouted grain (quinoa, spelt, etc), or over a bed of leafy greens

non-raw serving suggestions: mixed with cold asian noodles, over cornbread, on a sandwich

Avocado-Shiitake Puttanesca

1. garlic
2. shiitake mushroom
3. kalamata olive
4. capers
5. avocado
6. tomato
7. fresh basil or cilantro

saute 1 (sliced)-2 (also sliced), then add 3 (minced) and 4.
smash avocado with olive oil + lemon juice
coat penne, rigatoni, or ziti with avocado mix, add saute ingredients + basil/cilantro
garnish with diced tomato

Color, Counter-Raj

autumnal midwest meets vaguely south asian cuisine

1. spaghetti squash

2. kale

3. onion

4. garlic

5. red pepper

bake 1

blanch 2

saute 3-5

add 1 (strung out), then 2 (pressed dry) to saute 

+cumin

+ lemon juice

serve over basmati rice (cooked with bay leaves)

garnish with tomato chutney and roasted squash seed (seasoned with cumin + coriander)

Cuban Revolution

1. plantain (yellow to brown, sliced at a diagonal, <1/4 inch thick)

2. shallot

3. red pepper

4. chile pepper

5. garlic

6. black beans

7. corn

saute 1-5, until plantains begin to brown and shallot starts to caramelize

add 6, with some liquid, and 7

+ cumin, oregano

simmer for a while

serve with fresh bread or over rice

+hot sauce to taste