Listed in alphabetical order

The Acai Bowl

Ingredients (may vary)

For the base
1 packet frozen acai blend (Trader Joe’s has great ones)
1 frozen banana, extra ripe
1 tablespoon hemp protein or other plant-based protein OR peanut butter
1 cup fresh spinach, kale or other greens
1/2 cup almond milk, coconut milk, or soy

For the toppings (at least 4 makes it perfect)
1/2 mango, diced
Any kind of berry
Chia seeds (highly recommended)
Sliced raw almonds or other raw nuts
Savory granola
Honey, for drizzling

Directions

In a powerful blender, combine all base ingredients. Do not overblend as you want the mixture to be thick. This is not smoothie consistency; it’s just a tad thicker than that. Pour into a bowl.

In quadrants, gently arrange all toppings on top of the mixture. Drizzle honey on top.

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Vegan Beet Salad

Ingredients

For the salad
5-6 large asparagus stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 medium sized beets, any color
1/4 cup quinoa
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 teaspoon of “Better than Boullion” vegetable base
olive oil

For the dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons turbinado, to taste
1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
pinch of salt

Directions

Make the dressing. Combine all ingredients and whisk, adding more or less to taste. Let stand.

Preheat oven to 350. Using a potato peeler, peel the outer skin off of the beets. Wrap the beets in tin foil, individually, and drizzle each little packet with olive oil. Set all wrapped beets in a roasting pan and cook in the oven for about an hour, or until soft. Slice into bite sized pieces.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to package directions, adding the Better than Boullion just as the water starts to boil. Stir thoroughly and cook until fluffy, like rice. Then, in a large pot of boiling water, blanch the asparagus. Even if it doesn’t seem done, take it out after just over a minute, when it is bright green. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying man on medium-high heat. Add drained garbanzo beans, tossing and stirring constantly, and fry for about a minute. Drain again.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with salad dressing.

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The Busken Cookie

COOKIES

2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, unsalted, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
I teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoon almond extract

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar, butter, egg and vanilla and almond extracts until fluffy. Gradually blend flour mixture in with the wet mixture. Using hands, form dough into a disk and chill until firm.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment or wax paper using a little bit of flour on either side of the disk. Either cut out the cookies into desired shapes or form the dough by hand. They should be able ¼ inch thick.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown.

Cool completely before icing the cookies. Makes about 8 large cookies.

ICING

2 cups SIFTED confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon milk. Skim or reduced fat is fine.
1-2 tablespoons of corn syrup (depending on desired consistency)
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla
food coloring of choice

Whisk sifted sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and extracts until smooth and glossy, adding more corn syrup if it is too thick. Add food coloring (follow package instructions) until blended. Spread over cooled cookies and lay on wax paper to dry. Decorate as desired.

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Dad’s Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Small WHOLE chicken (3-4 lbs)
1 cup mayo
1 stalk chopped celery
1 diced shallot
1 spoonfull of dill pickle relish
1 squirt of Dijon mustard
1-2 hard boiled eggs (I used 2), roughly chopped
salt and pepper

Directions

Cook the chicken however you want to… in the oven, in a pan over the stove (ask me if you want to know how to make chicken stock with it.) You could even use a rotisserie chicken if you’re feelin lazy. Pull apart chicken with fingers and throw in a bowl (leave the skin out). Combine all ingredients. Be generous with the mayo. Enjoy.

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Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

With an electric mixer, cream together the cheese, butter and salt on medium speed. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until it has all been combined. Add the vanilla extract, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.

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Homemade Mac n Cheese

Ingredients

¼ stick of butter
2 tablespoons of flour (or 1 tablespoon of cornstarch)
¾ cup milk
Half a box of pasta, preferably elbow macaroni, rigatoni, or shells
Salt and pepper
I cup shredded cheddar cheese
Toasted breadcrumbs for topping (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the pasta in heavily salted water to al dente. Drain. Pour into a casserole dish of your choosing. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium high heat. Reduce to medium, stir in the flour until dissolved and just lightly browned. Stir in the milk. Let the milk simmer until it starts to thicken and sort of “froth” along the edges. Once thickened, add thecheese and stir. Add salt and pepper and stir. Remove from heat. Pour cheese mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle more cheese on top, along with the toasted breadcrumbs if you wish. Bake for 25 minutes.

Note: this recipe can be adapted to fit into tiny ramekins as well. Instead of pouring intoone large casserole, spread over four ramekins. You won’t be disappointed.

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