Roughly chop 2 onions, 2 carrots and a half celery stalk and sauté them in a big pot with oil (I use avocado oil, but any oil will do). Add 3 cloves of garlic and half of 1/3 of a cup of ginger (really garlic and ginger are to taste). For the ginger you can leave the skin on and mince. Sauté until all veggies are softened and then add in a tablespoon of red curry paste. Stir that into the veggies until they take on the red colour of the paste – you will want to ensure any big chunks of paste have been broken up.

Add 3 cans of coconut milk/cream. Squeeze half a lime (gives it a nice kick/pull through flavour, but not necessary). Let this cook on medium to low for at least two hours, checking that veggies aren’t catching the bottom of the pot. If it’s too spicy, add more coconut cream. From there you can add any other vegetables and/or meat. Serve along with rice.

Hope you can enjoy trying this recipe!

• Natasha brought this dish to the Reiki Community Christmas Celebration on December 20th. It took centre stage amidst all the sweets on the table. Thanks Natasha for sharing your recipe.

From the Mennonite Community Cookbook, a long-time resource in many Mennonite homes for years.

• 3 cups sliced apples
• 1 cup brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 tbsp. top milk (aka light cream)
• Pastry for one 9″ crust

Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender.

Place sliced apples in an unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top. Add milk.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until apples are soft, and a rich syrup has formed.

This recipe received the BEST SWEET award in the BEST FALL 2013 RECIPE CONTEST.

A long-time favourite from the Mary Moore Cookbook.

• 2 cups stirred but unsifted cake and pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 1.5 cups vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1.25 cups drained, crushed pineapple
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Place sifter over large bowl and measure flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into it and sift into bowl. Now add the sugar, oil, eggs and beat hard by hand for a minute. Add carrots, pineapple and nuts and beat to mix. This batter is quite moist.

Grease bottom of 13×9″ pan. Line bottom with buttered heavy brown paper. Pour in batter and bake at 350 on centre shelf for 35 minutes or until when gently touched at centre your fingerprint does not remain.

Cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Icing:

• One 4 oz. pkg white cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup butter (or margarine) softened
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Measure all ingredients into beater bowl and beat until perfectly smooth. Spread on cooled cake. Cut cake into squares from pan.

This soup recipe was deemed BEST SOUP in the BEST FALL 2013 RECIPE CONTEST. It has been re-named as Peace Soup (in honour of International Peace Day on Sept 21st, 2013).

• 1.5 lbs sweet potatoes or yams (acorn or butternut squash may be substituted)
• 4 cups water
• 1  3-inch stick cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 3 large (average person’s fist size) ripe pears (any kind but Bosc)
• 1-2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp dry white wine
• 1/3 cup half-and-half, light cream or milk (low-fat or soy okay)
• a few dashes of ground white pepper

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small pieces. Place in a large saucepan with water, cinnamon stick and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until tender (about 15 minutes). Remove the cover and let simmer an additional 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Set aside.
2. Peel and core the pears, and cut them into thin slices. In a heavy skillet, sauté pears in butter for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup wine, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes over medium heat.
3. Using a food processor with the steel blade or a blender, puree the sweet potatoes in their water together with the pears au jus until smooth. (You may have to do this in several batches.) Transfer to a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven.
4. Add the cream or milk and the additional tbsp. wine. Sprinkle in the white pepper. Heat very gently just before serving. (Don’t cook it or let it boil.)

Steps 1-3 can be done ahead of time and the puree can be refrigerated for a day or two before the finishing touches are added and the soup is heated and served.

Lucy adds: I made it without the cream or extra wine (I drank it) – and it was still delicious!

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 grams) butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups (250 grams) rice flour (or any gluten-free flour)
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) chopped pecans (optional)  Chocolate chips are a good substitute!

In a food processor, blend bananas, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Pour into desired baking pans and bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) until firm – mini muffins [6 minutes], regular muffin tins [10-15 minutes], mini loaves [15 minutes], bread loaf [60 minutes]. Serves 12.

Dairy-free Variation: use margarine

Egg-free Variation: omit eggs and add 1 extra banana

Low-sugar Variation: omit sugar or add 1/4 cup (85 grams) honey or sugar substitute

Nut-free Variation: omit pecans if a nut allergy exists.

Batter

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 15 oz pumpkin puree

Mix the ingredients with a hand mixer. The batter will be thick.

Pour into a greased 7x11x2 pan.

Bake at 350 for 28 minutes.

Let cool for 5 – 10 min in the pan. Flip onto a platter.

Glaze

• 1 ½ c icing sugar
• 3 tbsp apple cider
• ¾ tsp pumpkin  pie spice

Combine icing sugar, apple cider, and spice. Add more sugar if needed.

Pour over cake while warm.

Reserve some of the glaze to pour over individual slices.

Ingredients:

• One 29 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained.
• One 6 oz can tomato paste
• 32 oz vegetable stock
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Avocado, cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium low heat. Add onions and cook until soft and they start to turn brown (about 10 minutes). Add the tomato paste, chilli powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the beans, stock and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Continue cooking for about 15 – 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chilli has thickened. Add a bit of water if the chilli becomes too thick for your liking. Top with avocado and chopped cilantro. Scrumptious!

Tastes better the next day and even better the day after that!

Must serve with whipped cream! Haha

Preheat oven to 425 F.

• 2 frozen lard deep pie shells
• 1 large can of pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 can 2 % or whole evaporated milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1½ tsp nutmeg
• 1½ tsp vanilla (top quality vanilla, not artificial and I use 2 tsp )
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp ginger

Blend, pour into two shells:

Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes then 350 F for another 45 minutes. Done when knife comes out clean.

My adaption of Elena Amsterdam’s recipe from her latest cookbook

Makes 3 Loaves –  5 ½ x 3 x 2 ¼ inch

• 4 cups blanched almond flour
• ½ cup golden flax meal
• 4 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 10 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted over very low heat (I use microwave)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350’. Line the loaf pans with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl put all dry ingredients: almond flour, flax meal, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Use dry mixer to mix ingredients together.  In a smaller bowl beat together eggs, coconut oil, honey and vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix thoroughly with mixer.

Scoop batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan; tapping pan on table top to settle batter. Bake from 35-40 minutes until a knife inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for one hour, then serve. Before storing allow loaf to dry completely to touch.

Bread freezes well and can be reheated in the toaster.

 

• 3 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1/2 c. of your favourite chopped nuts (macadamia, pine, pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc.)
• 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1 jar of trader joe’s almond butter with flaxseed (16oz jar) or other nut butter or combination of nut butters
• 1/2 c. 72% dark chocolate pieces/chips + some for topping
• 1/2 c. unsweetened grated/shredded coconut plus some for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 glass baking dish with coconut oil (or butter). Combine the rolled oats and nuts in a large bowl. Measure the honey and maple syrup in a small microwaveable dish. Microwave for about 30 seconds to warm the liquid mixture. Pour into bowl with oats and nuts and stir to coat evenly.

In a separate, microwavable dish warm the almond butter for 30-45 seconds to soften. Pour into bowl with oats and nuts and stir to distribute evenly.

Add chocolate chips and shredded coconut and stir to combine evenly.

Press mixture into baking dish. Top with additional chocolate chips (optional). Top with additional shredded coconut (optional; this will get toasted in the oven).

Bake for 25 minutes or until light brown on top. Take out of oven and cool on cooling rack. Cut into squares/chunks/granola crumbles.

Store in fridge for up to a week or so.