Creamy Garlic Avocado Dip

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Labne (I used Karoun Lite brand) If you can't find Labne, sour cream or greek yogurt will do.
2-3 Avocados
1-2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
(A little lemon rind too, microplaned in)
Spicy Garlic Blend (to taste): Dehydrated Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes and Salt


Directions:
Slice avocados in half, spoon into bowl (or labne container!) Mash Avocado along with Labne, lemon juice, spices and lemon rind.

Serve with cucumber slices, crackers (or mini-matzah's), chips, as a sandwich spread, or with fish. If you're doing paleo or gluten free, it'd go well with even more crudite or Mary's Gone Crackers!

Ok. So you'll tell me that this is not quite guacamole. I presume that's not a complaint. Enjoy!

Passover Sweet Treats

Marshmallow Treats

Non-Stick Spray
Marshmallows
Berries (or your favorite fruit)
Chocolate Chips
Mint Leaves for garnish, optional
Pie Tin


Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Spray tin (you may want to line pan with aluminum foil)
Toss Marshmallows into pan and, after 5 minutes, add in small pieces of fruit and chocolate chips.

Cook for 6-8 minutes longer, until Marshmallows are your favorite shade of brown.

Apologies the picture doesn't have mint or chocolate... This version was made to go into a crepe as a filling.
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 Passover Crepes (aka Egg Noodles)

6 Large Eggs
1 cup Tapioca (or Potato) Starch
1.5 cups Water (or Milk) a bit more or less to consistency that works for your desired level of thickness
1 pinch of salt
Large Non-stick pan, spray or oil
Ladle or Squeeze bottle (the later makes this so easy)
Spatula (or really delicate tongs)
Your Favorite Crepe Fillings (chocolate spread, fruit, marshmallows etc)


Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, whisk or stir with fork until blended. There may be a clump or two, but try to break it up as much as possible.
Heat pan to a high temperature.
Spread batter to coat pan.
Cook for 1-2 minutes, until edges start to release from sides and crepe can easily flip.
Continue to cook slightly less time on this opposite side.
Place onto plate to serve later, along with the side above, fresh fruit, chocolate spread (or chips).
Keep the batter well mixed, it separates easily

Optional use of this recipe: Savory crepes with roasted veggies or to serve as Egg Noodes: Roll up crepe and slice into noodles for soup, tomato sauce, or bolognese.

Slowcooker Sweet & Spicy Tomato Sauce

This is the results of "OMG my fridge is packed with a full CSA haul!" when the person I share it with was on vacation.  Normally I'd add carrots and or celery to my sauce, but I'm set on not buying extra veggies given the abundance that I've been getting from the farm.

6 lbs of tomatoes

1 cherry bomb pepper
2 green peppers
3 zucchini/summer squash (~1/2 lb each)
1/4 lb enoki mushrooms
1 onion
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup Red wine (it's fine if it has turned, or you can use red wine vinegar)
1/4 cup rice vinegar (I used roasted garlic flavor. It's delicious, you could also roast the garlic rather than putting in fresh cloves)
6-8 cloves of garlic (smash prior to putting in so the oils are released)
2 tbs honey or brown sugar for vegans (or more, to taste)
1/2 cup or more fresh basil reserve some for later addition.
1 bay leaf
some: oregano,  dried italian herbs, salt to taste.
Slow cook in crockpot: Low 8-10 hours

Even if you have a casual relationship with your cutting board you'll be a master of this in no time. Quarter tomatoes (I didn't remove skins, some recipes really recommend blanching and removing, but they break down easily in the crockpot and were all farm-fresh, organic and whatnot). Rough chop other ingredients and add along with liquid.
Walk away! Have an awesome day at work, out with friends, whatever.
When you get back hope around hour 6,8 or 10 just remove bay leaf, place the immersion blender into the pot and blend. Taste and add in extra seasoning (I used fresh pink salt here) and fresh basil to taste.

This made three 24 oz. bottles plus two cups... so served that night and bottled the rest for me and to give as gifts. Also, the one cherry bomb just gave it a bit of a roasted flavor. Feel free to add more hot peppers for more of a bang.

Bourbon Infused Mini-Maple Cornbread Loaves - Gluten Free, Dairy Free

I love my mini-loaf pan. I just used it for mini-meatloaves and hadn't even had a chance to put it away from the dish-rack when I thought of these.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:

• Non-Stick Spray (I used coconut oil, which was from Trader Joe's)
• 2 Cups Cornmeal/ Stone Ground Corn flour (make sure it's gluten free)
• 1 Cup Brown Rice flour (most recipes use 1/2 c. brown, 1/2 c. white, but this is what I had. It is a touch grainier than most breads we know)
• 2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Chili Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Coriander
• 1/2 Tsp Allspice

Blend all the above (dry) ingredients together. Be sure to spray your loaf pan (or skillet)

• Buttermilk Replacement:
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk 
• 1 Tbsp Vinegar added to Coconut Milk (I used Apple Cider Vinegar)
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Margarine (softened), or coconut oil
• 2 Tbs Rice Bran Oil
• 2 Tbs Maple Syrup
• 2 Tbs Bourbon (I think it might stand a touch more next time)
• 1 Tbs Orange Juice
• Maple syrup (or honey) for drizzling on top prior to baking

Combine liquid ingredients together, add vinegar directly into coconut and then combine the rest, whisking into dry ingredients for just a minute or so - until smooth.  Pour or spoon batter into pan, drizzle with maple syrup or honey, and bake for 18-22 minutes, using the toothpick test.

Here's how they came out:

Protein Packed Ginger Carrot Slow Cooker Soup

This hearty treat evolved to serve a whole lot of vegetarians when I was making Brisket. It surely satisfied and even was enjoyed by meat eaters as well. I'm bound to make it again soon and will try to save leftovers for photographs...

 

Ingredients:

6 peeled sliced carrots

1 ½ inches  of fresh ginger root

3 cloves of garlic

2 cups red lentils

2/3 cup Mirin

6-8 cups broth and/or water (I like Brad's organic vegetable broth)

Celery leaves

1 sweet onion

3 ribs chopped celery

Dash Emeril’s Asian seasoning

Dash Allspice

Scallions (Whites for cooking, greens for decorating on top)

Directions:

Place ingredients into slow cooker on high for 2-3 hours until soft, then use a hand blender to mix all ingredients together, and if serving within 3 hours, keep on low, if serving the following day, keep on warm.  You may need to add more liquid depending on preferred consistency.


PS - I may have added a bit of the brisket gravy to the leftovers ... it was DELICIOUS ... so if you're not serving vegetarians feel free to add in some beef variant as well. If you are, either Sherry or Beer can be added to the liquids for more depth of flavor.