Breakfast Cookies

ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup raisins or craisins
• 1/4 chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 t cinnamon

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash bananas in a bowl. ( I like to use my pastry cutter for this.) Mix in oats and raisins/ craisins, and nuts. Then add applesauce, vanilla and cinnamon and let sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Drop the dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets. (About 1 large Tablespoon per cookie)
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Basil Lime Dressing

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup basil (and/or: fennel, dill, tarragon, cilantro)
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice and 1 T lime zest
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 t honey
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 t fresh or candied ginger
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper

directions:

• Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender or food processor.

Basic Pizza Crust

ingredients:

• 1 package of dry fast rising yeast
• 1 t sugar
• 1 cup warm water (about 110-120 degrees)
• 2 1/2 cups flour 
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 T olive oil

directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Dissolve yeast package and sugar into warm water. Let sit a few minutes.
• Beat half of flour, salt and oil into the yeast mixture.
• Add remaining flour and mix wells. Knead until smooth. Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour or till dough has doubled in size.
• Oil pans, dust pans with cornmeal. Divide dough into two balls. Spread onto pans. Bake 8 minutes. 
• Top pizzas with sauce and toppings of choice. Bake 15-20 minutes till done!

Herb Pesto

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh herbs (any combo of the following: basil, cilantro, tarragon, parsley, mint, lemon balm, or whatever you want)
• 1/2 cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews or sunflower seeds)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or other hard cheese (or leave cheese out and add more nuts if needed for texture)
• 2 garlic cloves
• dash of lemon or lime juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil

directions:

• Combine in a food processor: herbs, nuts, cheese, garlic, and lemon or lime juice.
• Pulse till combined and add olive oil till blended. Use more olive oil if needed for desired consistency. 

Potato Crusted Pizza

recipe from: Wild Carrot Cooking Class

ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded potatoes
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/4 cup sorghum or other gluten-free flour
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 T pesto
• 1 T olive oil

directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper (Be sure to use parchment!) Lightly oil the parchment paper.
• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• Spread mixture evenly over parchment paper to desired size. (If you have a pizza stone, you may want to spread the mixture to a size that will fit onto your pizza stone, so you can transfer it to your stone later.)
• Bake 20-40 minutes (depending on size and thickness). Remove from oven when the crust is dry and golden brown.
• Heat your pizza stone if you have one.
• Flip your crust over onto the heated pizza stone (if you do not have a stone, simply flip it over onto your baking sheet to help crisp up the other side of the crust)
• Top pizza, then bake 10-12 minutes till it looks good!

Pizza Topping Ideas:

• Pesto or Tomato Sauce w/ Roasted Veggies, fresh herbs and cheese
• Pesto w/ Prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and arugula
• Tomato sauce w/ bacon, cheese, onions and mushrooms
• Tomato sauce w/ feta cheese, Greek olives, and fresh or sauted spinach 

Goulash Soup (Austrian Beef Stew)

Recipe adapted from cooking class at JMKAC. 

My new favorite Beef Stew recipe! 

ingredients:

8 oz bacon, diced
1 onion, diced

1 cup celery, chopped
1 lb of beef, cubed (shoulder or stew meat work well)

1 clove garlic, crushed
1 t. caraway seeds
2 T paprika
1 T marjoram (if you don't have marjoram, use 1/2 t. basil and 1/2 t. oregano)

5 T flour (use gluten-free flour if desired)
3 cups beef or vegetable stock
1 cup red wine
2 cups potatoes, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped

2 T fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
*add other root veggies, green beans or peas if desired

directions:
1.  Saute bacon, add onions and celery and cook till onions are translucent.
2.  Add beef and cook on medium till beef is browned, then add garlic along with other spices and cook for 2 minutes longer.
3.  Add flour and stir till everything is coated.
4.  Add potatoes, carrots and any other desired vegetables. Cook together for 5 minutes. 

4.  Add stock and wine and simmer together for 30 minutes or till vegetable are tender.
5.  Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley.