Found all over North Africa, this is one of my favorite Moroccan recipes.  Harissa is the master condiment.  It adds heat and flavor and is used like mustard. WARNING! my recipe is very spicy and the green Harissa, especially, can really pack a PUNCH! I like mine to have major, killer, stinging hotness.  Keeps you regular and happy:))))

This recipe makes 16 oz. 

1 preserved lemon chopped (see recipe below)
8 oz small hot green chilis (combination of jalapeno, serrano and thai), stalks removed and roughly chopped
1 bunch coriander (cilantro), including stalks, chopped

1 tsp salt
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
1/2 cup olive oil (more if needed)

WEAR RUBBER GLOVES when handling hot peppers!  Never touch your face or eyes!

Add all ingredients except olive oil to food processor or blender.  While machine is running slowly add olive oil until consistency desired.  Let stand at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour to infuse flavors.  Transfer to glass jar with a tight lid.  Can be stored indefinitely in the refridge... AWESOME with anything.  I especially love this mixed into cooked basmati rice with thinly cut arugula, goat cheese and a smattering of lemon vinaigrette. Totally delicious!


PRESERVED LEMON
(Recipe courtesy Williams-Sonoma: Entertaining – Inspired Menus for Cooking with Family and Friends)

• 4 large thin-skinned lemons
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• Coarse salt
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

To make the preserved lemons, preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Cut a thin slice off both ends of each lemon. Cut each lemon into 8 wedges, and place the wedges in a non-reactive baking dish (glass or ceramic), just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add the garlic, sugar, coriander seeds, three tablespoons of salt, lemon juice, and olive oil – toss to coat evenly. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil. Bake the lemon wedges for 10 minutes, turn off the oven and leave them in the oven overnight. In the morning, transfer the contents of the dish to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use; they will keep for up to two weeks.

Sunday breakfast meals bring out the "made-from-scratch" in me and I think with Mother's Day just around the corner we should all make an effort to cook a nice meal for our mums, good friends or just for ourselves!  Vegans and Non Vegans alike will enjoy these great recipes I always use! Below I share two recipes: My vegan Hollandaise and a super tasty Polenta-like pâté made from ground sunflower seeds, cornmeal & potatoes.  And, of course, how can you make Eggs Benedict for your friends without HOMEMADE English Muffins. I made these foods from scratch from tried and true recipes that I love! BUT, of course, I alway give any recipe a bit of my own twist.  You should, too!  Have fun! and celebrate mothers past, present and future on May 11th - they make our wold a better place!

Another terrific appetizer, snack or protein main dish on Brunch Day is this wonderfully delicious Sunflower pâté. So flavorful and satisfying!  You will not believe it's vegan. Nutritional Yeast is what gives this pâté a rich, cheesy, nutty flavor. I LOVE this dish for picnics, lunches or parties.  See this and my Mock Arugula Hollandaise recipe below. 

This recipe is from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks that I picked up at the bottom of a pile in a thrift sale.  It's called Vegan Delights by Jeanne Marie Martin and was published in 1993.  Wonderful recipes in this book.  

Serves 6-8 people 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Sunflowers seeds, finely ground
  
• 1/2 cup corn meal
  
• 1//2 cup yellow nutritional yeast  - click here for more information on nutritional yeast
  
• 3 tsp. dried parsley flakes (I didn't have any but if you do, great!) 
  
• 1.5 tsp dried basil
  
• 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
  
• 3/4-1 tsp sea salt 
  
• 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves (I didn't have sage on hand and it still tasted great!)
  
• 1/4 tsp sea kelp powder
  

• 1 Cup finely grated potato (I just used grater on food processor)
  
• 1 and 1/3 cup water
  
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil or other natural oil (you can reduce this amount if you wish)
  
• 2 TBS soy sauce or Tamari
  

Optional: 3-4 tsp prepared horseradish.  I didn't have this on hand either so did not include this. Other things you could add include some finely chopped onions or minced garlic.  Keep the wet veggies to a minimum. 

DIRECTIONS: 

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Grate the potato and rinse it thoroughly to remove excess starch.  Squeeze and drain it after rinsing.  Add the remaining ingredients in the order given above, stirring in the potato last. Mix well. 

• Preheat over to 375 degrees.  Generously oil a 9" glass pie plate and scoop in the pâté mixture. Put it in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees.  Bake 35-45 minutes until well browned. 

• Let the pâté cool 1-2 hours and then chill it thoroughly before serving to set it completely.  It may be reheated later if desired.  It is tastiest when served at room temperature.  Keeps up to 7 days refrigerated or may be frozen in pie wedges (with reduced oil and no onions or garlic)
  

Makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

• 3 TBS Earth Balance or Butter Alternative.  Or - use Ghee or Butter - whatever suits you!
  
• 2 TBS Flour (I use gluten free flour)
  
• 1/4  to 1/2 tsp Turmeric (this creates the hollandaise color)
  
• 1 Cup Milk Alternative (Soy, Almond, etc) - I use homemade almond (none of the flavored stuff from the store:(
  
• 2 TBS Nutritional Yeast 
  
• Pinch cayenne
  
• 1/2 or 1 TBS Veganaise (Vegan Mayo - I use Wildwood Vegan Aioli) 
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste
  
• Small handful of baby arugula. 

DIRECTIONS

• Sizzle "butter" in heavy skillet on stove over med high heat
  
• Add flour & turmeric to butter and mix thoroughly to create a paste - (do not burn paste)
  
• Whisk in almond milk and keep whisking until smooth
• Remove from heat and add the nutritional yeast and pinch of cayenne
• At this point your "hollandaise" should be smooth, colorful and flavorful.  Next step is to the food processor 
• In a small bowl of your food processor add your hollandaise, handful of arugula and 1/2 TBS or 1 TBS of Veganaise. Blend thoroughly and add water by the TableSpoons to reach the correct consistency you desire.  I thinned mine a bit with water.  It will thicken each time your reheat it - you can add water likewise each time you reheat. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat when ready to serve.  Taste to your liking and add things you prefer!
  

Want a unique alternative to potato salad that draws a crowd? Here's a solution I have created that is unique, tasty and will be the talk of the town.  I love potatoes but wanted an alternative that would provide me with maximum nutritional benefit.  Roasted golden beets and carrots provide the same texture as potatoes.  Add in roasted onions and kale to the equation and you have the perfect balance.  The kale is critical and I roast this separately from the other veggies to preserve its crunchy texture.  As a final touch I created my own beet, miso, ginger mayo for extra nutritional punch and flavor - the fermented, salty flavor of miso is harmonious to the sweetness of the veggies!

The one hitch to this recipe: Since this a new recipe for me I noticed that when I stored the leftovers in the refrigerator for the night it lost its color and some of the texture softened.  Therefore, I suggest that when you make it you serve it rather immediately. As many of you may know about me - I make these recipes up as I go along and do my best to relay them to you - things may need tweeking on your behalf… Especially with my mayo recipe below.   Good luck and let me know how it goes. 

Ingredients for Roasting: 
Serves 6 

• 2 Golden Beets - chopped 
  
• 2 Large Carrots - chopped
  
• 1/2 large onion - chopped
  
• 1 bunch green kale 
  

Ingredients for Mayo
See separate directions below - NOTE these amounts are an approximation and may need adjustment - work with it and add or modify per your flavor preference - but these amounts are a good generalization (I just make this up on the spot when I first make it:)

• 1/4 cup vegenaise or reg. mayo (I use Wildwood Aioli)
• 1 large tsp good quality yellow miso paste (i add a bit more if it needs it later on)
• 1.5 tsp grated fresh ginger (approx.)
• 1 Tbs tahini
• 1/3 of a medium sized red beet
• 2 red radishes
• a few grinds of pepper
• a few Tbs of water to thin mixture if needed

There's a great community monthly sale that occurs here every first Saturday of the month called Pay N Take!  I am all about recycling everything.  What one person wishes to be rid of, another needs.  I love shopping here - I find great gifts for people, great tools and things I need in the house - and I ALWAYS find great cookware items. Although we didn't see much of interest at first, I decided to take my usual "second peruse" and came upon a brand new (or barely used), high quality Japanese Hot Pot Steamboat for $5!  Perfect for Shabu Shabu - or, as I like to call it, JAPANESE FONDUE! 

WHAT IS SHABU SHABU - Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ , also spelled shyabu-shyabu?) is a Japanese dish featuring thinly sliced beef boiled in water. The term is an onomatopœia, derived from the sound emitted when the ingredients are stirred in the cooking pot. The dish is related to sukiyaki in style: Both consist of thinly sliced meat and vegetables and served with dipping sauces. However, Shabu-shabu is considered to be more savory and less sweet than sukiyaki.

WHY I LIKE SHABU SHABU 
I love Shabu Shabu because it's easy, interactive and a great way to have dinner with friends or family!  I don't really have to cook - all I have to do is prep vegetables and whatever else I want to put into the broth.  And I the love dips that are the typical fare with Shabu Shabu! They are the key to having a great experience with Shabu Shabu.  When you remove the food from the hot pot you dip them these fabulously flavorful dips and then plunk them into your mouth!  They are not complicated dips but simple and tasty! 

This is a great base recipe that creates a satisfying, filling and tasty meat alternative.  I LOVE IT with mash potatoes and some additional steamed veggies.  This recipe is from The Simple Veganista.  However, as always I put my own twist on things.  There are plenty of options for spices - you could use the standard spices for stuffing (sage, thyme, celery salt, etc) - just substitute them in - to create a holiday, savory loaf.  Or replace the thyme with ginger, garlic (hing - a garlic alternative), cumin, corriander and hot chiles to create a loaf with a wonderful Asian flare.  Garam masala (an Indian cuisine spice mix) is also a great flavor to add into this loaf.  Be creative - add spices, taste, adjust and then prepare the loaf for baking.   ENJOY!

The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf

Ingredients

Loaf
1 cup dry lentils
2 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds)
1/3 cup water (6 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for sauteing, or steam saute using 1/4 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small bell pepper, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced or grated
1 celery stalk, finely diced
3/4 cup oats (I used GF oats)
1/2 cup oat flour or finely ground oats
1 heaping teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 heaping teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder & onion powder...for good measure!
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, optional
cracked pepper & sea salt to taste

Glaze  (I totally modify this glaze - sometimes I will add orange marmalade and ginger - skip the ketchup and use rice vinegar, etc... be creative - you need a little bit of sweet to create a glaze)

This is a GREAT holiday treat recipe that's sooooo easy to make, sooooo tasty and makes a TERRIFIC HOLIDAY GIFT! People always rave about them when I make them.  I call them (my) Madge's Minty Mountains and they require a mere 4FOUR! ingredients.  Corn Flakes, semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, peppermint extract and powdered sugar.  I use gluten free millet or corn flakes from the health food store... they have a much better crunch and they are much better for you. They take less than 20 minutes to make!!  
See how below!

This a great Indian dish. A cornmeal morning potion that detoxifies and purifies.  This meal was originally described in the Charak as a way of reducing the wages of sin from the night before.  It increases agni.  Agni are the enzymes, or the "fire", that drive all digestion and metabolism in the Hindu medical practice of Ayurveda.   This is also a great recipe to reduce Kapha - if you feel stuffy, heavy-headed or congested, phlegmy or just stagnant... then this is the cereal to clear your head!  It is great with honey.. a must have when eating this as the sweetness balances the spices.  WONDERFUL CEREAL - My favorite - but exotically flavored.  So be ready for it!  Below is my picture of my breakfast this morning:)

Want a soup that is hearty, healthy, flavorful, good for you and only takes about 20 minutes to make?  This is my own take on Tarka Dhal - a red and yellow lentil curry-like soup.  However, I cheat and only use red lentils because they cook up in a pinch.  You will look like a Kitchen Guru Rockstar when you make this soup on the fly for guests or your loved ones.  It is, by far, one of the most deliciously satisfying soups around.  Try it... 

Serves 4 cups (I suggest doubling the recipe for extra or for larger servings)

• 3/4 cups split red lentils (masoor dhal)
  
• 2.5 cups Water
  
• 1 heaping tsp. of grated ginger root
  
• 1 heaping tsp of grated garlic
  
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
  
• 2 chopped green chiles
  
• 1.5 tsp. Salt
  
• Handful of finely chopped cilantro
  

Thoroughly rinse red lentils in your boiling pot in sink.  I run water on them and swish the lentils around with my hand and drain repeatedly until the water is then clear (Water saving tip: reuse the rinse water for your plants!). Then add your 2.5 cups water to the lentils and set on stove.  Add your grated ginger, garlic, turmeric, chilles and salt and bring it all to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.  You can leave the lid off the pot or straddle it over the pot - I never cover completely and usually keep the lid off. 

Once lentils are soft, mash them in the pot with a potato masher or something similar... the consistency should be similar to a creamy chicken soup.  

That's it!!!  Always taste for adjustments - and add cilantro and serve OR - go all the way and make the Tarka topping below... 

Optional topping: 

In traditional Tarka Dhal - the Tarka part is topping made separately for the soup.  I love it but if you don't have time don't worry about it... that's the great thing about this soup - you can jazz it out or keep it simple

• 2 TBSP veg. oil
  
• 1 Onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1/4 mixed mustard and onion seeds (if you don't have onion seeds use black sesame seeds)
  
• 4 dried red chiles or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I use Aleppo or other smoked chili pepper flakes)
  
• 1 Tomato sliced
  

Heat oil and fry the onion with the mustart and onion seeds, dried red chillies and sliced tomato for 2 minutes or until soft.  Top onto your servings of Dhal Soup along with cilantro.