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16 ounce jar with lid
small salad/pickling cucumbers, approximately 7
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pickling spices
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled, optional
1 sprig fresh dill
filtered water

Scrub the cucumbers.
Pack them vertically in the jar.
Add salt, pickling spices, garlic cloves (if using).
Add water to fully cover the cucumbers.
Place dill on top of water.
Cover with tight-fitting lid (some liquid may escape during fermenting).
Place outside on a table, if possible, or inside near a sunny window for 1-2 days, depending on the air temperature (speeds up fermentation process).
Place jar in the refrigerator.
New dills after 3 days, half sours in about a week and a half, and full sours after three weeks.

Note: Deli pickles at a fraction of the price!

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2 (15 oz.) cans of pitted sour cherries, with their juice
1 cup tart cherry juice
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon
1 slice (1⁄2″-thick) lemon
1 cup vegan sour cream

Add cherries, with their juice, and tart cherry juice to a 4-quart saucepan.
Add salt, cinnamon stick, and lemon.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cherries are soft, about 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together vegan sour cream and 1⁄4 cup of hot cherry liquid from pan.
Remove pan from heat; stir in sour cream mixture.
Chill the soup.
Before serving, remove lemon slice and cinnamon stick.

Serves 4 – 6

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Eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds, dried in paper toweling
Olive oil
Salt
Filling choices:
Sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
Sliced mushrooms, sauteed
Sliced olives
Jalapeno peppers, slice and sauteed
Basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400°

Fit a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with olive oil.
Place eggplant rounds on baking sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Roast for approximately 8 minutes on each side, or until golden.
Remove eggplant rounds from pan and place on a platter.
Add your choice of fillings and fold like a mini taco.

Serves 4

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16 ounce bag frozen edamame (in shell)
3 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
chili powder, to taste
cumin powder, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°

Fit a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread frozen edamame and garlic cloves on sheet.
Add olive oil and mix to coat well.
Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, and kosher salt.
Toss to combine and spread in a single layer.
Roast for approximately 25 minutes, stirring once.
Adjust seasonings, if more flavor is desired.

Serves 4

Note: Best eaten the same day.

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15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and liquid reserved
seasoned to taste – salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, etc,
oil for spraying
1/4 cup liquid from chickpeas
3 – 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (depending on taste)
1/2 cup tahini
2 – 4 garlic cloves (depending on taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Drop or two of hot sauce (optional)
1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil
Parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions for roasting chickpeas.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Evenly spread the chickpeas and garlic cloves (skin on) on a parchment-lined baking sheet with sides.
Mist with oil, sprinkle on the seasonings and stir.
Mist, stir and spread evenly once more.
Roast for 5 minutes. Check for doneness. Do not roast for more than 8 minutes.
Remove skins from garlic cloves
Add chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas.
Blend for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well.
Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Note: Roasting the chickpeas first intensifies the flavor and texture of the hummus considerably.

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1/2 package extra firm tofu, drained
8 ounce package mini sweet peppers, seeded and halved
medium sweet onion, cut in circles
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Kirkland 21 spice blend, or brand of your choice
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Salsa, to taste
Fresh mixed greens
Cook spray
Sandwich rolls or flatbread

Grease and Preheat indoor grill pan, Panini press or outdoor grill.

Slice tofu into thin 1/8 inch slices, approximately 8.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine water and mustard together.
Add tofu slices and marinate approximately 5 minutes.
In another bowl combine bread crumbs, spice blend, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt.
Dip the tofu slices, one at a time, into the bread crumb mixture.
Place on wax paper.
Grill mini sweet peppers and onion circles. Set aside.
Grill tofu slices.
Spread bottom of sandwich roll or flatbread with salsa.
Top with one onion slice and some grilled pepper halves.
Add two slices of grilled tofu.
Finish it off with some mixed greens.
Place top half of sandwich roll on greens or, if using flatbread, roll it up.

Yield 4 sandwiches

Note: Leftover grilled onions and peppers can be refrigerated.

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Coffee Concentrate
1/2 cup coarsely ground coffee beans (medium bodied coffee works best)
2 1/4 cups cold, filtered water
Infuser beverage container
Almond or any other non-dairy milk
Crushed ice
Flavoring syrups of your choosing
dark cocoa powder, optional

Put ground coffee in the infuser filter. Place infuser filter in the beverage container and slowly pour in the water. Place container in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
To serve, put 1/3 cup of coffee concentrate and 1 cup of non-dairy milk with flavoring syrups of your choice and cocoa, if using, in a blender. Blend thoroughly. Pour into a tall beverage container. Add crushed ice. Enjoy this delicious dessert beverage. Starbucks, watch out!

Serves 3

Note: If you do not have an infuser beverage container, a mason or any jar-like container will work as well. Add ground coffee and water. When ready to use, pour coffee concentrate through a clean filter in your automatic coffee maker.

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15 ounce can chickpeas, drained
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup, sliced green onions
1/4 cup, shredded carrots
1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 – 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
salt, pepper and paprika to taste

In a food processor pulse chickpeas, celery, green onions and carrots until blended coarsely.
Add dill pickle relish, Dijon mustard and vegan mayonnaise. Blend until mixture holds together.
Season to taste.

Serving suggestions: Can be used as sandwich spread, scooped up with crackers, pita chips or served on a bed of leafy greens.