Munggo

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried mung beans
• 6 cups water or broth
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• Thumb of ginger
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• Handful of greens (spinach or malunggay)
• Patis (fish sauce) to taste

Instructions

Bring water to a boil in a pot and add mung beans. Simmer for 40 minutes. Check every 15 minutes and add water as needed. Beans are cooked when they are soft and the skin breaks. (It should look like a thick soup.) Once beans are cooked add tomatoes and mash them in. In a seperate pan saute onion, garlic, and ginger until fragrant. Add mixture to pot and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add grees and cover until wilted. Serve over rice.

Chicken Tinola

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken
• Thumb of ginger (minced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 tbs. patis (fish sauce)
• 2 cups water
• 1 chayote squash or 1 small green papapa (chopped and seeded)
• Handful of greens (bok choy, spinach, or romaine)

Instructions

Saute onions and garlic in pot until translucent on medium heat. Add ginger and fish sauce and stir for 1 min. Add chicken and cook together for 5 minutes. Add chyote/papaya and water. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Check to see if chicken is cooked through. If so, remove cover and add greens. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Serve over rice.

Chicken Adobo

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 bay leaves
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Sear chicken with garlic and then add vinegar, aminos, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Remove cover and cook for 15 minutes until sauce reduces. Serve with rice.

Salmon Paksiw

Ingredients

• 2 salmon villet
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 servings of green beans
• 1 onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 thumb ginger (minced)
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp patis (fish sauce)

Instructions

Combine vinegar, water, onion, garlic, ginger, pepper, green beans, and bay leaf in hot pan. Set pan to low. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes until liquid is slightly reduced. Pour in coconut milk and fish sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes until milk slightly curdles. Add salmon. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Do not over cook fish to retain the fish's moist and creamy texture. Serve with rice.

Pork Sinigang

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs pork ribs chopped into singles
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tomato or handful of lil tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 packet sinigang tamarind soup mix
• 16 cups water
• Veggie of choice (green beans, diakon radish, chinese eggplant, or whatever you like)
• 1 potato (chopped)
• Handful of greens (bok choy, spinach, or romaine)

Instructions

Saute ribs in onions until lightly browned. In a seperate large pot boil water and add sinigang packet. Add the pork mix and tomatoes to boiling pot. While that cooks, chop potatoes and veggies then add to pot. Cook on medium heat for 40-60 minutes. Add greens 5-10 minutes before serving. Service with rice. *I like to eat it like a soup. You can also eat it w/o the broth. Both ways are correct.* **If the meat easily comes off the bone you made it right.**

Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended. Pour into greased pan. Bake fro 30-40 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

Gingerbread Cookies

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 TBS ginger
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup or molasses

Instructions

Mix together butter and sugar. add other ingredients, mixing after each addition.

Dry Ingredients

• 4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients together and add to above. Let mixture chill for 1 hour. Roll out on floured surface 1/4" thick. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Oatmeal Bake

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 4 eggs
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 c. milk (regular or oat)
• 6 c. oatmeal
• 1 c. dried cranberries, chocolate chips, apples, nuts or whatever toppings are in house

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 4 ingredients until smooth. Add rest of ingredients in order. Mix well. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until light brown on the top. Serve warm with milk.

Orzo Soup

Ingredients

• 1 package sausage (quartered) *veg or whatever*
• 1 large red pepper (diced)
• 1/2 large onion (diced)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 can navy beans
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup orzo (uncooked)
• salt, pepper, other spices to taste

Instructions

Saute pepper and onions in a large pot over medium heat until soft. Add sausage and cook until beginning to brown. Add chicken stock and beans. Bring to a boil. Add orzo and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add spinach a couple minutes before serving. Remove from heat and squeeze in lemon juice.

Aunt Dene's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup crisco
• 1 TBS honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 bag of chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together - and yes, I use my hands. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown - about 12 minutes.

Gran's Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 stk melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 TBS cocoa
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup nuts

Instructions

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chickpea Sandwich Filling

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Pour chickpeas into a medium size mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Mix in celery, onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper to taste.

'The Soup'

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups veg broth
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 package veggie sausage
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 cups cheese tortellini
• 3 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup half and half, warmed

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot on to the saute function, on the highest setting. Heat the oil in the bottom of the pot. Add in the diced onion and stir for a couple of minutes. Add in the garlic and stir until the onions are translucent, another couple of minutes.

Add in the basil, tomato paste, veg broth, tomatoes, sausage, salt and pepper. Give a quick stir. Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to “sealing.” Press the manual pressure cook button and set the timer to 15 minutes (high pressure). Once the timer beeps let out the pressure by gently moving the valve to “venting.”

Stir in the tortellini, spinach, Parmesan cheese, and half and half. Turn the IP to saute to heat up the tortellini quickly. Once the tortellini is warmed through ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 stick butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 cup milk
• 2 cup veggies (carrots, celery, peas, mushrooms, cooked potato, whatever)
• 2 pie crusts
• 1 large egg
• season to taste (thyme, garlic powder, salt, pepper, etc)

Instructions

-In a large pot over medium high heat, melt butter.
-Add onions and cook just until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in flour, stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
-Slowly add in chicken broth while stirring to prevent lumps. Then add in heavy cream and seasoning. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
-Once boiling and thickened, turn off heat. Add in chicken and veggies. Gently stir to combine.
-Pour into pie pan lined with a pie crust, top with second pie crust and crimp edges. Cut vents into top crust.
-Make an egg wash with 1 large egg mixed with 1 tsp water and with a pastry brush, brush top of pot pie.
-Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown.
-Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Creamy One-Pot Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 onion (chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 TBS tomato paste
• 1 pint grape tomatoes (halved)
• 2 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 16 oz penne pasta
• handful of spinach
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Instructions

Saute onions in a hot pan. Add garlic and tomato paste. Stir in tomatoes and seasoning. Add broth, milk, and pasta. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and nutirional yeast.

Naan

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup (160 mL) lukewarm water (water needs to be at 100-110ºF)*
• 2 teaspoons organic cane sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice, plus more to oil your hands
• 3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (optional but recommended)

Instructions

-In a medium bowl, combine the lukewarm water and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the yeast and whisk for about 15 seconds until well incorporated. Rest for 15 minutes to activate the yeast – it will turn a bit foamy and frothy.
-Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
-Knead the dough. Add the yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon of oil to the flour. Stir to combine with a fork. When the dough is shaggy and you can no longer stir it with a fork, transfer it to a clean work surface and oil your hands well.
-Start kneading the dough with your hands, oiling your hands several times as you go. The dough will be very sticky and stick to the surface and your hands during the first few minutes, but as you continue kneading, it will stop sticking and become soft, elastic, and pliable. The kneading process should take 4 to 6 minutes.
-Rest the dough. Oil a large bowl, add the dough ball to the bowl, and coat it with a bit of oil on all sides. Cover the dough with a clean dish towel. Rest in a warm, draft-free place for 90 minutes (up to 4 hours), until the dough rises and at least doubles. I place it in my oven with the pilot light on. If it’s summer or you live in a warm climate, the counter works great.
-Once the dough has risen, lightly punch the dough to release the air. Briefly knead the dough with your hands into a ball until smooth and tacky (it shouldn't stick to your hands).
-Divide the dough. Using a pastry cutter, divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Use your hands to roll the dough into 8 balls.*** Transfer the balls to a sheet of parchment paper and spread them apart to prevent sticking. Cover with a dish towel and rest for 10 minutes to “proof” the dough.
-Preheat the pan. Open nearby windows, as it may get smoky. Heat a large cast-iron skillet (or an iron tawa pan**) for which you have a large enough lid over medium-high heat until it's nearly smoking, at least 5 minutes.
-Roll out the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a oval shape, about 8 inches long long and 5 inches wide at its widest point (20 cm x 13 cm). Roll the naan almost as thinly as you can.
-Add the cilantro and water the back side. Sprinkle each naan with a bit of chopped cilantro. Roll the rolling pin once over the dough to get the cilantro to stick.
-Dampen your hands using the water bowl and flip the naan onto its back side. Pat a small amount of water all over the back side of the dough (this will help the naan stick to the pan).
NOTE: Cover the remaining dough balls while you roll each nan.
-Cook the naan. Dampen your hands again and pick up the naan and carefully place it in the hot skillet, watered side facing down. Once you see bubbles all over and the edges start to dry out (45 to 60 seconds, depending on heat level), flip the naan. Now cover the skillet with the lid and cook for 30 to 40 seconds. When it’s done, parts of the dough should look almost raw and doughy, with some parts charred.

Red Lentil Curry

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh turmeric, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1-2 serrano peppers, diced (see recipe note below on spice level)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon Indian red chili powder (if you only have regular chili powder, which is a blend, use 1 teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• Kosher salt or sea salt to taste (I use about 1 tsp kosher salt, and add more at the end)
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 cup (180-190g) red lentils, or split red lentils (the split variety will cook a bit quicker)
• 2 cups (480 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (14-ounce / 400g) can crushed tomatoes (or half of a 28-ounce can)
• 1 (13.5-ounce/400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened creamy almond butter
• 1/2 a small lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup (~8g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Instructions

-Rinse the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear.
-Heat a large, deep skillet or large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric (if using), and Serrano pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent garlic from burning.
-Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper to taste, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning. If using ground turmeric instead of fresh turmeric, add the ground turmeric now, along the the rest of the spices.
-Pour in the vegetable broth, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add in the lentils and the crushed tomatoes and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and have mostly softened. If you find that the lentils are not quite soft after 25 minutes, add a few spoons more of broth or water and cook for another 5 minutes.
-Remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk, almond butter, along with salt and pepper to taste Continue cooking on low heat, uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, until the curry has thickened and is creamy.
-Finally, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, and turn off the heat. If you want your lentils to even creamier and more on the puréed side, use an immersion blender to lightly purée the curry.
-Serve the curry with rice and/or Indian flatbread and garnish with additional cilantro. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Hungarian Mushroom Stew

Ingredients

• 2 tsp butter
• 2 cup chopped onions
• 1.5-2 lbs fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp salt
• 2-3 tsp dried dill weed
• 1 tbsp pakrika
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 cup water
• 1 cup milk at room temp
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in Dutch oven or large sauce pan. Add ions and sautee ~5 min. Add mushrooms, salt, dill, and paprika. Stir well and cover. Cover ~15 min, until mushrooms tender. Stir occasionally. Stir in lemon juice. Spinkle in flour and stir constantly. Cover 5 minutes over med-low heat. Add water, cover for 10 minutes, stiring often. Stirl in milk and add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in sour cream and heat gently. (Don't boil after adding sour cream.) Serve hot.

Easy Crusty Bread

Instructions

Mix 1.5 cups lukewarm water with 1 tbsp sugar, stir to dissolve
Add 3/4 tsp active dry yeast, stir, let sit for 15 min.

Mix ~3 cups flour + 2 tsp salt
Add water + yeast mix, stir to combine until you have a shaggy dough.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
Allow dough to rise for 6-10 hours.
Lightly flour some parchment paper and turn dough out onto it. Fold it over itself at least once and shape into a round ball. cover and let sit for 1 hour.

Either bake in a Dutch oven or on a pizza stone.
Preheat oven and cooking service (dutch oven or stone) to 450F.
Transfer the loaf (+ parchment paper) to the dutch oven or pizza stone.
If using a pizza stone throw 4-5 ice cubes onto your loaf.

Bake times

Pizza stone: 20-3 mins
Dutch oven: cover and bake 20 min. then uncover and bake 15 mins.

Vegan Salisbury Steak

Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms and Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
• 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
• 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced (cremini, button, portobellos)
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
• 3–4 cups carrots, chopped large
• 3–4 cups celery, chopped
• 4 cups veggie broth (or 4 cups water plus 2–3 teaspoons veggie bouillon)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme ( or 1 teaspoon dry thyme)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
• pinch cayenne, optional
• 1/8–1/4 teaspoon turmeric, for a golden color.
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 cups baby spinach, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Set Instant Pot to Saute Function and add the oil and onions and mushrooms, stirring for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant. Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, then cook a couple more minutes until the liquid cooks off, and mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic, saute 1-2 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, chop the carrots and celery. When the onions and mushrooms soften add the rice and saute for one minute. At this point, you could deglaze with white wine, scraping up any browned bits if the pan seems dry, (or skip it), and then cook this off for 1-2 minutes.

Add the carrots, celery, veggie broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper, cayenne and turmeric. Give a good stir, again, scraping up any browned bits.

Set Instant Pot to High for 24 minutes. Naturally release, for 10 minutes, then manually release.

Stir in the sour cream (or coconut milk or cashew cream), and taste, adjusting for salt and pepper.

***If going the vegan route– keep in mind, sour cream adds a nice tanginess- which you can replicate by adding a few drops of lemon juice or AC vinegar to the soup to brighten it up.

Stir in the fresh chopped spinach just before serving.

Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkling of fresh Italian parsley, parmesan or other optional garnishes.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Orzo Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 medium purple eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced into ¾-inch cubes
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ pound orzo
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, more to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with one rack in the middle of the oven and the other rack in the upper third of the oven. Line 1 large, rimmed baking sheet and 1 small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

On the large baking sheet, toss the cubed eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer. Roast on the middle rack until the eggplant is tender and deeply golden on the edges, about 25 minutes, tossing halfway.

Meanwhile, on the smaller baking sheet, toss the halved tomatoes with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Wait to place the pan of tomatoes on the top rack until you return the eggplant to the oven after tossing. Roast until the tomatoes are tender and a little wrinkled, about 12 minutes. (So in an ideal situation, the eggplant and tomatoes will be done roasting at the same time.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo, give it a stir and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup cooking water, then drain the orzo and transfer it to a large serving bowl.

To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle it over the warm orzo and toss to coat. Add the roasted eggplant, tomatoes, feta, basil, parsley and pine nuts. Toss to combine. If the pasta seems dry, add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water and/or a little more olive oil. Season to taste with additional salt (mine needed ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper. Serve immediately.

Aunt Judy's Xmas Cookies

Ingredients

(about 72 cookies)

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups unsifted Pillsbury flour*
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, cream and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt until well mixed. If desired, chill dough for easier handling. Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out dough, one-third at a time, on floured surface to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place, 1 inch apart, on ungreased baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with sugar. Bake 5 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.

TIPS:
• For FILLED COOKIES, prepare one of fillings suggested for Date-Filled Bars redDe page 111, or use favorite jam or marmalade. Cut rolled dough with 2 to 2½-inch cookie cutter. Place half of cookies on baking sheets. Place teaspoonful of filling on each. Top with another cookie; press edges to seal. Prick tops once with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lighlty browned.
• *With self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.

Japanese Golden Curry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large russet potato, peeled, in bite-size cubes
• 4 mushrooms, cut into small pieces
• 2 carrots, cut into small pieces
• 1 head broccoli, cut into small pieces
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can baby corn, cut in half
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) box golden curry sauce mix

Instructions

In a medium/large pot, heat oil and saute onions and veggies until lightly browned.

Add 2 3/4 cups water and potatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5-10 minutes until potatoes and veggies are tender.

Break sauce mix into pieces and crumble into pot. Stir until it it melted inches Simmer for 2 minutes.

Add broccoli and corn and cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until cooked through.

Serve hot over rice.

Turkey Brine

Ingredients

• 3 cups apple cider
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup sea salt
• 3 Tbsp peppercorn
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 4 springs rosemary
• 3 orange rinds
• 2 gallons of water

Instructions

Brine turkey for at least 24 hours in fridge. For a small bird (12lbs) use half this recipe.

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cranberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup orange juice

Instructions

Dissolve sugar in the orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in the cranberries and cook until they start to pop, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. It will thicken as it cools.

Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 8 small Granny Smith apples, or as needed
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 (9 inch) double-crust pie pastry, thawed

Instructions

Peel and core apples, then thinly slice. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir to form a paste; cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add both sugars and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Press one pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out remaining pastry so it will overhang the pie by about 1/2 inch. Cut pastry into eight 1-inch strips.

Place sliced apples into the bottom crust, forming a slight mound. Lay four pastry strips vertically and evenly spaced over apples, using longer strips in the center and shorter strips at the edges.

Make a lattice crust: Fold the first and third strips all the way back so they're almost falling off the pie. Lay one of the unused strips perpendicularly over the second and fourth strips, then unfold the first and third strips back into their original position.

Fold the second and fourth vertical strips back. Lay one of the three unused strips perpendicularly over top. Unfold the second and fourth strips back into their original position.

Repeat Steps 6 and 7 to weave in the last two strips of pastry. Fold and trim excess dough at the edges as necessary, and pinch to secure.

Slowly and gently pour sugar-butter mixture over lattice crust, making sure it seeps over sliced apples. Brush some onto lattice, but make sure it doesn't run off the sides.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until apples are soft, 35 to 45 minutes.

Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 4 cups veg broth
• 1 can chicken breast
• 1 ½ cups egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth, vegetable broth, chicken, egg noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a large bowl; toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2-quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Mix 3 tablespoons white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl; sprinkle over entire cobbler.

Bake in the preheated oven until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 cups basil leaves
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Blend until smooth.