Gypsy soup from Pam's graduation party

Dave made this.

Saute for about 10 minutes

• 1 t. oil or so
• 1 leek diced
• 2 carrots sliced
• 1 c cabbage chopped (I bet sauerkraut would taste good too.)
• 2 c spaghetti squash (or winter squash, pumpkin....) probably chopped/diced

Add, simmer about 35 minutes until vegetables cooked

• 1 container broth (4 cups)

Salt to taste.

I just noticed that none of these soups had pepper or peppers. 

Normally I make a saute out of onions, garlic, celery and/or peppers for soups. I've also found rhubarb works well in the place of celery.

Green Spring Soup from Pam's Graduation Party

Bring to boil

• 6 c. broth

Add, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender

• 4 medium potatoes peeled and cubed in about 1/2 inch dice
• 1/4 medium onion chopped

Add and simmer till greens are tender but still are green. (Thinner greens like spinach cook faster)

• 2-3 cups kale or other greens cut as described below*
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced

Add

• juice from 1/2 lemon
• salt to taste

How to cut greens for soup:

• Cut out rib
• Roll up into cylinder
• Slice cylinder
• If want shorter pieces cut across cylinder slices.

This soup reminds me of Green Soup/ Caldo Verde.

But we saute the more onion and garlic, add hot italian sausage, and white navy/great northern beans.

Fall Cauliflower Soup from Pam's graduation party

Start with

• 1 cauliflower

1. Separate florets/flowerets from stems and set stems aside.

2. Bring to boil

• 4 cups broth/water

3. Add the following to broth/water, bring to a boil, and cook till cauliflower stems are tender

• cauliflower stems
• 1-2 scallions or about 1/4 c regular onion
• 1/2 c quinoa flakes (original recipe called for oat flakes but couldn't find gluten free)

4. Set aside and let cool. Then puree in vented food processor or blender. Important to let cool before blending so you don't burn yourself. Important to vent so lid doesn't come off and make a big mess. 

5. Meanwhile while above is cooling, bring an additional

• 2 cups broth/water to a boil

6. Add cauliflower florets/flowerets, simmer 5 minutes, remove with slotted spoon, and set aside.

7. Combine in pot/pan pureed soup and broth that florets/flowerets were cooked in. Then add

• 2 T sesame butter (also known as tahini)

8. Heat back up and garnish with florets/flowerets that were previously set aside.

Late Summer Butternut Squash Soup from PamCare Graduation Party

1. Cut in half, remove seeds to toast for later, peel, and chop into cubes maybe about 1/2 - 1  inch or so (smaller cubes cook faster). Then set aside.

• 1 butternut squash

2. Saute the following until soft about 5-7 minutes in a large pan (fry pan, wok, dutch oven, etc.) that holds at least 4-6 cups

• 2 T (about) olive oil - can preheat if want to but not necessary
• 1 onion, chopped

3. Then add and saute slightly

• about 2 T lemon basil leaves (might be able to use cilantro, or any other lemony herb)
• 2 garlic cloves crushed/minced
• about 1/2 t. salt 

4. Add, stir to coat, and saute slightly to give flavor

• previously cubed squash

5. Add following liquid to cover squash

• One 13.5 oz can unsweetened coconut milk (Shake very well before using.)
• about 3 cups water

6. Then bring to a boil. Once soup is boiling reduce heat to medium low, stir and simmer until squash is soft/ fork tender. Then take off heat. Taste and see if it needs more salt. 

7. Let cool to eating temperature so you don't burn yourself when blending in food processor or blender. (Can stir and blow a fan on it.)

8. Fill food processor or blender about 1/2 full. Might have to blend in batches. Vent food processor or blender so heat doesn't build up and blow off lid and make a big mess. Can cover lid with towel.

9. Carefully blend soup starting from lowest speed and working your way up until pretty smooth, about 10-15 seconds. Transfer to large metal bowl. Repeat, working in batches until all the soup is blended.

10. Return soup to wiped out large pan, heat and stir until steam rises from pot. Take off heat and

11. Add

• Juice from 1 small lime or 1/2 of regular sized lime
• Salt to taste

Garnish if desired with

• lime wedges
• toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, about 1/2 - 3/4 cup

How to toast unsweetened coconut flakes or shredded (whatever you can find.) 

• Preheat oven to 300F
• Spread unsweetened coconut flakes on rimmed baking sheet
• Toast in oven about 3-5 minutes until golden brown
• watch closely so they don't burn

Early Summer Cold Watermelon Soup from PamCare Graduation Party

Blend together in food processor or blender

• 4-6 c. watermelon (about 1/2 of a medium-small seedless watermelon)
• 2 T. lemon juice
• about 1 T fresh mint, finely choppped
• 1 T. honey
• pinch or so of salt
• 2 T soaked dried craisins (optional)

Adjust seasonings to taste as needed.

Can garnish with fresh mint,

Uncle Jerry's Beef Jerky 6/1/19

Jerry’s Beef Jerky 190601

Makes enough for 2-3 point roasts (about 6 lbs of meat?)

Slices fit in a big 10 tray dryer. If using a smaller dryer can cut recipe in half or run batches.

Marinade meat in marinade bag 24 hours minimum in refrigerator. However, meat in marinade can marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 days before putting in the dryer.

1. Use a really big bowl to mix everything together by hand to dissolve any salt, etc. Always taste some on your finger. But only before adding meat.

Dry Ingredients

·        1 T Celery seed

·        2 T Chili powder

·        1 t Garlic powder

·        1 t Onion powder

·        2 T Cayenne pepper

·        2 T Black pepper – coarsely ground

·        2 ¼ T salt

Wet Ingredients

·        1 c Worchester sauce (Get the good stuff)

·        7 c Water

·        4 T Liquid smoke

·        2 T Chili paste (Pick n’ Save Produce Section’s Gourmet Brand in a tube.)

·        1 t Habanero tabasco

Fresh Ingredients (These do not go in dryer. Cut in chunks so they are easy to knock off meat slices.)

·        2 stalks chunked celery

·        3-4 Jalapeños (chunked in ½)

2. Cut fat slab off meat. Now make 2 slabs out of one roast. Slice slab across the grain to make slices. Thinner slices cook faster but take up more spaces in the drier. Try to make all slices the same thickness so they cook equally and are done at the same time. Put meat slices in marinade as you slice them so they don’t clump together and all meat surfaces see the marinade.

Meat

·        2-3 Two Pound Point Roasts

3. Transfer meat and marinade to 2.5 gallon ziplock bags with slider. Double bag marinade and meat.

4. Put in refrigerator for 24 hours minimum. Flip the bag whenever you go in there.

5. After marinating, drain meat slices in colander. (Don’t need to pat dry.)

6. Put in dryer for until desired dryness is reached. Heavy duty driers like Cabellas 10 tray drier takes about 8 hours. My light duty round drier took 12 hours. This makes the house smell great.

No-Bake Carrot Cake Squares

This is a revised version from https://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-carrot-cake-bites/

You're supposed to roll them into balls but I got tired of doing that after the second one, so I just pressed it into a plastic wrapped line 8x8 pan (like raw brownies). (I extend the plastic wrap far enough so I can fold it back on the top. Then you can press down very easily to spread out the dough.)

Do steps 1-3 in food processor

1. Grate in and set aside in medium large bowl

• 1-2 carrots to make about 3/4 c

2.  Blend till ball forms and set aside with carrots in medium large bowl

• 1 c. packed pitted medjool dates

3. Blend till fine meal forms (but not too far to make nut butter), then add to carrots and dates in medium large bowl.

• 1 - 3/4 c raw walnuts (or other nut)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg (didn't add because I don't have any)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

4. Blend everything together by hand. It may be sticky

5. Add 2 Tbsp at a time until tender crumbly dough forms. (If you made nut butter it won't be like this but will taste just fine.I think the ginger needs 6 Tbsp of almond flour to lose its sharpness.)

• 6 Tbsp almond flour

6. Add if desired

• 1/4 raisins (I was going to add craisins but forgot.)

 7. Press into plastic lined 8x8 pan

8. Sprinkle and press in (if desired)

• about 1/4-1/2 c. desiccated coconut flakes. 

then put in fridge to firm up before cutting into squares.

chocolate creme made with cashews

This is a less sweet, revised version (I like dark chocolate) from https://detoxinista.com/chocolate-pots-de-creme-vegan-paleo/

Makes about two 6-7 oz servings (I put it in 2 vegemite jars)

Soak overnight, then drain & pat dry right before using

• 1/2 cup cashews

Our house is kind of cold in winter so I melt the coconut oil and preheat the liquids in hot tap water. Also I have better luck adding the liquid first to the preheated Ninja blender cup.

Add to blender cup

• 1/2 cup cashew milk (probably any nut milk would work)
• 4 T. melted coconut oil
• 2 T. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp tumeric (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• pinch seasalt
• 1/2 cup soaked, drained, and patted dry cashew nuts.

Blend till smooth, scrape down sides as needed. Then pour into jars and let sit overnight in fridge.

Black Bean Soup (revised)

Heat up in large sided sloped fry pan

• olive oil

Saute by adding one at a time as you chop fine to make soft, sauteed vegetable blend

• small onion
• celery stalk 
• 1/4 - 1/2 sweet pepper, any color
• couple handfuls kale or other green 
• small handful of cilantro if desired
• sunflower or pumpkin seeds ground fine, small handful
• small tomato
• 1-2 garlic cloves

Deglaze pan with

• juice from 1/2 lemon or lime

Add, stir to combine, and heat on low till warm

• 1 can black beans with juice (16oz)
• 1 can refried black beans (16 oz) 

Then add for more flavor and stir to combine

• juice from the other half of the lemon or lime

Mango Balls with Chia Seeds (Version 2)

adapted from: https://minimalistbaker.com/mango-energy-bites/



Soak in hot water for 5 minutes till soft and pliable, drain, then pat dry.

• 4-5 oz package of dried mango

While mango is soaking grind then set aside

• 1- 1/4c walnuts

 Grind to make paste with

• pliable mango
• 12 dates

Then add and blend together. (Can use hand if food processor won't do it.)

• previously ground walnuts 
• 1 T ground flax seed meal
• 1 T chia seeds
• 1/3 c coconut flakes
• 1/2 t. cinnamon

Roll into about 3/4" balls.

Roll balls in

• about 1/2 c or so of coconut flakes

See notes from Version 1
https://katsrecipes.blogspot.com/2018/12/raw-mango-balls-rolled-in-coconut.html

I didn't use any powdered sugar and they were sweet enough for me.