1 1/2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets

4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

7 tbsp butter

3 green onions, sliced

sea salt

2 tbsp flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 cup Mexican creme or creme fraiche

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 16 oz. box whole wheat penne

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

Cook cauliflower florets in salted boiling water until crisp tender. With a large sieve, remove cauliflower from water. Cook the penne in the water until al dente. Transfer to a colander.

Melt 3 tbsp butter in a pan, add cauliflower and sauté until beginning to brown. Add tomatoes and green onions and continue to cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Cook until sauce thickens, whisking occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add 1 cup Fontina cheese and 1 cup Gruyere cheese; whisk until melted and sauce is smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan, then crema and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Stir in cauliflower mixture and pasta into sauce.

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon in half of pasta mixture; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheeses. Top with remaining pasta mixture and 1/2 cup grated cheeses. Melt remaining 2 tablespoon butter in small skillet. Add breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Remove from heat; mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pasta uncovered until heated through and bubbling, about 35 minutes.

2 9-inch prepared deep dish pie crusts, unbaked

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup sugar

3 cups mashed cooked yams, (I used the red ones with the orange flesh)

2 1/4 cups evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp mace and/or nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly beat all ingredients together.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crusts and place in the oven. Bak 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until knife inserted in center come out clean. If crust starts to get too dark, cover crust with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve with whipped cream.

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, either canned or dried beans soaked and cooked

2 cups green olives, pitted

1 tsp cumin, or more to taste

1 tsp ground red pepper flakes, or more to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

lemon juice, to taste

Put all ingredients in a food processor or a high powered blender. Blend and adjust seasoning to taste.

1 pound walnut halves

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray with a nonstick oil spray. Place the walnuts in a small saucepan and cover with hot water. Place the saucepan over high heat and boil the walnuts for 5 minutes. Immediately tip the walnuts into a colander to drain. Place the honey, sugar, 1/4 cup water, and the salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then add the walnuts and stir until the mixture becomes dry, about 4 minutes. Transfer the nuts to one of the baking sheets, spread in an even layer, place the baking sheet in the preheated oven, and cook the nuts until they turn a nice brown color, about 12 minutes, turning the nuts a few times. Remove the nuts from the oven and transfer to the second baking sheet to cool.

As soon as the nuts are cool enough to handle, separate them from one another by rolling them around in your hands. When cooled completely, use on a salad or put in a freezer ziploc and freeze for future use.

8 cups homemade vegetable stock or 4 cups store bought stock plus 4 cups water

1 oz. package of dried porcini mushrooms

1 1/2 lb. mixed fresh wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, crimini, etc..

8 tbsp butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1 cup sliced shallots

1/2 onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup whipping cream

Sea salt

Black pepper

Put the stock and water in a pot. Add in the stems from the fresh mushrooms and the package of porcini mushrooms. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile clean and slice the mushrooms. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, shallots, and onion and sauté until onion is translucent. Add in garlic and saute a minute more. Add all mushrooms and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add white wine and Sherry. Boil until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 6 minutes

Strain the stock and chop up the pieces of porcini mushroom and add them to the mushroom mixture.Mix remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup flour in small bowl until smooth paste forms. Add flour paste to mushroom mixture in pot; stir until mixture melts and coats vegetables. Gradually mix in stock. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mushrooms are tender, stirring often. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper. If needed add a squirt of agave just to blend the flavors.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender or processor until smooth. Return soup to pot. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before serving.) Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 28oz can of diced tomatoes in their juice

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp dried marjoram

1 tsp fennel seeds (or I used fennel powder or even fennel pollen)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Saute onions until tender. Add in garlic and saute one minute more. Then add in tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, fennel and marjoram and some salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until sauce has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

You can serve this sauce chunky or puree it to get a smooth sauce.

Serves 6

1 1/2 cups oil for frying

4 spiced pappadums

dressing:

2 1/2 tbsp warm water

Juice of one lime

1 tbsp honey

1 1/4 tsp tamarind concentrate

salt, to taste

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Salad:

10 oz. baby spinach

1 head Romaine lettuce

1 seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices

Heat oil in a small fry pan. Fry pappadums one at a time, turning over once. They only take a few seconds on each side. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

For the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients except the oil. Then add the oil in a slow stream while constantly whisking. Season to taste.

Wash the spinach and dry. Wash the Romaine and shred it crosswise. Put in a large bowl with the cucumber. Toss with the dressing. Serve in a bowl with the pappadums crumbled into 1 inch pieces on top or tossed in.

Serves 6 – 8

7 red potatoes, washed and cut into large pieces

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp cumin seeds, crushed

2 tsp ground paprika

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped (optional)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

sea salt, to taste

4 green onions, finely sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until cooked through. Drain and cool.

In an oven proof saute pan or skillet, heat the oil and saute the onion until softened. Then add garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin seeds, paprika, and turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Add in cauliflower and stir to coat the cauliflower with the spices and oil.  Put in the oven and roast until the cauliflower is just tender. Remove from oven and cool. Season with salt.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cauliflower mixture. Add in bell pepper and apple pieces. Mix mayonnaise, yogurt and lemon juice to form a dressing. Mix dressing in with potato mixture and season to taste with salt adding more lemon juice if desired. Either mix in the green onions or serve with the green onions as a garnish.

1 cup quinoa

1/2 small white onion, finely chopped

1 celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 tsp salt or more to taste

Rinse quinoa in a bowl in at least 5 changes of water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off water, until water runs clear. Drain in a fine sieve.

Cook onion, celery, carrot, and fennel in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add quinoa and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock and salt and pepper to taste and cook over moderately low heat, covered, until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

1 onion, chopped

5 garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)

1 1-pound eggplant, trimmed, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Pinch of cayenne pepper

four 4-to-5 inch-diameter portobello mushrooms, stems removed

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 10-ounce package ready-to-use spinach leaves

1 8oz log of soft goat cheese or goat cheese crumble

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix onion, 3 teaspoons garlic and 1 tablespoon oil in large ovenproof pot. Cover; cook over medium-low heat until onion is very tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Stir in eggplant; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in next 6 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; bake until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Lay mushrooms out on a baking sheet, underside up. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with some garlic. Broil in the oven until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and a little garlic; stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. olive oil in a large ovenproof pan that can be covered.

Place some spinach on each mushroom cap, top with ratatouille and crumble goat cheese over the top. Heat in a hot oven, 400 degrees, until heated through and the goat cheese is soft and melting. Serve.