polenta tamale pie

1 pound mild Italian sausage
1.5 Tb chili powder
1 Tb ground cumin
1 16 oz jar of salsa
1 15oz can black beans
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can corn or about 1 cup frozen
1 small can chopped or sliced olives
2 - 1 pound rolls of polenta, sliced into 1/3 inch thick rounds
3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese or Mexican mixed
salt & pepper to taste

Saute sausage in a large pot over medium heat, breaking up.  Add chili powder & cumin, stir 1 minute.  Add salsa, beans, corn, olives & broth.  Simmer until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.  Mix in 1/4 cup cilantro, season with salt & pepper.
Oil 9x13 glass baking dish  Place 1/2 of polenta in dish.  Top with sauce and 1/5 cups cheese, then remaining polenta, cheese and cilantro.  This can be made 1 day ahead -- cover with foil and chill. 
Heat oven to 350.  Bake uncovered until sauce bubbles - about 35 minutes, or bake refrigerated pie covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 35 minutes. 
Serves about 8.

glory to Michelle H. for this amazing meal!

sweet potato souffle

3-4 cups sweet potatoes or yams, cooked or smashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Cream everything together and put in a 9x13 dish.

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together and spread over the potatoes.

Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.
glory to Michelle H. for this yummy Thanksgiving dish!

nacho cheeze sauce

1.5 cups soaked cashews (soaked & drained)
1/2 tsp salt
2  tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup water (more if you want a thinner sauce)
nutritional yeast (2-3 heaping Tb)
1-3 dried chipotle pepper(s)

Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender until you reach your desired consistency.  This "cheeze sauce" is great for tacos, or drizzled over roasted veggies/potatoes.  Actually - we love it for pretty much everything.

glory to Cafe Gratitude for the ingredient list!  I am not sure of the amounts for the nutritional yeast & peppers, but this is my best guess, based on overall taste!!

almond milk

2 cups raw almonds (soaked & drained)
6 cups filtered water
1-2 dates (to sweeten)*
dash of vanilla

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender (high speed, 2 min) and then strain well. 
Keeps for about 2 days, so don't make too much at one time!

*you can use any alternative to sweeten: honey, sugar, agave, maple syrup!

Justin's raw granola

2 ½ cups buckwheat
2 ½ cups sunflower seeds
2 cups pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup chia seeds
dates - 10-12 medium size

blend/process: dates, coconut oil, chai spice, cinnamon
10-12 medjool dates, soaked & pits removed
2 Tbs coconut oil
1-2 Tb spices (chai & cinnamon)

optional:
coconut flakes - 1 cup
raisins
vanilla

Soak all the above ingredients (seeds & dates) in their individual bowls.  Chia seeds will soak up about 1-2 cups water!  Soak everything for about 3-8 hours.  Rinse the seeds really well, and strain the water well too.  Combine all the ingredients into a large deep bowl.  Blend the remaining 3 ingredients (dates, oil & spices) in a small food processor.  Add this to your seeds & combine everything well.  Spread the mixture onto Teflex sheets, about 1/4 inch thick, for your food dehydrator.  This recipe will make about 4 sheets.  Dehydrate (105-110 degrees) for about 1-2 hours before removing from the Teflex and allowing to dehydrate on the mesh overnight.  We usually dehydrate for at least 10-12 hours total, and begin this process in the early afternoon so you will have time for soaking & to start the dehydration process before you go to bed.  Our kids LOVE this granola!! 

vanishing oatmeal cookies

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt (optional)
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat together butter & sugars until creamy with a mixer. Add eggs & vanilla extract; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt; mix well with a wooden spoon. Slowly stir in oats. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on sheet, remove to wire rack.  They will be gone so fast!

Winkie Juice - natural healing tonic!

- A Natural Antibiotic: antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitical concoction!  Great for travel & living overseas, since you can find all these ingredients pretty easily.  Hope this helps!! 

1 part fresh chopped garlic
1 part fresh chopped Onion
1 part fresh grated Ginger Root
1 part fresh grated Horseradish Root
1 part fresh chopped Cayenne Peppers or any peppers available.
Apple Cider Vinegar (Raw Unfiltered Unbleached Non-distilled)

Fill a glass jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts by volume of the above fresh chopped and grated herbs (or use a food processor). Then fill jar to the top with raw apple cider vinegar. Close and shake vigorously.  Shake at least once a day for two weeks, and then filter the mixture through a clean piece of cloth or filter, bottle and label. Make sure that when you make this tonic that you shake it every time you walk by it, a minimum of once per day. Remember that all the herbs and vegetables should be fresh (and organically grown if possible) and use dried herbs only in an emergency.  You don't have to wait for the concoction to ferment, if you are sick right now.  We have used this in tea, added honey, etc.

glory to Winkie Pratney, an amazing evangelist from New Zealand. 

garbanzo curry salad

2 cups dried garbanzo beans (soaked overnight, sprouted 1 day)
1 cucumber (chopped small)
green onions (optional)
cilantro (chopped)
sun dried tomatoes (soaked 1-2 hrs, chopped)
flax seed oil - about 1/4 cup
2 Tb cumin
1-2 tsp garlic powder (to taste)
1/2 - 1 tsp curry powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cloves
salt to taste

optional:
cherry tomatoes
celery
sauteed onion

fruit tart filling

Blend in a blender until you reach the desired consistency.  Pour into a nutty-crust, and decorate with seasonal fruits.  Freeze or chill until set.

1.5 cups mango
1/2 cup coconut
2 bananas
1/2 avocado

raw curried carrot soup

This soup is perfect for spring or fall, served with a big salad and some warm gluten free bread.  

6 large carrots (cut into large chunks) or 16 oz freshly extracted carrot juice.
2 cups almond milk (freshly made or store bought)
1/2 cup sweet onion
1 stalk of celery (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 garlic clove (peeled)
ginger (small piece to taste)
1 tsp honey
2 tsp curry powder

Place all ingredients in a Vitamix or other powerful blender and run until all ingredients are thoroughly processed and creamy.  After making this, we decided that we prefer the carrot juice, rather than the chunks of carrot.  The soup seems less chunky that way. 

onion bread - or onion rings *raw

2 cups yellow onion
3/4 cup flaxseed, ground
3/4 cup sunflower seeds, ground
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu
1/4 cup olive oil

Peel & halve the onion.  In a food processor (S blade), process 1/2 of the onion until smooth.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Pulse the remainder of the onion until roughly chopped.  Transfer to your bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients & mix until thoroughly combined.  Spread the mixture evenly onto a dehydrator tray lined with Teflex.  Repeat until all of the mixture is used.  Score the bread with a knife to desired size.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 24 hours or until desired texture is achieved.  Store in an airtight container - lasts about 1 month.  Makes about 2 trays.  To make these into onion rings, just use 1/2 onion rings (rather than chopped) and coat well with ground up mixture.  They will be dehydrated, coated with all the yummy flavorings! 

Glory to Oasis of Healing in Mesa, Arizona, and my amazing mother in law - Rachel.

mock "refried beans" *raw

2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked
7 avocados, lightly mashed
3 Tb chili powder
1 Tb cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 of a small onion, chopped
1 Tb lemon juice

Add all the ingredients into a food processor fitted with an S blade.  Puree until smooth & until all the tomatoes are blended well.  Taste & adjust the flavors to suit your taste.  Top with cheesy sauce, salsa & serve.