Hummus

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 c cooked garbanzo beans with their cooking liquid, or ttwo 14.5 oz cans garbanzo beans
1/2 c tahini
1 tea chopped garlic
1/2 c lemon juice
4 Tb olive oil
1 Tb toasted sesame oil
1 tea kosher salt
1/8 tea cayenne
1/8 tea ground cumin

1. Drain the beans and save the liquid.

2. Put the beans in a food processor with the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Pulse until the mixture is roughly pureed. Add 3 Tb of the olive oil and the sesame oil and run the motor until the oils are incorporated into the puree. If the paste seems to thick, add some of the reserved cooking liquid from the beans. Motor in the salt, cayenne and cumin.

3. Transfer to serving dish and drizzle remaining oil over the top.

Caponata

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

Makes about 4 cups

6 small Japanese eggplants (ichiban)
1 Tb kosher salt
1 med onion
2 stalks celery
1/2 c olive oil
2 Tb chopped garlic
1 Tb dried oregano
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c capers
1/2 c sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
1 c canned tomato sauce with porcini or canned tomato puree
1/2 c thinly sliced fresh basil
Ak-Mak crackers or Sesame Crackers

1. Cut the eggplants into 1-inch cubes. In a med saucepan, bring about 2 quarts of water to a rapid boil, add the salt, and cook the eggplant just until tender, about 3 minutes. Lift the eggplant out of the pan with a slotted spoon and spread it out on a baking sheet in a single layer to cool.

2. Peel and chop the onion, and dice the celery. Heat a large skillet over high heat and warm the olive oil. Immediately add the onion and celery, and cook until the onion begins to brown. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute longer.

3. Transfer the sauteed vegetables to a large bowl and add the balsamic vinegar, capers, olives, and tomato sauce. Stir in the sliced basil. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate fro several hours before serving. Serve with crackers.

Sesame Vinegarette from Lucky Platter

Toast until golden: 1/4 C Sesame Seeds

Mix by hand all ingredients together in small bowl:
1 egg
3.175 oz rice vinegar
3 T honey
1/8 t salt
1 oz sesame oil

Kale and White Bean Soup

From Epicurious

Makes 6 main-course servings

1 hour active time, 3 hours total

2 cans Canallini beans, drained and rinsed

2 onions, coarsly chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tb olive oil

5 c chicken broth

2 quarts water

1 3X2 inch piece of Parmesian rind

2 tea salt

1/2 tea black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 tea finely chopped rosemary

1 lb sweet or smoked sausage

8 carrots, cut into small chunks

1 lb kale

Cook onions in the oil in an 8 qt pot until soft. Add garlic and stir for a minute or two. Add beans, broth and 1 qt water, cheese rind, salt, pepper, bay leaf and rosemary. Simmer uncovered about 45 minutes.

While soup is simmering, brown sausage. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Cut into 1-2 inch pieces.

Stir carrots into soup and simmer for 15 minutes. Add kale, sausage and remaining qt of water. Simmer an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or cool and store covered in fridge for a day. Reheat and serve with crusty GF bread.

Grilled Brocolli

6 cups fresh broccoli spears

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place broccoli in a large bowl. Combine the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper; drizzle over broccoli and toss to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. Prepare grill for indirect heat. Toss broccoli, then drain marinade. Place Parmesan cheese in a large resealable plastic bag. Add broccoli, a few pieces at a time, shake to coat.
3. Grill broccoli, covered, over indirect medium heat for 8-10 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender.

Taco Seasoning

From Allrecipes.com

Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container:

1 Tb chili powder
1/4 tea garlic powder
1/4 tea onion powder
1/4 tea crushed red pepper
1/4 tea dried oregano
1/2 tea paprika
1 1/2 tea ground cumin
1 tea sea salt
1 tea pepper

Cider-Glazed Chicken Sausages with Butternut Mash

From Everyday Food, May 2011

Serves 4, active time 10 min, total time 40 min.

2 tea olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 lb gluten free chicken sausages
7 fresh sage leaves
3 cups apple cider
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small butternut squash (1lb), peeled adn cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large russet potato (10oz), peeled adn cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup Greek yogurt

In a large skillet or shallow heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and sausages adn cook until sausages are deep golden brown, 5 minutes, turning sausages and stirring onion halfway through. Add sage and cider adn season with salt and pepper. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until sider is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine squash, potato, adn apple. Cover by 2 inches water and bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high. Cook until squash and potato are tender when pierced with a knife, 15 minutes.

Drain vegetables and transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth. Add yogurt, season with salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Divide butternut mash among four plates and serve with sausages and onion.