Sardine Pate

INGREDIENTS
2 cans sardines with bones, in EVOO
1 hard-boiled egg
1 tsp capers
2-2.5 Tbsp soft butter (more for creamier pate)
1/2 red onion
1 tsp mustard
A little fresh dill (or parsley -- or skip it, but dill adds a special touch!)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Drain the oil from the sardine cans.(Don't toss it -- save it for a tomato sauce!)
2. Place the sardines in a food processor.
3. Add the hard-boiled egg, capers, soft butter, red onion, dill, mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
4. Blend everything until you get a smooth, creamy paste.
5. For best results, let it rest in the fridge to firm up slightly. (But let's be honest... it's amazing right away too.)

Pizza Kale Chips

Prep: 5 hrs 15 mins

Dehydrate: 8 hrs

Ingredients
1 large bunch of curly kale
1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup water
3 oz. no salt added tomato sauce
2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp agave
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Place cashews in a bowl. Add water to cover the cashews completely. Cover bowl and soak for 5 hours.
2. Rinse and drain cashews.
3. Wash kale well and pat dry.
4. De-stem kale and tear into approximately 3-inch pieces. Place kale pieces in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
5. To make the sauce, blend the following until smooth: soaked cashews, 1/4 cup water, tomato sauce, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, minced onion, lemon juice, agave, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender half way through to ensure that it well mixed.
6. Pour sauce over kale. Toss well, making sure all leaves are coated evenly with sauce.
7. Place kale on ParaFlexx lined Excalibur Dehydrator trays. Make sure that the kale leaves are spaced out evenly. They should not be touching.
8. Dehydrator at 115° F for 8 hours or until the chips are crisp.

Granola

Total: 1 hr 25 min

Active: 10 min

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
4. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

Guacamole

Ingredients 

8 ripe medium avocados
1-2 limes (juiced)
1 jalapeno (roasted & diced)
½ medium red onion (diced)
2-3 medium cloves of garlic (minced or crushed)
2 roma tomatoes (diced)
2 small or 1 large bunch cilantro (chopped)
salt & pepper to taste

Preparations

1. Cut Avocados in half and remove seed. With a small knife, cut squares in flesh of avocado, making sure to not cut through skins. With a soup spoon, remove squares into a mixing bowl by scraping with edge of spoon between skin and avocado flesh.
2. Squeeze lime juice over avocado squares.
3. Roasting jalapeno is an optional step but adds a wonderful smoky taste and mellows the heat a bit. To roast, place jalapeño over open flame using tongs and turning once skin begins to darken and pop, roasting all sides. Dice and add to avocado.
4. Cut and dice remaining ingredients, add to avocado. Stir to incorporate veggies well.
5. Serve with chips or along side any Mexican meal.

Cinnamon Churros

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Vegetable oil for deep-fat frying
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 recipe Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce (optional)

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to boiling over medium heat Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beating well with a wooden spoon.
2. Transfer mixture to a decorating bag fitted with a large star tip. Line a baking sheet waxed paper. Pipe 4x1-inch logs onto prepared baking sheet.
3. Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep saucepan to 375 degrees F. Fry a few logs at a time in deep hot oil about 2 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a 300 degree F oven while cooking remaining churros.
4. In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll warm churros in cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. Serve warm. Makes about 20 churros.

Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon ground pasilla or ancho chile pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 5 ounce can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk

Method:

1. In a heavy small saucepan combine semisweet chocolate pieces, butter, ground pasilla or ancho chile pepper (if desired), and cinnamon; cook and stir over medium heat until chocolate is melted. 
2. Stir in the granulated sugar; gradually add evaporated milk, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. 
3. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. 
4. Boil gently over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. 
5. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. 
6. Serve warm sauce with warm churros.

Pastillas De Leche

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh or
evaporated milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon butter
5 tablespoons full-cream
powdered milk
sugar for rolling

Method:

1. Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil and stir constantly until it turns into a paste. Add butter and powdered milk. Mix thoroughly.
2. Take the pan off the heat and transfer mixture to a separate bowl. Set aside until pastillas are cool enough to touch but still warm. Divide pastillas into 20 pieces and roll into small cylinders.
3. Roll lightly in sugar. Wrap in paper by placing in the center of a square, rolling it into a cylinder, and tucking the ends into the roll. 

Makes about 20 pastillas

Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

10 white or brown mushrooms
1/2 cup white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup orange cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
dried thyme (about 2 tsp)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Wash your mushrooms and take out the stems so they are hollow.
3. Grate cheese into bowl and mix the 2 cheeses.
4. Place mushrooms onto a baking tray.
5. Fill mushrooms with cheese.
6. Top with salt, pepper and dried thyme.
7. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and mushrooms are browning around edges.

Cinnamon Sugar Cheesecake Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

2 slices whole grain bread
2 Tbsp light cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp icing sugar
1 Tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Method:
Preheat toaster oven to 350. (Can also be made in a regular oven) Line small, flat oven safe dish with parchment paper, set aside.
Cut off bread crusts. Using a rolling pin or heavy glass, roll bread out so it is thin.
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and icing sugar until well mixed. Spread evenly on 2 slices of bread.
Roll up, jelly roll style, gently pressing to seal seam.
Using a pastry or basting brush, brush all over with melted butter.
In a small dish, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the bread that has been brushed with the melted butter. Place on prepared baking tray, seam side down.
Bake for approx 7 minutes, gently flip over, and bake 7 minutes more.
Remove from oven and let sit for 2 - 3 minutes. Eat as is or slice in half and serve. (Be careful, filling will be hot!)

Sambal ikan bilis

Ingredients:

500g ikan bilis
10 fresh chillies
10 shallots
5 garlic cloves
Salt & sugar to taste

Method:

1. Blend shallots, galic & fresh chillies.
2. Fry the ikan bills & remove.
3. Fry the blended ingredients until aromatic & add salt & sugar.
4. Turn off the flame & add the ikan bills.