½ – l loaf pound cake, cut into thin cubes (or use Japanese Sponge Cake)
1 quart strawberries, sliced
1 pint blueberries
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
½ cup raspberry jam
Vanilla Custard (see recipe below-or use boxed vanilla pudding)
2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbs powdered sugar
¼ tsp almond extract
Toasted almonds, for garnish

Prepare Vanilla Custard or pudding. Cool completely.

In a separate bowl, stir together fruits and jam.

In a separate bowl,whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and almond extract until stiff peaks form.

Layer one-third of the cake slices, custard, whipped cream, and fruit in a large glass serving bowl. Repeat to make 3 layers, ending with a whipped cream layer on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. Just before serving, sprinkle with toasted almonds.

**NOTE: The exact amounts of cake, fruit and custard that you use will depend on the size of your bowl. Leftovers make great individual parfaits!

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¾ cup sugar
3 Tbs cornstarch
1 vanilla bean, optional
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 Tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla bean (Split bean in half and scrape seeds into the saucepan. Place bean pod in the saucepan as well). Whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. While boiling, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to the saucepan, stirring well. Return custard to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 2 additional minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla extract, and remove vanilla bean pod. Pour custard into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard (to keep from developing a skin). Chill until cool. Do not stir while custard is cooling.

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6 large eggs, separated
½ tsp cream of tartar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup cream
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup plus ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup flour
2 Tbs cornstarch

Toppings:
2 Tbs powdered sugar
Fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries), to garnish
Sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare cake pan: Line bottom of an 8” cake pan with a parchment paper circle. Use a sheet of parchment paper to make a 4” high collar; place around inside edge of cake pan. Find a baking dish that the cake pan will fit in to make a water bath that comes halfway up the edge of the cake pan.

Separate eggs: Place egg whites in a large metal or glass mixing bowl. Place egg yolks in a small bowl. Set both bowls aside.

Heat water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler; reduce heat to low. In the top of the double boiler, add the cream cheese, cream, and butter. Place over the water and stir just until smooth. Remove top pan from heat. Whisk in ½ cup sugar, then stir in lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Whisk egg yolks into mixture one at a time. Sift the flour and cornstarch into the pan and whisk until fully combined.

Beat egg whites with a mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Add ¼ cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold 1/3 of the meringue into the cream cheese mixture and fold with a spatula until no streaks remain. Gently fold in the remaining meringue. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Add about 2 cups of boiling water to a rimmed baking pan and carefully place in the oven (or place pan on oven rack and then add the hot water). Place filled cake pan into the water bath in the oven. Bake for 80-90 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Carefully remove cake pan from the water bath onto a towel and dry bottom. Place pan on a wire rack; let cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the cake from the pan, peeling off the bottom parchment layer, and place cake directly onto a serving platter. Let cake cool completely, uncovered, on the platter.

Optional: dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving. If desired, cut cake into slices and serve with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Cake can be eaten at room temperature or chilled. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

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4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup coarsely chopped raw pecans
½ cup sliced or chopped raw almonds
½ cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup pure maple syrup or honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional: ½ cup dried fruit, like cranberries, blueberries, banana chips,
or unsweetened coconut flakes*

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, nuts, pumpkin seeds, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla. Pour over the oats and nuts and mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated.
4. Pour the granola onto a large rimmed baking pan. Use a large spatula to spread it in an even layer.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Press the stirred granola down with your spatula in an even layer. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until granola is lightly golden. The granola will get crisper as it cools.
6. Place the pan of granola on a wire rack. Let the granola cool completely in the pan, without stirring. When the granola is cool, stir in the dried fruit, if using.
7. Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it warm to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes about 6 cups of granola

NOTES:

• If you want toasted coconut in your granola: Stir the coconut flakes into the granola halfway through baking to lightly toast the coconut.
• If you want granola with large clumps, stir an egg white into the raw oat and nut mixture after the other liquid ingredients. Do not stir the egg white directly into the melted coconut oil if the oil is hot-it will cook your egg white.

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8 slices of bacon (½ package), cut into pieces
1 Tbs butter
2 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
8 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 unbaked deep dish pie crust

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 Tablespoon of grease in the pan. Discard any additional grease and let bacon sit on paper towels to absorb excess grease. Add butter to the bacon grease in the pan. Heat pan over medium-low heat. Stir in onions and cook for 20-30 minutes, until onions are caramelized to a deep golden brown.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheeses, bacon, and cooked onions. Pour egg mixture into pie crust, using a spatula to even out bacon and cheese in the crust.

Bake for 30 minutes, using a pie crust shield to cover edges of crust. Check top of quiche: if center is browned, cover entire quiche loosely with foil. Reduce oven to 350°F and bake for 20-30 minutes longer, until center is mostly set; it will continue to firm while sitting. Let quiche sit at room temperature for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.

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1 lb ground pork
2 cups finely chopped or grated Napa cabbage
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbs chopped fresh chives
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp salt
Gyoza wrappers (about 32)
Oil for frying

Dipping Sauce:
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs mirin
About 1 Tbs honey or sugar, or 5 drops stevia
1-2 tsp chili oil or chili paste, to taste**

In a large bowl, combine pork, cabbage, green onions, chives, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and salt. Mix well.

Spoon about 1 Tbs of the raw meat mixture into the center of a gyoza wrapper. Use your finger to very lightly moisten the edge of the gyoza wrapper with water. Fold wrapper in half, using your thumb and index finger to fold pleats into one edge of the wrapper. Pinch the edges together to close and seal. Repeat with remaining meat and wrappers. Set dumplings on a parchment lined baking sheet. Let raw dumplings rest for a few minutes before cooking to keep them from unfolding when cooking. (By the time you are finished filling, the first ones will be ready to cook.)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2-3 Tbs of oil to the hot pan. Add gyoza in a single layer in the pan; don’t crowd pan or let gyoza touch. Cook, uncovered, without moving or lifting dumplings, for 3-4 minutes, or until bottom of dumplings are well browned.

Add about ¼ cup of water to the bottom of the pan and immediately cover pan with a lid; reduce heat to medium-low. Steam gyoza for about 4 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until the water evaporates. Remove gyoza from the pan and let them sit for 5 minutes before eating.

Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, mix  together soy sauce, vinegar, and mirin. Sweeten to taste with desired sweetener. If using sugar, heat sauce f0r 30 seconds in the microwave to dissolve sugar; stir.

Serve dipping sauce in small individual bowls. Let people add their own chili oil or paste to their dipping sauce bowl so that they can control how spicy they want their sauce.

Makes about 32 gyoza

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Gyoza Filling (see recipe above)
Dipping Sauce (see recipe above)
15-20 cabbage leaves (green or savoy cabbage)

Boil cabbage leaves for 5-7 minutes in salted water, or until foldable. Cool until able to handle.

Prepare filling as above. Fill leaves with 1-2 Tbs of raw filling.

Place cabbage leaves in a steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes, or until pork is cooked through. If desired, brown cabbage rolls in a hot skillet with 2 Tbs oil for 2-3 minutes after steaming.

Serve with dipping sauce. They will likely be too soft to be able to eat with hands, so serve with chopsticks or forks.

Makes about 15-20 cabbage rolls

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1-2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
2 Tbs plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each: ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, kosher salt
¼ tsp each: cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper

Garlic Sauce (recipe below)
Garnish (optional): fresh snipped herbs: cilantro, oregano, parsley or lemon thyme
For serving: Pitas, feta cheese, Greek salad, and Lemon Turmeric Rice (recipe below)

If chicken breasts are very large/thick, cut breasts in half crosswise.

In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, mix together all ingredients except for chicken and Garlic Sauce. Add chicken pieces and mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight.

Grill over medium-high heat until cooked through. OR: Roast at 450°F for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through. Slice chicken very thinly.

Serve Shawarma Chicken drizzled with Garlic Sauce and garnished with fresh herbs, if desired.

Optional: also serve with pitas, Lemon Turmeric Rice, and a Greek salad.

Garlic Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ tsp kosher salt
Dash of white pepper

Stir together all garlic sauce ingredients. Chill for at least 1-2 hours.

Before serving: if sauce is very thick, thin with 1-2 tablespoons of warm water.

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2 cups long grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth (see note for amounts if cooking on the stovetop)
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp turmeric (add up to 2 tsp turmeric, if desired)

Stir together all ingredients in an Instant Pot. Place lid on pot and set vent to seal. Use Rice function, or use Manual setting to cook under low pressure for 12 minutes. After cooking, let pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes, and then quickly release the rest of the pressure. Fluff rice with a fork.

To cook rice in a pot on the stovetop:
Increase chicken broth according to proportions suggested on rice package (about 3-4 cups of broth for the 2 cups of rice, depending on desired tenderness and variety of rice). Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Heat over medium heat to boiling point; stir gently. Lower heat to very low, cover pan, and let rice cook for 18-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, leave covered, and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Fluff rice with a fork.

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1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes with chilies, undrained
1 can (4 oz) mild green chilies, undrained
½ cup heavy cream
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
2 cups diced/shredded white American cheese

Preheat smoker to 250°F.

Place all ingredients in an 8×8” foil pan; do not drain liquid off of tomatoes and chilies. Stir gently. Place pan on a rack in the smoker. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, and then stir dip. Continue to cook for a total of about 90 minutes, stirring about every 30 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips or sliced raw vegetables.

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1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbs red curry paste, divided
1-2 Tbs chili paste, adjust to desired spiciness level
2 mangos, divided
2 Tbs coconut oil, divided
½ onion, halved and sliced
½ red pepper, julienned
1 zucchini, sliced and quartered
¼ cup snap pea pods, cut into 2-3 pieces
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into very thin slices
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
1 cup baby corn, cut in half
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fish sauce
1 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs coarsely chopped Thai basil leaves, optional
Hot cooked rice

In a blender, combine chicken broth, 2 Tbs red curry paste, chili paste, and ONE peeled and seeded mango. Blend until smooth; set aside. Chop additional peeled and seeded mango into ½” cubes and set aside in a separate bowl.

Heat 1 Tbs coconut oil in a large saucepan. Cook onion and red pepper for 3 minutes, then stir in zucchini and snap peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.

Heat additional 1 Tbs coconut oil in pan. Add sliced chicken breasts and 1 Tbs red curry paste. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, baby corn, brown sugar, salt, fish sauce, and blended mango mixture. Bring to a low simmer. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in cooked vegetables, cubed mango, lime juice, and Thai basil leaves. Heat through.

Serve over hot cooked rice.

NOTE: This makes a very thick curry. For a thinner curry, add additional broth or coconut milk.

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12 cups popped popcorn (either freshly popped or pre-popped)
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ tsp kosher salt (omit if using pre-popped salted popcorn)
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Line a large baking sheet (half-sheet sized, or use 2 regular sized) with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Lightly butter a very large bowl*. Place popped corn in the bowl.

Add butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a large saucepan. Bring mixture to boiling point, stirring. Boil for 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and then baking soda (mixture will foam).

Gradually pour over popcorn and peanuts; stir until popcorn is evenly coated.

Spread popcorn mixture evenly onto the prepared baking pan. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Break popcorn pieces apart as mixture cools. Cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

NOTES:

· ½ cup of popcorn kernels will make about 12 cups of popped popcorn

· If using pre-popped popcorn, use a mildly salted, unbuttered brand

· Use the butter paper to grease your bowl

· Stir in 1 cup peanuts before baking to make Cracker Jack Candy

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