This recipe is- obviously- veganized.  If you don’t want to eat it vegan, then it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how to make it full fat again.

8-10 large yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped up
8 oz. tofutti sour cream
8 oz. tofutti cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. earth balance “butter”
2 tbsp. garlic salt
1 tbsp. onion salt
4 tbsp. Penzy’s “Sunny Paris” seasoning (shallots, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, basil, tarragon, chervil and bay leaf)
1 tsp. black pepper

Boil the taters in water, covered, until tender; drain,
Beat the sour cream, cream cheese, butter, garlic salt, onion salt, penzy’s seasoning, and pepper in a mixer bowl until smooth.  Add the hot potatoes gradually, beating until potatoes are fluffy after each addition.  (I use my kitchenaid for this). Beat until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.

Refrigerate the potatoes for 12 hours. (this step makes the potatoes THAT much better- trust me)

Preheat the oven to 350.
Spoon the potato mixture into a greased 2 quart baking dish.  (I use my handy dutch oven).
Bake at 350 for 1 1/4 hours.

mon chef d'oeuvre

here.  Heather is not feeling so healthful tonight, and is currently curled up on the couch in a ball hiding under a blanket, so it was my turn in the kitchen (and on the computer) tonight.

After heating up some leftover soup for Healthful Heather (TM), I peeped the scene in the fridgeemerator, deadset on using the pot that made her soup to make something else.   I saw some mushrooms but they was rotten.   However, I had already started heating up the olive oil in this a here little pan, so I had to press on like George Washington on that damn rowboat.

This is a tasty hearty spicy cool soup that I improvised tonight.  Thus, I present this recipe in real-time perspective, as best I can remember it:

Yields about 3 cups.

Heat up a little olive oil in a SAUCE PAN

Add 2 chopped shallot bulbs and a couple chips of fresh ginger

Saute it, don’t spray it for about 5 mins.

Add 1 to 2 cups cold water directly to this hotness! and let ‘er sit over low heat.

Chop up 4 golf ball sized heirloom tomatoes (this is what I had at hand, I’m sure you could use 2 or 3 plum tomaters and get similarly exquisite results) and add them to your soup

Add 2 teaspoons Penzey’s (thanks for the royalties!) Singapore Seasoning Mix

Simmer this stuff for about 10 minutes, add a little kosher salt, and some gentile pepper.    Add some of the beer you’ve been drinking.   Sprinkle in some granulated garlic.  Add 2 quartered cloves of garlic.

Add 2 tableSPOONs of Whole Foods Creamy Peanut Butter   –  you know,  the 365 Days A Year Store Brand But My Newton Bookgroup Won’t Judge Me If They Look In My Cupboard While I’m In The Bathroom type !!!!!!

Stir it up, lil darlin, stir it up.    Keep it just about between simmer and rolling boil.

Slice a lil serrano pepper.  Dice it up to prevent extra hot spoonfuls, or partition it into bigger pieces if that’s what you’re after.

Stir intermittently for another 10 minutes.

Add another 2 tbsps of the Suburban Spoonful.

(Optional step / ingredient:  chopped grilled sausage or saulternative….)

Keep stirring for about 5 minutes to make sure all P-to-the-B is integrated and commingled.

NOW PAY ATTENTION to this here part:  turn the heat off.     Cover the pan with a lid or with a glass pyrex bowl and let the soup sit for 32 minutes.

I made a bet with Leacho that it’ll taste even bettah tomorrow after it’s been sitting in the fridge.   That’s the Oklahoma Oilman lock of the week, if you ask me.

Place taters in a large dutch oven, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 20 minutes or until tender before removing from heat, draining and setting aside.

Rinse out the pot, and then saute onion, garlic, mushrooms, shallots, salt, pepper and until translucent.  Add the herbs. Add the taters, heat, and then remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.  Puree 3/4 of the soup in a food processor (be careful with the steam!!) and then enjoy!

(this may need additional seasoning depending on how flavorful your broth is and the herbs you’re using.)

6 stalks of celery, ends discarded, cut into 3/4″ pieces
6 carrots, chopped up
1 onion, cut up
6 garlic cloves, diced
1 handful of dill
1 potato, cut up
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. pepper
1/2 c. green onions

Fill crockpot with enough water until it’s about 3/4 of the way full.  Add all ingredients.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  When done cooking, strain and either use immediately or freeze for up to 2 months.

Easy peasy

4 medium apples (whatever variety you love)
1 cup of water
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. ginger

Core and slice apples and combine in a dutch oven with the water, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar.  Cover and cook for around 15 min, careful not to burn.  Let the sauce cool, and then mash to your desired consistency.

This recipe is so good that even if you’re a carnivore, you’ll be asking for guilt-free seconds.  my mom will be so proud.

Biscuits

2 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 tbsp. nonhydrogenated shortening
2 tbsp. vegan butter or margerine
2/3 c. vanilla rice milk

Preheat the oven to 450.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet.  Sift the dry ingredients together, and add the shortening and butter and milk.  Mix together until you get a nice dough. I throw it in my kitchenaid with the dough hook on speed 2 for 4 minutes to make sure the shortening was nicely mixed.  Flour a workspace and roll the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick.  Use a cutter to make 2″ rounds.  Make for 12 minutes or until golden brown.  You’ll have more biscuits than gravy, but enjoy them with other things or all alone.

Sausage Gravy

1 tube of Gimme Lean sausage product
4 tbsp. penzy’s sausage seasoning
1 15 oz. can of navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
10 sage leaves, chopped

In a skillet (cast iron works well), cut open the tube of sausage and cook using olive oil to heat the pan if necessary.  Add 2 tbsp. of penzy’s sausage seasoning as cooking until product is well seasoned.  Puree the beans, water, 2 tbsp. of sausage seasoning, and a splash of olive oil in a food processor until smooth.   Add mixture to the pan with the sausage and cook until heated through.  Add sage leaves and cook for another few minutes and serve.

3 pounds yellow potatoes, peeled, and cut into chunks
1 pound asparagus, rough ends cut off, tips cut into 2″ pieces and the rest cut into .5″ chunks
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic
3 green onions, everything diced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 c. veggie broth (or 2 bouillon cubes in 4 c. water- which is what i do)
2 tbsp. herbs of provence
fresh dill

Place taters in a large dutch oven, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Add the asparagus and boil for 3 minutes before removing from heat and setting aside.

Rinse out the pot, and then saute onion, garlic, salt, pepper and green onions until translucent.  Add the herbs of provence.  Add the taters and asparagus, heat, and then remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.  Puree 3/4 of the soup in a food processor (be careful with the steam!!) and then garnish with lots of dill and enjoy!

(this is really good with a steaming hot loaf of bread)

1/2 cup vanilla rice milk
3 tbsp. sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tbsp. Earth Balance “butter”
2 packages of active dry yeast
1.5 c. warm water
5 cups of all-purpose unbleached flour

Warm the bowl of your mixer, add warm water and yeast.  Let the yeast dissolve.  Place milk, sugar, salt and butter in a small saucepan.  Heat over low heat until everything is melted and dissolved.  Let cool for 30 seconds.  Add milk mixture to yeast and add 4.5 c. of flour.  Attach dough hook to mixer and turn on to speed 2 and mix for about 2 minutes.  Slowly add 1 more cup of flour to the mixture and continue to mix for another 3 minutes or until the dough is smooth and coming off the sides of the bowl. If it looks too liquidy, add a little more flour but be careful not to overdo it.

Turn oven on to 400 for 30 seconds and then turn off to get oven slightly warm.  Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top.  Cover, and place in oven to let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Remove dough, punch down, and divide the dough in half.  Place each half into a greased loaf pan and cover and place back in oven to let rise again for another 60 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pans immediately and let cool on wire wracks.

Combine the sugar, water, vanilla, almond and salt in a medium saucepan and cook on medium-low heat until just boiling.  Remove from heat and cool.  Add coconut milk. Place in fridge for minimum of 5 h0urs or overnight.   Add to ice cream maker and follow directions.

Pig out and enjoy!