Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Mustard Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large head green cabbage
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice cabbage into four or five thick "steaks." Drizzle with half the olive oil, season to taste with salt and black pepper and place on a nonstick baking sheet or one that is line with nonstick aluminum foil. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Flip and roast on the other side for another 15 or 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar, coarse-grain mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, water, garlic and salt and black pepper, to taste.
• To serve, drizzle over cabbage steaks.

Chickpea Noodle or Matzo Ball Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery (about 2 long stalks)
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds (2 medium or 4small)
• ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon curry powder (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
• 8 ounces spiral pasta*
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 2 quarts (8 cups/64 ounces) vegetable broth
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion, celery, carrots and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are turning translucent and softening, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the turmeric and curry powder, if using, and stir constantly for about 30 seconds to wake up their flavors. Add the bay leaf, chickpeas, pasta, parsley and broth.
3. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the pasta is pleasantly tender, about 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and season generously with pepper. Add more salt, to taste, if necessary (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon). Serve while hot, with some extra parsley and pepper on top as garnish.
5. Once cool, store the soup in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.

French Toast Casserole

Make-ahead instructions: Assemble the casserole through Step 4, cover well, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, uncover, drizzle the casserole with the topping, and bake. Baking time will be slightly longer.

This casserole reheats well, though the chunks of bread on the top will gradually lose some crunch. The best way to reheat it is to bake it in the oven at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes to warm through and re-crisp the top.

INGREDIENTS

For the casserole:

• 1.5 large loaf good-quality French loaf, sourdough, ciabatta, or challah
• 7 large eggs
• 1.5 cups milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Zest from one medium orange (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Optional toppings for serving:

• Dried cranberries
• Powdered sugar
• Maple syrup

1 Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Place an oven rack in the center position.

2 Slice the bread into 1-inch slices and then cut them into 1-inch cubes. You can also tear the bread apart with your hands. Leave the crusts on.

3 Layer the bread in a baking dish: Lightly grease a 2-quart (if you want thicker slices) or 3-quart baking dish (if you want thinner slices) with cooking spray or butter. Add enough bread cubes to cover the bottom. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of pecans on top. Continue layering the bread chunks and pecans.

4 Prepare and add the custard: In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the milk, sugar, orange zest, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix well. Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over all the bread chunks. (I found it easier to pour the mixture into a large measuring cup with a spout first before pouring the mixture over the bread.)

At this point, the casserole can be baked right away, or covered and refrigerated overnight.

5 Drizzle with topping: In another bowl, mix the melted butter with the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Using a spoon, drizzle the mixture evenly over all the bread chunks.

6 Bake the casserole for 35 to 45 minutes. I baked mine for about 38 minutes. Leave the casserole in the oven longer if you want the chunks of bread on the top to be more brown and crunchier.

7 Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle dried cranberries and dust powdered sugar on top, if you like. Serve with maple syrup at the table.

Fluffy Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose | plain flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar or sweetener
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk (plus up to 1/4 cup extra if needed)
• 1/4 cup butter , melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Instructions

• Combine together the flour, sugar (or sweetener), baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large-sized bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the milk, slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla and egg.
• Use a wire whisk to whisk the wet ingredients together first before slowly folding them into the dry ingredients. Mix together until smooth (there may be a couple of lumps but that's okay).
• (The batter will be thick and creamy in consistency. If you find the batter too thick -- doesn't pour off the ladle or out of the measuring cup smoothly -- fold a couple tablespoons of extra milk into the batter at a time until reaching desired consistency).
• Set the batter aside and allow to rest while heating up your pan or griddle. 
• Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over low-medium heat and wipe over with a little butter to lightly grease pan. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto the pan and spread out gently into a round shape with the back of your ladle or measuring cup.
• When the underside is golden and bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip with a spatula and cook until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Serve with honey, maple syrup, fruit, ice cream or frozen yoghurt, or enjoy plain!

Lo Mein

INGREDIENTS
sauce:
6 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar

lo mein:
8 oz uncooked ramen noodles
2 tablespoon sesame oil

1 onion shredded
2-3 cups shredded or julienne cut or chopped vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, or broccoli
2 tablespoons mirin (or 1 tbsp rice vinegar and one tbsp sugar)

1-2 blocks tofu


INSTRUCTIONS

Sauce: Shake all the sauce ingredients together in a jar.

Tofu: Cut into small squares and sautee with some oil and tamari

Noodles: Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Lo Mein: 

• Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet. 
• Add the vegetables to the hot pan. 
• Stir fry until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. 
• Add the mirin to loosen the browned bits up off the bottom of the pan. 
• Add the cooked noodles and the sauce – toss around in the hot pan to combine.

Burrito Bowls