Coquito- Coconut Eggnog

Ingredients:
2 cans(12 oz each) Evaporated Milk
1 can (15 oz) Goya Cream of Coconut
1 can (13.5 oz) Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup white rum (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish, if desired Cinnamon sticks (optional)

Instructions:

1) In bowl of blender, add evaporated milk, cream of coconut, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, rum (if using), vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Blend on high until mixture is well combined, 1-2 minutes.

2) Pour coconut mixture into glass bottles; cover. Transfer to refrigerator. Chill until cold.

3) To serve, stir or shake bottle well to combine. Pour coquito into small serving glasses. Garnish with ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks, if desired.

Makes about 7 cups/ Prep Time : 5 Min/ Total time: 5 min., plus 45 mins chilling time

Golden Milk Latte

Ingredients:
2 cups Almond milk
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 Ground Ginger
Just blend, heat and serve!

Baked Eggplant

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants 

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Garlic powder

Black pepper

Parmesan cheese

Equipment:
Knife
Baking sheet
Pastry brush

Instructions:

1. Heat the Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Prepare the Eggplant: Cut the stem end and bottom off the eggplant, then cut it in half lengthwise. Score the flesh with a knife, cutting deep into the flesh but not through the skin. Cut diagonal lines going about an inch apart, then turn the eggplant around and cut again so you have a diamond pattern.

3. Brush with Olive Oil: Brush the eggplant flesh with a bit of olive oil and put it face-down on a baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder. 

4. Roast the Eggplant: Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until the back of the eggplant looks collapsed and puckered.

5. Let the Eggplant cool for 10 minutes, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, enjoy! 

 Can scoop it out of the peel use in dips, makes a great side dish, or can be eaten by itself.

Crockpot Spinach Tortellini

This recipe is different from the original recipe I found on line, so here's my version.

Ingredients:

1- 8 ounce bag of frozen tortellini

1- 1 lb bag of frozen spinach

1- 28 ounce can of Italian style diced tomatoes(I use Dei Fratelli includes herbs, olive oil, sea salt)

2 cups of Vegan chicken broth(I use Orrington Farms Broth Base & Seasoning powder, from Amazon)

1- 8 ounce package of cream cheese

1 lb of plant based sausage(Beyond Meat Italian Sausage)
1 small pinch of crushed red pepper

Directions:

Brown the sausage, dice it in pieces

Cut up the cream cheese 

Put all ingredients into the crockpot(I dump tomatoes first and put the broth in last) 

Cook;

On low of 5-6 hours or on high for 4 hours.

This dish freezes really well, I let it completely cool off, place in containers 1 inch from the top and then freeze. Doing it this way keeps freezer burn from developing on top. I use it within 4-6 months.

Paleo Sausage Stuffed Peppers

What you need:

• 1 pound of Beyond Meat Italian sausage.
• 5 assorted bell peppers. I went with 2 green, 2 red, 1 yellow.
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, grated or chopped into a “rice” consistency.
• 1 small (8 ounce) can of tomato paste.
• 1 small white onion, medium dice.
• 1/2 head of garlic, minced.
• 1 small handfull of fresh basil, minced (or 2 tsp. dried).
• 2 tsp dried oregano.
• 2 tsp dried thyme.

How you make it:

1. Cut the tops off of your peppers and scoop out and discard the seed, yet do save the tops!

 

2. Process or chop about half a head of cauliflower into “rice” and put in a large mixing bowl.

 

3. Add your minced garlic, basil, and dried herbs, and onion to your cauliflower and mix by hand.

 

4. Use a very hot skillet to lightly brown your sausage. This step is entirely optional based on your motivational level. The sausage will cook just fine in your slow cooker, yet I personally like to hit it with a little sear to take the flavor up a notch.

 

5. Add your sausage and can of tomato paste to your bowl of seasoned cauliflower and mix by hand. Let the kids do this part, getting hands messy in necessary, a spoon just won’t cut it.

 

6. Fit as much of your sausage mixture into your peppers as you can. Place your peppers into your slow cooker and loosely place the pepper tops back on. If you have extra meat and cauliflower mixture, just jam in between your peppers and let it cook.

7.  Pre heat oven to 350, add a little water to bottom of baking pan, cover top of pan with foil bake at  for 1 1/2 hours. Or you can Cook on low for 6 hours in crock pot.

**I had some extra mixture left after stuffing all the peppers, I just dumped it in a separate baking dish, covered with foil and baked it along side the pan of peppers. It came out really great to use as a side dish another day or can even pour the mixture over pasta for another meal!

Simple Crock-Pot Cabbage Rolls

This weather makes me want to stay indoors and cook some hot delicious meals, just had this one last night for dinner, it was so good! You can also freeze the cooked cabbage rolls for later meals.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Head of Fresh Cabbage

1 Large Onion, diced

2 lbs of Beyond Meat Plant Based Hamburger

1 Cup Cooked White Rice

3 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Vegeta All Purpose Seasoning  

1 Can Tomato Soup

1 11.5oz Can V8

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions:

   1. On the stove top, cook rice and set aside.

   2.  Remove the stem from the cabbage and peel each individual leaf back.

   3. Take head of cabbage and place it in a pot of boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. As the cabbage leaves loosen, remove them and drain in a colander.

   4. In a pan, cook onions until onions are clear in color.

   5. In a large bowl, add ground beef, eggs, vegeta, cooked onions and rice.

  

   6. Mix well.

   7. Taking one cabbage leaf at a time, add a spoon or more of the meat mixture. Using your hand, gather the meat on one end of the cabbage leaf and then roll the leaf.

   8. Chop remaining leaves coarsely and place them in the bottom of the pot. Layer the cabbage rolls into the bottom of a crock-pot. Layering as you add until all the meat mixture is used.

   9. In a bowl, mix the tomato soup, Worcestershire and V8 juice.

 10. Pour the mixture on top of the cabbage rolls.

 11. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

**If you don't have a crock pot- Cover baking dish with foil- Bake in oven at 375 for 2 hours.

What's your favorite Fall Or Winter dish to cook?

Easy Crock Pot Chili

I took a chili recipe and modified it to make it more to my liking. This came out delish! Two thumbs up, Yum, Yum!

Total Time- 4 hours 10 Min          
Servings- 8- 10

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Beyond Meat Plant Based Beef browned

1 can (15.5 oz.) Goya Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15.5 oz.) Goya Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained

1 jar (1lb. 8 oz.) Pasta sauce-( I used store brand, contained tomato, garlic, onion)

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix

6 tsp. Chili Powder

1 can (6 oz.) Tomato paste

1/2 cup water

Toppings Place Aside: Fritos "Scoop" Corn Chips, Sour cream, Sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients(Except toppings) in slow cooker and cook covered on High for 2 hours, Then set to low for another 2 hours( so 4 hours total cooking time). Serve with Fritos "Scoop" Chips, Sour cream, and Sharp Shredded Cheddar cheese.