Ramon Gandia's Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

2 cups skim milk

2 cups water

2 teaspoons sugar

Pinch salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook until thick, soft and creamy, at least 25 minutes. Stir often to make sure that oatmeal doesn't stick to bottom of the pot. A little extra milk or water can be added as needed.

Heinz Ketchup

6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1.  Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth.
2.  When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
3.  Remove pan from heat and cover until cool.  Chill and store in a covered container.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Rustic Shrimp Stew

2   Tbl olive oil
1   pound yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, halved, and thinly sliced
2   carrots, thinly sliced
2   garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1   medium onion, quartered and sliced crosswise
2   3oz fully cooked italian-style chicken sausage, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1/8   t. cayenne pepper
2   Tbl flour
13/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1    pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2   cup parsley leaves, chopped


In a 5 quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, sausage, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender, 15 to 17 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over potatoes and vegetabes. Stir in broth and 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Top mixture with shrimp. Cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are opaque throghout. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Little Almond Joys

1/2 cup blended almonds

1/4 cup coconut oil, softened

3 Tbsp. raw honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder (nonalkalized)

3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

12 whole almonds

Mix by hand the softened coconut oil, (I just mash it with a fork until it is creamy and no chunks), honey, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Stir in the shredded coconut. Form into balls, placing 1 whole almond inside each one. Then roll the balls in the almond powder. Refrigerate until firm, or freeze for another day. Makes about 12.

Spicy Black Bean

Yield: 2 quarts

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 cups  black beans, cooked
4 1/2 cup vegetable broth 
16 ounces diced tomatoes
4 oz. Anaheim peppers
1 1/2 cups frozen corn 
1/4 cup cilantro 

Heat oil in a stock pot. Sauté onion and peppers in oil until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes and chopped green chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook 5 minutes. Add cilantro and cook 5 minutes longer. At this point, if you need more liquid, add a little more broth. Remove from heat. 

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil 
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
4 cups vegetable broth

Directions: 

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
4. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.*

Nutrition Information (8 oz. serving): 110 calories, 4 g protein, 1 g fat, 5 g fiber
Nutritional Information (12 oz. serving): 220 calories, 9 g protein, 3 g fat, 5 g fiber

Fermented Strawberry Jam

Cooked jam is thickened with lots of sugar and pectin, but this raw jam is thickened using chia seeds, which happen to have additional health benefits. It’s not as thick as cooked jam, but at least it won’t run all over your toast.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries
• 1/3 cup whey (strained from kefir)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 6 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions:

1. Clean and cut the strawberries into large chunks.
2. Place all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until a desired consistency is reached.
3. Pour the jam into the jars, making sure to leave at least an inch between the jam and the top of the jar.
4. Seal the jars and place them in a pantry or cupboard (out of direct sunlight and at room temperature) for 2 days.
5. After 2 days, store the jam in the fridge. It’ll last a couple months. The extra jars can be put in the freezer.

Important Tips

• If you don’t like the look of the chia seeds speckling the jam, you can always grind them up in a coffee grinder or spice mill before adding them to the other ingredients.
• If there is any white scum on the top of the jam after the 2 day ferment…don’t worry. It won’t hurt you. Just skim it off or mix it in.
• You don’t have to make just strawberry. Any two pounds of fruit can be used in this recipe. I have found Kiwi to be especially good.