Desserts: Apple Clafouti Apricot Clafouti Apricot Crumble Apricot Tart Chocolate Cake (Vegan) Chocolate Mint Brownie Dark Chocolate Tart Pie crust (Vegan) Granola (Vegan)

Soups: Potatoes Leek Soup (Vegan) Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Salads: Arugula Salad (Vegan if omit gorgonzola) Mandarin Dressing (Vegan) Edamame Potatoe Salad (Vegan)

Dishes: Italian Stuffed Mushrooms Lemmon Fettuccine with Asparagus Vegetable Pie Stuffed Tomatoes (Vegan) Cauliflower-Mushroom Stir Fry (Vegan) Asparagus Leek Sandwich Potatoe Tomatoe Gratin (Vegan if omit cheese)

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Apricot Clafouti:
--Ingredients:

one lemon

4 eggs

pinch of salt

500ml (2.25 cups) of milk

0.8 cups of sugar + a little bit of extra sugar

1.4 cups of flour

9x13 inch pan

-- Cut the apricot in halves and let them sit in the juice of the lemon and the extra sugar for 30-60 mins. Preheat the oven to 350-375°. In a bowl, beat the 4 eggs with the sugar. Add the pinch of salt. Add the milk. Keep mixing not too vigurously. Add the flour. Mix. Add the fruit without the juice. Put some butter or oil on the pan. Pour the mixture in. Cook for 50 mins (or cook for 40 mins, sprinkle sugar on top, and cook for another 10 mins).

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Apple Clafouti:
Same recipe as for the aprico clafouti. Replace the apricots by apples.

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Chocolate Cake (Vegan):
--Ingredients:

1.5 cups of unbleached white flour (really, any flour will do)

1/3 cup of cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup cold water (or .5 cup water and .5 cup coffee)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbs cider vinegar

8-inch square pan

-- Preheat oven to 375°. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, sugar altogether directly in the pan. Mix the water-coffee, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl and then pour it in the pan. Mix with a fork or wisk. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. (The reaction you will see is the contact of the vinegar with the baking soda). When the vinegar is evenly spread, put in oven and bake for 2-30 mins.

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Granola (Vegan):
--Ingredients:

4 cups of rolled oats

1/4 wheat germ

1/4 sesame seeds

1/4 flax seeds

1/2-1 cup of nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, ...)

2 tsp of sesame oil

2 vegetable oil

1/3-2/3 cup of honey

cinnamon

nutmeg

2/3-1 cup dried fruit

-- For this recipe, you need to stay next to the stove. Preheat oven to 375°. On a large baking sheet put the oats, nuts, and seeds. Put in oven for 8-12 mins, folding over the mixture every 4 mins. Remove from oven. The mixture should look slightly brown. Heat in a pot the honey and oil (be careful, it will boil quickly). Drizzle the liquid on the dry mixture. Stir and put in the oven for another 8-12 mins, folding over every 3-4 mins. Remove from the oven when the mixture looks slightly less roasted then you would want. Put in a bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg and add fruit.

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Apricot Crumble:
--Ingredients:

2 lbs of apricot (evenly ripened apricots work great for this recipe)

2 Tbs + 1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbs + 1 cup flour (white or whole wheat)

2 Tbs + 1/2 cup unsalted butter

pie dish (anything that goes in the oven will do)

-- Cut the apricots into chuncks, remove pits, mix (in the pie dish) with 2 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon flour. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar salt, and butter. Work mixture with your (clean) fingers until it becomes crumbly. Spread mixture on the apricots. Bake for 45 mins at about 350°(take a look at the crumble after 30 minutes and change the temperature accordingly so that it will be brown but not burnt).

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Apricot Tart:
--Ingredients:

2 cups apricot

1 Tbs + 1 cup flour

3 Tbs ground almonds

1/4 cup + 4 Tbs sugar

pinch of salt

juice of one lemon

6 Tbs cold, cut butter + 4 Tbs butter

1 egg yolk

grated zest of one lemon

-- Combine all the flour, almonds, sugar (1/4 cup), salt and zest in a bowl. Add the butter (6 Tbs), egg yolk and lemon juice. Work mixture with hands. Add 1 tsp of water if mixture is too dry. Wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven at 375°. Roll dough to fit in a 12 inch pie dish. Put fruit on crust. Melt in a pan the 4 Tbs sugar with 4 Tbs butter. Drizzle over fruit. Bake for 30-40 mins until crust is lightly browned.

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Dark Chocolate Tart: for chocolate lovers, this is the ultimate dessert.
--Ingredients:

----Crust: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 6 Tbs cocoa powder 3/4 cup flour

----Filling: 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup heavy whipping cream 8 ounces bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate 1 Tbs grand marnier (or orange liquor, or nothing)

--The crust: beat butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Add cocoa powder and mix. Add flour and beat until dough makes clumps. Gather dough into a thick disk. Put in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour to 1 day. Roll dough between waxed paper sheets to make an 11-diameter disk. Remove top sheet. Invert dough over a 9-inch tart pan. Peel off second sheet. Press dough very gently so it touches the whole pan. Fold the dough hanging out of the dish to make thick edges. Pierce dough with fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Cook dough at 375° for 14 minutes or until sides look dry and bottom looks bubbly. Remove from pan on a tray or rack (I personally leave the crust in the pan , as it tends to break).
--The filling: mix almonds, sugar, cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle mixture over crust. Pour cream in a pot, bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and add in the chocolate. Mix until the chocolate melts. Add grand marnier. Pour into crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Serve cold.

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Chocolate Mint Brownie:
--Ingredients:

----Cake: 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup flour 1/4 tsp cinnamon

----Icing layer 1: 6 ounces white chocolate 3 Tbs whipping cream 3/4 tsp peppermint extract

----Icing layer 2: 6 Tbs whipping cream 2 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

-- Cake: Preheat oven at 350°. Butter (and flour) an 8-inch square pan. Place parchment parper at the bottom of pan and butter the paper. Melt chocolate. In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing well each time. Add melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix. Add flour and cinnamon. Mix. Add the mixture in pan over parchment paper. Bake 25 minutes (until a knife comes out with few crumbs attached to it).
--Icing layer 1: Melt white chocolate and cream. Remove from heat. Add peppermint. Mix. Spread icing on top of (cooled) cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.
--Icing layer 2: bring cream to simmer. Remove from heat. Melted chocolate in it. Cool mixture until luke-warm but pourable. Pour over cake. Refrigerate 2 hours. Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

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Italian Stuffed Mushrooms:
--Ingredients:

4 large mushrooms (e.g. portabello mushrooms)

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in half water half olive oil solution

3 ( or 8!) garlic cloves

1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

1 egg

1/2 cup shallots (or green onions, or both)

(optional) 1/2 cup chopped fresh fennel

-- Preheat oven to 350°. Carve the mushrooms by removing the stems. Heat some olive oil in a skillet. Add chopped mushrooms stems, fennel, tomatoes, shallots, garlic. Sauté until mushrooms are tender and begin to brown. Transfer in a bowl. Let it cool 10 minutes. Mix cheeses and basil. Salt, pepper. Mix in egg. Put a little olive oil in the pan. Place mushrooms in a pan, cavity side up. Put mixture in (or on) mushrooms. Press the filling so it stays on the mushrooms. Cook for 25 mins.

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Lemon Fettuccine with Asparagus:
--Ingredients:

3 ounces fettuccine

8 ounces asparagus (as much as you want), cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 Tbs butter (1/4 stick) room temperature

1.5 tsp grated lemon peel (or 3 tsp if you like lemon like I do)

4 Tbs grated parmesan

2 tsp lemon juice

2 Tbs fresh chopped chives

-- Cook pasta. Set aside. Cook asparagus until tender but not mushy (before cooking them, you can peel them which makes them very tender). In a small pan, stir 1 Tbs butter with cream and lemon peel under medium heat, until it simmers. Reduce heat to low. Add 2 Tbs parmesan. Cook until sauce is thick and smooth (about 1 minute only). Add sauce to pasta and asparagus. Add remaining butter, cheese, and the lemon juice to coat. Salt pepper chives. Serve warm.

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Vegetable Pie:
--Ingredients:

crust

onions, leeks, tomatoes, mushrooms, or any vegetable that you have in your fridge of which you want to get rid

1 or 2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

gruyere

-- Sauté the vegetables on a pan. Salt pepper. Preheat oven at 375°. When vegetables begin to brown, remove from heat. Let it cool 2-3 minutes. Put vegetables on the crust which is set on a pie dish. Make sure not to put (in the pie) the liquid from the vegetables. Beat 1 or 2 eggs with milk and a little of nutmeg. Salt pepper. Mix. Pour on vegetables. Sprinkle the top with gruyere. Cook 40-45 mins.

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Crust:
--Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

salt

-- Mix flour and salt in a bowl. In other bowl, mix water and oil together and pour right away in the flour. Work dough slowly with fingers until smooth. Roll dough between 2 parchment papers to the desired size.

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Arugula Salad:
--Ingredients:

a bunch of arugula (1/2-1 lb)

1 medium tomatoe or 1 apple (I love it with the apple)

3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

3 Tbs olive oil

1 (or 3) mashed garlic cloves

crumbled gorgonzola

toasted walnuts

1 lb lima beans (optional)

-- Make the dressing with vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix salad and dressing. Top with gorgonzola and walnuts.

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Mandarin Dressing (Vegan):
--Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp white vinegar

2 (or 5) crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp sugar

juice of 1 small mandarin

-- Put all ingredients in a small pan. Salt pepper. Heat under low heat (2-3 minutes). Pour warm on salad.

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Edamame Potatoe Salad (Vegan):
--Ingredients:

1 lb potatoe

1/2 lb edamame(or fava bean)

2 (or 5) minced garlic cloves

4 Tbs minced onions

4 Tbs olive oil

balsamic vinegar

4 oz mild aged goat cheese (if non-vegan)
-- Cook potatoe until just tender (15-20 mins). Cut into bite-sized pieces. Cook edemame (if fresh: 6-8 minutes). Mix, in a bowl, potatoe, edamame, galic, onion. Add oil, and sprinkle balsamic vinegar. Salt pepper. Optional: crumble cheese on top.

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Stuffed Tomatoes (Vegan):
--Ingredients:

8 ripe tomatoes

1 cup long grain rice

1 Tbs fresh chopped basil

1 Tbs fresh chopped mint

1 Tbs fresh chopped oregano (rosemary is also good with tomatoes)

2 (or 5) chopped garlic cloves

--Slice the cap off the tomatoes. Scoop out seeds and pulp. Reserve in a bowl. Salt the inside of tomatoes and turn up side down on paper towel to drain. Combine tomatoe pulp with rice, herbs and garlic, 4 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix. Set aside 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°. Fill tomatoes with mixture using slotted spoon. Replace caps on top of tomatoes on a baking dish. Mix 2 Tbs olive oil with the liquid left from mixture. Pour over the tomatoes. Bake for at least 1 hour, basting the tomatoes frequently with the juice in the dish.

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Potatoe Leek Soup (Vegan):
--Ingredients:

2 leeks

4 (yellow) diced potatoes

thyme, rosemary, marjoram

8 cups water

-- Cut leeks, lengthwise. Clean under water. Slice into half rounds. Sauté in 4 Tbs olive oil (15-20 mins... the longer the better). Add water and potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer. Add herbs. Cook until potatoes are soft. Puree the soup as much as you want. Salt pepper. Simmer again before serving.

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Cauliflower Mushroom Stir Fry (Vegan):
--Ingredients:

1 stem green garlic

2 heads of cauliflower, cut into pieces

2 cups slice portabello (or crimini) mushrooms

3 Tbs soy sauce

1/2 cup tangelo juice (or red wine)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 Tbs miced fresh ginger

1 tsp brown sugar

-- Chop green garlic. Stir fry in olive oil. Add a little of red pepper flakes. Add cauliflower. Cook on high for 5 mins. Add mushrooms. Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, tangelo juice, sesame oil, ginger, sugar. When mushrooms are soft, add sauce. Cook another 1-2 mins until sauce thickens.

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Asparagus Leek Sandwich:
--Ingredients:

1-2 leeks

3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

asparagus

fontina, gruyere, or Irish blarney cheese

--Clean leeks and cut into 2 inch wide strips lengthwise. Sauté over low heat (15 mins) until soft. Remove from heat. Mix with vinegar. Salt pepper. Boil and trim asparagus. Immerse in cold water. Cut asparagus in half lenghwise and into 2 inch piece long. Brush slices of bread with olive oil. Grate or cut slices of cheese and place on bread on opposite side of oil. Place bread on skillet (low heat) cheese facing up. Arrange asparagus on cheese and then add leeks. Cover with other slices of bread, oily side facing up. Flip sandwich. Cook until cheese is melted.

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Potatoe Tomatoe Gratin (Vegan if omit cheese):
--Ingredients:

2 lbs potatoe

1 diced onion

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp dried thyme

3 tomatoes

1/2-2 nicoise olive

1 (or 5) sliced garlic cloves

-- Boil potatoes until just soft. Cool. Sauté onion with fennel seeds and thyme, until soft. Cut 2 tomatoes in thick slices and dice the third one. Slice the potatoes. Chop olive(s). Preheat oven to 400°. Cover the bottom of dish with half the onions, garlic, chopped tomatoe, half the olives, and more thyme. Layer potatoes and tomatoes on top with more garlic. Salt pepper. Cover with rest of onions and olives. Drizzle olive oil on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 mins. Uncover. Bake for 15 mins.

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Hungarian Mushroom Soup:
--Ingredients:

2 Tbs butter

2 cups chopped onions

1.5-2 lbs sliced mushrooms

1 tsp salt

2-3 tsp dried dill (2-3 Tbs for fresh dill)

1 Tbs paprika

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 Tbs flour

2 cups water

1 cup milk, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

finely chopped fresh parsley

-- Melt butter in a kettle. Sauté onions for about 5 mins. Add mushrooms, salt, dill, paprika. Cover. Cook on medium heat (15 mins), stir occasionally. Add in lemon juice. Sprinkle flour. Keep stirring. Cook another 5 mins over medium-low heat. Add water, cover, cook another 10 mins (stir often). Add milk. Stir. Add pepper. Taste to see if it needs more salt. Add sour cream under very low heat. Don't boil. Top with parsley. Serve hot.