Curried Carrot Dip recipe by Marianne
Servings- 8 (makes 2 cups)
Prep time/cook time-25 minutes, plus chill time of 30 minutes

Ingredients-
1 lb carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 T fresh lemon juice

Instructions-
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Boil the carrots for 7 to 10 minutes, until soft. Drain and let cool, just until they are no longer steaming. Place the sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor and process into crumbs. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as you go. Taste for salt and adjust the spices and lemon. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).

Dill Tahini Sauce, by Marianne
Servings-Makes 1.5 cups
Prep Time-5 minutes

Ingredients-
1/2 cup tahini, room temperature
1/2 cup water, room temperature
1 clove garlic, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup lightly packed fresh dill ( or 1/4 cup dried)

Instructions-
Combine all the ingredients (except the dill) in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the dill and pulse a few times until the dill is just small green flakes. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use, (remember it will thicken if refrigerated). This sauce is good warmed over rice or sauteed vegetables.

Servings: 4 medium mushrooms
Prep/Cook time: 1 hour or more for marinade and cook time
Ingredients: 4 Portobello mushroom caps (medium size), with stems removed

Marinade-
1/2 cup cooking wine
1 T olive oil
2 T Soy Sauce
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions-
Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a glass pie plate or small casserole dish. Place the mushrooms upside down in the marinade and spoon the marinade into each cap, forming a small pool. Marinade for about 20 minutes. 
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, use tongs to flip the caps over and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. If you're using your portobello as a burger, just put it between a bun with some lettuce, tomato, avocado and organic ketchup or another sauce. If you're using it for a salad, let it cool a bit and then slice the mushrooms very thinly on the diagonal to make nice meaty slices.

Pumpkin Spice Waffles by Marianne
​
2 cups Organic Pastry or All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. seasalt
1 (15- oz) can pumpkin or fresh, pre cooked
1/4 cup Organic milk or oat milk
1/4 cup Organic cane sugar or light brown sugar
4 Tbsp.(2 oz.) Organic butter, melted
2 Free Range eggs
Organic cooking spray
Pure maple syrup and Greek Yogurt, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 200', and preheat a waffle iron, Whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk, sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth. 
2. Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; whisk until thick and smooth.
3. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup of batter onto hot waffle iron. Cook according to waffle iron instructions until waffles are crispy and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Transfer waffles to a wire rack on a baking sheet; place in preheated oven to keep warm.
5. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying the waffle iron between batches. Serve with maple syrup and Greek yogurt, if desired.
Serves:4
Active time:20 minutes
Total time:1 hour, 40 minutes

Oven-Roasted Herb Tomatoes:
​Servings-6
Oven-350F

Ingredients:
18 large San Marzano or Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. each of chopped fresh parsley and basil
1 tbsp. each of chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Place tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet, cut side up. Brush with olive oil. Mix all the herbs and sprinkle onto the tomatoes half the herb mixture, with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the edges are brown. Remove from the oven, sprinkle on the remaining herbs, and serve immediately.

Ingredients:
Bowl of fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped
Four cloves of fresh garlic, minced
Four fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped
Handful of fresh basil, chopped fine
One fresh red onion, chopped
Optional handful of fresh tomatillos, chopped fine
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped very fine


Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a big bowl and stir together until they are well blended. The salsa will last in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Enjoy!

Sun Balls Recipe by Marianne:
​
Servings- 2 dozen 1-inch balls
Prep time- 20 minutes

Ingredients-
1/2 cup plus 2 T toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
2 to 3 T raisins
1/4 cup sunflower butter
1 T maple syrup
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp coriander powder

Instructions-
Grind the toasted sunflower seeds in a blender to a coarse meal. Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and press into 1 inch balls. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Yummy!!

Marianne's delicious basil pesto:
Ingredients-
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 cups basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions-
Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet; let cool. Pulse in the food processor.
Add chopped basil, garlic, and salt; then pulse.
Add Parmesan cheese and pulse.
Slowly pulse in the Olive Oil. Enjoy!

Here are some yummy cookies to share this May:
Ingredients:
6 bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts or cashews)
2/3 cup safflower or coconut oil
2 cups chopped raisins
1 cup oat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups rolled oats

Instructions:
In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Drop spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet.
​Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.