COOKSTARTER

Hey Peeps,

Before for your crazy Halloween fun, try this new Green Monster detox smoothie in the morning! Loaded with veggies and nutrients to start your day super, this newest edition to the detox smoothie recipe list is awesomely delish without the overpowering vegetable taste. 

This monster energy drink contains a plethora of like Vitamins A, C and K, while also having a significant amount of calcium, protein and iron.  And that’s not all!  This super elixir or goodness also contains a load of antioxidants to help cleanse the body from all those nasty free radicals that build up over time.  Helping you feel energized and refreshed!

Super easy and quick, you cannot go wrong with this nutrient monster – especially before a long night of Halloween partying this weekend. As always, enjoy!!

  Servings 1

  Ingredients:

1 cup kale (packed)

½ cup spinach (packed)

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

½ cup almond milk

1 small Fuji or Honeycrisp apple (peeled, cored)

1 banana

½ cucumber (peeled, de-seeded)

¼ cup rice milk

2-3 cubes of ice

  Directions:

1. In a blender, add the kale, spinach, apple, banana, cinnamon, rice milk, almond milk, cucumber and then banana.  Pack everything down tight towards the blades, and blend until super smoothie! If you like it a little more liquidy, you can add ¼ cup more of the rice milk. 

Hey Peeps,

  Let’s keeps things traditional. Today is a totally easy recipe that taste buds of all ages will enjoy as an anytime of day treat! Cookstarter’s Orange Dough Nut Holes with Orange Juice Frosting is a delish and simple concoction of one of everyone’s favorite breakfast snacks, with an Orange-on-Orange flavor profile that delivers a refreshing flavor with each bite.  A great way to switch it up and bring a smile to anyone’s face, especially during those stressful work or school weeks!

  Cake flour contains a lower gluten content (around 7-8%), giving it a dense texture that is perfect for those small bites for sweet treats.  When flour is mixed together with a liquid, it creates tiny gluten threads throughout the mixture, which has a stretchy type quality to it.  This helps entrap the air bubbles that expand when heated.  Hence, the lower amount of stretchy gluten threads within flour, then the denser a batter will end up.  Bread flour has the highest gluten content (around 12-13%), great for those lighter focaccia breads. Hope the tip helps and as always enjoy your tasty treats!

  Servings 10

  Ingredients:

  Orange Dough Nut Batter

  2 ½ cups cake flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of sea salt

1 stick of butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/3 cup cane sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 large eggs

zest from a whole orange

2 tablespoons of orange juice

1 cup of whole milk

  Orange Glaze

  2 tablespoons of melted butter

1 tablespoon of orange juice

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar

  Directions:

  Orange Dough Nuts

  1. Pull the eggs and butter out of the fridge.

  2. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk everything together thoroughly. Set aside.

  3. Zest the outer layer of an orange use a zest handle.  Do not grate it too much down to the white mesocarp layer of the orange, as this part is bitter to the taste.  Set aside.

  4. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  5. Grease a muffin pan with butter and set aside.

  6. In a medium bowl, add the butter and beat using an electric hand mixer at a high speed for 3 minutes until light a fluffy.

  7. In the butter bowl, add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the sugar and blend together.  On a low setting, add the oil and mix.

  8. In the butter bowl, add the eggs one at a time, and beat on the lowest setting just barely incorporating them a little bit into the butter/sugar mix.

  9. Add 1/3 of the flour to the egg/butter bowl and mix on the lowest setting - just barely incorporating them together.  Add half of the whole milk and orange juice and mix together on the lowest setting.  Add the orange zest.  Add a 1/3 of the flour and mix.  Add the rest of the whole milk and orange juice and mix.  Add the rest of the flour and mix.

  10. Use an ice cream scooper or a spoon and place a scoop of batter evenly around the muffin pan – around 10 doughnuts and don’t forget to put one in the center.

  11. Place in the oven and bake for 15-16 minutes.  This gives you time to make the must-try glaze!

  Orange Glaze

  1. In a small plastic bowl, add the butter and melt in a microwave.

  2. Add the orange juice.

  3. Add half of the confectioner’s sugar and mix together using an electric hand mixer at a high speed until blended together. Add the rest of the confectioner’s sugar and mix. 

Hey peeps,

This time of year is always full of beautiful color changes in the leaves, time to reflect and prepare for the holidays, and of course time to harvest those pumpkins! That is why today’s entry is an absolute super-tasty-explosion-of-flavor in your mouth Pumpkin Cupcakes with an Italian Buttercream Honey Frosting! Perfect for any occasion where you want to bring a smile that stretches from ear to ear to someone’s face! Seriously, these are some of the best cupcakes we have ever created, and we have made a lot in the past!

Pumpkin puree is created from the inner flesh that has the seeds and skin removed, which is then baked until softened. When cooking with pumpkin puree, there is a fine balance between too much and too little, as there is a lot of moisture in the pumpkin puree so if you add to much to a recipe then your muffins or cupcakes will be really moist in the center.  If you don’t add enough, the other ingredients will over take the pumpkin flavor – even if you only use a small amount of sugar or cinnamon and such. Pumpkin pairs awesomely with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves – which you can find in this amazing recipe.

The Italian buttercream honey frosting is really easy to make.  It takes a few more steps than the traditional buttercream recipe, but it tastes WAY better and there is a lot less fat in it, so the butter doesn’t take over the flavor.  It is also has a way less dense giving it a more fluffier, lighter texture when you bite into it which is always cool to experience!  In the end, Pumpkin + Honey = Happy Face.  Enjoy!

Servings 10

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Cupcakes

1 ¾ cups bread flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

1 stick of butter

1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

½ teaspoon of nutmeg

¼ teaspoon of ground cloves

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

½ cup heavy cream

  Italian Buttercream Honey Frosting

1/3 cup water

¾ cup sugar

4 tablespoons of honey

3 eggs whites

2 sticks of unsalted butter

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

Pumpkin Cupcakes

1. Pull the eggs and butter out of the fridge.

2. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk everything together thoroughly. Set aside.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Grease a muffin pan with butter and set aside.

5. In a medium bowl, add the butter and beat using an electric hand mixer at a high speed for 3 minutes until light a fluffy.

6. In the butter bowl, add the cinnamon and mix.  Add the vanilla extract and mix.  Add the cloves and mix.  Add the nutmeg and mix.  Add the sugar and blend together. 

7. Add the pumpkin puree and blend together on the lowest setting until just incorporated – don’t worry it will blend together more while adding the eggs and flour.

8. In the butter bowl, add the eggs one at a time, and beat on the lowest setting just barely incorporating them a little bit into the butter/sugar mix.

9. Add 1/3 of the flour to the egg/butter bowl and mix on the lowest setting - just barely incorporating them together.  Add half of the heavy cream and mix together on the lowest setting.  Add a 1/3 of the flour and mix.  Add the rest of the heavy cream and mix.  Add the rest of the flour and mix.

10. Use an ice cream scooper or a spoon and place a scoop of batter into each muffin cup.  You can make 10 regular sized cupcakes, or 12 smaller ones – your call on this.

11. Place in the oven and bake for 22-23 minutes.  Now you can make the frosting!

  Italian Buttercream Honey Frosting

1. Remove the butter from the fridge.

2. In a saucepan, add the water and sugar.  Bring to a light boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the honey and mix until dissolved.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar.  Using an electric hand mixer, blend together until the whites start to foam and start to stiffen. DO NOT OVERMIX.  When the foam stiffens, stop mixing.

4. Add a ¼ cup of the syrup to the egg whites and mix at a high speed.  While continuing to mix together at a high speed, slowly pour the rest of the syrup in a small stream into the whites until completely mixed together. Set aside.

5. In a medium bowl, cream the butter at a high speed for 3 minutes using an electric hand mixer.  Add the vanilla extract and blend together.

Hey peeps,

I am just going to go ahead and put it out there, but pizza should be a human right to enjoy, right up there with education, clean water, and chocolate chip cookies.  Pizza is so popular among Homo sapiens, that 5 billion are sold worldwide each year - that is almost 1 pizza pie for every person on the planet! And in honor of national pizza month in October we have created something simple and creative – a vegan lover’s pizza.

For this lovely dish, you can use our Italian dough mix in the Gigante or Creamy special sauce pizza recipes found in our Cookstarter app for the iPad, which can be found at HERE.  Also in there is a fantastic pizza sauce recipe that is loaded with flavor to really bring something special to the lunch or dinner or after party table.  In the meantime, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods has some excellent pre-made pizza crust with garlic and herbs that can be used, as well as any marinara sauce like Newman’s Own that can be heated in a saucepan to make it even thicker while adding some seasoning.

Servings 4

Ingredients:

PIZZA

1 Whole roll of Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods’ Pre-made pizza dough (Or Cookstarter’s Gigante pizza dough found on steps 2-6)

1 ¼ cup of your favorite marinara sauce (1 cup if using Cookstarter’s pizza sauce)

1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)

½ cup Orange Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)

¾ cup Baby Bella Crimini Mushrooms (rinsed, thinly sliced)

½ cup Red Onion (thinly sliced)

1/3 cup of Spinach (rinsed and shredded)

½ teaspoon of Basil

1 tablespoon of olive oil

IF NOT USING COOKSTARTER’S PIZZA SAUCE:

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of basil

½ teaspoon of sea salt

½ teaspoon of thyme

VEGAN PARMESAN CHEESE

½ cup raw cashews

2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

¼ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of garlic powder

Directions:

If you are using Cookstarter’s Gigante pizza dough and pizza sauce recipes, make the dough first then the sauce.  If not, proceed to the next step.

Prepare the bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and spinach. Set aside.

Add your favorite marinara sauce to a stovetop pan, and set the burner to medium-high heat. Stir for about 10 minutes until it is bubbling and steaming a lot.  Add the basil, garlic powder, sea salt, and thyme.  Cook for another minute then remove from heat.

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit – no worries the next few steps go by quick!

In a pizza pan or medium sized square sheet pan, add the olive oil and spread evenly. Unroll the premade pizza dough and stretch it out a little bit using your knuckles on your fist, and spread it evenly over the pan.  Use your fingers if you need to stretch it around the pan a little bit more. 

Add the pizza sauce and move it around the dough evenly using the back of a spoon.

Add the toppings however you would like, then sprinkle on the basil.

Hey peeps,

Cooking can be so much fun.  That’s probably obvious, especially coming from a cooking blog, but we learned its good to remind others and ourselves of this simple fact.  And an underlying tone here is that it is also a great way to relieve stress!  Since Cookstarter does all of the thinking for you, it can be a great way to take your mind out of your present self and create something that you know will bring you satisfaction and happiness in a short amount of time.  You don’t have to worry about the ingredients being upset with you about something remedial, or if it loves you, or if it turned in a project on time, or if you worked extra hard that day when maybe you just weren’t feeling it.  At the same time, play some of your favorite feel good music and jam in the kitchen knowing everything will be allright in a short amount of time! *End Soap Box Lesson for the Day*

Today’s recipe features a favorite flavor profile among paleo peeps – veggies and meat!  A red bell pepper serves as a vehicle for tasty ingredients like eggs, spinach, onions, seasonings, and fresh crumbled pork sausage!  It’s a great way to bring something creative and delicious to the dinner table, while totally satisfying the tummy growls.

Cooking the red bell peppers ahead of time a little bit makes sure to get some of the water out so it doesn’t build up and create a soggy mess in the middle with all of the good stuffing ingredients.  Make sure to render/drain as much of the fat as you can from the sausage to also prevent it from building up inside the pepper.  Besides that, enjoy and love to cook!

Servings 6

Ingredients:

6 red bell peppers (rinsed, halved)

1 bunch of spinach (rinsed)

½ roll of your favorite ground sausage

1/3 yellow onion (thinly sliced)

6 eggs

1 large clove of garlic (thinly sliced)

1 teaspoon of rosemary

½ teaspoon of sea salt

½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons basil

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions:

1.     Prep the spinach, onions, and garlic.

2.     Set the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Rinse and halve the bell peppers, making sure there aren’t any seeds in them still.  Place them in a muffin tray and in the oven for 15 minutes.

3.     In a skillet, set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat and add the sausage.  Cook until brown and add the rosemary and salt when the sausage is about half-way done.  If using dried rosemary leaves, break them up as much as possible before adding them to the skillet. Drain the fat in a strainer and set aside.

4.     In the same skillet, add the olive oil and set the stovetop burner to medium heat.  Add the onion to the skillet.  Saute for about 4-5 minutes until translucent, and then add the garlic.  Saute for 1 minute and then add the spinach.  Just cook until the spinach is wilted about 30 seconds or so – not any longer! Place everything in a bowl. 

5.     Stuff each pepper with a little bit of the spinach/onion/garlic mix – about 2/3 full and set the bell peppers in the muffin pan.  Crack an egg into each one carefully, shaking it around a little bit to help it settle all the way to the bottom, and then fill up the rest with crumbled sausage.  Sprinkle the basil along the tops of each and place in the oven for 20 minutes. 

6.     Remove from oven and if the egg white is still slightly soggy, bake for another 5 minutes.  Sprinkle some ground black pepper on top and serve!

Hey peeps,

This is definitely one of the best recipes you can make for that morning rush – the Blueberry Honeycrisp-Apple Smoothie.   Paired with cinnamon, lemon juice, almond milk, and a dash of ginger this thing really sings all the way down to the stomach, helping you feel energized and tasting o so good.  It cannot be stressed enough how satisfyingly good this drink really is until you try it - a must for any moment when you are in a rush!

Blueberries are full of anti-oxidants to help clear out harmful free radicals that can damage your body, leaving you feeling less than your best – which can be a big difference on those days when you really need to kick butt! Also, blueberry consumption almost daily can improve cognitive function – specifically improving memory, and also prolong possible cognitive problems associated with aging. So next time at the grocery grab some blueberries and treat your mind and body.

Serving Size 1

Ingredients:

6oz of Blueberries (rinsed)

1 large Honeycrisp apple (peeled, cored)

1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of ginger

1 teaspoon of flaxseed meal

¾ teaspoon of cinnamon

½ cup almond milk

Directions:

1. Lightly rinse then peel the apple.  Cut out the core and seeds.

Hey Peeps,

We definitely needed a fresh alternative to the grill for all of our veggie lovers, and today we have finally met that need - Our True Mushroom Burger!  Made with a full 8oz of baby bella cremini mushrooms, lightly sautéed onions, organic black beans and an amazing flavor profile of seasonings. This vegan burger awesomeness is easy to make and cook – under 30 minutes – that has the signature texture of a real burger to convert even the non-believers.  At the next BBQ or grill night, bust this out of your vegan recipe utility belt and Pow! your taste buds into submission.

Servings 3-4 Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients:

Chipotle Mayo

1 egg yolk

½ cup of olive oil

1 teaspoon of mustard

½ lime (juiced)

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of chili powder

¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Mushroom Burgers

8oz of Baby Bella Cremini mushrooms

½ yellow onion (thinly sliced)

1 clove of garlic (minced)

½ teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoon of paprika

¼ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Half of a 15oz can of organic Black Beans (drained, rinsed)

Burger Buns – recommended very soft type gluten-free bread

*You can use the full can to help keep your burgers together more, but the mushroom flavor will diminish*

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, add the egg yolk, mustard and whisk together. Slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking very fast, then slow for a couple seconds, then fast again.

2. After the mayo forms an emulsion and is thick, add the lime juice, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Whisk everything together and set aside covered.

3. Thinly slice the onion, mince he garlic clove, and rinse and slice the mushrooms.

4. In a non-stick skillet, add the olive oil and set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat. 

5. Add the onions and mushrooms. Saute for about 4-5 minutes until soft and then add the garlic.  Saute for another 1 minute and then dump everything into a medium bowl.

6. Drain and rinse the black beans in a strainer, then dump half of them (or all if you like more beans in your burgers) into the bowl with the mushrooms.

7. Add the cumin, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper and mix everything together.

8. Add ¾ of the mixture into a food processor and pulse for 6-7 times.

9. Set the grill to medium heat. Make 3-4 patties and gently place them on the hot grilling surface. Gently flip after 3 – 4 minutes to get a good char on them and set on a plate.

Hey peeps,

Today’s creative concoction is a paleo spin on a northeastern classic main dish – clam chowder!  Clam chowder is often served on Fridays as, before liturgical changes, Catholics couldn't consume meat according to their religious doctrine.  Pretty much nothing is better when the days are starting to get colder than a cup of warm soup – full of veggies and chunks of seafood with strips of tasty bacon layered on top with fresh cracked black pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. 

The paleo twist is that none of the ingredients can be dairy or be grain-based – eliminating the traditional soup base that is normally made with heavy cream or a roux.  But from a paleo cuisine individual, some of that can be perceived as a little bit arbitrary.  Nevertheless, Cookstarter has created an entirely superb tasting liquid base for the soup that has an awesome consistency, which is more nutritious than the common dairy alternative using cauliflower.  Add a couple other flavor pairing liquids that are common with the traditional chowder and you have something really unique and satisfying for every type of foodie.

The whole process is very simple - just steam the cauliflower and clams, cook the bacon, saute the veggies and heat everything together in a large pot! Enjoy this dairy-free and gluten-free recipe!

Servings 4

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds of cauliflower (large head)

20 topneck clams in their shell (washed well)

2 large carrots (peeled, sliced)

2 large stalks of celery (sliced)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 whole shallots (sliced)

1 1/4 cup of chicken stock

1/2 cup of clam stock

5 baby cremini mushrooms

1 1/2 teaspoons of basil

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon thyme

as much bacon as you want

Directions:

1. In a strainer, wash the clams thoroughly with water. Place in a stovetop pot with a cover over medium heat, and steam until they open. Use a knife to peel them open and to scoop them out. Set aside the clams and water that they were steamed in.

2. Rinse off the cauliflower.  Cut the leaves from the base and chop into smaller florets.  Place in a strainer resting above a stovetop pan with about 1 inch of water or so in the bottom of the pan.  Place the pan on a stovetop burner and set to medium-high heat.  Cover the cauliflower – make sure it is completely covered so as to trap the steam - and steam until it can easily be cut with a knife. Set aside.

3. While the cauliflower is steaming, cook the bacon on a skillet. Usually set the heat to medium as bacon cooks fast.

4. Rinse, peel and slice the carrots into thin pieces.

5. Rinse, and slice the celery and mushrooms.

6. Peel and mice the garlic cloves.

7. Peel and thinly slice the shallots.

8. In a blender, add the cauliflower, chicken stock, and clam stock. Puree everything together until smooth and creamy.  If you like the soup to be more liquidy, add an equal amount of chicken and clam stock until you get it to where you want it. Pour everything into a large stovetop pan and set on the lowest heat setting.

9. In a skillet, set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat and add the olive oil and carrots. Saute for about 6-7 minutes and then add the celery.  Saute for another 5 minutes and add the shallots and mushrooms.  Saute for about 3 minutes and then add the garlic.  Saute for about 1 minute and then dump everything into the cauliflower.

10. Next add the clams, thyme, basil, and lemon juice.  Heat and stir all of the ingredients together for about 3 minutes or so until everything is nice and warm.

Hey y'all!

Cookstarter's kitchen is buzzing again with all new recipes! Today we have a taste-acular spinach artichoke hummus - perfect for any afternoon snack or pre-game appetizer - that is vegan and gluten-free!! This is a super easy and quick little dish - that requires no cooking at all and can be used on just about everything you would normally find in the kitchen. 

A very popular Middle Eastern and North African dish, hummus is traditionally made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and garlic. Our recipe adds a savory symphony of flavor to this traditional base recipe to create an absolutely memorable flavor profile with a perfect blend of herbs and spices - all in harmony with one another. For the non-vegans, feel free to add some shredded parmesan cheese if you want.

Washing the chickpeas helps remove any of the unsavory taste from the juices the beans are stored in. Also, non-organic spinach needs to be rinsed thoroughly to make sure there aren't any unwanted bacteria lingering about. IF you don't like that much spice in your hummus, you can omit the cayenne pepper, no worries. For all of the artichoke super lovers out there, you can also use 8-10 oz of artichoke hearts in this delicious dish.

Ingredients:

1 15oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 cups spinach (rinsed thoroughly, packed)

1 6oz jar of artichoke hearts

2 tablespoons of tahini spread

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of artichoke juice (preferably good kind only)

5 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of italian parsley (chopped)

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/4-1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/2-3/4 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of thyme

some grated parmesan cheese (optional for non-vegans)

Directions:

1. Mince 2 cloves of garlic (medium size)

2. Lightly rinse off the spinach and chickpeas in a strainer - separately.

3. In a food processor, add the chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, Tahini spread, lemon juice, artichoke juice, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, thyme, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.  Food process everything together until smooth while stopping and continuing to push some of the ingredients from the top to the bottom close to the blades. If you like your hummus extra creamy and smooth, you can add a little bit more artichoke juice. 

4. After the hummus is at the consistency you like, add the spinach and parsley. IF you want the artichokes to be really smooth and completely integrated into the hummus, you can add those at this time as well.  Blend everything together just like you did the chickpeas.

5. Add the artichokes last if you like a little bit of texture in your hummus, and pulse about 5-6 times.

Hey peeps,

It’s a Vegan, Dairy-free, and totally delish carrot-ginger-honeydew melon smoothie! Today’s entry is a great way to detox the body and mind that is smoothied with ginger, cucumber, carrots, orange juice, and honeydew melon – making this powerful glass of nutrients packed full of anti-oxidants in juice form to give your digestive system a break from the more solid material in your daily diet. 

Carrots have lots of Beta-Carotene, which is metabolized within the body to form Vitamin A that helps maintain healthy skin and vision.  Beta-Carotene consumption through the human digestive system is increased significantly when it is cooked or pulped – lucky for us in this case, it is pureed with our smoothie.  Ground ginger helps clear excess gas within the digestive tract, relieves indigestion, and can also help relieve nausea or motion sickness.  The honeydew melon helps improve the collagen levels in the body, that strengthens the blood vessels and skin tissue cells – in which the lack of collagen causes wrinkles and sagging skin.

When preparing the ingredients, it is recommended to cut out any seeds and peel the outer layer of skin of the vegetables and fruits. This will prevent a grainy texture within your super healthy elixir and keep it smoothie.  Also, do not overload on flaxseed meal, as this will also cause an unpleasant texture that will take away from your delish experience since it is just grounded flax seeds with bits of the outer shell in the meal.  As always, enjoy!

Makes 1 large serving.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 large carrot (rinsed, peeled)

- 1/2 cucumber (peeled, seeds cored)

- 1/3 cup orange juice

- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

- 3/4 cup honeydew melon

- 1/4 cup almond milk

- 1 teaspoon flaxseed meal (optional)

- 2-3 cubes of ice

Directions:

1.  Rinse the outer layer of skin and peel the carrot. Chop it into smaller pieces.

2.  Rinse the outer layer of skin of the honeydew melon and cut it in half.  Be careful! Use a spoon to remove the seeds, and scoop out the soft melon from the outer skin with the same spoon. 

3.  Rinse the outer layer skin of the cucumber, peel it, and then cut it in half.  Use a knife to cut out the core with the seeds.

4.   In a blender, add the honeydew melon, carrot, cucumber, orange juice, ginger, almond milk, ice, and flaxseed meal if you want to.  Blend everything together until smoothie.

Hey peeps,

 Vegan cooking is a creative way of looking at traditional dishes that most people eat on any given night with a culinary curiosity.  Pasta can be a go-to recipe for most kids, and is something very easy that just requires you boiling it and dumping a jar of your favorite marinara sauce on top.  Unfortunately for vegans, something that is a no-no would be the creamy and rich alfredo sauce, due to its dairy content.  Again, no worries, as there is always a delicious alternative that will convert even the non-vegan flavor palettes. 

 Sun-dried tomatoes are traditionally in Italy set out all day on top of tile roofs to help preserve them for the upcoming winter.  Their flavor is concentrated and their Lycopene content is also increased. This gives sun-dried tomatoes a little bit more of a burst in flavor, perfect for a dish that might have creamy and smooth texture.

To bring it in full circle, pair the vegan pasta alfredo with some sun-dried tomatoes, which can be made from scratch like this recipe includes, and you got something truly special that is absolutely %1000 delish which is guaranteed to amaze any set of taste buds attached to a tongue.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes:

6 plum tomatoes (rinsed)

some Sea salt

drizzle of olive oil

dash of basil

Vegan Alfredo Sauce:

1 cauliflower

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 cup soy milk

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon garlic (minced)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

some ground black pepper

Pasta:

1 box of your favorite pasta

Directions:

***You don’t have to make them from scratch, but it is always fun to try new things.  This recipe accounts for regular sized plum tomatoes.  If using Roma or cherry tomatoes, reduce heat to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and bake only for 2-4 hours. ***

1. Pre heat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Rinse off 4 plum tomatoes.  Slice them in half and place the sliced end face up on the baking sheet.  Drizzle some olive oil and a little bit of sea salt on top of each one.  Place in the oven and bake for 6-7 hours.  Remove from oven and sprinkle a little bit of basil on each one. 

3. Lightly rinse the cauliflower.

4. With about 30 minutes or so left for the tomatoes, steam the cauliflower by place a strainer over a medium pot with a little bit of water at the bottom.  Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the strainer.  Set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat and cover the cauliflower with a lid.  Once the cauliflower is soft enough to be easily cut up with a spoon, it is ready to be blended. 

 5. While the cauliflower is steaming, mince the garlic.

6. In a medium pot, add enough water to boil the pasta and set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat.  Boil the pasta as recommended on the box.  Once soft enough to cut with a spoon, drain the water and lightly rinse the pasta with cold water while it is still in the strainer.  (This will lower the internal temperature of the pasta and keep it from getting softer even out of the boiling water) Set aside.

7. In a blender, add the cauliflower first, then the soy milk, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sea salt, onion powder, and fresh ground black pepper.  Blend together until smoothie.

Hello peeps,

Wow! What an amazing recipe! This dish is awesome sauce for any type of cuisine lover, who loves a lot of depth and flavor. This Coconut Curry is totally worth your time and tongue experience. Again, even though something is Paleo and dairy-free, only means a new creative challenge for your culinary skills.

Indian food cuisine is something that definitely takes the usual ‘bland’ away from the same ol’ recipes you might find yourself cooking or eating out in your weekly routine.  Indian recipes are full of spices, herbs and have a tremendous depth of flavor that really livens the senses of not just taste, but smell, and touch also. 

Curry is usually a wet or dry dish, with wet being more common and popular among foodies.  The sauce is perfect for a dish prepared with the traditional Indian bread naan, or with a bowl of rice, allowing the dish to be more interactive than just spooning it into your mouth – thus bringing other senses of stimulation into your new cuisine experience. 

Cookstarter’s curry starts off with a Paleo conversion of the dish, something that can be commonly found in the Kerala region of India.  Made with a coconut-based sauce, and loaded with spices like coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, garam marsala, and cilantro.  Everything is in an absolutely delish harmony and balance to not overwhelm the coconut or chicken, but to enhance the dish with more flavor during and after tasting.  Add a little bit of cayenne pepper or some sliced green chiles, to really spice things up a bit if that floats your boat.  And you always have the option of some rice or naan for your non-Paleo friends. 

As always foodies, enjoy life and love to cook.

Cooking the Chicken in Water Ingredients:

- 3-4 chicken breasts

- 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon of ginger root, minced

- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

- 3 bay leaves (optional)

- 1 tablespoon of whole cloves

- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Onion Puree

- 1/2 white onion, diced

- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

- 1/2 teaspoon of garam marsala

- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

- 2 tablespoons of garlic, minced

- 2 tablespoons of ginger root, minced

- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Wok Ingredients (1st Phase):

- 1 shredded chicken breast

- 1/3 cup of broth from the chicken or chicken stock

- 2/3 cup of coconut milk

- 2 tablespoons of onion puree

- 1 tomato, diced

- 2 teaspoons of mustard

Wok Ingredients (2nd Phase):

- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin

- 1/4 teaspoon of coriander

- 1 tablespoon of cilantro, chopped

**Note: This is made for 1-2 servings. For 4 servings, triple the wok servings and use a large stovetop pan instead of a wok. You will have enough onion puree for 4 servings with current ingredient amounts.**  

Directions:

1. Mince the garlic cloves and ginger root for the chicken and wok sections.

2. Next, you can either grill the chicken or cook it in water with some herbs and spices.  It is recommended to cook in the water.

3. In a large stovetop pan, add some olive oil and about 3-4 chicken breasts.  Set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat and lightly cook both sides of the chicken breast until there is just a little bit of golden brown.

4. Add the garlic, ginger, cloves, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and enough water to cover the chicken.  Cook for about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken from the

 5. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onion puree.  Dice the onion and mince the garlic & ginger. 

 6. In a food processor, add the ginger, garlic, onions, tomato paste, garam marsala, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and olive oil.  Mix everything together with about 7-8 pulses.  Set aside.

7. Place a wok on the stovetop burner and set it to medium-high heat.  Next, add 1 shredded chicken breast, the coconut milk, chicken broth or chicken stock, onion puree, tomato, mustard, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and cilantro.  Cover the wok and let it cook for about 8-10 minutes. 

Hey peeps,

Making Food Simple.

Quick. Easy. Smoothie.

Vegetarian. Gluten-free. Paleo. Vegan (adaptable). Dairy-free.

Breakfast. Snack. Lunch. Dinner. Midnight Munchie.

Kale. Coconut. Banana. Almond Milk.

Beta Carotene. Medium-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids. Potassium.Vitamins A and D.

Reduce risk of breast cancer. Heart healthy. Help lower blood pressure. Immune system boost.

Enough said. Done. Happy Face.

Kale Coconut Powerhouse Smoothie:

- 1 cup kale (rinsed, packed down)

- 3/4 cup coconut milk

- 1 banana

- 1/2 cup almond milk

- 1 tablespoon of honey (agave nectar for strict veganism)

- 2 teaspoons of flaxseed meal

- a few ice cubes

Directions:

1. Add the packed cup of Kale.

2. Next add the coconut and almond milk, flaxseed meal, honey (or agave nectar), banana, then the ice cubes last.

3. Push everything down towards the bottom of the blender.  Smoothie everything together.  Pour into a glass and proceed to treat your mind and body to some powerhouse nutrients.

Allright peeps, lets get things started!  Vegan – a word that should not be associated with something that doesn’t taste amazing while satisfying the tummy at the same time.  The term ‘vegan’ rather should be queried as a challenge to create a different flavor profile based on new rules.  Add an awesome flavor profile to the dish, and you have something that is really special. 

Taquitos are usually a small, thin rolled taco either in a corn or flour tortilla shell, that is lightly fried in a little bit of oil to give it a nice crunchy texture.  Cookstarter’s Vegan Taquito recipe brings everything in balance and harmony – something that is stressed by many judges on the popular show ‘Chopped.’ While keeping it simple with loads of flavor, the taquitos are topped with a pico de gallo and a creamy avocado dressing that really makes this recipe absolutely delish for any type of foodie. 

As always, enjoy!

  Sweet Potato Taquitos:

1 ½ large sweet potatoes (peeled, diced into about 1inch chunks)

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

2 tablespoons of vegan butter

½ teaspoon of sea salt

Corn or Flour small tortilla shells

Vegetable Oil – as needed, about 1/3 cup

  Pico De Gallo:

Available through the Cookstarter app on the App Store.

  Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing:

1 large avocado

¼ cup soy milk – unsweetened natural flavor

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

¼ teaspoon of paprika

Chef’s Tip:  Heat the corn tortilla shells slightly in the pan on both sides before adding the sweet potato and rolling them to prevent tearing.  Also, pan-fry them with the rolled edge face down to help keep them nice and tight. 

Directions:

1     In a medium sized pot, add about 2/3-3/4 of way from the top of the pan with water.  Set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat.

2.      Peel the sweet potatoes, and then dice them into about 1-inch chunks.  Place in the water once it is boiling. 

3.      Cook for about 20 minutes.  Drain with a strainer once finished and then dump them into a medium bowl.  Make the pico de gallo, and creamy avocado dip while the potatoes are boiling.

3a.     Place the avocado, soy milk, cumin, salt, black pepper and paprika into a bowl and mix together using an electric hand mixer or a whisk until creamy and smooth.

4.     Once the potatoes are finished, add the cinnamon, vegan butter, and salt.  Mash with a large spoon or fork.

5.     In a medium skillet, add a little bit of vegetable oil - about 1/2 tablespoon, and set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat. Place about 6 tortilla shells around the pan, and toast them slightly on both sides until they are hot to the touch without burning them.  Repeat until you have about 18 tortilla shells total.  Turn off the heat once finished.

6.     Next, add a couple of heaping spoonfuls of sweet potato to a tortilla shell.  Spread evenly and then roll them tightly like a burrito.  Repeat for remaining taquitos.

7.     Add about 1½ tablespoons of vegetable oil for about 6 taquitos that are about to be fried in the pan, and set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat.

8.     Place them in the pan to lightly fry with the exposed edge of the tortilla shell face down.  After a minute or so, the bottom edge should be slightly browned, and ready to be rolled onto the opposite side.  You can continue to roll to each side and slightly fry as necessary.

9.     Remove from pan and place onto a paper towel if you wish to absorb some of the excess oil.  Lightly fry the remaining taquitos.