Focaccia Bread

Ingredients
850g (~7 cups) all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
1/2 cup olive oil + some for greasing a bowl
2 tablespoons kosher salt
pinch of sugar
water
bread toppings (optional): dry or fresh rosemary, garlic cloves or minced garlic, kosher salt

Directions
Into the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour and 2-1/2 cups room temperature water. Mix on low with a bread hook for a few minutes.

Prepare the yeast: 1/2 cup of 105°F water with a pinch of sugar, whisk or stir in the yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until fluffy and bubbly.

Add activated yeast mixture to the dough in the stand mixer. Keep mixing on low, until the water is fully absorbed into the dough.

Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt to dough. Mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes.

Oil a clean bowl. Turn the dough out into the oiled bowl. Cover, and let sit for 2 hours.

Add 1/2 cup of olive oil to an 18 x 13" baking sheet (aka half-sheet). Spread out until the pan is fully coated.

Gently transfer the bread mixture onto the baking sheet using a rubber spatula or bench scraper. Fold the dough onto itself a few times, the olive oil will coat the whole thing and it will become quite slippery. Start to spread the dough across the surface of the pan. If the dough keeps springing back, place some olive oil on the bread and cover it with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. This may take a few rounds to get it to cover the whole pan.

Once the dough is fully stretched out, add a bit more olive oil. There are two options from here:

1. Slower option: Cover and let it ferment overnight in the fridge (about 12 hours). Remove from fridge and skip to below.
2. Faster option: Skip to below.

Use your fingers to press dimples into the dough. Let rise, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450°F (will take about 30 minutes).

Coat the dough one last time with olive oil and any optional toppings (kosher salt, rosemary, etc) and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove from baking sheet immediately, and place bread on wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for around 90 minutes before cutting.

Adapted from
https://basicswithbabish.co/basicsepisodes/bread

Toby's Jalapeno Pate Dip & Spread Copycat Recipe

Ingredients
8oz extra firm tofu
1 rib celery, finely diced
1/4 yellow onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon parsley, finely diced
1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon diced green chilies (canned)
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions
Drain and press the tofu.

Prep the veggies: celery, onion, and parsley. Mix all ingredients, except for the tofu.

Dice the tofu info small pieces, mash with a fork. Mix the tofu into the rest of the ingredients.

Makes enough to fill one Toby's 14 oz container.

Minestrone

Ingredients
Veggies
1 onion (yellow), chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium ribs celery, chopped
3 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas all work)
2 cups baby spinach, chopped (or sub kale or collard greens)

Canned/Dry Goods
¼ cup tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups dry pasta (ditalini, orecchiette, elbow, or small shells)
1 can great northern beans (15oz) (or sub cannellini beans or kidney beans)

Spices
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups water
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Quarantine Quinoa Chili

Ingredients
1 onion, sweet or yellow, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 poblano peppers, diced
2 bell peppers, diced (any color)
1 can great northern beans (15 oz) (see note 2)
1 can navy beans (15 oz) (see note 2)
1 can pinto beans (15 oz) (see note 2)
1 can diced green chilies (optional)
6 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup dry quinoa (or up to 1 cup) (see note 1)
1 1/4 cup salsa verde (optional)
3/4 cup frozen corn (optional) (see note 3)

Directions
Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add some oil or non-stick spray. Once the pan is hot, add the diced onions. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions become slightly translucent. Stir in the minced garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes, until the onions and garlic become fragrant and slightly browned. Add the diced peppers to the pot. Stir everything together. Sautee for 5 minutes, until peppers start to soften.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Stir until everything is nicely combined. Cover the pot and simmer over low for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa is cooked through. Turn off the heat, and allow to sit, covered, for another 5-10 minutes. This will let the quinoa soak up some more broth and get fluffy.

Notes
Note 1: I usually make this with 1 cup of quinoa, for more of a thick stew, but you can make it with less if you prefer a thinner soup.

Note 2: The beans listed here are just a recommendation. I've also used light red kidney beans, cannellini beans, or black-eyed peas.

Note 3: The corn is optional, though the photo shown here is with corn. I usually don't add it.

Adapted from
http://recipes88.com/p/quinoa-chili-verde-noming-thru-life

Chocolate Rice Pudding

Also known as: champorado

Ingredients
1-1/4 cup dry rice (use sushi rice, if possible)
2 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1 cup oat milk (or other plant milk)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions
Mix the cocoa powder with approximately 1 tablespoon water. It should form a thin paste. Add some extra water, if needed.

In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and water to a simmer. Add the coconut milk, oat milk, and cocoa paste. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir every minute or two, to keep from sticking. Eventually the mixture will become thicker, but still a bit saucy.

Stir in the sugar. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the mixture has thickened to something closer to oatmeal texture. Let stand for several minutes. Optional: serve with cream and/or sugar.

Adapted from
https://pinchofyum.com/champorado-chocolate-coconut-sticky-rice