Viviana's Meat Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
garlic
Goya Adobo
1 1/2 cups beef or chicken broth (low sodium)
1/2 tablespoon or less soy sauce (low sodium)

Directions:
1. Brown meat with onions, soy sauce, garlic and Adobo (drain fat)
2. Then add can of tomato sauce and broth
3. Cook it on low for about 40-45 minutes
4. If desired, add more tomato sauce or broth (if needed)

Makes 2 servings

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup Crisco shortening (or salt-free butter)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups M&M's plain chocolate candy

Directions:
1. Cream together shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Add combined flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until well combined.
4. Stir in 1/2 cup M&M's.
5. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Press 2-3 M&M's onto top of each cookie.
7. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Miso Salmon with Cucumber Salad

Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. sweet white miso paste
2 Tbsp. mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 1/4 pound center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. olive oil for drizzling
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
Fresh sprigs of parsley or cilantro, for garnish
Cucumber Salad

6 Persian cucumbers, sliced paper-thin
1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
Directions

Preheat broiler.

For the salmon: Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat foil with cooking spray. Whisk miso, mirin, soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl until smooth. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, in the prepared pan. Brush generously with miso mixture. Broil salmon, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source, until opaque in the center, for about 8 to 10 minutes.

For the cucumber salad: Wash and slice the cucumbers paper-thin. Squeeze out excess liquid and place in a medium bowl and toss with soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame seeds.

Arrange cucumber salad on plate. Place broiled salmon on top. Garnish with scallion, sesame seeds, cilantro or parsley and drizzle with olive oil (optional).

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Servings: Serves 4–6

Ingredients

3 pounds asparagus, trimmed
2 cups yellow onions, chopped
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch Kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
4 ounces soft tofu
2 cups chicken broth
2 scallions, chopped fine
Extra olive oil for drizzling
3 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine (optional)
Directions

Preheat oven to 450°.

Cut tough ends off asparagus. Lay asparagus flat on a roasting sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and a healthy pinch of Kosher salt. Toss to coat asparagus in olive oil and salt.

In a second roasting sheet, place the sliced onions and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add a sprinkle of Kosher salt and toss to coat.

Place the pans in the oven and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning vegetables one time . Remove from oven when onions are soft and caramelized and asparagus begins to sweat and brown slightly. In a blender, add half the asparagus, half the onions, 2 ounces tofu and 1 cup chicken broth. Purée for 1 minute. Pass the purée through a strainer into a separate pot. Repeat blending and straining with remaining asparagus, onions, tofu and chicken broth.

Heat the blended soup through until hot, approximately 5 minutes.

To toast the pine nuts, put 2 tablespoons of pine nuts onto a cold frying pan on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan back and forth until the nuts start to turn golden and toasty. Do not overheat nuts; they will burn easily. Remove from heat and set aside.

Ladle hot soup into a bowl and garnish with scallions, pine nuts, and chopped jalapeño. Soup can be served hot or cold. Salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa

Servings: Serves 4–6

Ingredients

3 parsnips , peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (optional)
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper (optional)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
Dressing

3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions

Preheat oven to 400° for vegetables.

To roast vegetables: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt, thyme and pepper. Arrange vegetables in a single layer and bake for 40 minutes. Stir vegetables once and turn baking sheet halfway through cooking.

To prepare the quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 12 to 14 minutes until fully cooked. Fluff with a fork.

To make dressing: Whisk together all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl.

To assemble, mix the dressing and the quinoa, then add vegetables and toss to combine.

French Crepes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions

Sift together flour, sugar and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in melted butter.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Makes 12 servings.