Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup, round 2

I made this again for a party at work yesterday. I added some chili powder to the garam masala and oil - maybe 3 little shakes - and it didn't make any noticeable difference, but I think a little spice would be nice to counter the sweetness.
I also added carrots - about 20 baby carrots cut into thirds - and boiled them with the potato. I would not recommend it, they didn't get as soft and I ended up having to fish them out to make sure they went in the blender, or smashing them individually with the spoon. Maybe if they were shredded it would go better? They didn't make much noticeable difference either, though.

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

I can take zero credit for this soup, it is from Manifest Vegan. I saw it on Pinterest today and the description was intriguing: "this soup has only five ingredients: cauliflower, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, and water!" I said to myself, I can do that - I already have three of those!

I made it for dinner tonight and it's really tasty. It's sweet and has a creamy texture from being blendered, but the surprise chunks of roasted cauliflower are yummy (duh). I'm going to list the directions as I did/wish I had done them, so it's slightly different than Allyson's.

img via: Manifest Vegan

1 head of cauliflower
3 sweet potatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
7 cups water
garam masala
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Chop the garlic and onion. Heat olive oil and some garam masala in a large saucepan. Saute garlic and onion on med-low heat. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. When onions are soft, add potatoes and water. Boil until potatoes are soft. Meanwhile, chop cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with garam masala and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 20-30 minutes, then add to potatoes. Carefully blend half, then recombine.

Minestrone

2 T olive oil
1 1/2 c chopped onion
5 cloves garlic
1 c diced celery
1 c cubed carrot
2 t salt
4 t black pepper
2 t oregano
1 t basil
1 c chopped green pepper
3 1/2 c stock
2 c tomato puree
2 c chick peas
1 c chopped zucchini
3 T red wine
1 c chopped tomato
1/2 c dry pasta
3/4 c parsley

In stock pot, saute onion and garlic in oil until onions are translucent. Mix in celery, carrot, and 1 t salt. Add pepper, oregano, and basil and cook covered 5-8 minutes. Add green pepper, stock, tomato puree, chick peas, red wine, and zucchini, and simmer covered 15 minutes. Add tomato and 1 t salt, and keep on low heat. 10 minutes before serving, add pasta and bring to a boil until soft. Serve topped with parsley. Optional: top with parmesan cheese.

Sour Cream Cheesecake

This is my dad's favorite kind of "cake" :)

Crust:
2 c graham cracker crumbs
6 T melted butter
1 t cinnamon

Mix together. Press into deep pie pan. Chill.

Layer 1:
2 eggs
3/4 lb soft cream cheese
1/4 honey
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat eggs well, then combine all. Pour into crust. Bake 20 minutes. Dust top with cinnamon. Cool to room temperature.

Layer 2:
1 1/2 c thick sour cream
2T honey
1/2 t vanilla

Heat oven to 425F. Combine all. Pour over cake. Bake 5-10 minutes to glaze. Cool to room temperature, then chill at least 6 hours.

Date or Raisin Filled Cookies

These cookies are good but kind of labor intensive, so I've only made them once or twice. You end up with a little (ok kinda big for a cookie) pocket full of raisin jam, like a sweet pirogi or something.

img via: Epicurious Runner

Filling:
1/2 c water
2 c dates or raisins
1/2 c sugar
1 T vanilla

Dough:
2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c sour milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grind water and dates/raisins. Add sugar and vanilla. Optional: add walnuts. Cook 5-10 minutes until thick as jam. Remove from heat, keep covered. 
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Combine butter, sugar, egg, and milk. Alternate adding wet and dry to form soft dough. Roll dough thin. For each cookie, cut two large circles. Spoon jam into center of one circle and cover with second. Seal edges, slit top. Bake 15 minutes.