Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes

5 large potatoes
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
pepper
paprika
oregano
parsley
salt
cheese of choice (I usually use colby jack or munster)
butter (or Smart Balance)
milk
Optional:
pine nuts
chicken broth or vegetable broth
feta

Peel and dice the potatoes
Place a large pot of water on the stove on high heat, drop in potatoes, and bring to a boil until potatoes are soft.
While the potatoes are boiling, place a small skillet on low heat with olive oil and pepper.
Mince the garlic cloves and drop them into the hot oil, remove from heat just as the garlic begins to turn golden, don't let it burn. Set aside.
**If you are adding pine nuts, place a dry skillet over low heat and drop in a couple handfuls of pine nuts. Toast over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning. Remove from heat as soon as they start to turn golden and set aside.

Once the potatoes are soft drain the water and place potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add milk and butter to taste (or chicken or vegetable broth if you prefer) and blend with mixer until the potatoes are creamy.
add in pepper/olive oil/garlic mixture and season to taste with parsley, oregano, salt, and paprika.
**Stir in crumbled feta and pine nuts if desired.
Scoop potato mixture into a medium sized oven safe dish and cover with shredded colby jack or munster.

Place uncovered dish into oven and heat for 10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.

Mango Avacado Yakisoba

1 mango
1 tomato
1 avacado
3 green onions
2 garlic cloves
12 oz firm tofu
1 package soba noodles
soy sauce
sesame oil
sesame seeds
rice vinegar
cumin
cinnamon
fresh ginger (optional)

Soak noodles in warm water to soften.
Chop mango, tomato, tofu, and green onions into large chunks.
Mince garlic cloves.
Place skillet over medium heat
Splash in half sesame oil/half rice vinegar
Add in tofu and fry until it begins to turn golden on all sides
Add in garlic and turn up heat slightly to finish off tofu.
Remove tofu from skillet, but leave the oil in.
Drain water from noodles and drop them into your hot oil.
Optional: add in thin slices of fresh ginger
Add in a splash of soy sauce and stir into noodles.
Add small splashes of water to noodles as necessary to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
Add in desired amount of sesame seeds.
Sprinkle in a generous pinch of cinnamon and cumin and stir gently into noodles.
Add in tomato and mango and stir in gently.
Add a splash of soy sauce.
Add fried tofu and green onions.
Stir everything together gently.
For a richer flavor, add another splash of sesame oil.
Finish with a splash of rice vinegar and remove from heat.
Stir gently and serve topped with sesame seeds and avacado slices (and a little soy sauce on the side).

Optional: sprinkle on a dash of chili powder for some extra color and a little extra kick.

Garlic Potato Spring Rolls

5 medium sized potatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
butter (or Smart Balance, which I personally love)
milk
crumbled feta cheese
parsley
pepper
paprika
large square egg roll or spring roll wraps
canola oil
sour cream

Set a pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil
Peel and chop potatoes
Boil potatoes until soft
Drain water from potatoes and mash with butter (the amount I'll leave up to personal preference, I like a lot of butter), minced cloves, and a splash of milk.
Season to taste with parsley, pepper, and paprika.
Stir in a handful or two of crumbled feta cheese.
Set aside until room temperature.

Follow wrapping instructions on the egg roll wrap packaging and fill wraps with potato filling.
Bring skillet of canola oil up to frying temperature over medium heat.
Fry rolls until wrap is crisp and golden.

Serve with sour cream for dipping.

South American Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients:
1 plantain sliced lengthwise
1 can of black beans
2 eggs
butter
colby jack cheese (or cheese of choice)shredded
sour cream (optional)
cumin
pepper
chili powder
wheat tortillas

Put butter in skillet over medium heat.
Grill sliced plantain until soft and slightly browned.

Drain most of the liquid from the can of black beans and in a seperate pan, heat black beans over low heat.
Sprinkle in a dash of cumin, chili powder, and pepper.

Removed grilled plantains from skillet and fry two eggs over-medium or well done, depending on your preference.

Layer shredded cheese, black beans, plaintains, and eggs into tortillas. Top with sour cream.

Steak Fajitas with Plantains

Ingredients:
1lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced
pumpkin seeds
2 plantains
1 portabello mushroom, sliced
1 tomoato, sliced
1 avacado, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 orange
lime juice
garlic sauce
asiago cheese
wheat tortillas
olive oil
canola oil
chili powder
cumin
cinnamon

Roast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet.

Fry sliced plantains with half olive oil and half canola oil.

Saute steak strips on high heat in oil remaining from plantains.
Add in sliced portobello mushroom.
Sprinkle in a pinch of chili pwder.
Turn heat down to medium.
Squeeze in juice from orange.
Add a pinch of cinnamon.
Turn heat to low and deglaze pan with red wine and simmer briefly.
Add 2 chopped green onions.
Remove from heat and sprinkle in another pinch of chili powder.

Serve meat and mushrooms in wheat tortillas with avacado, sour cream, garlic sauce, and asiago cheese. Plantains may be serves as chips on the side or in the fajita.

Add pumpkin seeds and a dash of lime juice on top .