Roasted Squash Medley

1 small butternut squash
1 med. Zucchini squash
1 med yellow squash (summer squash)
4 fresh sage leaves, or a few sprigs of rosemary
Olive or Coconut oil
salt and pepper

Pre-heat over to 425.
Cut all the squash so it is in matchstick form. Toss with olive or coconut oil, sage or rosemary leaves chopped and salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 35-40 minutes, until all the squash is soft. Mix it around about 20 minutes into roasting.

Maple-Mustard-Glazed Potatoes and String Beans

2 lbs. small yukon gold potatoes, halved (about 1 inch pieces)
1/2 lb. string beans, halved, ends cut off
1 yellow onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsps. tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup (agave or honey is a good sub.)
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400.
Place the vegetables in a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
In a mixing bowl, stir together all the other ingredients until the mustard is dissolved. Pour over the vegetables and mix well until everything is coated. Cover with foil and place in oven. (I use a cookie sheet over top of pan instead of foil). Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and toss everything; use a spoon to drip the sauce over the veggies. Turn oven down to 350, and cook for 25 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven, toss again, cook for 25 more minutes uncovered. These are especially yummy served at room temperature, with some of the sauce remaining poured over them.

The best damn Cranberry Relish you will ever eat!

Cranberry Relish
(Melange of places)

1 lb. Fresh Cranberries (please only use organic, conventional ones have a shitload of pesticides and heavy metals in them!)
1 can crushed pineapple (strain out juice from pulp)
Water, enough to make 1 1/2 cups with pineapple juice from can
2 cups sugar (yes, I know, but it is a holiday treat, don't eat bowl-fulls like Jovan!)
1/2 cup dried cherries
1-2 tsps. Guar Gum or Agar-Agar flakes to thicken like jello would
Optional: a few Tbs. Berry jelly and/or some Berry juice
1/2- 1 cup Chopped Walnuts

Boil cranberries in pineapple juice and water until they begin to burst. Add in sugar and guar gum (or agar-agar flakes). Take off heat and let cool a bit. Mix in pineapple, dried cherries, and walnuts. Cool completely in the fridge. It will jell up upon cooling a little, but not hard like jello.

Apricot Dal

Apricot Dal from Wholefoods

2 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
1 tsp. Urad dal or moong dal
pinch of black cumin
1 small onion
1 cup pink lentils
10 dried apricots, sliced into thin strips
1 can stewed tomatoes, or a few fresh chopped
3 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt

Cook onions, add mustard seeds, then add rest of ingredients and cook until lentils are tender.