Pear & Pecan Salad with Mustard Dressing

Ingredients
1 bag baby spinach
3 pears, cored and chopped
5 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans
Coconut oil for caramelizing pecans

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard
2 gloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Method
In a pan over medium heat, heat coconut oil and stir in brown sugar with the pecans. Stir until sugar starts to change in consistency. It will start to melt and cover the pecans. Remove from heat and place on a plate, spread out so they don't all stick together when they cool.
For the dressing, put the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper in the blender and blend on low until smooth.
In a large bowl, layer spinach, pears, avocado, cheese, green onions, and pecans.
Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts with Honey

Ingredients
Fresh brussels sprouts
Honey
Earth Balance Butter
Garlic powder
Salt & pepper
Coconut oil for saute

Method
Heat oil in a pan. Slice brussels sprouts in half. Add them to heated pan and toss them around for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down a bit and cover. Careful not to burn! Check them around 5 minutes to see if they are gold and the leaves fall off fairly easily. At this point, add the butter (amount depends on how many sprouts you have...but you can't have too much butter) and let it melt. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and drizzle honey over the whole thing. Toss, remove from heat, and serve.

Simple Black Bean Soup

Forethought Note: Soak the dry black beans overnight in a bowl with water to cover. Plan on making this either the night before (to cook overnight) or the morning of. It's wonderful to have dinner done hours before it's needed.


Ingredients
1 pound dry black beans
8 cups vegetable broth
1 sweet onion
Peppers of your choice (2 big green bell peppers OR 2 big anaheim chiles OR 2 7oz cans diced green chilies...whatever you have on hand)
2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 Tablespoon cumin (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves

Method
Chop the onions and peppers/chiles.
Rinse the soaked beans.
Put EVERYTHING in the crock pot and cook on high for 8 hours.

Top with sour cream and serve with sourdough roles.
Cheap and tasty. Plus, it makes the whole house smell amazing all day.