ham salad filling

1 cup ground cooked ham
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
2 tbsp drained pickle relish
1/4 cup mayonniase
1/2 tsp prepared horseradish 

hawaiian haystack cream sauce - potato sauce

ingredients:
1 large onion - chopped
1 large garlic clove - diced
4 smaller/medium sized potatoes - peeled and chopped
2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth - divided
1/2 cup water
1/3 c raw cashews (or almonds)
1 tsp himalayan salt
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

directions:
add onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup water to saute pan.  saute over medium-high heat until fragrant and starting to soften.  add potatoes and 1 cup veggie broth.  bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with tight fitting lid, and cook until potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes).  stir occasionally.  when potatoes are soft, transfer all contents to blender.  add the remaining cup of veggie broth.  add cashews, salt, coriander/garlic powder/onion powder to the blender.  blend on high until smooth and creamy.  pour sauce on top of brown rice and add desired toppings to make your haystack.

*if the liquid on your potatoes happens to dry up, just add a little extra vegetable broth.  

lentils and quinoa

ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cups mushrooms
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 cup lentils
2 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups water divided
1 tsp miso paste optional*
1/2 cup red quinoa or variety of choice, uncooked
4-5 cups fresh spinach
salt + pepper to taste
olive oil fresh herbs and grated cashews* to garnish

instructions:
heat the oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or cast iron pot. 
add shallots and carrots and cook until the carrots have started to soften, about 3-4 minutes. 
add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are juicy and tender, another 5 minutes. 
add garlic, red pepper flakes and herbs.
stir around until the whole mixture becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
pour in lentils, broth, 2 cups of water and miso (if using).
bring the mixture to a boil, recover and reduce to simmer for another 15 minutes. 
remove pot from heat, uncover and add spinach, gently stirring to combine.
taste and season with salt and pepper.

note:
the miso adds a great umami flavor, but you can just use sea salt if you don't have miso.  you can also totally use parmesan if you want.