• In a liquid measuring cup, add baking soda to 1/4 cup hot water to activate the baking soda.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and spices. Set aside for later.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and molasses for about 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Add in the baking soda water mixtures and continue to stir. Add in the flour mixture, one cup at a time. Once dough is well mixed, lay out two strips of plastic wrap and dump dough onto it. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, form into a disc and let sit in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, or freezer for 45 minutes.
• Once dough is firm, unwrapped and layout on a generously floured surface. Preheat oven to 375F. Flour rolling pin and roll out dough into 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough with selected cookie cutter shape. Lay cookies on parchment papered cookie sheet. This cookie will spread when cooked. Give enough space between cookies.

  Place cookies sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up.

  Bake for 6-8 minutes. Do not over bake. Due to the dark color of the cookies it may be hard to tell if done. Look for good crackling on the top of the cookie. The cookies will appear puffy but will fall when taken out of the oven. That is normal.

  Cookies will be soft when you pull them out of oven. Allow to rest on baking sheet for 2 - 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Frosting

• In a large mixing bowl, measure out 1 3/4 powdered sugar. Set aside.

  In small sauce pan, add in 3/4 cup cold water and gelatin. Let gelatin dissolve. Once dissolved, add in granulated sugar and cook over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take the hot mixture and add to the bowl of powdered sugar. Beat until foamy. Add in the vanilla and beat until thick.
• Turn the cookie upside down, and frost the flat bottom part.

• Place the artichokes, garlic, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley and lemon zest in food processor. Pulse to combine.
• Add the lemon juice, sat and pepper to taste. For a smoother dip, add 1 Tablespoon or two of the reserved oil from the artichokes.
• Serve with crackers, toasted sourdough, or as a sauce for grilled meats or fish

Crust

• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, combine the walnuts and gingersnap cookie. Pulse until ground. Add in the butter and sugar. Pulse until well mixed. Put into a deep 9 inch pie pan or regular 10 inch pie pan. Use the back of a measuring cup to push down and shape the crust of the pie. Pack firmly. Bake for about 12-15 minutes until crust is firm and slightly darkened in color. Let cool. Note: if the crust crumbles a little, just pack it back in.

Filling

• Bring 12 oz of cranberries, 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Reduce heat; simmer for 12-15 minutes. Visually looking for the cranberries to burst and the liquid reduced. Let cool. Blend until smooth.
• In a saucepan, simmer water. In a heatproof bowl, add the purée, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lime juice, salt, ½ cup sugar, and 1 tsp. lime zest. Place heatproof bowl over the top of the simmering water - make sure the water does not touch the bowl. Stirring with a rubber spatula and scraping down sides of bowl often, until curd thickens and coats spatula, 15-20 minutes. Let cool until just warm.
• Either use a handheld mixer, or transfer to your standmixer with beater attachement. Beat the slightly warm curd, slowly add the butter a piece at a time and waiting until fully mixed in before adding additional pieces. The curd will become lighter in color and texture, about 5 minutes. Pour into crust and chill until firm, about 2 hours.

Sugar Cranberries & Lime Zest

• Bring ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup water and juice of an orange to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Take off heat. Add in 4 oz. cranberries and let sit for about 1 minute to coat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Chill until no longer sticky, 20–30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, add in ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Mix together. Once cranberries have chill, toss in the sugar. Use any remaining sugar to sprinkle on top the pie

• Set the oven rack in the center position. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and peel beets. Trim off the greens, chop and place in bowl for other greens to be added to. Cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick wedges.In a medium-sized bowl toss together the beets, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a foil-lined sheet pan. Roast until beets are fork-tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Use a chef’s knife to cut out the ribs of the kale leaves. Chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle salt lightly over the kale and use your hands to “massage” the kale by lightly scrunching handfuls of kale in your hands. Continue massaging until the kale becomes darker in color and more fragrant. Transfer the kale to a medium serving bowl.
• Transfer the kale to a medium serving bowl.Chop off and discard the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and any discolored outer leaves. Either use your knife to slice the sprouts as thin as possible, or shred the sprouts in your food processor using the slicing disk. Add the sprouts to the bowl and use your fingers break up any clumps. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the bowl of greens and toss. Set aside.
• In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, cook the pancetta until crispy. Set aside on a plate with a paper towel.
• Peel beets, and slice. Taste a small sample and season accordingly with additional salt or pepper before adding to salad.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the tahini, vinegar, maple syrup and red pepper flakes.
• Whisk in the water until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If dressing is too thick, add a bit more water and/or vinegar, to taste. Pour the dressing over the winter greens and mix well.
• Add the toasted pepitas, pancetta, roasted beets, chives, shallots, pomegranates seeds and parmesan shavings to the salad and toss. Taste, and add more Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

Spiced Pepitas

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all the spices together in a bowl. In a seperate bowl, toss the pepitas in lime juice, well coat. Then toss in spice mixture. Once coated, spread on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes, or until lightly browned, shaking the pan once or twice. Serve.

• For the Pre-Ground Spice Mix: Mix the spices together and store in an airtight container.

  Use the Chai Blend anywhere you'd use cinnamon.

  To make Chai Tea - 1 black tea bag in hot water, with 2 teaspoon of blend, and a splash or two of cream. Adjust the amount based off your preference.

• Over an open flame or broiler, char your poblano pepper and then put into a bowl and cover. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Then peel off the charred skins and deseed. Chop and set aside.
• In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, heat up 2 Tablespoon of oil, then add the red onions, poblano pepper, and bell pepper. Saute the chopped onion until they are , about 5-7 minutes. Add in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic, and saute for about 1 minutes.
• Then add in the stock, rotel tomatoes and salsa verde.
• Lastly, add in the chicken breast. Let come to a simmer, and lower flame to medium low and cook for 20-30 minutes. Pull out the cooked chicken breast, and shred.
• Add in the half and half, beans, and shredded chicken and let simmer for 10 minutes, then throw in the cilantro and juice of one lime. Garnish with one avocado and candied jalapeno. Ready for service.

If wanting to modify to make vegetarian

• Omit the chicken stock and substitute with vegetable stock. And omit chicken. Add in an extra can of beans if you'd like.

• Heat the butter until the foam subsides. Add diced chopped onions, sprinkle with salt, stir to coat with butter. Allow to soften for about 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped carrots, ginger, garlic and the spices. Stir and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the stock. Stock should cover the carrots mixture. If needed, add more stock or water to ensure they are covered by 1 inch. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the carrots are tender and cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Puree the soup using either an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender. If transferring to a blender allow to cool slightly and secure the lid. Cover the lid with a towel for extra layer of protection in case any liquids escape.
• Add enough coconut milk to bring the soup to the consistency you want. Add in the lime juice to brighten the flavors. Taste soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper.
• To achieve a nice presentation, take any remaining coconut milk and drizzle over the top. A pinch of cayenne or freshly grated nutmeg on top will add a nice note at the end. Top with toasted pepitas