Subtle House's Cookbook

Prepackage frozen ingredients

Place a 4-cup container on the scale and tare it, with measurements in ounces. Add:

1 whole banana or 5 oz banana pieces
A couple of pieces of pear
Enough frozen berries to make a total of 18 ounces (should mostly fill the container)
1.5 ounces of chocolate chips

This makes enough for a double smoothie batch.

Make smoothies

Fill the blender to the 3-cup line with soy milk. (Make sure the actual level of the milk reaches the line, not just the top of the foam.)
Add 2 scoops protein powder.
Add 1 container of frozen fruit.

Blend on medium-low speed until all frozen ingredients have been at least partly blended; then gradually increase the speed to maximum and flip the turbo switch. At first there will be periods where the lower half of the smoothie churns while the upper half stays still, a central vortex will form and gradually suck in the upper half, and then the vortex will disappear and the upper half will stay still again. Continue blending on turbo until the vortex is constantly present, which means the smoothie has fully amalgamated.

Flip the turbo switch down, turn the speed to zero, and turn the blender off. Pour the smoothies into two large Starbucks cups and add straws and lids. If one is being saved for later, put it in the fridge (not freezer). Wash the blender immediately.

Note: If making the pasta to add to something else, such as soup, omit the salt and the butter/oil.

Ingredients

0.5 cup pastina, orzo, or other extremely small pasta
1.75 cup water or 2 cups Imagine vegetable broth

seasonings for pasta cooked in broth:
- 1 generous pinch dried tarragon
- 8 shakes dried thyme
- 8 shakes dried dill
- 1 tsp ginger puree

optional, if the person being cooked for isn't too queasy:
- 1 Tbsp Earth Balance

Equipment

Four-cup Pyrex (wide-mouth glass) measuring cup
Microwave

Instructions

1. Heat the liquid. Put the liquid in the measuring cup and microwave it on high until it bubbles, 2–3 minutes depending on how cold it was initially.

2. Cook the pasta. Pour the pasta into the hot liquid.

For broth:
Add seasonings. Stir briefly. Microwave at 70% power (press the "power level" button until it shows 7, then enter the cooking time) until the liquid is all absorbed, about 10–12 minutes.

For water:
Add six grinds of salt. Stir briefly. Microwave at 50% power (press the "power level" button until it shows 5, then enter the cooking time) until the liquid is all absorbed, about 10–12 minutes.

The liquid will foam a lot while cooking; if it threatens to boil over, pause the microwave until it ebbs.

3. Eat the pasta. If desired, add butter. Eat while very hot.