RAW KEY LIME PIE

I developed a serious key lime pie habit one summer waitressing on Block Island. After a long, exhausting shift in the restaurant, sweaty and tired from running in and out of a hot kitchen, I would take the longer route home so I could pass a tiny hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant. Perched above the harbor, the restaurant is run by a Maine native with a taste for excellent flat noodle, pad Thai, and oddly enough, key lime pie. I'd order noodles and a huge slice of pie to go and cap off my meal with a handful of spicy, chewy ginger candies from a bowl on the hostess stand.

I've yet to find such a good piece of pie (I think it's one of those food memories where my weary, hungry state of mind tinted the meal with such vibrancy that nothing will match it). But a close contender has appeared in a very unexpected place: a vegan spot in Manhattan. The restaurant makes a variety of raw desserts, which I have always been skeptical of, but their pie is addicting.

Avocados give this raw pie a creamy, luscious texture. Properly mixed, the filling has a light, mousse-like consistency and the flavor is tart and fruity, just like the best key lime pie. You don't taste the avocado, and just a small amount of lime juice and zest is enough to impart a wallop of citrus. The crust is a blend of nuts, coconut oil and dates. It's simple and comes together in a flash, with no need for an oven or fussing over finicky shrinking tart shells.

RAW KEY LIME PIE

Adapted from Peacefood Cafe

Crust

2 1/2 c. almonds (or a mix of almonds and walnuts)

1/8 c. coconut oil

1/3 c. dates, pitted

pinch of salt

Filling

2 avocados

1/2 c. coconut oil

1 c. cashews, soaked overnight

1/2 c. agave nectar

4 limes, zested and juiced

pinch of salt

To make the crust, pulse all ingredients in a food processor until it forms a coarse meal and begins to come together. Press into a 9 inch tart or pie pan and refrigerate while you make the filling.

To make the filling, blend the cashews, agave nectar and coconut oil in a food processor until smooth. Add the avocados, lime juice, lime zest and salt and blend until airy and smooth. 

Spoon the filling into the crust. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

GLAZED GRAPEFRUIT YOGURT CAKE

We should all have a go-to every-day cake. While it takes a bit of time to bake (being so moist and dense), it comes together in a flash and has incredible texture and an intense tart citrus flavor. This cake is incredible cold after a few days, or toasted with a drizzle of thick raw cream. It also plays perfectly as a foundation recipe for many substitutions (a mix of sour cream, buttermilk, plain milk, or creme fraiche can stand in for part of the yogurt; switch in any citrus you like or a combination of a few; make it sweeter or less sweet to taste; add poppy seeds or toasted shredded coconut to the batter for crunch).

GRAPEFRUIT YOGURT CAKE

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups  flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup creme fraiche (I used a mix of creme fraiche and milk to make 1/2 cup)

1 scant cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon grated grapefruit zest

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, creme fraiche, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean. It may take closer to an hour but check at 50 minutes.

Right before the cake is ready, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, poke tiny holes into the cake using a skewer or chopstick and pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture  all over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

SPICED BAKED APPLE CHIPS

Some of the best, most brilliant recipes are the most simple. (Perhaps that is also true of many things in life). But finding out how easy it is to make homemade fiery-red beet chips, or a silky-smooth hummus, is always such a revelation to me. This little technique also makes excellent use of fruit that might otherwise tip to overripe and wasted, and the spice options are endless (I used cinnamon & ginger, but Chinese five-spice and cardamom would be a particularly lovely combination in my mind).

Peel and core apples. Preheat an oven to 225 degrees. Slice your apples as thinly as possible on a mandoline (unless you prefer slightly chewier chips, in which case you can make them a little more thick). Sprinkle both sides of the apples with a generous dose of cinnamon (spicy Saigon is the best version) and ginger. Bake on a parchment lined sheet for an hour, then flip the chips and bake for another hour. They should be fairly crispy and will crisp even more as they cool.

CHOCOLATE QUINOA CRACKERS

Or, an excellent gluten-free version of chocolate graham crackers might be a more apt title. These little crackers are a snap to whip up (we're talking less than 30 minutes here, tops) and require only one bowl really. They use quinoa flour, and I added a bit of white rice flour as well at the end because the dough was too sticky. You can adapt this recipe a lot (I used coconut sugar but really any sweetener would work), and they are a great quick snack if you have a little chocolate craving or want something that hits that perfect spot between snack and dessert, as graham crackers do.

CHOCOLATE QUINOA CRACKERS

Adapted from Desserts with Benefits

3 T. vegetable oil

1/2 c. water

1 c. quinoa flour

1/2 c. coconut sugar

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

generous pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Drizzle the oil in and mix with your fingers until it resembles sand. 

Add the water slowly until the dough comes together in a ball. If it's too sticky, add some more flour (quinoa or white rice flour). 

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface as thin as you can (unless you like slightly thicker and less snappy crackers). Cut the dough into squares and pierce them slightly with the tines of a fork. Bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-11 minutes (they will crisp as they cool).

BASIC BROWNIES

Are there many things better than a perfectly fudgy brownie, when you are craving chocolate? There is a place for a cake-like brownie, or a flavored one (mint and chocolate, I can't forsake you...), or the kind that you is so dense with chocolate that you need to take a nap after (the Barefoot Contessa's outrageous brownies top this category). But it is key to have a go-to basic recipe: the perfect balance between cake and fudge in texture, with a top that shatters slightly under the teeth and freezes beautifully.

BASIC CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Adapted from Joy of Baking

5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 stick butter, diced

2 T. cocoa powder

1 c. sugar (reduce if using semisweet chocolate)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs, room temp.

3/4 c. flour

pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-in square pan and line with parchment paper. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the butter. Take off the heat and whisk in the sugar and cocoa. Whisk in vanilla and eggs, and then flour and salt. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Take the brownies out when a tester comes out with a little batter on it (you want to almost slightly underbake them--they will stay more moist this way and will freeze better).

CARNITAS

Sometimes you gotta take a break from baking cookies (or do you...) and make some pulled pork. This is a great example of a perfect big-batch recipe to make on the weekend (lazy Sunday, I'm looking at you), and use in a variety of ways throughout the week (quesadillas with cheese, herbs and pulled pork or a stew or over greens for a hearty salad). You could mix the shredded carnitas with Greek yogurt for a sandwich filling or pan-fry it into a hash with roasted butternut squash and sweet potatoes. Endless possibilities! Just make sure to start with really good quality meat (ours was from here: Ottomanelli NYC) and use a heavy-bottomed pan (I always use my Le Creuset dutch oven for these sorts of things).  

This is a great basic recipe, but you can find many good ones online or basic cookbooks.

CRISP SALTED WHITE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES

These cookies are really spectacular. As most people do, I either want my cookies crispy and crunchy (but, let's be honest, I rarely want that even) or I want them chewy and soft and just slightly toothsome on the edges. These are triumphant examples of how good crispy cookies can be though. And what is even more surprising is that they make white chocolate shine! And white chocolate never shines! It is generally cloying sweet, teasing you with the promise of deep cocoa flavor and delivering none of it. Unless you are me, at age 4, with a terribly intense sweet tooth, it's really not a crowd-pleaser. But this version of an oatmeal cookie is studded with white chocolate chips and has a crackly, shatteringly-lacy texture that was proclaimed a favorite by many a friend and coworker. Then again, it is a Smitten Kitchen recipe, so I anticipated its success.

WHITE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 3/4 sticks butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

6 oz. white chocolate chips (good quality! don't skimp!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment (except I ran out, and they didn't even stick! Miracle of miracles.) Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. 

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until mixed. Add flour mixture bit by bit until just incorporated. Add oats and chocolate chips and mix.

3. Roll dough into small balls, and slightly flatten. Place on baking sheet---they will spread so leave plenty of room. 

4. Sprinkle some flaky sea salt on each cookie and bake for 13-16 minutes until they just start to turn golden brown. Be careful not to overbake as they will already crisp up as they cool.

BUTTERSCOTCH-BOURBON GLAZED CINNAMON ROLLS

Every Christmas, my mom makes batches and batches of the world's most perfect cinnamon rolls. She gifts them to all her friends and acquaintances, and people have been known to wait anxiously for the season just to see her pull up their driveway holding a plastic or foil-wrapped disc, always strung with that waxy red Christmas ribbon. On Christmas morning, she saves a few pans just for the six of us. While we tromp through the frozen snow-covered woods for our annual hour-long Christmas walk on the farm, the rolls wait. We come in from the cold, red-cheeked and wet, and over steaming mugs of tea, warm gooey rolls and dry pajamas, we open presents and are grateful for each other.

These rolls are much sweeter and more decadent than my mom's version, which has a mildly sweet dough and a concentrated cinnamon filling. But these are excellent for gifting as well, and anyone with a sweet tooth (or a penchant for boozy sweets), will certainly thank you.

BUTTERSCOTCH-BOURBON GLAZED CINNAMON ROLLS

Recipe from Melissa Clark, New York Times

10 T. butter

1 c. milk (I used skim)

4 c. flour (I needed much more than this, see directions)

2 c. light brown sugar

1 packet active dry yeast

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. cardamom

1 egg

1 1/2 T. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 T. bourbon

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. confectioners' sugar

In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add milk and heat until warm, then pour into the bowl of your stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, 1 cup brown sugar, yeast, salt and cardamom. Slowly beat flour mixture into butter mixture using the paddle attachment. Beat in egg, then beat until dough comes together; it should be slightly tacky but not sticky. It took probably a full extra cup of flour to get to the right consistency for me, so just keep adding a tiny bit at a time until it feels sticky but kneadable.

Knead with the dough hook attachment for about 2 minutes until smooth. Transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume for 3 hours or so (or longer is fine).

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Cook until the foam subsides and the butter turns a deep nut brown; cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 c. brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.

Punch down dough and roll into a rectangle about 15 inches long and 11 or 12 inches wide. Using a pastry brush, coat dough with butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over butter. Starting at a long end, tightly roll up dough over filling. Arrange seam side down. Cut the dough crosswise into 18 slices (about 1/2-inch thick).

Lightly grease two 9-inch round baking pans. Transfer rolls to pan, cut side up; they will fit snugly. Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes (if you don't have time to let them rise, that is okay!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; bake rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.

While rolls bake, place 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan. Sprinkle with bourbon and a scant 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted, whisk in vanilla, then turn off the heat and whisk in the confectioners’ sugar. Pour warm glaze evenly over the tops of the warm rolls. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow glaze to set.

BANANA POPPY SEED YOGURT LOAF

I will just say, that I love this banana bread, with a hint of sweetness and a crunch of poppy seeds on the tongue. 

BANANA POPPY SEED YOGURT LOAF

Yields 1 loaf

3 very ripe bananas, mashed (see note)

2 eggs

1/2 c. yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

Scant 1/2 c. brown sugar (adjust if you prefer a more or less dessert-like bread)

1/4 c. poppy seeds (or more as you like)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan.

Combine the mashed bananas, eggs, yogurt and vanilla in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet and stir in the poppy seeds.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

*Note: I like to keep frozen sliced bananas on hand for smoothies and oatmeal. Just take some out, let them thaw, and mash them for the bread.

COLD SESAME ZUCCHINI NOODLES

A little photo inspiration for summer produce for you! Here is a cold zucchini "pasta" dish tossed with a cold spicy sesame dressing. A delicious and light way to enjoy your green vegetables!

HERBED SPELT POPOVERS

Popovers are fun. They come together in a flash, too. I tend to forget that.
Good for a sleepy Sunday.
  

Herbed Spelt Popovers 
adapted from King Arthur Flour

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole spelt flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Blend all of the ingredients together. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. 

Grease muffin or popover tins making sure to grease the tops as well. Bake for about 20 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. Do not open the door as they're baking. They need privacy, you see. 

SALAD!

We're here, promise!
It's just that summer has begun and (on good days!) most of my meals look a lot like this:

wonderful farmers' market mixed greens
pickled beets (a favorite!)
purple rice
hard-boiled egg
dill
pea shoots (new discovery I'm diggin')
celery
cucumber
pepper, sesame oil, and balsamic

BREAKFAST ZA'ATAR PITA WITH EGG, GREENS AND MUSHROOMS

Leftovers are a curious business. Sometimes they spark all sorts of creativity and sometimes they cause me  to stand and stare into the depths of the fridge for too long. I've been making an effort to freeze more odds and ends in the hopes of putting food to better use and not wasting. I opened the freezer yesterday and found: 2 bags of corn I'd sliced and frozen, 3 pita, half a loaf of no-knead bread, a small container of homemade applesauce, a large container of chickpea stew, frozen banana slices, a bag of candied ginger and the list actually goes on. The lesson here is to remember what I am saving and make dinner out of it!

The morning after a falafel take-out dinner, I had a leftover pita and some vegetables. I rubbed the pita with olive oil and za'atar spice and toasted it in the oven while scrambling some eggs with a splash of milk and salt and pepper. I sautéed some mushrooms and sliced cherry tomatoes in a small pan. Once softened, I split the warm toasted pita and stuffed it with a handful of fresh arugula. Topped with the warm vegetables and scrambled eggs, the greens wilt a bit and make a perfect Sunday breakfast.

CINNAMON SUGAR PULL- APART BREAD

I'd seen this bread in several places and wanted to try it. Not just because it is beautiful, as you fold pieces of cinnamon-sugar-dusted dough together in a loaf, but also because it is bakes up gooey-ly together in a way that even a pan of cinnamon buns can't. Several words of wisdom regarding this bread: a) make it for friends, because people will ooh and ah over it, and it is nice to make that happen for people you love and b) don't use a small loaf pan! I did, and as you will see, it overflowed in a very comical fashion (delicious, yet comical).


Once you tackle the method (sounds complicated, but isn't), you can make many variations on this (like garlic and cheese, or lemon and ginger).

VEGETABLE SAUTE WITH CASHEW POBLANO CREMA

I know you all may be cozying up to an iced beverage, but it is cool and rainy here, so a hot dinner felt best. This dish is entirely flexible and I found the cashew crema added pizzaz to a number of meals. It was even so good that I ate several spoonfuls right out of the jar! Most memorably I ate it on a wrap during a picnic on a mountain with another dear sister. 

Vegetable Saute with Cashew Poblano Crema
Adapted from Love and Lemons


Use whatever vegetables you find slumbering in your refrigerator. I sauteed zucchini with a little olive oil, then added green swiss chard, frozen corn, diced tomatoes, and black beans. I seasoned it with lots of cumin, pepper, salt, and lime juice. I used some of the filling for enchiladas by rolling them up in corn tortillas, topping them with cheese, and baking them for about 40 minutes.


Cashew Poblano Crema
1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted cashews--soaked for 30 minutes (if you remember)
3/4 cup water
1 roasted poblano pepper
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup minced onion
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
salt, to taste


Roast the halved and seeded poblano pepper under the broiler until the skin is blackened all over.  Remove it from the oven and let it cool. Peel off the skin and discard it. Blend the pepper with the remaining ingredients. Use immediately or refrigerate. It keeps well for at least a week or more. I added some lemon juice to it to serve as a salad dressing, which I highly recommend.

PARMESAN-PINE NUT BISCUITS

Folks, I think we're on a bread kick. 

Parmesan-Pine Nut Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 white bread flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup pine nuts

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the rest of the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the cheese, pine nuts, and rosemary. 

Whisk the egg and buttermilk together. Add it to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Place the dough onto a work surface and fold it over itself three or four times until it comes together in a ball. Roll the dough out until it is about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough with a biscuit cutter and place the rounds on a baking sheet. Ball the scraps up and roll and cut it. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the tops are golden brown. 

OVERNIGHT STEEL-CUT OATS WITH GREEK YOGURT AND BERRIES

While not visually stunning, this is a really lovely and filling breakfast, mix a large scoop of steel-cut oats with a cup of Greek yogurt, a generous splash of milk (regular or almond), a scoop of blackberries and any spices you like. This is a very adaptable meal; you could use cinnamon and nutmeg and dried fruits, or almond milk and cocoa powder and slivered almonds, or bananas and cardamom and strawberries. The more milk-to-yogurt ratio, the thinner your oats will be. Either way, the steel-cut oats are wonderfully chewy after an overnight soak.


Don't use rolled oats here--they aren't as nutritious and they will end up being soggy, whereas steel-cut oats will have a nice chew. Blackberries or bananas are a good bet because they bleed into the yogurt nicely and flavor it. You could also toss in some chia seeds, flaxseeds or wheat germ for extra fiber and boost to your breakfast!

KALE CHIPS

Can't stop, won't stop (eating kale chips like it is my job. Which, arguably, it is in some ways.)

Wash large leaves and kale and tear them into pieces. Sprinkle with sea salt and a misting of olive oil. Place kale on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 until dry and crispy (about 10 minutes).

OATMEAL ALMOND BUTTER SQUARES

Sometimes, you don't feel like eating your dessert off a nice clean plate, but off your plate covered in Motorino pizza crumbs. And that is okay. Especially when your dessert is a slightly-sweet, warm out of the oven, oatmeal almond butter square.

OATMEAL ALMOND BUTTER SQUARES

Adapted from How Sweet Eats
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup almond butter
1 T. vanilla
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup flour (could use whole wheat or spelt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add almond butter and sugar and mix on high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in vanilla extract and mix. Add the flour, oats, salt and baking soda and mix until the dough is crumbly (30 seconds). Add the milk and mix until a dough forms. You could fold in any add-ins here (chocolate chips, cacao nibs, nuts, dried fruit, etc.) Press the dough into a parchment-lined or greased 8x8 pan (press evenly). Bake for 20 minutes, until just golden on the edges. Let it cool fully before cutting (it will crumble if you don't).

SPELT PITA

I no longer expect my pita to be voluminous in nature, so I was pleased with this batch--that is to say it was flavorful, comforting, but lacked large pockets. I appreciate spelt flour for its nuttiness and its heartiness.  

Spelt Pita

adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 cup warm water

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

Sponge: Combine the all-purpose flour and yeast. Add the water and stir together. Cover and let it rest for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Dough: Add the salt and olive oil to the sponge and mix well. Add 1 cup of the spelt flour and stir until the dough holds together, adding more flour if necessary, but not so much that the dough becomes dry. Knead the dough for about 8 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover it, and let it rise until it has doubled in bulk--about 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. With a lightly floured work surface and rolling pin, roll each into a 6-inch circle that is less than a 1/4-inch thick. Bake each pita for about 5 or so minutes, until it begins to brown.

SWISS CHARD, SWEET POTATO and FETA TART

I live with a dear friend whose body does not enjoy gluten, so I made a gluten-free tart for dinner tonight. The crust included teff flour, which neither of us had ever eaten. Another gluten-free friend had given it to me when he left the country, so I had it on hand. I can now tell you that teff flour is made from a tiny grain native to Ethiopia. It is high in protein, iron, and fiber and has an earthy flavor. 

I made crust dough and cooked the onions and sweet potatoes last night, which I would recommend or start cooking early the day you wish to enjoy the tart.

Swiss Chard, Sweet Potato, and Feta Tart

adapted from The Flour Sack

Crust

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon teff flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose gluten-free flour mix  (or white whole wheat flour)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup milk

Filling

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced 

sea salt

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large bunch swiss chard, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped 

7 ounces feta

red pepper flakes

freshly ground pepper

3 eggs

Crust:

Grease a 10-inch deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan. Mix all of the crust ingredients together. Pour the dough in the pan and press it down, starting in the middle, to form a crust of even thickness with 1-inch or 1 1/2-inch sides. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Cover it with plastic and refrigerate it for 1 hour or overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put pie weights or dried beans upon parchment in the crust. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes until it begins to pull away from the edges. Remove the weights and bake it for another 3 or 4 minutes just until the crust is dry. Let the crust cool before adding the filling.

Filling: 

Mix the sweet potatoes with enough olive oil to coat them as well a pinch of salt. Roast them in the oven until a fork can pierce them easily--about 15 minutes. Let them cool. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook them oven medium-low heat, stirring often, until they caramelize--about 35 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook them until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer them to a bowl. 

Add some olive oil to a frying pan and cook the garlic over medium-low heat until it begins smell heavenly. Add the Swiss chard stems and cook them for a few minutes. Add the rest of the chard and cook until the leaves are wilted. Turn the heat off and add the onions, sweet potatoes, 1/3 of the cheese, a 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and some freshly ground pepper. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and then add them to the mixture, stirring to combine. Pour the filling into the crust and then crumble the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees.

SESAME BREADSTICKS

Remember this family favorite? They starred as part of an edible gift to the extended family a few years back with a few other crackers. These take a little planning as there is a preferment, added ingredients, and rising time for the sticks, but as with any leavened bread--it's worth it! I made a double batch so I have plenty to share and some to freeze for later.

Sesame Breadsticks

adapted from King Arthur Whole Grain Baking

Preferment

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cool water

scant pinch of instant yeast

Dough

All of the preferment

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons olive oil

toasted sesame seeds

For the preferment:

The night before you intend to make the breadsticks, stir together the whole wheat flour, cool water, and pinch of yeast. Cover it and let it sit at room temperature overnight.

For the Dough:

Add the flours, yeast, salt, water and olive oil to the preferment and knead them together until you have a smooth dough. Let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. I stuck it in the fridge and let it rise all day while I was at work, which is also an option. The dough will puff up, but may not double in bulk.

To form the sticks:

Lightly grease your work surface. Divide the dough in several pieces and roll them into rectangles that are 1/4 inch thick or so. Spread the dough with sesame seeds and roll over it once more to make the seeds stick. Cut the rectangle so that you have sticks that are about a 1/2 inch by 3 or 4 inches. Larger sticks are harder to work with. If you want softer breadsticks, make them closer to a 1/2 inch wide, if you want them crisper, make them thinner. One by one, twist each stick of dough--the ends going in opposite directions to make a spiral. Place the sticks on a cookie sheet. Let them rest for about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake them for about 25 minutes. 

NO-KNEAD BREAD

I think the smell of freshly baked bread is one of the best things. And the taste of a slice of warm, crusty bread slathered in butter is also on that list. I try to bake bread rather than buy it. You know it is fresh, it is a soothing exercise and always makes me feel like I have accomplished something important and solid. I've been eyeing the no-knead bread recipe since I'd like to have an easy go-to recipe that stretches out over the day while I am at work. I love the ritual of the kneading, rising, shaping and rising of regular loaves, but I tested out this recipe and it has its own benefits. You can make the dough and let it do a long, slow rise in the refrigerator, so you can bake a hunk of it anytime over the next 2 weeks. It's nice to have it mixed up and ready to go any evening. You can also mix it in the morning (5 minutes, tops!) and let it rise on the countertop all day, then bake the loaf at night. Bake it in a dutch oven for a round, crusty boule or bake it in a loaf pan for a sandwich-like bread. The flavor variations are infinite as are the shapes.

If making a boule in the dutch oven or an a cookie sheet, slash the top several times with a knife. As the dough is very wet and sticky, don't worry about shaping it too much--just plop it into your pan (make sure to grease the pan or sheet, or use parchment).

FUDGY COCOA BROWNIES

Oh, brownies. So delicious, and so many variations. After a highly unsuccessful attempt at chocolate-based brownies (hello, did you even know you could make bad brownies? They are one of the easiest one-bowl dessert wonders. Well, people ate them anyway. But they were bad. See photo evidence below), I fell back on the tried-and-true cocoa brownie recipe that yields densely fudgy brownies every time. These are rich and chocolately and really incredible when you freeze them.

CRANBERRY HAZELNUT UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Remember when I went cranberry picking? Well, I've still got cup-fulls of those brilliant red berries. This scrumptious cake with whole wheat pastry flour and a crunchy, oh-man-don't-get-stuck-in-my-teeth topping transforms the tart berry to a wholesome, comforting cake. While driving to a dinner with it sitting next to me straight from the oven it was very hard to resist tearing into it while at a stop sign!

Cranberry Hazelnut Upside Down Cake

adapted from Good Things Grow

Topping
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cup, 7 ounces frozen cranberries 

3/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Batter
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk (or a mixture of milk and yogurt)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the topping, melt butter in pan over medium heat and then stir in the brown sugar. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes, then sprinkle cranberries and hazelnuts evenly over the butter mixture and remove from heat.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing  until just combined. Grease a pie plate or cake pan.

Heat topping over moderate heat until it starts to bubble, then pour it into the prepared pan. Spoon the batter over it and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is golden and a knife inserted comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges using a knife and then invert it onto a serving plate.