Treats
Lighten Up with Cantaloupe Kanten
I usually steer clear of talking about weight loss. There are plenty of people hyping products and pitching miracle weight loss foods. That’s not my thing at all- I believe in eating a balanced diet of real, whole foods. But yes, sometimes I get out of balance and start adding on a pound or two. That is when I steer toward foods that are filling but lower in calories. This Cantaloupe and Raspberry Kanten is a perfect snack or dessert for those moments.
No-Churn Almond Ice Cream with Homemade Chocolate Sauce for Summer Fun!
No-churn ice cream is greatly improved with the addition of aquafaba. Aquafaba, also known as the liquid you have been draining off of channed chickpeas and pouring down the drain, is the secret to the success of this delicious dessert. By whipping aquafaba to a meringue-like loft, you can incorporate it into a rich mix of coconut cream and almond butter, to give it a texture similar to churned ice creams. Really. Most non-dairy no-churn ice creams are plenty creamy, but when frozen, become a hard block. This one can be scooped straight from the freezer, without having to sit and soften at room temperature.
Creamy Fudgesicles, a Summertime Favorite
Lately, I’ve been hearing that faraway chime that quickens my heart, although it’s been years since I bought anything from the ice cream truck. The repetitive tune is Proustian, striking a spot in my brain that connects it to lazy summer afternoons of long ago. Those endless, nowhere-to-be and nothing-important-to-do kinds of days were made extra special by the arrival of the “Jingle Skoot” truck, with icy sweet confections for a few pieces of change. Like Fudgesicles.
Craving Creamy? Avocado Ice Cream and Pasta!
Craving Creamy?Avocados Hit the Spot!
If you’ve been eating a low-fat diet, or have just gone plant-based, you may find yourself craving high-fat foods. Research shows that we are hard-wired to seek out fat. The best way to stay in balance is to eat the kinds of healthy fats that are in avocados and extra virgin olive oil. Even if you aren’t eating low-fat, we all find creamy foods pleasurable and comforting to eat. Why fight it?
Meal Prep for Carrot Bars and Moroccan Salad
Meal Prep is The Key!
In today’s blog and video, I’m featuring one easy meal prep item: shredded carrots. I love using my food processor to make my life easier, and this is a prime example. Just shred carrots and you’ll have them ready to go, to toss in salads, or to make these two easy recipes.
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Cakes with Avocado Mousse!
The sexy, stimulating chemistry of chocolate is all well and good, but the truth is, we loooove the taste of chocolate. Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without a luscious treat that delivers the cacao. These pretty little cakes are chocolate-y enough to thrill, but light enough to keep you from passing out on the couch.
Fool-Proof Apple Pie to Die For
Fool-Proof Apple Pie Make a Fool-Proof Apple Pie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qypj3ReRDPM Yes, That's My Cat Pumpkin Behind Me! We've all heard the expression, "As easy as pie." I have made many, many pies, and I have come to the conclusion that the expression is...
Pear Party- Make Two Perfect Pear Dishes for Fall
You can spend a lifetime seeking that perfect pear, and find as many frustrating pear experiences as ecstatic ones. That’s why I made this video, to show you the simplest, most valuable fact I’ve learned about pears.
Make Your Own Chocolates? Yes, You Can
Certain kitchen adventures are shared by pretty much everyone. Even if you don’t cook much, you have made a batch of cookies, or cooked some mac and cheese. But when it comes to the world of candy, most of us leave it to the pros. Packaged candy is all around us, and it’s so easy to buy that the thought of making it is on a level with sewing your own pants, or building your own chairs.
Deep Dark Chocolate Brownies, with a Secret Ingredient
There’s no time of year when chocolate is “out of season.” We don’t eat pumpkin pie in the summer, or cold soup in the winter, but we will eat brownies all year long. That makes these lush, dark chocolate treats appropriate for every month of the year.
Peachy Cornbread Cobbler, with Calhoun County Peaches
I’ve been extolling the under-the-radar Calhoun County peaches, the first peaches that blew my mind. Perhaps I’m being parochial, perhaps my Proustian peach experience has elevated these particular peaches above all others in an indelible way.
So Simple, So Good, Gingery Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
These individual Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumbles are pots of gingery filling with a crunchy crumble topping, the easiest way to bake a great dessert without breaking a sweat. Chop, stir, bake, it really is that simple.
Stay in and Bake Banana-Tahini Muffins with Crystallized Ginger
People are putting tahini in everything these days, and these muffins are a perfect example of how versatile the sesame seed butter can be.
Wow Your Guests with Purple Sweet Potato Pie
Still looking for a fun dessert for the holidays? Now that you've got Thanksgiving under your belt, so to speak, it's time to plan the coming feasts, parties and get-togethers. Why not shake it up with a technicolor purple pie? Yes, this Purple Sweet Potato Pie is...
Poached Pears Make an Elegant Dessert, For a Break from Pumpkin!
I know we are in pumpkin pie season, but really, how many pies can you eat? Dare we break away for a moment to celebrate the beauty of the pear? I've been playing around with desserts that don't have any added sugar lately, and this recipe for Poached Pears in Cherry...
Bake a Raspberry-Nectarine Slab Pie, Make People Happy!
On a fine Saturday morning, everything seems possible. The day stretches before me, like a bottomless well of time, free to do something adventurous. Rested and ready, I make my way to the Farmer's Market most Saturdays, where tables of colorful produce stretch out...
Meal Prep: Make Chocolatey Zucchini Brownies
Chocolate is always in season, isn't it? Whether we are snuggled inside on a February snow day, or wilting in the heat of a humid August scorcher, chocolate always seems like a good idea. Right now, it's zucchini season, and I can think of no better way to put a...
Try Fresh Currants in this Easy Kanten
Kanten It was a great farmer's market find. Fresh Red Currants were ripe and ready at the market, and it was too hot to bake. So, I made kanten. Kanten is the plant-based world's answer to Jell-o, and it couldn't be more refreshing. Don't tell anyone it's vegan, just...
Strawberry Vegan Cupcakes You Need To Make Now
Some things just happen. Like the confluence of my own birthday with the arrival of petite "honeoye strawberries" at the Farmer's Market. Yes, Happy Birthday to me! I have a vegan baking class coming up, and the vegan cupcakes that I teach in that class are perfect...
Strawberry Season Bundt Cake To Rock Your World
It's Strawberry Season. That means, even here in Minnesota, the best, locally grown strawberries have finally reached their sweet, rosy ripeness. We make do all year with the bounty of California and Mexico, or do without. Until now. It's a short window, and deserving...
Bake Some Purple Carrot and Blueberry Bars for Prince’s Birthday
June 7 is Prince's Birthday I'm a Minneapolitan, and let me tell you, we all felt the loss when Prince left us too soon. He was our home town musical genius, rockstar, and part of our personal soundtracks since the 80's. He was also a quiet philanthropist, sharing his...
Vegan Meal Prep, In Bookstores Now!
Vegan Meal Prep, the Cookbook I was talking about meal prepping to a young person, at some point while testing the recipes for Vegan Meal Prep, and she said, "It's adulting." Vegan meal prepping is, in fact, a very special form of "adulting." Meal prepping is the...
Warm Up with Tasty Scones Made From Freshly Ground Flour
Fresh Flour Makes a Great Scone Nothing makes a snowed-in morning feel cozier than a batch of scones, still warm from the oven. Scones are so simple, simple enough that little shifts in technique and ingredients can make the difference between a decent scone and one...
Make Valentine’s Brownie Hearts to Win Your Sweetie’s
Valentine's Day Brownie Hearts As Valentine's Day approaches, it's all about finding a chocolate treat that will woo your sweet heart. Sure, you can buy a box of chocolates, or take that special friend out to eat. But nothing says I love you like a home baked...
Chocolate Tahini, the new PB and Chocolate? Bake Some Chocolate Tahini Bread
As a recipe developer, I pay attention to the food trends that are on the move. Some are absurd, like unicorn food, or charcoal in everything. But some flavors rise to the top by just being good. The latest seductive combo I've been flirting with is the merger of...
Make Easy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Crispy Bars
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Crispy Bars Are Calling Your Name! My neighborhood grocery store folks know how our minds work. When you stand in line at the register, they have thoughtfully provided a stack of appealing, easy to grab treats, to tempt the hungry shopper....
Rich, Luscious Truffles, Easy, Fast (and Vegan)
The holiday season is in full swing, and you really should have some treats planned by now. No? Well I'm here with a simple little treat that everybody will think was hard to make. I'm talking about Vegan Truffles. No Special Skills Are Needed to Make Vegan Truffles I...
Bake Persimmon Cookies for a Seasonal Treat
Persimmon and Hazelnut Cookies When the persimmons appear in the stores, you know the holidays are coming. That makes them a perfect candidate to use in a holiday treat, like these Persimmon and Hazelnut Cookies with Pomegranate Glaze. What The Heck is a Persimmon,...
Make Pumpkin Swirl Brownies with Ganache, for a Halloween Treat
Halloween is a candy and costume holiday. I know, I know, there is a history going back to the old country, when they carved turnips into Jack-o-lanterns to scare away the spirits. In my lifetime, it was all about being a kids, putting on a costume, and collecting as...
It’s Time To Bake an Apple Raspberry Galette
At the farmer's market last weekend, as I shivered in the 40 degree air, I marveled at the bounty of vegetables that the end of September brings. Summery sweet corn and tomatoes were there, alongside Fall-ish squash and apples. Strikingly, there was an abundant...