Category Archives: Recipes

Lemon Cream with Fresh Blackberries

School’s out for summer! And now I’m ready to glide into the easy, breezy days of summer entertaining. I have visions of myself  hosting dinner al fresco for eight or ten friends and serving lovely little nibbles. And then I remember that while I used to be a frequent hostess of those kids of summer soirees, I now have three (amazing, well-loved, totally worth it) children who render my dinner parties infrequent occasions.

Nonetheless, if you’re dining at my house this summer, you just may be eating this for dessert. All natural, vegetarian, fresh and delicious. Plus it has blackberries which are decidedly one of the best fruits on the planet. You can, of course, substitute other berries or even some diced kiwi or mango if you’d prefer. But I’m a blackberry kind of girl, especially when there are no little fingers at the table to squish them into stains on sundresses and seersucker shorts.

 

Lemon Cream with Fresh Blackberries

adapted from Whole Living

serves 4


Ingredients

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup honey (or agave nectar if you want to keep this vegan)
1 package (12 ounces) silken tofu, drained
1 cup fresh blackberries
Mint leaves to garnish

Directions

1. Puree 2 1/2 teaspoons of the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and tofu in a food processor or blender till smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. You can use an immersion blender for this step, too.

2. Divide lemon cream evenly among four small ramekins or serving glasses. Garnish each portion with blackberries, reserved lemon zest, and mint leaves. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pie (Dairy Free)

When it comes to desserts, my strategy is usually to keep it small and make it worth it. No cheap substitutes for the real thing will do. I’d rather have a little of something amazing than a lot of something that disappoints me. Keep that in mind when I tell you how to make this dessert!

Now, this is certainly not diet food, but it is dairy free, so if you’re trying to eliminate dairy and are missing the creaminess of chocolate pudding, this is going to amaze you. When you add the whipped “cream” made from canned coconut milk this makes my good-enough-for-card-carrying-dessert-connoisseurs list.

The secret to the dairy free pudding filling is silken tofu. Before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me tell you that I served this to an unsuspecting crowd and NO ONE could taste the tofu. I was looking for it and couldn’t taste it. That’s what happens when you add enough melted chocolate and peanut butter I guess!

I think you could chill this in little ramekins and serve as pudding if you don’t want to make it into a pie. It would also be amazing in a chocolate cookie crust…but wouldn’t anything?

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pie (Dairy Free)

serves 12

 

Ingredients

2 c. dark chocolate chips, melted

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

1 pkg. silken tofu

2/3 c. creamy peanut butter

1 can full fat coconut milk

Dairy free graham cracker crust

 

Directions

1. Chill coconut milk overnight (or place in freezer for 30 minutes). Flip can upside down and open with can opener. Pour off liquid and scoop out solidified milk.” Beat solidified milk with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Chill.

1. Pour all other ingredients into a blender one at a time and blend until creamy. Pour into a graham cracker crust.

2. Refrigerate pie until firm (2-3 hours). To serve, top with dollops of whipped coconut milk in lieu of whipped cream.

Simple Asparagus Salad in Gorgonzola Vinaigrette

Sometimes less is more, and this is one of those times. Just a few simple, fresh, seasonal ingredients tossed together with a bit of creamy, indulgent gorgonzola for a salad that personifies spring! Don’t get fancy here – just make this the way it’s written and savor the flavors the way nature intended them.

 

Simple Asparagus Salad
adapted from Cooking Light

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. green (and white, if you’d like) asparagus, trimmed and cut into (2-inch) pieces
2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 oz.) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, divided
5 oz. mixed greens

Directions:

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook asparagus and 2 teaspoons salt for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Plunge cooked asparagus into a bowl of ice water till cool. Remove from ice water and pat dry.
2. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar, shallots and olive oil in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.
3. Combine blanched asparagus and greens in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat.