This recipe is a bit of a riff on a traditional vanilla or coffee cake. I usually make them with plums or peaches in the summer time but have been thinking about a version to make during the winter. I love frozen cherries and am always amazed at how fresh and fruity they taste. They usually end up in my smoothies, but I thought they might work in a cake. They are a perfect way to jazz up a plain cake and get a taste of summer on your plate during these long winter months. I tried a few different recipes, but finally settled on this version. The almond meal adds a great texture to the cake and the chopped almond and sugar topping leaves a crunchy, tasty finish.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup almond meal
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar (I like to use coconut sugar, but any sugar will work)
1/2 cup oil (I like to use a healthy oil like avocado or a nut oil but you can use any oil you have on hand)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup frozen cherries
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
knob of butter to butter your pan
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 tbsp coarse sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9-inch cake pan.
Combine eggs and sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
Add oil, milk and vanilla.
Combine all dry ingredients.
Add slowly until incorporated. Do not overbeat.
Pour batter into the pan.
Sprinkle cherries over the top of the cake.
Allow the cherries to sink in.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with the almonds and sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Invert cake when cooled slightly, allow to cool completely.
Serve!
I'm a big, big soup gal. Nothing hits the spot for me quite like a big bowl of soup. Especially through these colder months, a bowl of soup is like big hug and you'll find a pot of one recipe or another on the stove at my place a few times a week. This is one of the easier, tastier recipes I whip up regularly. It works well with almost any kind of root vegetable and it comes together really quickly. You can use any combination of squash, parsnip, celery root, sweet potato or turnip.
I like to grab a few bags of the pre-cut vegetables in my grocer's salad section to really make prep quick. Here I've used turnips, butternut squash and carrots. Surprisingly, the lowly regarded turnip is actually one of my favorite root veggies. When you roast them, they become really creamy and buttery. Bonus? They are super cheap and keep in the cupboard for weeks without going off. Blend them up and add in some coconut milk and everyone will be shocked this soup doesn't have any cream in it. Just to finish it off I love to serve it with a dollop of yogurt and a little bit of spice. It tastes so rich and tasty that no one at your table will guess it's so healthy.
Ingredients
3 cups roughly chopped root vegetables
1 cup thickly sliced onion
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
4 cups chicken stock
2 cans coconut milk
3 tbsp mild curry paste
For garnish (optional)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 finely diced jalapeño
Directions
Place all the vegetables on a baking sheet and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and Italian seasoning.
Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Set the oven to broil and roast the vegetables for about 20-25 mins or until browned and cooked through. (the smaller the vegetables are cut the faster they will cook).
In a stockpot, over medium heat, add all the vegetables, pan juices and curry paste and heat until the curry paste begins to smoke. I like to use a mild Indian curry paste in a jar. The pastes tend to pack a lot more flavor than a powder.
Add coconut milk and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
Serve in bowls and garnish with yogurt and chopped jalapeno.
You can make this soup ahead of time, the flavors get even better the next day.
RELATED: Good Health Bowl: Brown Rice With Roast Squash & Chickpeas
These tostadas make the top of the family request list a lot. For breakfast or brunch, even dinner sometimes, they are really quick to make and are always a favorite. One reason I love them is that they are very healthy option, packing a lot of protein and some veggies on an open-faced tortilla. You can chop up all your vegetables and condiments the night before, (except for the avocado) so they are ready to go in the morning and you can just put them together on the spot. They take about ten minutes total to make, so they are perfect for a busy weekend. Feel free to get creative with toppings, I like to play around with any vegetables I have in the refrigerator. Basically anything you can dice works!
Ingredients
4 small size (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup refried beans
4 eggs
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup hot banana peppers
1 avocado, diced
Directions
Place 4 tortillas in a non-stick skillet on medium heat.
Divide shredded cheese among the tortillas.
While the cheese is melting, fry four eggs, sunny-side side up in another non-stick skillet.
When the cheese is melted and the bottom of the tortillas are crispy, (about 3 minutes), remove from heat.
Place tortillas on a serving plate. Top each tortilla with ¼ of the bean mixture.
Sprinkle each tortilla with cherry tomatoes and a fried egg.
Top with green pepper, banana peppers and avocado.
Serve immediately!
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