APPLE LEMON VERBENA JELLY AND CHEDDAR GRILLED CHEESE WITH FRENCH APPLE CIDRE

Whitney Adams of Brunellos Have More Fun and I have been getting up to a lot of fun lately. She brings the drinks and I bring the food, and this time around it's a comforting bite of gooey, savory, and sweet grilled cheese paired with a bubbly French cidre.

I hadn't enjoyed an apple cider in a while (I recall a toast with Martinelli's at prom) so to savor a sip with a warm grilled cheese gave me a massive rush of delicious nostalgia.

This pairing is all about apples for apples: the robust apple flavor of the cider accentuates the apple in the jelly and the gentle carbonation keeps the savory cheddar cheese playful and not too dense. You feel like a kid again! Enjoy!



Apple Lemon Verbena Jelly Grilled Cheese

Ok, I lucked out and a farmer at my farmer's market makes this delicious jelly so I can buy it by the jar-full, but if you can't hunt some down, you can use any of the following:

-Apple jelly with a pinch of lemon zest
-Membrillo (a quince paste)

For 2
4 slices white bread
4 oz sliced English Cheddar
1 tablespoon apple jelly
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Spread the jelly on each slice of bread and stick about 1 oz of cheese to each slice. Sandwich the slices together and spread the butter on the outside of the sandwich. Place on a skillet over a medium-low flame and cook until the cheese has started to melt (about 4 minutes), flip and cook until the cheese is completely melted. Slice and serve with apple cider.

CANDIED YAMS, THREE WAYS

I feel like this is everyone's favorite dish at Thanksgiving.  Yeah, the turkey is the centerpiece, and stuffing is pretty awesome, but let's be real. Yams. Sweet potatoes.  They're a vegetable that kind of tastes like dessert, but somehow manages to stay savory.  Like a chocolate covered pretzels or something. Mmmm...chocolate covered pretzels.

Yams are officially my cousin Erica's domain.  Every year she plans something wonderful, and this year is no different.  Inspired by a side we had at a family dinner a few weeks back, she's making vanilla scented yams with marshmallow on top.  I asked her to send me the recipe so I could write a post about them before Thanksgiving (and get a sneak peek at the goods) and was floored by how simple it was.  You literally boil yams, puree in your ingredients, and toast some marshmallow.  Boom. Done. Thanksgiving. 

I was making a small batch anyway and when the versatility of the recipe dawned on me, I went a little crazy.  Apple Cinnamon Maple Yams and Classic Candied Yams with pumpkin pie spices and a crunchy pecan brown sugar crumble.  Each has their own little twist, and they will all hit that candied yam sweet spot.

I also got a little fancy and added a recipe for homemade maple marshmallow that is delicious in hot chocolate and on top of the yams.  But if it's too much of a bother, feel free to use store bought marshmallows.  Happy Thanksgiving!






















Erica's Vanilla-Scented Yams with Marshmallow

1.5 vanilla beans
8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh minced Rosemary or Thyme

Scrape the vanilla beans and reserve the shell and the seeds. Add the shells and the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and scraped vanilla, salt, pepper, and herbs. Spoon into a baking dish and dollop on the marshmallow. Broil for about 1 minute or until the marshmallows are toasted. Keep an eye on it! They burn quickly!

Maple Marshmallow
About 1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 ½ envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup room temperature water
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup hot water (about 115 degrees)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, pour in the ½ cup of water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let it stand for about 10 minutes.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240 degrees, about 12 minutes. A word to the wise, this happens very very quickly. While I turned around to tidy up, the entire batch jumped to 275 and burned, so once the thermometer reads 200, keep a close watch, and take it off the heat when it reaches 230. The thermometer should still creep up to 240 after that. Remove the pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With the standing mixer beat the mixture on high speed until white, thick and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes if using standing mixer. In a large bowl separately beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla and maple syrup into sugar mixture until it is just combined (about 2 minutes). Dollop onto the yams before they set.

If you want to save the marshmallow for later...
Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan covered with powdered sugar and sift ¼ cup powdered sugar evenly over top. Let the marshmallow set uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to 1 day.

Apple Maple Cinnamon Yams with Maple Marshmallow

8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper
1 cup apple sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup

2 cups Fresh maple marshmallow (see above) or mini jet puffed marshmallows.

Put the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and cinnamon, syrup, apple sauce, salt, and pepper. Spoon into a baking dish and dollop on the marshmallow. Broil for about 1 minute or until the marshmallows are toasted. Keep an eye on it! They burn quickly!

Classic Candied Yams

8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 oz (4 tablespoons) butter, cut into small chunks

Preheat oven to 400F. Put the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and spices, salt, and pepper. Spoon into a baking dish, sprinkles with pecans and brown sugar, and dot with butter. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the brown sugar has started to melt.

BROWN BUTTER BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

This is the perfect dinner party soup.  Comforting and a little decadent, it also looks beautiful in the bowl.  The combination of sweet, tart, smokey, and brown buttery is a definite crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

For 8-10

2 butternut squash, halved and deseeded

2 kabocha squash (or pumpking), halved and deseeded

olive oil

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 brown onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 sprigs of parsley

1 bay leaf

pinch of chili flake

8 cups chicken broth

2 oz unsalted butter, plus more for garnish

Sour cream (for garnish)

Brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F. Drizzle the butternut and kabocha squashes with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper on a roasting pan. Chuck them into the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, or until soft and tender.

Meanwhile, let’s get started on the broth. Over medium heat in a large pot, cook the bacon until not quite crisp.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown (about 15 minutes).  Add the celery and carrot and cook for another 5 minutes.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Add the chicken broth, parsley, chili flake, and bay leaf , bring to a simmer and let it go for 10 minutes or so. 

Scoop out the soft interior of the butternut and kabocha squashes. Pluck out the bayl eaf and parsley and add the squash to the soup.  Let it all simmer together for about 10 minutes.  Puree the soup using an immersion blender or a regular standing blender.  Put it back in the pot taste for seasoning.  Adjust the salt, pepper, and add brown sugar if it needs some sweetness.  If it’s too thick, add a little water until it’s the perfect consistency.

To brown the butter, place the unsalted butter (salted butter will burn) in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Let it melt and bubble until it froths up a bit and the white milk solids have turned a nutty golden brown.  Immediately add to the soup and stir. 

To serve, ladle the soup into each bowl and top with a spoonfull of sour cream.  Drizzle with brown butter. Enjoy!

CLASSIC TARTE TATIN WITH MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM

My mom's longtime favorite dessert has been the tarte tatin, which is essentially a french upside down apple tart.  Maybe it's the rich caramel flavor, maybe it's the pure, unadulterated apple-i-ness, maybe it's the crust; whatever it is, she in love, and it's not going away any time soon.


What I love about the tarte tatin, is I find it to be simpler and more impressive than an apple pie.  First off, it looks awesome.  Secondly, it tastes like apples with an exclamation point.  Being only 5 ingredients (apples, butter, sugar, butter, flour, and vanilla), there isn't much to get in the way of the main ingredient, the apples. Secondly, it's less work.  Yeah, it looks more complicated, but honestly, I find it easier to put together.  Plus, the crust is guaranteed to be golden brown, flakey, and tender, not sopping wet or gummy, which, as a crust lover, adds extra points for me.  It's delicious, beautiful, and the perfect centerpiece for a family dinner. Enjoy!

Tarte Tatin: 
A 10 inch cast iron skillet or round pan

8-10 gala or pink lady apples, any high acid firm apple with a hint of sweetness, peeled, cored, and halved

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds extracted

1 recipe pie crust, rolled out to 1/8 inch thick.

Pie Crust: 
(This is a double crust recipe, so you will only be using one for the tarte tatin.  Refrigerate or freeze the other one for future use)

2 1/2 cups flour

8 oz (two sticks) unsalted butter

1 tsp kosher salt

3 tblsp sugar

1/4-1/2 cup ice water

Maple whipped cream

1 cup heavy cream

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

For the pie crust, in a food processor or quickly using your fingertips, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter until the chunks of butter are broken down to the size of peas and the flour feels like wet sand. Add the first 1/4 cup of water and mix until the dough comes together easily. It's too dry if it immediately clumps apart. Add two tablespoons of water at a time, you can always add more water but not more flour, so careful not to add too much! Bring the dough into two balls and plop them on top of two sheets of plastic wrap. Loosely wrap up the ball and press down, smooshing the ball into a disc about an inch thick. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes while you busy yourself with the other stuff.

For the Maple Whipped cream, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whip with a whisk or a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Stir together the sugar and vanilla seeds. Pat down the butter onto a skillet and sprinkle the vanila sugar on top.  Place the apple pieces vertically in the pan, snaking in a circle along the edge.  Keep repeating until the whole pan is full. Over a medium flame, place the pan for 20-25 minutes, until the butter, sugar, and apples have created a golden brown caramel.  It's ok if it's a little patchy. Let it cool for a few minutes and roll the chilled pie dough neatly onto the dish, and roll the crust on the edge. Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the apples are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Bring to room temp (if you can wait) and flip onto a serving dish. Served with maple whipped cream. Enjoy! 

APPLE CITRUS SALAD

Though sweet, apple is jus as well known for its acid. Without it, there wouldn't be apple pie or apple sauce, it couldn't walk that line of sweet and savory, and apple cider? Not happening. This acid inspired me to make a dish celebrating that bright apple pop, so I paired thinly sliced apple with orange and fresh fennel. Fennel has a slight anise flavor with citrus undertones, and is one of my favorite vegetables to add to elevate a dish. Paired with an orange balsamic vinaigrette, this salad is beautifully balanced, and super fresh. Yum!
















3 Blood Oranges
3 Pink Lady Apples
1 Fennel bulb
12 large mint leaves, julienned
8 oz Butter lettuce leaves (or Mache)
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper


Directions:


over a small bowl, slice the blood oranges into supremes.  This is easiest done by slicing off the bottom and top of the orange, slicing off the skin and pulp, and then slice between the fine white lines of pith between each wedge.  This way you get wedges of orange without any pulp or pith, making them incredibly easy to eat.  Once you finish slicing one orange, squeeze the remaining pulp and juice over the bowl.  Do this for each orange and reserve the juice.  Strain the juice (you'll probably have about a 1/4 cup), add a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Taste and adjust.  It should be well seasoned and with just a little acidic tartness.  Don't go crazy on the olive oil or you'll lose all of the blood orange flavor.


To finely slice the fennel and apples.  I used a mandoline.  I also cut myself in the process, which made slicing those oranges a wincing ordeal, so be careful if you use one.  If you don't have a mandoline, just slice them as thinly as you can.  Slice the apples slightly thinner than the fennel, and slice them horizontally to get that beautiful star pattern in the center.  Slice the fennel in half, to keep the pieces manageable. If you're making the salad ahead of time, cover the apples with lemon juice to keep them from browning.  Compose the salad with orange wedges on top, and there you go!

TOASTED HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH WITH AN APPLE MUSTARD SLAW

I've been around enough cheese platters to know that apple + cheddar + ham is a very good thing.  So way not put it on a baguette and call it a day?  Combined with a bright and zesty apple mustard slaw, this sandwich is a delicious and unexpected dish.

For the Apple Slaw (this makes about 6 servings)

3 large tart apples (like pink ladies), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

3 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sandwiches

1/4 lb sliced ham

2 slices cheddar cheese

1 large baguette, maybe 2, halved and sliced into whatever size you want your sandwiches to be

1 bunch arugula

olive oil 

Preheat oven at 400 F. For the apple salad, mix everything together in a small bowl. I used my hands to distribute the mustard evenly. I must use this on a cheese platter, I'm obsessed. Anyway, to assemble the sandwiches, lightly toast the baguette with the cheese and ham on top, in the oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasty.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and dress the top half with the arugula and the bottom half with the apple salad. Enjoy!

BROWN SUGAR PERSIMMON "JAM" WITH GRIDDLED CROISSANTS

Simple pleasures are the best when they also take under five minutes to prepare. By using the already “jammy” persimmon pulp and giving a little bit of texture to an otherwise “meh” croissant, you’ve got the perfect breakfast with coffee or a snack with some tea.  Plus, brown sugar! Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

For 4

2 hachiya persimmons, fully ripe

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

4 croissants

2 tablespoons butter

Scoop out the pulp of the persimmon with a spoon and using a fork, chop it until it is the same smooth texture (some lumps are fine).  Chuck it in a bowl and add the brown sugar, stir to combine.  Congrats! Your jam is done.

Meanwhile, slice your croissants in half lengthwise and spread each side with butter.  Heat a pan over medium heat and add the croissants, butter side down.  With a spatula, press the croissants until brown and crisp, about a minute. 

Spread with Persimmon Jam and enjoy!

RICOTTA GNUDI WITH BROWN BUTTER BUTTER AND PROSCIUTTO FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT

This looks like a restaurant dish. Seared golden spheres filled with soft, melty cheese, brown butter butter (that's not a typo, it's actually twice buttered), and some earthy, and sweet prosciutto; all are lovely touches that seem a little beyond a normal Sunday night family dinner. This also happens to be my favorite dish from my current favorite restaurant.

So imagine my surprise when this glorious, luscious, super indulgent meal was not only utterly simpler, but gluten free too? No rolling out pasta dough, no stress over texture or a delicate touch, no highly complex sauce with 20 steps. Just a little wrist work and more than a little butter and you're halfway there to an amazing dinner. Enjoy!

This recipe is graciously provided by Chef Jason Neroni of Osteria La Buca








Jason Neroni's Gnudi from Osteria La Buca
serves 4

2 cups fresh ricotta
1 cup chick pea flour
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp garlic, minced
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola oil

Toppings:
Prosciutto
Rosemary, fried in some olive oil (it sweetens the rosemary)
Balsamic Vinegar

Roll ricotta into a little larger than marbles sized balls. Roll into chick pea flour and let sit over night.
The next day, shake off excess flour and transfer to cookie sheet.  Boil a pot of water. Place gnudi in the water and cook until they rise to the surface (only 2-3 minutes). place on to a plate with a paper towel to soak up excess water. Turn a saute pan on and set to medium heat, add the canola. Gently place the gnudi in the saute pan and cook until golden brown. Remove gnudi and add butter and a little water bring to a boil and cook until you have a glaze. Add the garlic and parsley to the sauce. Use this as your sauce for the gnudi.

Top with some pieces of prosciutto, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkling of the fried rosemary.

DAIRY FREE PECAN MILK PANNA COTTA WITH CARAMELIZED PEARS FOR FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Easy and impressive are two goals I always strive for in cooking. They don't always go hand in hand, but when they do it makes me want to high five someone in the kitchen. Usually I'm alone, so a silent fist pump has to suffice. Anyway, panna cotta is one of those desserts you can whip up in a flash and serve easily; all you need is a little foresight. This version of the classic Italian dessert (meaning, "cooked cream") is a bit unorthodox, with no cream or milk in sight.  It's made with my favorite homemade spiced pecan milk and topped with caramelized pears.  The fun thing about this recipe, is if you're in a rush or don't want to make your own nut milk, just use almond milk form the store and sweeten it with some agave, vanilla, and whatever flavors you like. This dessert is also great with fresh berries or chopped nuts.  Enjoy!

**NOTE: to make this panna cotta recipe vegan, switch out the gelatin for 1 tablespoon powdered agar agar.

Pecan "Panna Cotta" with Caramelized Pears and Pear Caramel sauce

For 6-7 4 oz ramekins

For the Panna Cotta:

1 1/2 cup raw pecan pieces

3 cups water

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

a large spoonful coconut butter or oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup agave syrup

1/4 cup sugar

a dash of salt

1 tablespoon gelatin

6 tablespoons water

For Pears:

4 pears

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

For Caramel sauce:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1/2 cup pear juice

For the pecan milk, combine everything and half the water. Whiz, add the rest of the water, and whiz until frothy. Pour through a mesh strainer and press the left over bits with a spatula. In a separate bowl, combine the gelatin and 6 tablespoons of water and let it stand until solidified (a minute or two). Heat the pecan milk until simmering, and add the geltain mixture, whisking until fully integrated.  Pour into greased ramekins.  Cover with some plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350. Core, peel and slice the pears (8 per pear). Toss the pears into a pyrex pan, and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over the pears, and mix briefly to combine. Bake the pears for 45 min-1 hour. 

For the caramel sauce,  put the sugar in a sauce pan, dry, over medium heat.  Let it caramelize (this will take a few minutes) and add the vanilla bean seeds and the pear juice.  Stir it to combined and let it cook for a minute until syrupy.  

To plate, run a knife around the ramekin and turn onto a plate.  Top with a fear pear slices and pour the pear caramel sauce over it.  Enjoy!

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT BANANA BREAD FOR FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Gluten Free can be a BIG hurdle when it comes to what people perceive as delicious, especially when it comes to sweets.  The challenge comes in the crumb.  Gluten (a protein found in wheat) provides the chewy bubbles in a sourdough and the fine, tender texture of a cupcake.  If you remove the gluten, you lose the structure, like removing the skeleton from a body. So when I ventured to create my own gluten free baked good, I tried to think of something forgiving, a texture that wasn't delicate or super structured. My mom's chocolate chip walnut banana bread immediately came to mind.


I can't even begin to count how many times I've eaten this dense, moist, delicious cake. I know it's called bread, but honestly, there's nothing bready about it. Nothing elastic and chewy, nothing bubbly or crusty.  It's crumb is dense and uniform, like a cake. But, banana cake just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Bread has a comfort food thing going on, whereas cake feels pure dessert. Sinking your teeth into banana bread does not strike as a sweet tooth moment, but one of nostalgic indulgence. Maybe it's just nostalgic for me, growing up with it almost every day after school. That and my mom's coffee cake. Or rum cake (which was my birthday cake one year per my insistent 9 year old request). My mom did a lot of baking, to say the least. One of the intriguing things about this recipe is the sour milk component. Yes, sour milk. Now, don't actually leave your milk out over night to make this bread, because, ew. To sour the milk for this recipe you simple add a little vinegar to curdle it before adding it to the batter. It gives the bread a little tang and depth, an excellent foil to the mellow and sweet banana. The chocolate chips and walnuts are completely optional, but so so so good. Enjoy!



** NOTE: To make a with gluten version, just use regular All Purpose Flour and remove the Xanthan Gum. To make vegan, switch out the milk and vinegar for rice milk and butter for coconut oil.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

4 oz (one stick) butter

3 cups mushed bananas (about 5 very ripe bananas)

2 eggs

2 cups gluten free flour (bob's red mill is my favorite)

1 tsp xantham gum

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, mix the milk and vinegar together, letting the milk curdle slightly (you'll see tiny clumps stick two a spoon). Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. While on low, add the dry ingredients then the milk alternatively, ending with the milk. Add the vanilla. Turn off the mixer and fold in the bananas, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. The doneness is mostly a "look" thing because if you spear it you'll probably hit melted chocolate or gooey banana. The loaf should be a deep golden brown and bounce back if you push into it. Slice and serve with a little butter. Enjoy!

BALANCED BREAKFASTS FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

I have a love/lazy relationship with breakfast. Sure, when it's covered in syrup or served at 11 am on a Sunday, I am all for it, but come 7 am on Monday, sometimes all I can rustle up is a cup of coffee.


This obviously isn't the best for my snack-y, grazer ways.  I'm constantly pawing at the candy drawer in my parent's house or noshing on my brother's poorly hidden cookies (does above the microwave or behind the cat treats even count as hiding?  Try harder, Henry!) once my blood sugar drops and my stomach calls out to me for something, anything to fill it.  Hardly a recipe for nutritional balance. So to get this craziness on track, I devised two recipes, one perfect for guests or the weekend, another perfect for a morning on the go.  Either way, they're both balanced and will get me through my day with everything I need.

A Farmer's Market Frittata

This is the perfect recipe for left over veggies and can be made as decadent or lean  as you please.  For extra protein, some chicken sausage would be a delicious and savory addition. 

Farmer's Frittata

3 eggs, whole

4 egg whites

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup corn

2 large asparagus stalked chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons mozzarella, optional

1 handful arugula (or spinach)

2 tablespoons Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, white, milk, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, in a 9 inch pan (a skillet is great for heat distribution), warm the olive oil, and add the corn and garlic, and saute until slightly golden.  Add the tomatoes and let them cook until just warmed, about 1 minute.  Add the egg mixture and the asparagus, and cook for a minute or two until the frittata is just set.  Sprinkle with cheese and Pop in the oven for 7-9 minutes. Carefully remove the frittata and place it on a plate.  Gently toss the arugula in some olive oil and top the frittata.  Slice it up while still warm and serve with you favorite whole wheat toast.

Mixed Berry Parfait with Walnut Coconut Granola

What could possibly be wrong with crunchy, creamy, sweet, and fruity all rolled into one spoonful? With orange macerated berries and  a touch of honey, this parfait is delicious and filling, but won't weigh you down.

Mixed Berry Parfait with Walnut Coconut Granola

1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/4 cup orange juice
Pinch orange zest
2 tablespoons good honey
2 cups greek yogurt

Combine the berries, orange juice, and orange zest in a bowl, and let them sit in your fridge for about 30 minutes, until the juices start running out. Serve in a glass bowl, and layer with greek yogurt and granola giving each layer a drizzle of honey.

walnut coconut granola
3 cups oats (slow cooking kind)
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white (optional)
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the oats, brown sugar, honey and oil together. Fun tip: Pour the honey into the oil for no sticky mess! Add the vanilla, and if you prefer clumpy granola, the egg white. Add the walnuts, flax seeds, and coconut, mix, and pour onto a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil or a silicone mat. Spread over the entire cookie sheet and pop in the oven for ten minutes. Remove the cookie sheet and with a spatula, break up the granola, flipping pieces over to let the sides brown. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the granola cool for 10-15 minutes, then gently break it up using the back of a spoon. Enjoy!