Flourless Chocolate Torte

My husband asked me not to make him a birthday cake this year.

Wait a second... what?!

I express my love for others by baking them delicious desserts, especially for birthdays. So I found a clever way around the issue: I baked him a last-day-of-the-spring-semester cake to celebrate the end of his 10th(!) year of teaching. Sneaky, huh? ;)

Flourless Chocolate Torte
Yield: 9" round cake

Ingredients
Cake:

• 1 1/3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Ganache:

• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

• finely chopped walnuts, as desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9" round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. (If planning to remove cake from pan before topping with ganache, line bottom with parchment and spray a second time.)
2. Melt bittersweet chocolate and coconut oil in saucepan over low heat. Let cool.
3. Meanwhile, in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar at medium speed for 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla and salt.
4. Stir chocolate into egg mixture until well combined. Fold in walnuts.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until set. Let cool. (If parchment was used, remove before making ganache.)
6. Once cake has cooled completely, heat almond milk and semisweet chocolate in saucepan over low heat. Spread ganache evenly over cake and sprinkle with walnuts.
7. Store in refrigerator to keep ganache firm. Remove cake from refrigerator 15-20 minutes before ready to serve. Slice and enjoy!

Unlike most of my recipes which come from online sources, this one actually came in the mail! The realtor who helped us buy our home 10 years ago sends out these fun monthly postcards with various topics related to home ownership. Of course, my favorite ones are about food!

Obviously this mailing was sent out during the holidays, and it's taken me nearly 5 months to get around to making it. But hey, I think I deserve some brownie points (no pun intended) for at least hanging onto the recipe for that long and not losing it in the meantime!

Spicy Vegan Hot Corn Dip

This zesty dip is packed with bold Mexican flavors. And the best part? It doubles as both an appetizer and a side dish. Win!

Spicy Vegan Hot Corn Dip
Yield: about 4 cups

Ingredients
Sauce:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Dip:

• 2 (15 oz) cans Mexicorn, drained
• 7 oz can mild diced green chiles, drained
• 1 cup Daiya cheddar style shreds
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease small baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine Mexicorn, chiles, Daiya shreds, and green onion; set aside.
3. Drain water from cashews. In high powered blender (such as Nutri Ninja), combine cashews, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Pour sauce over veggies in mixing bowl and stir to combine.
4. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Bake on center rack for 15-20 minutes, or until dip begins to bubble and lightly brown on top.
5. Remove dip from oven and serve immediately with your choice of tortilla chips, chopped veggies, or other dippers!

Notes

• As written above, the dish is more mild in terms of spiciness. Want to kick it up a notch? Increase the level of heat by adding cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and/or chopped jalapeño.
• This dish can be made ahead of time, so feel free to prep it all the night before and bake when you're ready the next day. Simply cover with foil (to prevent over-browning) and bake away!

Recipe inspired by Peas and Crayons.

Creamy "Caesar" Salad Dressing

I'll be the first to admit that this dressing tastes nothing like true caesar (at least to me, anyway). I think this recipe gets its name largely because of the secret ingredient found in traditional caesar salads: anchovy paste. Nevertheless, this creamy, zesty dressing is delicious and will brighten the taste of any salad!

Creamy "Caesar" Salad Dressing
Yield: about 16 oz

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp anchovy paste
• 2-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in salad dressing shaker.
2. Gently shake until evenly mixed.
3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
4. Dressing remains fresh up to 1 week in refrigerator.

Serving Suggestion

• Toss dressing with a blend of Brussels sprouts, Napa cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots, and kale.
• For added protein, sprinkle individual servings with crumbled bacon, toasted cashews, hemp hearts, sunflower kernels, chickpeas, or your favorite salted nut.

Recipe adapted from The Endless Meal.

Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup

Looking for a new recipe to add to your meal prep rotation? Make this flavorful soup in advance and enjoy it for lunches or dinners all week long! It’s fabulous the next day (because all those spices have a chance to mingle together), and it freezes well, too!

Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup
Crock Pot Recipe (8-10 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 15 oz can diced tomato, with liquid
• 1 cup mild salsa
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 15 oz can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
• 15 oz can corn, drained
• 3/4 cup dried lentils
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional) - Feel free to use cream cheese or cashew cream in place of the heavy cream. Or skip the cream altogether! This recipe can be made without it, as seen in the photo above. Let your dietary preference(s) be your guide!

Directions

1. Add all ingredients, except heavy cream, to slow cooker.
2. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 7-8 hours, until dried lentils are cooked through and veggies are tender.
3. If using cream, stir in just before serving.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and add all your favorite toppings to individual servings. Dig in and enjoy!

Topping Suggestions

• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• sliced green onions
• fresh cilantro
• chopped red onion
• sliced black olives
• diced avocado
• crushed tortilla chips

Recipe adapted from Peas and Crayons.

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Craving comfort food? This warm, oven-baked dip has all the makings of its traditional counterpart (think: ooey-gooey, creamy goodness) without any of the dairy!

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
Yield: small baking dish

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water at least 2 hours
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 8 oz bag frozen spinach, thawed & drained
• 13.75 oz can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
• 7.1 oz package Daiya mozzarella style shreds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease small baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent and tender. Place onions in mixing bowl with minced garlic, spinach, artichokes, and Daiya shreds; set aside.
3. Drain water from cashews. In high powered blender (such as Nutri Ninja), combine cashews, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. (This sauce is delicious on its own, almost like alfredo for gluten free pasta... just a suggestion!) Pour sauce over veggies in mixing bowl and stir to combine.
4. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Bake on center rack for 25-30 minutes, or until dip begins to brown and is mostly set.
5. Remove dip from oven and serve immediately with your choice of crackers, tortilla chips, chopped veggies, or other dippers!

Recipe adapted from Simply Quinoa.

Peanut Butter Fluff Blondies

If you've visited my blog before, you may have come across my Reese’s Fluffernutter Bars. Well this, my friends, is an even better version of my previous recipe! These sweet and chewy blondies are loaded with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and a marshmallow swirl that will leave you totally addicted. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Peanut Butter Fluff Blondies
Yield: 7x11 pan (see "Notes" below)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup Reese's peanut butter chips
• 1 cup marshmallow fluff

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition, then add vanilla and combine. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl as needed.
4. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in two parts, mixing after each addition.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
6. Spread 2/3 of batter in prepared pan.
7. Spread marshmallow fluff on top of batter layer in pan.
8. Spread remaining batter over fluff.
9. Bake 27-30 minutes, or until center is set and doesn't wiggle when pan is moved a bit. Remove pan from oven to wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Notes

• If you like your blondies thinner, use a 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
• If you like your blondies thicker, use a 9x9 or 10x10 pan (8x8 pans are a bit too small for this recipe) and bake for 35-45 minutes.
• Bake times can also vary based on pan type, not just pan size, so start at the low end of the range and keep an eye on them.
• Make sure to spray your pan with nonstick cooking spray even if you're using a nonstick pan. Fluff is super sticky!

Recipe adapted from Sugar & Soul.