1 pound spinach
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 ½ cups grated cheese
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons parsley, finely minced
grated rind of 1 lemon (zest)
1 cup rice flour
pepper, to taste
8 tablespoons butter, melted
fresh basil, chopped

Wash spinach well; steam and drain. Press out any excess water. Puree spinach in processor. Add ricotta cheese, 1 cup grated cheese, eggs, nutmeg, parsley, lemon zest, rice flour, and pepper. Process until well blended.

If you don’t have a processor, steam as above, finely chop spinach, put in large mixing bowl with rest of ingredients and mix thoroughly. Then continue as below.

Remove from bowl of processor or mixing bowl and turn out onto floured board. Form into smooth ball, adding small amounts of rice flour as necessary. Roll the dough into long cylinders the thickness of your finger, then cut into ½ inch long pieces. Press the pieces with a fork to give them some texture. Lightly flour and set on a lightly floured tray to dry. Allow gnocchi to dry for about 3 hours. Do not omit this step, or your gnocchi will be gummy.

Bring 8 quarts of water to a boil and add about ¼ of the gnocchi. Boil gently until they float to the top, then boil only 1 minute longer. Drain well, turn into warmed bowl, toss gently with melted butter or serve with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately, passing the remaining grated cheese at the table.

Crust:
1 10 oz. bag sliced almonds (about 2 cups)
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar

Filling:
2 lbs. cream cheese, softened (I used half regular cream cheese and ½ low-fat cream cheese)
1-1/2 cups sugar
Juice of 2 limes
Pinch of salt
4 eggs

Raspberry Swirl:
6 oz. frozen whole raspberries
1Tbsp. cornstarch
½ cup sugar

Butter a 10-inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In food processor, process almonds until they are a fine meal. Dust bottom and sides of springform pan with almond meal. Add melted butter to remaining almonds and mix in brown sugar. Press onto the bottom of the springform pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer until well blended, 1-2 minutes. Add limejuice and salt and beat another minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Pour cheesecake filling into prepared springform pan. Place on a cookie sheet.

Reserve a handful of raspberries for garnish. Place rest of raspberries and sugar in a small saucepot and bring to a boil, stirring. Add a tablespoon or two of water if this mixture needs a little more juice. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and blend into raspberries after they reach a boil. Lower heat, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes or until thickened.

Swirl in raspberry puree into cheesecake, working rapidly so as to avoid turning the entire cheesecake pink. I found that working clockwise and making eight small swirls on the outer edge and one central swirl worked well.

Bake cheesecake at 350 degrees in center rack of oven for 50-60 minutes. Let cool on a rack until room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Garnish cheesecake with reserved raspberries.

Makes 8-10 servings.

For the genoise:

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably uncultured
6 tablespoons chestnut flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons tapioca flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons guar gum
8 eggs
1 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a half-jellyroll sheet with parchment and liberally grease the parchment with unsalted butter. Set aside.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over a low flame. Be sure to remove the butter from the heat the moment the last bit of butter has become liquid. Allow butter to cool while you prepare the eggs.
In a stand up mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs until they begin to froth and then add the granulated sugar and the vanilla and whisk on the highest setting for five minutes. The eggs should be engorged with air at this point and at least double in size.
Sift together the dry ingredients. Fold in the dry ingredients and then fold in the cool, melted butter. Only mix the batter until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Pour the batter onto your prepared jellyroll sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. The cake should pull slightly away from the sides of the pan and should feel like a very delicate sponge when gently pressed with your finger. Allow to cool in the pan before cutting out your heart shaped little cakes. While cake is cooling, make the vanilla buttercream.

For the buttercream:

4 large egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons water
250 grams unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons quality vanilla

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the sugar in the water and boil until it reaches 239ºF (soft-ball stage on candy thermometer).

While your simple syrup comes to temperature, whip egg yolks in standup mixer with the whisk attachment until combined. When the sugar reaches soft-ball stage, immediately pour all of the syrup into the egg yolks and whip on the highest setting until the yolks for uniform, thick mousse. Add the vanilla and whip just enough to combine.

In a separate bowl, whip the butter until light and smooth. Pour the cooled egg yolk mixture into the butter and whip until smooth.

Using a firm spatula, transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a #808 tip and set aside until you have cut out hearts.

Take a heart-shaped cookie cutter of your choosing, and cut out hearts from cooled genoise.

Carefully pipe the buttercream over the tops of the hearts, keeping in mind that the pattern you choose will be seen through the glacee.

For the glacee:

2 cups confectioner’s sugar
6 tablespoons water
1 ½ teaspoons chestnut extract

Sift all the confectioner’s sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in chestnut extract and water until smooth.

After you have piped the buttercream over the tops of hearts, flood the tops of each cake until the entire cake has a uniform coating of icing.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 7-8 hearts.

Ingredients:

• 1 can Eagle-brand sweetened condensed milk*
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pound of flaked coconut

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Let coconut mixture stand to soak up condensed milk.
3. Make into balls with a small scoop. Drop cookies onto a greased cookie sheet.
4. Start with cold oven, bake 23 minutes at 275 degrees, until barely brown.

*For colored cookies, add 3 drops of food coloring to condensed milk before mixing in other ingredients.

Rabe con i Ceci ed i Pomodori Vari

1 small bunch of rabe, cleaned and trimmed
½ small onion, sliced thin
½ cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
4 sun dried tomatoes, halved and cut into strips

1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ packet of stevia
Chili pepper flakes
Garlic flakes, crushed
Salt
Pepper

Chop the broccolini/rabe/ bitter broccoli in three seconds unless the stems are short then cut into two.

First, steam the broccoli until just tender then set aside. The reason why is so that you don’t overcook the broccolini but still don’t end up with it so raw that its remarkably bitter.

In a nonstick frying pan or one coated with nonstick spray, sauté the onions until just soft. Add the rabe and sauté for a few minutes or until the onions become transparent. Add the chickpeas, and sun dried tomatoes with the chili flakes, garlic, salt, capers, and pepper for three minutes, stir-frying/sautéing then turn off the heat. I personally don’t like mushy vegetables but, of course, that’s your call.

If you want the broccoli to be more tender than crisp, steam longer in the first place.

Toss in the balsamic vinegar then transfer to a plate.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Refrigerate: 1 hour

Spicy Lime Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen® Premium Fish

Sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 ounces Thai Kitchen® Stir-Fry Rice Noodles

1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup thin red onion slices

1. For the Vinaigrette, mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Bring large pot of water to boil. Remove from heat. Add rice noodles; let stand

8 to 10 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Place noodles in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and Vinaigrette; toss gently. Cover.

3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Makes 6 (1-cup) servings.

Test Kitchen Tip: Thai basil has dark green leaves with purple stems and has a licorice flavor. It can be found in most Asian markets. If unavailable, substitute Italian basil.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 189 Calories, Fat 1g, Protein 3g, Carbohydrates 42g, Cholesterol 1mg, Sodium 451mg, Fiber 1g

4 cups water
2 cups uncooked white rice
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ cup fresh orange juice (1 whole orange)
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (1 whole lemon)
4 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
30 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium cucumbers, diced
1 cup sliced green onion
½ cup chopped fresh mint
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Bring 4 cups water, rice, and salt to a boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Uncover saucepan and cook rice over very low heat until dry (about 3 minutes). Transfer rice to large bowl and cool to room temperature.

Whisk orange juice and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl to blend.

Add halved tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, mint, and feta to rice in large bowl. Add dressing; toss to blend.

Can be made 8 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and toss before serving.

Chocolate Cupcake Batter
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) in bar or chip form
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces. cream cheese
1 unbeaten egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt

¾ of a cup of chocolate chips

Prepare batter bychopping chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth.

Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well.

Sift ½ cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.

To prepare cream cheese filling, cream together cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt.

Fold in chocolate chips.

To assemble and bake, preheat oven to 350°F.

Put paper in muffin tins. Fill 1/3 full with flourless chocolate batter.

Top with cream cheese filling.

Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

-1 can black beans
-1 can refried beans (I love chili lime flavor)
-1 can enchilada sauce (red or green – your choice!)
-1 red pepper, chopped
-1 avocado, chopped
-1 8oz. package of non-dairy cheese – like Lisanatti almond pepperjack, grated
-Salsa, as needed
-1 package small corn tortillas (I love Trader Joe’s brand)
-9×13 glass baking dish

Preheat oven to 350. Soften tortillas by placing them on stove burner set to low for a few seconds each side. Heat up black and refried beans in one pan, add 1/8 cup cheese. Heat enchilada sauce on low. Scoop bean mixture, 1T enchilada sauce, red pepper, avocado, a sprinkling of cheese and 1T salsa into corn tortilla. Roll up and place in baking dish. Repeat until dish is full. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of rolled tortillas. Sprinkle cheese over top until lightly covered. Bake 30 minutes.