Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Lemon / June 28, 2016 by Amy Cantu

I had this lemony, moist, squidgy, lightly gritty polenta cake stuck in my head. I knew just how I wanted it to look, taste, and feel in my mouth, but I was having trouble actually baking it. This one took three tries, but the results were totally worth it. I tried it as a loaf cake first, but the middle kept sinking, and the top was unattractively mottled dark brown. The Polenta Cake might seem plain Jane and suspiciously like cornbread, but I promise that its humble looks are deceiving. The olive oil and yogurt keep this Polenta Cake moist and just a bit dense, the lemon lends a bright citrusy flavor, and the polenta adds texture and earthiness. I love it on its own as a snack cake, (I'm determined to make "snack cake" a cake genre,) drizzled with a lemon glaze, in a trifle, or as it is here - topped with billows of lightly sweetened whipped cream and ripe summer fruit. The genius of Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Lemon is in its simplicity.

Notes: Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Lemon is perfect for making a Berry Trifle because it's sturdy and textured enough to hold together under the many layers, but also moist and delicious all on its own. If you're not feeding a crowd, the cake can just as easily be sliced into squares and topped with whipped cream (or ice cream!) and any in-season fruit. In the winter, it would be lovely with poached pears or an apple-cinnamon compote - YUM!

Purple Rain Smoothie / April 26, 2016 by Christine Pedlar

Purple Rain Smoothie - blueberry, banana, and cacao

Smoothies are a quick easy way to make sure you get your fruits and veggies in and can be as varied as your imagination, tastes, and nutritional aspirations. Need some extra protein or Omega-3's? Smoothies can do the trick. I like them any time I'm feeling too lazy to make a salad, 'cause let's face it, dealing with a bunch of veggies can sometimes feel like a chore. They're also great pre or post workout, when you want something to go, or crave something simple, satisfying but not heavy.

You've probably heard, Prince went to the Afterworld this week. This makes me sad. But maybe you didn't know, Prince dug smoothies. So it's only fitting I have something in my repertoire honoring him. When I'm craving something sweet and decadent, this is it. Chocolate covered berries in a glass that will have you partying like it's 1999, or at the very least, Paisley Park in 2010. And the Greek yogurt packs a lot of protein, you know, in case you have to go do the splits on top of a Grand Piano or something. Or maybe just recover from a run or spin class like the rest of us mortals.

Notes: I find some Greek yogurts to be a bit chalky for my taste (ahem, Fage), so you might want to experiment with what you like and is available in your area. If I'm feeling flush, Strauss' Organic Nonfat Plain Yogurt is my favorite, but Trader Joe's Greek Style Nonfat Plain Yogurt is the best choice I've found for a decent price.

If you want to make this recipe vegan like Prince, simply swap out the Greek yogurt for cultured coconut milk or soy yogurt.

Raw cacao powder can be found at natural food stores or online. My 88 year-old grandfather turned me on to putting it in smoothies. He buys it on Amazon 'cause he's fly like that, but I get it might be hard to find or on the spendy side. So it's totally cool with me if you want to use good old fashioned cocoa powder instead. You can also substitute the almond milk with any other kind of milk you enjoy.

Homemade Yogurt / April 12, 2016 by Amy Cantu

As I emptied out yet another Costco-sized container of plain yogurt, I wondered to myself if I could maybe make this at home. It turns out that homemade yogurt is surprisingly easy to make and also really economical, if you enjoy eating yogurt as much as I do! I find it to be creamier, silkier, and smoother than most commercial yogurts, but the best part is that I get to customize just how tangy I want the yogurt to taste. In this case, I went for a mildly tangy flavor (fermented for 6-7 hours), that I could enjoy with this addictive granola without the need to add any additional sweetener; it was a match made in heaven!

Notes: I like homemade yogurt made with whole milk best, but it can also be made with 2% or non-fat milk. The less fat in the milk, the runnier it will be. (There are recipes that have tricks like adding powdered milk to non-fat milk to thicken up the yogurt - I have faith in your Googling skills to find that info if you need it.) Use any brand commercial plain yogurt (that you like the taste of) as a starter - it doesn't matter if it's whole, low fat, or non-fat yogurt. You can reserve some of your first batch of yogurt to use as a starter for the next batch. After about 5 batches, you will probably need to start again with new commercial yogurt as the starter. To continue using your starter indefinitely, there are heirloom/re-usable yogurt starters that you can purchase.

I used a cooler to incubate my yogurt, but any warm place will do. Examples include an oven with the light turned on and covering the jars with a thick towel in a sunny window.

To make Greek-style yogurt, set a double-layer of cheesecloth in a colander, and put the colander in a bowl. Pour the finished yogurt into the colander, and let strain in the refrigerator until it's the thickness you desire (2-4 hours).

The recipe below uses mason jars to ferment and store the yogurt. If you don't need the pot you are using to heat the yogurt for anything else, you could also just use that same pot to ferment the yogurt. Just put a lid on the pot after stirring in the yogurt starter, and put in a warm spot, as directed.