Ingredients:

For the cake:
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 large egg whites
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1-3 tablespoon milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Dutch-process cocoa powder

Procedure:

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 325degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and 3/4 cup granulated sugar. In a large mixing bowl, add cream of tartar, salt and egg whites. Beat until foamy. Slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Mix in juice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Using 1/4 cupfuls at a time, sift flour mixture over the stiff egg whites - gently folding the flour in after each addition. Scoop one half of the batter into an ungreased 10″ tube pan. Use a knife to cut through the batter to break any air bubbles. Sift 3 tablespoons cocoa powder into the remaining batter and gently fold in. Evenly spoon this batter over the top of the vanilla batter. Use a knife to cut through just the chocolate batter to break any air bubbles. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched - about 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert the pan - let cool completely. To remove the cake, use a very thin and flexible spatula to loosen the cake from the sides the the center tube. Invert cake to a plate.

To make the glaze: In a medium mixing bowl, beat together confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth - add enough of the remaining milk to make the glaze thin enough to drizzle, you do want it fairly thick though. Divide batter in half - and add 1 teaspoon cocoa to one part - stir well to combine. Drizzle lines of each glaze over the cake - refrigerate 5 minutes to set the glaze before cutting.

Ingredients:

For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons active-dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and divided
2 cups chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 pounds coarsely chopped fresh spinach
3 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Procedure:

To make the dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water - let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon oil. In a large bowl, whisk together flours and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour in yeast mixture and stir until a dough begins to form. Scoop dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large lightly oiled bowl - turn the dough to coat top. Cover and let rise doubled in size. Punch dough down, cover and let rest 5 minutes. Stretch and roll the dough into a 12″ square - carefully transfer dough into an 8″ baking dish coated with nonstick spray - you will want the excess dough to hang over the edges of the dish. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoon oil and 2 of the thinly sliced garlic cloves. In a large pot, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the remaining 3 garlic cloves and chopped onion - cook until the onion has softened and is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Scoop mixture into a large bowl. Season onion mixture with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper - cover to keep warm. Add half of spinach to the pot - cook until the spinach begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rest of the spinach and cook 5 minutes or until all the spinach has wilted. Use a potato ricer or a colander and press most of the liquid out of the spinach - you want it to be barely moist. Stir spinach and the cheese into the onion mixture until well combined. Brush dough with half of garlic-oil mixture and add the spinach mixture on top. Fold excess dough over to cover the filling and brush with remaining garlic-oil mixture. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting. Makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients:

For the patties:
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained and divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup sour cream

For the rice:
2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

Procedure:

To make the patties: Take 1/2 cup of the rinsed beans and set aside to add in later. In a medium bowl, add the remaining beans, garlic, cumin and 1/8 teaspoon salt - use a fork to coarsely mash the mixture. In a food processor, add the reserved 1/2 cup beans and egg white - process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add puree to the mashed beans and stir until combined. Mix in cheese and onions, stirring until completely combined. Evenly divide bean mixture into 4 portions and wrap in saran wrap. Refrigerate mixture for about 30 minutes. Remove the portions from the refrigerator and form them into about 1/2″ thick patties. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add patties and cook until each side has browned, about 3 minutes per side. While you are browning the patties, make the rice.

To make the rice: In a small skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add pineapple and sauté until the pineapple begins to brown, about 4-6 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, pineapple, cilantro and 1/4 teaspoon salt. To serve, evenly divide rice mixture between 4 plates, top each with 1 bean patty and about a tablespoon of sour cream. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 cups broccoli slaw
2 tablespoons rice flour
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 ounces raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

Procedure:

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Mix in cabbage and toss well to coat. In a medium bowl, whisk together rice flour, five-spice powder, pepper and salt. Add shrimp and toss to coat. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add shrimp mixture - cook until they turn opaque and pink, about 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the jalapeño and continue to cook until the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute more. To serve, evenly divide the slaw mixture between two plates and top each portion with the cooked shrimp. Makes 2 servings.