Chocolate Sweet-Potato Snack Cake

Chocolate Sweet-Potato Snack Cake

Here's a variation on the Chocolate Pumpkin Snack Cake in my book, Wildly Affordable Organic. This year-round version uses sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin. It's also cholesterol and dairy free because it uses ground flaxseed instead of eggs and coconut oil instead of butter. The result is light and tender, with a good cocoa flavor and just a faint hint of spiciness from the sweet potato.

Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: about an hour. Makes 8 servings.

2 tablespoons finely ground flaxseed 6 tablespoons water 1 cup white whole wheat flour (120 grams) 1/3 cup cocoa (30 grams) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature shortening for pan or eight paper cupcake liners 1 cup sugar (200 grams) 2/3 cup mashed North Carolina sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree, or canned plain pumpkin (140 grams)

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Rhubarb Crunch

Intensely flavored, startlingly beautiful, Rhubarb Crunch satisfies even in small servings. My healthy version uses rolled oats, whole wheat flour, walnuts, coconut oil, and plenty of this scrumptious "pie plant." Rhubarb is rich in calcium, lutein, vitamin K, and antioxidants, making this dessert good for your bones, eyes, skin, and whole body as well.

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Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Ginger and Garlic, Super-Wok Style

One of my favorite Triangle-area restaurants is Super-Wok, where I first had stir-fried pea tips with garlic (also called pea shoots). My version, like theirs, is fairly hot and spicy, but you can adjust it to make it your own.

I love finding new vegetables and really love finding out that something I'd been composting was actually a delicacy. Use this recipe to cook fresh greens in about ten minutes. You'll get the fresh pea flavor without having to shell or string the pods. The leaves have the texture of baby spinach and the stems provide a satisfying crunch, even after a quick stir-fry.

Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Ginger and Garlic, Super-Wok Style

Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 12 minutes. Make four big servings or eight side-dish servings.

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Jimaca Stars with Fennel and Ginger-Carrot Puree

I found the inspiration for this elegant, inclusive hors d'oeuvres at the gala for the International Association of Culinary Professionals this week. At the party after the awards ceremony, we were offered dime-sized rounds of jicama with a dab of dark, intense jam, perhaps pomegranate jam. The slightly sweet crunch of the jicama contrasted with the tartness of the jam to create a explosion of flavor and texture. Yet the beautiful tiny bites had no meat, dairy, eggs, or gluten so nearly everyone could enjoy them.

In this recipe, I cut the jimaca into stars about the size of quarters and topped them with pureed carrot and ginger, then crowned each one fresh fennel. I'll use the frames left around single stars to decorate servings of mashed sweet potatoes and chop the rest to tucked into tacos.

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Homemade Garlic Chia Crackers

Make these delicious, whole-grain crackers in minutes, using ingredients as local and organic as you can.

Active time: 9 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes. Serves 8.

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