Ricotta Cake

I made Ricotta Cake this weekend for Charlie's birthday. Charlie is an avid ricotta fan, his love for this cheese is apparent whenever we make lasagna or calzones. I was surprised that Charlie had never had ricotta in dessert form prior to this weekend. When I found this Moosewood recipe, I knew it was the perfect chance to introduce it to the birthday boy!


Two pounds of fresh ricotta cheese, eggs, white sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, almond extract, fresh lemon juice, and lemon rind... all blended up until smooth.


Not gonna lie, I was totally excited to use my new Microplane grater for this project. The grater is amazing! Doesn't pull up any pith and the small plane makes grating more manageable.

After combining everything, I baked the cake, watched the World Cup, cooled the cake, studied some schoolwork, chilled the cake, checked my email, cross my fingers, popped the cake from the spring form pan, sipped hot coffee, and decorated the birthday cake with freshly picked blackberries and raspberries. Of course, no birthday cake is complete without a smattering of candles:

Happy birthday, Charlie!

Stuffed Artichoke with Greek Pilaf and Greek Lemon Sauce

Stuffed Artichoke with Greek Pilaf and Greek Lemon Sauce!

Here's how it all went down: started by making Greek Lemon Sauce. Blended silken tofu with a little salt, lemon juice, and white pepper. The sauce was a little plain but was a nice dip for the artichokes.

Artichokes were steamed and the center most part was pulled and scraped out. You know that fiberous part right above the heart? Yea, that had to go.

Steamed brown rice and cooked onion, garlic, and celery with sunflower seeds, lemon juice, and black pepper. Minced parsley and onion. Mixed everything together and spooned into artichokes. Devoured! An amazing, dairy free dinner. Super garlicky and fresh and healthy!