Cake - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with cake.

Whenever one looks for a dessert that just says celebration, it's hard not to think of cake. Today's six cake recipes are great for almost any celebration. Check out the Red Velvet Cake, the Cherry-Cola Dump Cake, or any of the other yummy cake recipes in today's post. Enjoy!

ALL-IN-ONE CHOCOLATE CAKE

This comes from Nigella Lawson, from The New York Times' cooking newsletter. If you haven't signed up for their newsletter, I highly recommend it. Nigella writes, “This is the perfect chocolate cake: beautiful, melting, intense but not heavy. The batter comes together quickly in a food processor, and the cake bakes at 350 degrees for a while, giving the baker time to assemble the frosting, which is given a luscious sheen by a bit of corn syrup. Use the best chocolate you can find for the frosting, and gild it however you like: with a few flowers, some birthday candles or nothing at all.” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; 10 to 12 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

Butter for greasing baking pans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup best-quality cocoa powder

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the Frosting:

6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preparation

For cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides of two 8-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Process to make a smooth, thick batter.

Using a rubber spatula, divide batter between pans, and smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake pans.

For frosting: Combine chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl, and heat until melted in a microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until very smooth. Frosting should be thick and spreadable. If necessary, add a teaspoon or two of boiling water to thin it, or additional sifted confectioners' sugar to thicken.

Cut four strips of waxed or parchment paper, and place them side by side on a cake plate, covering the surface. Place one cake layer domed-side down on plate.

Spoon about a third of the frosting onto center of cake, and use a knife or a spatula to spread it evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up. Spoon another third of frosting on top of cake, spreading to make swirls or a smooth finish. Spread sides of cake with remaining frosting, and allow to sit for a few minutes until set. Carefully remove paper strips. Place cake under glass or in an airtight container, and set aside in a cool place until serving.

LISBON CHOCOLATE CAKE

This comes from Dorie Greenspan on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, “On my first day in Lisbon, I became a statistic: I lost all my credit cards to a talented thief on the No. 28 tram. After ‘the incident,’ I wanted to leave Lisbon, but instead, my husband Michael and I decided to tackle our must-taste list. It was on our last day in Lisbon that we tasted the cake at Landeau Chocolate. It was intense, but not overwhelming; truly chocolate, but somehow each layer’s chocolateness was different. I returned home and made this cake, my version of the cake that cured my pickpocket blues. It’s a dense-but-not-heavy, brownielike cake topped with a whipped chocolate ganache (think: mousse) and a substantial dusting of cocoa. Because this cake is completely about the chocolate, choose one you love.”

Time: About 1 hour, plus cooling; Yield: One 9-inch cake (about 10 servings.

This recipe was featured in “The Chocolate Cake That Saved My Vacation”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020555-lisbon-chocolate-cake.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into chunks, plus more for greasing the pan

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, chilled

For the Ganache:

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

For the Topping:

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Sift together the cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend.

Put the 1/2 cup butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Scatter dark chocolate on top, and heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Remove the bowl from the pan, and stir in the sugar. One by one, energetically stir in the eggs, beating for 1 minute after the last egg is added. The mixture will look like pudding. Stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture into the cake pan, and give the pan a couple of good raps against the counter to settle the batter.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (or with only a tiny streak of chocolate). Transfer to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then unmold the cake. Peel off the paper, invert the cake and cool to room temperature. Wash and dry the cake pan.

Make the ganache: Pour 1 1/4 cups cream into a small saucepan; refrigerate the rest. Scald the cream over medium heat, turn off the heat and stir in the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate until fully incorporated. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate the ganache for 10 minutes, whisk it, then refrigerate again for 10 minutes. Repeat chilling and whisking steps until the ganache is thick enough to make tracks when you stir, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cut two 3-by-16-inch pieces of parchment or foil, and crisscross them in the cake pan. Carefully return the cake to the pan.

Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream until it holds medium peaks.

Using a whisk, gently beat the ganache until it’s soft and spreadable. With a spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Spread over the cake, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or cover and keep for up to 2 days). The cake is best served cool or at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving.

To finish, put the cocoa powder in a fine-mesh strainer, and shake it over the top of the cake. Run a table knife along the sides of the pan. Using the parchment or foil handles, carefully lift the cake out of the pan and onto a serving plate. Discard the strips. Cut the cake using a long knife that has been run under hot water and wiped dry between each cut.

LEMON POUND CAKE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Add a splash of sunshine to any spring brunch or dessert spread with this bright lemon pound cake. Yellow cake mix is combined with cream cheese and grated lemon peel for a pound cake that’s rich in flavor and bursting with refreshing citrus notes. With just six simple ingredients and only 15 minutes of prep time, you can whip up this lemon pound cake recipe when you want to bake something homemade, but don’t have all day to do it."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes; Servings: 12

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ yellow cake mix

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup water or milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

3 eggs

1/4 cup Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy lemon frosting

Directions

Heat oven to 325°F. Generously spray bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour.

In medium bowl, beat cake mix, cream cheese, water, grated lemon peel and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack or heatproof serving plate. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High 10 to 15 seconds or until frosting is thin enough to drizzle; stir. Spoon frosting evenly over cake, allowing frosting to drip down sides.

Expert Tips

If you have leftover cake, cut it into slices and place individually in sandwich-size food-storage plastic bags. Seal bags and freeze. You'll have a quick treat when you need it!

For added lemon flavor, sprinkle some extra grated lemon peel over the cake.

For a different look, cut your cake into wedges instead of traditional slices.

This elegant pound cake makes a wonderful hostess gift for any dinner party.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH HAZELNUT CRUNCH

This is from Bon Appetit, and begins, "Devil's food cake doesn't need a lot of improvement, but trust us on the hazelnut crunch." Makes 12 - 16 servings

View this online at https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/devil-s-food-cake-with-hazelnut-crunch.

Ingredients

Cake

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 1/3 cups cake flour

1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1 cup hot coffee

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 70%), melted, cooled slightly

Hazelnut Crunch

1/4 cup hazelnuts

2 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 70%), chopped

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup Nutella

3 cups toasted rice cereal

Frosting and Assembly

8 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Scharffen Berger), chopped

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61%), chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat the bottom and sides of cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment-paper rounds; spray paper.

Sift cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder into a medium bowl; set aside. Dissolve espresso powder in hot coffee in a medium bowl and whisk in buttermilk; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating between additions and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Beat on high speed until doubled in volume and very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape bottom of bowl well, making sure to incorporate all butter into eggs. Beat for 1 minute longer.

With mixer on low speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with coffee mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. With mixer running, drizzle in chocolate and mix until just blended. Divide batter evenly among cake pans; smooth tops.

Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cakes cool in pans for 30 minutes.

Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment and let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Hazelnut Crunch

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread out nuts on sheet. Toast until fragrant, 6–7 minutes. Coarsely chop nuts; set aside. Line same baking sheet with a fresh sheet of parchment paper; let cool.

Combine chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring often, until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over saucepan. Stir in hazelnuts and Nutella. Fold in toasted rice cereal. Spread mixture out on prepared sheet; don't worry about spreading it evenly. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.

Using your hands, break crunch into small pieces. DO AHEAD: Hazelnut crunch can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Frosting and Assembly

Combine both chocolates and corn syrup in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over chocolate mixture. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Using an electric mixer, beat until cool, 5–6 minutes.

Add butter a few pieces at a time; beat until incorporated between additions. Continue to beat mixture until thick and lightened in color, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer and up to 15 minutes with a handheld mixer (if mixture seems very thin, stop occasionally and chill in refrigerator to firm it up before continuing to beat).

Using a serrated knife, cut off domed top from each cake to create even layers. Place 1 cake layer on a large plate. Using an offset spatula, spread about 1 cup frosting on top of cake. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup hazelnut crunch over frosting. Place second cake layer on top; press to adhere (this will ensure that the frosting will hold the layers together). Repeat process with another 1 cup frosting and 1/2 cup hazelnut crunch. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

Decorate top of cake with more hazelnut crunch, if desired. Chill cake until frosting is set, 3–4 hours. DO AHEAD: Cake can be assembled 2 days ahead. Cover with a cake dome and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

CHERRY-COLA DUMP CAKE

This yumminess comes from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Super easy to prepare: Just mix devil's food cake mix with cola and pour over cherries. Bake for one hour and voila!"

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 9

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 jar (16 oz) maraschino cherries with juice (without stems)

1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ devil’s food cake mix

1 cup cola-flavored carbonated beverage

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, “dump” cherries with cherry juice.

In medium bowl, mix cake mix and carbonated beverage. “Dump” mixture over cherries.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool about 15 minutes before cutting and serving cake.

Expert Tips

Serve with whipped cream and additional cherries.

You could substitute cherry pie filling in place of the maraschino cherries and juice.

RED VELVET CAKE

We lived in Connecticut for several years while I was growing up. During this time, a lady called the local radio station and said she’d recently returned from a trip. During a stay in a fancy hotel with her husband, she had this cake in their restaurant. Returning home, she wrote to the hotel and requested a copy of the recipe, saying she’d pay for it. She received a copy of the recipe, along with a bill for $300. (This was during the mid-1960s.) Furious over the bill, she proceeded to read the recipe over the air.

Ingredients

1/2 C butter (see note)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C sugar

1 C buttermilk

2 eggs, well beaten

1 T vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

2 T cocoa

2 1/4 C flour (sifted)

2 oz. red food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour two 8" round pans. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Make paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add to first mix. Add salt and buttermilk alternately with flour. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in vinegar and add this last. Blend all ingredients, as little as possible. Pour into pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. When cool, split each layer horizontally.

FROSTING FOR RED VELVET CAKE

Ingredients

1 C butter (see note)

1 C milk

1 C sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

5 T unbleached flour

Cream butter with sugar. Cook flour and milk in saucepan until very thick, stirring the whole time. Cool. Combine 2 mixes and add vanilla, using electric mixer. Spread on cake.

NOTE: Butter must be used in the frosting, otherwise the frosting will liquefy and refuse to harden. In the cake itself, though, margarine may be used. Also, if two 9" round pans are used, layers don’t need to be cut in half.

Taco Tuesday

If you love tacos as much as I do, you won't mind that it's time for another Taco Tuesday.

Of course, there are those who feel that there can't be tacos without meat, especially ground beef. But as with many other meals (chili, lasagna, or burgers), it's entirely possible to have tacos without meat. In fact, once you get into the swing of things, it'll make it so much easier to have a ton of tacos.

On that note, here are six yummy vegetarian taco recipes to try, including Huevos Rancheros and Banana Chocolate Tacos. Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO TACOS

This is from the TODAY Show, and begins, "These tacos are simple to make and require minimal prep, making them an ideal dinner on hectic weeknights. You can dress up this veggie-based meal with avocado, a squeeze of lime, crumbled feta cheese and fresh cilantro."

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/sweet-potato-tacos-recipe-t149463.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

One 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

One 15.25-ounce can corn, drained

1 cup cooked quinoa

18 small corn tortillas, warmed

Toppings (optional)

Avocado, chopped or sliced

Lime wedges

Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss diced sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, honey and cumin. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté. Add the black beans, corn, cooked quinoa and sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of filling onto each tortilla. Top with chopped avocado, a squeeze of lime and feta cheese.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

I found this, along with five other taco recipes, on the Runner’s World website (posted on June 26, 2018), though it’s originally from the Prevention test kitchen.

This recipe begins, “A spicy sauce made fresh from sautéed vegetables helps you begin the day with a good dose of vitamins A and C.”

Serves:4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes

This can be found at https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a21946015/healthy-taco-recipes/. They were originally from: Prevention US.

Ingredients

3 tsp olive oil

1 med green bell pepper, chopped

1 med yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 can (14 oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juice

2 Tbsp chopped chipotle pepper in adobo

1/4 c chopped cilantro + leaves for garnish

4 eggs

1 c canned black beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

4 whole wheat tortillas, warmed

Directions

Heat 2 tsp oil over medium until shimmering in medium saucepan. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and a pinch of kosher salt and cook until onion is translucent, 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, chipotle, and cilantro and cook until reduced slightly, 10 minutes. Puree with regular or hand blender until smooth.

Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in large nonstick skillet and fry eggs sunny side up. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup beans, 1 egg, and desired amount of sauce. Top with cilantro leaves.

Per serving: 272 cal, 14 g pro, 40 g carb, 8 g fiber, 6 g sugars (1 g added sugars), 9.5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 186 mg cholesterol, 476 mg sodium

VEGGIE TACOS WITH AVOCADO TOMATILLO SALSA

This is from Love and Lemons and can be viewed online at https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegetable-tacos-avocado-tomatillo-salsa/.

Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 30 mins; Total time: 40 mins; Serves: 2 – 3.

Ingredients

1 small Japanese eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 cup chopped summer squash (yellow, pattypan, or zucchini)

1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

6 corn or flour tortillas

1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 avocado, diced

handful of cilantro

1 serrano pepper, sliced (optional)

crumbled cotija cheese (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Avocado Tomatillo Sauce:

1/3 cup store-bought or homemade tomatillo salsa

1/4 cup pepitas

1/2 avocado

handful of spinach

2 tbsp olive oil

squeezes of lime, to taste

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chopped eggplant, squash, red pepper and tomatoes onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper and roast until golden brown around the edges 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make your sauce. In a food processor, blend together the tomatillo salsa, pepitas, avocado, spinach, olive oil, lime juice and pinches of salt and pepper, to taste. Chill until ready to use.

Assemble the tacos with the black beans, roasted vegetables, diced avocado, cilantro, serrano, cotija (if using), and a generous scoop of the avocado tomatillo sauce. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Store extra sauce in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Notes

Vegan: skip the cotija cheese

Gluten free: use corn tortillas

BLACK BEAN, RICE AND QUESO MINI TACOS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Kids will love these filled mini tacos, which are packed with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, cheese and drizzled with Old El Paso™ Creamy Queso sauce. Easy to assemble and great for on-the-go, busy families."

Prep Time: 24 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/black-bean-rice-and-queso-mini-tacos.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 package (12 count) Old El Paso™ Mini Soft Tortilla Bowls

1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ Chopped Green Chiles

1 cup Old El Paso™ ™ Shredded Mexican Style 4 Cheese Blend

1/2 cup pico de gallo

1/3 cup Old El Paso™ Creamy Queso sauce

Directions

In 1 to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, heat white rice and water to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Fluff with fork; stir in butter, lime juice and cilantro. Cover and set aside.

Heat oven to 375°F. In ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish, place tortilla bowls.

In medium bowl, mix beans and green chiles. Divide rice mixture evenly among tortilla bowls; top each with 2 teaspoons of the cheese. Divide bean mixture evenly among tortilla bowls; top each with remaining cheese.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Top with pico de gallo and sauce.

Expert Tips

Salsa may be substituted for the pico de gallo in this recipe.

Precooked rice is available for purchase in the frozen section of the grocery store and is a convenient alternative to the cooked rice in this recipe. You may also use 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked rice, heated in microwave.

Variation: Try Old El Paso™ Creamy Salsa Verde sauce as an alternative to the creamy queso sauce.

Nutrition: 6 servings (2 mini tacos each);1 Serving Calories 330 (Calories from Fat 100); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 740mg; Total Carbohydrate 44g (Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 2g); Protein 11g;% Daily Value: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 20%; Iron 15%; Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Other Carbohydrate, 1/2 Vegetable, 1 High-Fat Meat, 1/2 Fat; Carbohydrate Choice: 3

BANANA CHOCOLATE TACOS

Chocolate? Bananas? On tacos? Sure, why not? This one is from the May 2016 issue of Runner’s World, and begins, “This taco is a smart dessert choice as research shows dark chocolate can improve brain functioning. Each bite also has the carbs needed to restock your muscles after a spirited run. Plus, ricotta is rich in whey protein to make it easier to build stronger muscles.”

This can be found here.

Ingredients

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

2 Tbsp. almond butter

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1–2 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 oz. chopped dark chocolate

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

4 small bananas, sliced into 1/2" pieces

4 small (6") whole-wheat tortillas, heated according to package

1/4 cup unsweetened toasted coconut flakes

Instructions

Stir together ricotta, almond butter, syrup, orange zest and vanilla.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high in 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until chocolate is melted. Stir in cinnamon.

Spread ricotta mixture on tortillas and top with banana. Drizzle chocolate sauce over top and sprinkle on coconut flakes. Serves 4.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 439; Protein: 14 g; Carbs: 54 g; Fiber: 13 g; Total fat: 20 g; Saturated fat: 9.5 g; Sodium: 342 mg.

COCOA BLACK BEAN AVOCADO CREAM TACOS

This is also from the May 2016 issue of Runner’s World. It begins, “Cocoa adds richness to this hunger smashing fiber-rich bean filling. As a giant cousin of the banana, plantain contains twice as much vitamin C to keep your blood pressure from boiling over. The creamy avocado sauce adds a dose of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.”

Ingredients

2 tsp. canola or grapeseed oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 ripe plantain, lots of black spots on skin, peeled and diced

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 1 large lime)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 avocado

8 small corn tortillas

1 jarred roasted red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, plantain, black beans, cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, 1/4 cup water, and 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper; cook 3 minutes more. Stir in cilantro and 2 Tbsp. lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Blend together sour cream, avocado, remaining 2 Tbsp. lime juice and a pinch of salt until smooth.

Top tortillas with beans, red pepper, avocado cream and pumpkin seeds. Serves 4.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 408; Protein: 11 g; Carbs: 59 g; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 12 g; Total fat: 16 g; Saturated fat: 5 g; Sodium: 320 mg