Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. Place the granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Gently fold in the raspberries. Scrape the batter into a 9-inch cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edge of the cake. Invert cake onto a wire rack and cool completely. Turn cake right-side-up. Sift powdered sugar over top of the cake.

Serves 8

My husband claims to not be very fond of egg salad . . . but he loves deviled eggs. I, on the other hand, can’t be bothered with filling those fragile egg white shells. So this is my compromise. An egg salad that tastes like deviled eggs (with a little added heft from minced celery). Heaven.

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and mashed
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1/4 cup celery, minced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash of Tabasco to taste

Mix together all ingredients together. Serve scooped onto crackers and dusted with additional paprika, or in whole wheat pitas lined with lettuce.

Serves 4

4 bananas, peeled and broken in half
3 cups fat free milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons agave nectar

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Serves 4

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups 1% or 2% milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 large eggs
1 pound whole grain bread (day old is best), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook sausage for 5 minutes, until browned, breaking apart with a spatula. If there is fat, spoon out and discard all but 2 teaspoons. Add onion and mushrooms to pan, season with salt and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together milk, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, nutmeg, eggs and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray and arrange half of the bread slices along the bottom. Spoon half of the sausage mixture evenly over the bread followed by 1/4 cup of cheese. Top with another layer of remaining bread, sausage and 1/4 cup cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top. With the back of a spatula, press everything down to moisten with liquid. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350.

Top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 12

1-3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
1/4 cup chilled butter, grated
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon Meyer lemon juice
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Cut in the ricotta and butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand, using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers. Gently stir in the buttermilk and juice. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead gently for 2 minutes (the dough is a little crumbly but holds together).

Place the dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick circle. Cut  the dough into 8 wedges (don’t separate the wedges). Use a pastry brush to brush the surface of the dough with egg; sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 400 degrees F for 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in a wire rack.

Serves 8

1 cup organic, low-fat refried beans
8 small corn tortillas
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 large eggs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
sour cream, salsa and hot sauce to taste

Preheat broiler with 2 oven oven racks placed in the top third and bottom third of the oven. Spread a 1/4 cup of beans onto four tortillas, sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of cheese and top with another tortilla. Arrange on a cookie sheet and broil in the bottom third of the oven for 3-4 minutes, until just turning color and crisping. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes.

While tortillas are cooking, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Swirl the oil and crack the eggs into pan. Cook 2-3 minutes, until whites are just set. Season with salt and pepper.

Take the tortilla pan out and carefully transfer one egg to the top of each tortilla. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and broil in the top third of the oven for 1-2 minutes (watch carefully not to burn), until the cheese is bubbly and the egg white is completely set.

Transfer to plates and top with a dollop of sour cream and salsa.

Serves 4

1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons maple syrup
6 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups sliced almonds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1-1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup diced crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease 2 rimmed baking sheets.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add oats, almonds and sunflower seeds, tossing to combine.

 Divide mixture evenly between baking sheets and place in oven on two centermost racks. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes and rotating pans between racks. Remove from oven and toss with cranberries and crystallized ginger. Granola will dry as it cools. Once cool, store in an airtight bags or containers. Keeps for several weeks.

Makes about 10 cups

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled (a k a old-fashioned) oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Combine sugars, pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring with a spoon just until combined (do not overmix or your bread will turn out tough). Gently fold in nuts and raisins. Scrape batter into a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove loaf from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Serves 12

Blueberry Compote:
1-1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Creamy Millet:
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 cup water
1 cup millet, rinsed well
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup almond, soy or rice milk
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons toasted, slivered almonds

To prepare compote, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cook 5-10 minutes or until the mixture pulls away from the sides and becomes syrupy, stirring occasionally.

To prepare millet, bring 2 cups juice and water to a boil in a small saucepan, then stir in the millet, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and allspice. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes. Add almond milk, stirring to break up any clumps in the millet. The millet should be tender, with the consistency of oatmeal. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon zest, oil and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Serve topped with the compote and almonds.

Serves 4-6

Bake a batch of these muffins on the weekend, and you’ll have no excuse for skipping breakfast during the week. Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from a soft white winter wheat that makes it a great go-to flour for everyday baking (try it in Lia’s Thin and Chewy Oatmeal-Flax Cookies). As with any muffin batter, whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined. Don’t overmix, or your muffins will be tough. You can substitute different berries for the blackberries, or even use frozen berries.

Streusel:
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
 (almonds, walnuts or pecans will do the trick, too)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
Pinch of sea salt
Muffins:
1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped blackberries (see Note)
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

To make streusel, combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, rubbing them together with your fingers until crumbly.

To prepare muffins, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, wheat germ, baking powder, ginger, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Whisk together milk, oil, vanilla and eggs in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring with a whisk until just combined (the batter will be lumpy). Fold in the blackberries. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Top muffins evenly with the streusel.

Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes or until the muffins spring back when you touch them lightly in the center.

Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: My blackberries were large, so I ended up quartering them. Smaller berries may just need to halved or even left whole.

Serves 16