White Peach and Blackberry Tarts

4 White Peaches or Nectarines

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

Blackberries

Honey or agave

Since the peaches thinly.  Place a small amount of mascarpone on top, then place the blackberry and drizzle with honey.  

Broil for 4-5 minutes.  

Modeled after a recipe on Pinterest with no source listed.  

Apple and Pear Balsamic Pizza

1 lb of pizza dough

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 yellow or white onion

1 red apple (Fuji or pink lady), sliced

1 pear, sliced

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1 tbsp sugar 

Olive oil

Honey

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Roll put pizza dough onto a floured surface and onto a baking stone or baking sheet.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil evenly onto dough.  Slice onion into long strips and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.  Place the onions onto the pizza dough evenly, along with the juice from the pan.  Add 1 cup of cheese onto pizza.  Add the apple and pear to the pizza and drizzle with honey.  Add the remaining cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until crust has browned and cheese is melted.

Substitutes: trader joes herbed pizza dough, 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese added to mozzarella

Simple Ketchup

6 oz organic tomato paste 

1/4 cup white vinegar 

1/4 cup water 

2 tbsp sugar 

1/2 tsp celery salt 

Sauté all ingredients over low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool and then refrigerate.  If you are out of time, ingredients can be whisked and served, although it will be slightly grainy in texture.

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Granola Bars

5 tbsp vegan butter

3 tbsp peanut/almond butter

2 tbsp brown/organic sugar

2 tbsp flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ cup honey 

3 cups dry oats (whole grain rolled oats, rolled spelt and/or wheat bran) 

1 tsp chia seeds

3 tsp sunflower seeds (or any nut)

½ cup dark chocolate chips

½ cup dried cherries without sulfur (or any dried fruit) 

Preheat oven to 325.  Melt together butter, nut butter, brown sugar, flour, baking powder and honey.  Stir in oats, chocolate, dried fruit, etc.  Pour into 9x9 pan prepared with parchment paper or vegan butter so that ingredients do not stick.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool completely.  If you did not use parchment paper, use a round-edged dinner knife and cut around edges of pan.  Flip pan upside-down onto foil or cutting board.  Makes approximately 18 servings. 

Classic French Bread

.5 oz active dry yeast
1/2 cup water, 110 degrees, F
2 cups water
5 1/2 cups of flour
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp raw sugar
5 1/2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 egg white, beaten

Use a thermometer to measure water temperature, once it reaches 110 F, mix it with the yeast and let it set until creamy, 8-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix yeast with 2 cups of water. Add 3 cups of flour, salt, sugar, and oil. Once it gets hard to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly for 10 minutes until all flour is absorbed. Place dough in a bowl and lightly coat with oil. Place a hot towel over the bowl and place in a dark area. Let sit for 1 hour.

Separate dough in half and round into an oval shaped loaf. Place on a baking sheet. Brush beaten egg white onto loaves and let rise an additional 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400.

Bake for 30 minutes until crust is golden brown and hard to the touch. Wait 15-20 minutes before slicing, otherwise bread may be too doughy.

Serve with a plate of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a dash of oregano, salt and pepper.

Alternatives: add fresh garlic or rosemary to dough before letting rise for the second time. Roll dough flat, add toppings, and roll dough. Blend seam well into roll.