Nutty Chocolate Bark with Cardamom and Coffee

Woof!

It's the most wonderful time of the year. The time when I don my sole Anthropologie apron and a schmata, roll up my sleeves, and hole myself up in the kitchen for hours in an elated state of chocolate-covered bliss. Literally, when I emerge, I am covered head to toe with chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate, and could not be more happy about it. It's time for holiday chocolate bark!

Now, although I am fiercely and loyally dedicated to my Chocolate Bark with Pistachios and Dried Cherries, this Nutty Chocolate Bark with Cardamom and Coffee proved irrisistable as it is basically my beloved recipe on steroids. Brought to my attention by Lousia Shafia (my new favorite cookbook author) via Saveur (my trusted ethnic recipe source), this bark had more nuts, more dried fruits, more caffeine (I am a sucker for coffee in any form, especially coffee and chocolate) and finally mulberries, which were totally foreign to me, but upon some research are funny-looking berries resembling tiny pine cones with a name that roles nicely off the tongue and helps stabilize blood sugar levels. (I found them easily at Whole Foods, but you can substitute with more commonplace dried figs if desired.)



Aesthetically, the bark is beautiful. Warm hues of various toasted nuts, jewels of dried cherries, and the ensuing dusted bronzed crumbs make the vivacious bark indisputably attractive. Taste-wise, it was a totally new experience to me. Unfamiliar with both caradamom and mulberries, I set out in eager anticipation.

The cardamom, which Louisa describes as "peppery-sweet", is deliciously exotic; adding a whole new depth of flavor to the festive bark. It's potently aromatic, with flavors akin to cinnamon and ginger, and melds wonderfully with the bitter coffee and chocolate. Louisa explains that adding cardamom to coffee and tea is a commonplace Iranian practice, which helps to explain my final assessment of the nutty chocolate bark: it tastes like a coffee shop. Pointed, distinct flavors—pungent coffee, assorted nuts, tart cherries, rich cocoa, chai-like cardamon—create a remarkable, sophisticated concoction that's as unique as it is exceptional. You want to inhale all the flavors, over and over again, with a heartfelt appreciation for the bark's fancy, delicate bouquet.

As for the mulberries, what a treat! Crunchy and granola-esque, they were fruity and sweet but not cloyingly so. The mulberries acted as a lovely foil to the sharp coffee grounds. I thoroughly enjoyed this bark, and despite the amount of work (all that nut chopping gave me a hand cramp—next time, will use a blender!) the elegant outcome was undoubtedly worth it. I leave you with just one piece of advice: if you are sensitive to caffeine, I wouldn't eat this too close to going to bed: it delivers quite the buzz!

Nutty Chocolate Bark with Cardamom and Coffee (from The New Persian Kitchen)
Makes about 1 1/2 lbs bark

Ingredients:

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli) 

1 tsp. ground cardamom

¾ cup almonds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

½ cup pistachios, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

¼ cup dried mulberries, chopped (or finely chopped dried figs)

¼ cup dried tart cherries, chopped

2 tsp. coffee beans, roughly chopped

⅛ tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, 8 minutes. (Alternatively, microwave in spurts of 20-30 seconds each, mixing in between, until chocolate is fully melted.)

2. Remove bowl from pan and stir in cardamom and half each the almonds, pistachios, mulberries, and cherries. 

3. Spread mixture onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet into a 10” x 7” rectangle, about ¼” thick.
4. Sprinkle evenly with remaining almonds, pistachios, mulberries, cherries, the coffee beans, and salt. Gently pat down the toppings into the bark with a spatula.
5. Chill, uncovered, until bark hardens, about 2 hours. Break into pieces to serve.

Adam's Favorite Chili

Chili is one of those dishes that I think everyone associates with fond, cozy memories. For me it's the highlight after a morning of skiing (with a cup of hot cocoa, of course), the food for good company, or a delicious end to a lazy, wintery Sunday. We've shifted types of cold in New York recently—from pleasantly chilly to bone-numbing freezing—and this chili is the type you start on the latter's weekend morning. The kind when its too cold to leave the house, and the chili's slow-cooking aromas waft from the stove, permeating your home and warming you up, body and soul.

Now, the prerequisites for Adam's Favorite Chili were no small order. The chili had to evoke these positive memory associations, boast plenty of heat and spice, and retain my reputation as lead Kveller of the Kitchen. Eek! I set out on the task with the bar set high. There are so many chili recipes out there, which one do I pick? Is chili powder spice ok, or should I grind my own? On to the secret ingredients: Between beer, cocoa, cinnamon, and coffee, which ones really elevate the recipe from good to the best!?

Thank you, Food52, for providing me with the answer. I chose this recipe because it was interesting, unique, and most of the ingredients—even the more obscure ones for a chili—were pantry items. Using three types of tomato (diced, crushed and sauced) evoked a prominent tomatoey base, and two types of heat—from chipotle peppers and cayenne pepper—really pack a fiery punch. 

The standard chili spices are in here too; ample chili power, cumin, a bay leaf. But they are accompanied by newcomers cocoa powder and instant coffee granules, and here's where this chili starts to transform from tasty to wow. The acidity from the tomatoes make the chili almost sweet; but the intense, chocolate notes from the cocoa and bitter undertone from the coffee deliver a rich, full-bodied complexity that picks up the smoky notes from the chipotle, too. Adding the beer thickens the broth from a soup to a hearty stew. So all your expected flavors are there...and then something deeper. Seriously yum.

As is the nature of chili, a taste-as-you-go method is foolproof for this dish as long as you've got the basics: onions, peppers, garlic, a tomato base, ground meat, and beans. This one falls more in the Cincinnati-style category, while my Texan friend makes a slightly sweeter version with tomato paste, allspice, cinnamon and cornmeal: same level of deliciousness; slightly different spin. It's hard to go wrong. However, make sure not to skimp on the toppings: grated cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, and tomatoes—plus cornbread and/or fresh baguette—are a must to accompany your chili.

Adam's Favorite Chili (adapted from Food52)
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds ground meat (lean grass-fed beef or turkey) 
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons diced chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce 
1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
1 29-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
5-6 ounces dark beer, such as Guinness (about a half can)
1-2 dried bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cayenne red pepper
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee grounds
For toppings: Chopped cilantro, red onion, tomato; grated cheddar cheese, sour cream
To serve with: Cornbread, baguette, or rice

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté the ground meat in 2-3 tbsp olive oil until cooked. Drain the meat and set aside.
   
2. In the same pot on medium low heat, sauté the onions and peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chipotle peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add spices, mix in thoroughly, and then all remaining ingredients.
   
3. Loosely cover the pot with a lid and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and remove bay leaves before serving; serve with toppings of your choice. 

Brazilian Black Bean Soup

I know its time for a post-Thanksgiving-detox, but Turkey Day's hearty fare has won over my heart. Though probably way overdue for a Blueprint cleanse, winter is officially here, and the thought of a green juice right seems somehow sacrilege. In a quest to find a middle ground between pumpkin pies and a cayenne lemon drink, I introduce to you this Brazilian Black Bean Soup. If you've been eating a steady diet of butternut squash, thyme, sage and brussels sprouts comme moi, this soup's spicy, ethnic flare will do you good.

 

Although it utilizes mostly pantry items, you'd never guess how simple this "soup," (its really more of a stew once you add the rice) upon tasting its robust, tangy flavors, is. Peppered generously with spicy cumin and hot sauce, the earthy black beans and tender onion, pepper, and carrot mingle harmoniously amongst a secret ingredient—orange juice—which delivers a subtle sweetness and perfect acidity in every bite. These fiery, citrus undertones elevate what could be a standard black bean soup a mega cut above the rest.

I use orange juice in cooking a lot more often than expected; most often to substitute vinegars in salad dressings. To keep a steady supply on hand, my secret weapon is a can of orange juice concentrate: it lasts months in the freezer, and defrosts in seconds. I highly suggest making the investment!

A cross between a burrito bowl and glorified, brothy rice and beans; this soup embodies comfort without being boring. The original recipe called for overnight cooking dry black beans, but I simplified the version by using canned—and I was more than satisfied with its abundant spice and flavors. Top generously with cilantro and chopped scallion for garnish, and finish with a heaping dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt—the creamy consistency folds perfectly into the savory rice and beans.

Brazilian Black Bean Soup (from The Moosewood Cookbook)
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can black beans (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups chopped onion
8 medium cloves garlic, crushed (adjusted)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1/2 cups orange juice (can be from orange juice concentrate)
black pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 1/2 cups brown rice
Optional toppings: sour cream/plain greek yogurt, cilantro, salsa, or chopped scallions

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. While rice is cooking, heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Add onion, half the garlic, cumin, salt, and carrot. Saute over medium heat until the carrot is just tender. Add remaining garlic and the bell pepper. Saute until everything is very tender (another 10 to 15 minutes). Add beans.
3. Stir in orange juice, black pepper, cayenne, and hot sauce. Puree soup with an immersion blender until a chunky consistency is reached.
4. Serve over rice, with a generous sprinkle of your favorite toppings.

Chilled Whiskey Cider Punch

The approaching holiday season is thrillingly discernible in the New York City air. As soon as the clocks turned back, that extra hour of evening blanketed darkness seemed to give way to all the signs: lighted trees, decorated department store window displays, shopping shopping shopping. Rather than rejecting the onset of darkness and cold, all the sudden I'm ready to bask in its spirit. So what its dark at 4? Lets go hole up and drink some hotty toddys!

Which brings me to the best part of the holidays: the parties! And I am so excited to share with you this Chilled Whiskey Cider Punch, a must-have at your next cold-weather gathering.

Lets face it- finding the right punch can be difficult. You want complex flavors that aren't too heavy, a unique taste that also goes down easily, and most importantly, to not kill yourself in the process. A host, cook, and perfecter of the dinner party spread I may be—but mixologist, I am not. Therefore, I have no interest in running around the city like a maniac with a laundry list of pre-party errands to do, burning a hole in my wallet and schedule while I go to the umpteenth liquor store in search for pumpkin liquor or Xocolatl mole bitters.
Here's a few reasons why this punch packs its own at the party.

1. The ingredients are easily locatable—and you'll use them again. I'm certainly not complaining if I have leftover whiskey or a bottle of ginger beer in my kitchen; that's a drink right there! As for the cinnamon sticks, use them to vamp up a regular coffee or hot chocolate—or boil in a pot with whole cloves to act as an autumn scented "candle" and spice up your home's signature scent.
2. The drink is pretty. It's beautiful, actually. Bright orange rounds, floating amber cinnamon sticks, and an inviting warm-hued whiskey-apple tone makes this drink totally inviting. No gatorade florescence here!
3. It takes 5 minutes to make. Preparing in advance enhances the flavors, but is not a necessary step. You can throw the ingredients into the pitcher up to 2 hours before guests arrive, and then add the ginger beer prior to serving for some bubbly effervescence.
4. It's fall familiar, without overpowering. The apple and cinnamon solidly ground this drink in the autumn season, and the smoky whiskey, fresh citrus and biting ginger work to cut the sweet while delivering their own flavor intricacies.  Saveur—where this delightful recipe hails from—describe it as combining "the fall flavors of mulled cider with the celebratory feel of a sparkling punch," officially checking off every possible requirement to satiate (slash inebriate) your thirsty guests.

I made a few changes to the original recipe. I omitted the use of dry hard cider (expensive, sugary) and doubled the whiskey instead. The recipe called for orange bitters, but I used regular. (Go ahead if you have them, but don't go out of your way to seek them out.) This is definitely a taste-as-you-go recipe, so don't leave TOO much to do before preparing the punch :)

Chilled Whiskey Cider Punch (adapted from Saveur)
Serves 15-20

Ingredients:
8 cups apple cider
3 12 oz. bottles of ginger beer (such as Reed's)
2 1/2- 3 cups whiskey  (I used Seagram's 7- try to use American blended whiskey over bourbon if you can, but not essential)
Juice of one lemon
Several dashes bitters (Angostura)
1 orange sliced into rounds
Cinnamon sticks (can substitute with a few sprinkles of powder cinnamon, too)

Directions:
Combine the cider, whiskey, lemon juice, bitters, and ginger beer (add last) in a large punch bowl or pitcher. Stir to combine. Top with orange slices and cinnamon sticks. Ladle into ice-filled punch glasses.

Arugula Wheat Berry Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

This Arugula Wheat Berry Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette spawned as a necessary counterpart to an autumn butternut squash bisque for last week's dinner party menu. Knowing the butternut squash soup would speak for itself, I set out to create a simple salad, autumn inspired as well, to subserviently accompany the standout soup.


Much to my surprise, the salad proved to be just as much of a hit. Arugula is as common of a green as they come, but it was the use of seasonal radicchio—which I have to admit I often shy away from out of sheer unfamiliarity—that hearten this salad to a whole new depth. The diverse display of lettuces are gently coated in a fragrant orange-white wine vinegar dressing, and the citrusy flavors of the dressing against the bitter, spicy leaves could not be more mellifluous.

You could end the salad right there, simple and elegant. However, one thing I loved about this salad was its capacity to keep germinating into it's own main dish, if desired. Since it was being paired with the thick bisque, I chose to pebble my salad with only 3 add ons: crunchy wheat berries, oniony scallions, and salty crumbled feta. But after the soup was gone and the leftover salad became tomorrow's dinner, I added white kidney beans, sliced apple, and dried cranberries for a robust suppertime meal.

Wheat berries, although one of the most time-consuming grains to cook (they really do take at least a full hour), are also one of the most enjoyable to eat. Their crunchy, spunky texture is fun to chew, with a firmness that complements the delicate salad leaves nicely.

One could argue that a simple soup and salad is not the most sophisticated menu for guests, but a hearty squash stew (pumpkin works too) accompanied by this lovely bitter yet acidic salad is flavorful, comforting, and homey all at the same time. Serve with the most rustic loaf of fresh bread you can find, sliced thickly, and you have yourself a true winning supper.

Arugula Wheat Berry Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup wheat berries, cooked according to package directions, cooled

1 small head radicchio, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 package arugula

1 small head escarole or romaine, loosely chopped

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

s and p to taste

2 bunches scallions, chopped

crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, toss together radicchio, arugula, and escarole or romaine. Add the wheat berries, scallions, and crumbled feta.
2. Make the dressing. In a small saucepan, reduce orange juice to a glaze. When juice has reduced and thickened, remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine the cooled orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, and ample salt and pepper.
3. Just before serving, dress salad. Sprinkle with additional chopped scallions and feta on top.

Perfect Pumpkin Apple Bread

This Perfect Pumpkin Apple Bread recipe is an autumn orchard’s dream come true. Utilizing the whole hog (aka both the apple trees and the pumpkin patch), this bread combines the best fall has to offer. Whether or not you bake this bread after a day at the orchard, fall will feel ubiquitously present in every bite.

I’m excited to share my photos from last weekend’s apple picking excursion with you. The day was so sunny and beautiful, fall foliage was (almost) at its peak, and the smell of cinnamon spiced apple cider donuts permeated the gentle breeze in the air. It couldn’t be more perfect. Like this bread!

The reason I added the qualifier “perfect” to this recipe is not because its the best pumpkin bread you’ll EVER have in your life. Rather, this recipe is simply reliable. A quick Google search for “pumpkin bread” will yield so many varying results that it’s impossible to avoid option overload and it’s ensuing anxiety. Which one to make?!? Make this one. It’s great.

While clearly more of a cook than a baker, I’ve made this bread more times than I can count. (Someone I like happens to like it very much.) Hailing from Ruth Reichl’s Gourmet, its credentials speak for itself, but I’ll point out the highlights. A simple strudel topping adds a cake-like feel to the bread, which is richly spiced with delicious hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Dotted cooked apples will create a melt-in-your-mouth effect when you catch one in a bite, but these little gems serve a second purpose in addition to gustatory pleasure: they make the bread’s interior extremely moist, erasing the always-disapointing possibility of a dry pumpkin loaf. (To ensure uniform moistness, you can try grating the apples into the batter rather than adding cubes.)

I have adjusted some of the ingredient amounts from the original recipe. After baking this bread dozens of times, I can assuredly say that there’s WAY too much sugar in the printed version, whole-wheat flour can substitute white to add health without compromising the taste, and up to half of the oil can easily be substituted for applesauce. Maintaining the bread’s integrity but adding some nutrition—a pretty good upgrade for this lovable autumn loaf. 

Perfect Pumpkin Apple Bread (adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)
Makes 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

For topping:

1 Tbs all-purpose or whole-wheat flour

2 Tbs sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbs unsalted butter, softened

For bread:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour

¾  tsp salt

2 tsps baking soda

1 ½ tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground allspice

1 (15-oz) can solid-pack pumpkin

½  cup canola oil

¼ cup apple sauce

1 ¼ cups sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 McIntosh or Empire apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (2 cups)

Directions:

1. Make the topping. Blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl with fingertips.
2. Make the bread. Preheat oven to 350, and butter two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice into a medium bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Fold in apples.
3. Divide batter between buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle half of topping evenly on each loaf. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, for about 50-60 minutes. Cool loaves in pans on a rack for 45 minutes.

White Bean and Smoked Paprika Sugar Pumpkin Stew

Our dear friend the pumpkin is out and about in two ways during Fall.  You can find him whole and squat in the pumpkin patch, surrounded by the obligatory farm fare, hayrides and apple trees prior to meeting his jack-o-latern fate. Or whipped neatly into a can of puree, where a spatula will cleanly scoop out his fleshy goodness in prep for the bread, muffin or pie of his namesake.

Somewhere in between carving pumpkins on the floor over newspapers and scooping puree out of a can is this White Bean and Smoked Paprika Sugar Pumpkin Stew. Rarely do we see pumpkin peeled, seeded and cubed in the grocery store the way we do butternut squash, and I think this unfamiliarity makes the prospect of buying your own whole pumpkin (no it doesn't need to be 20 lbs), removing the seeds and flesh by hand (but I don't own a machete), and cooking and pureeing in the kitchen (ahhhh is this a Halloween prank) so scary and daunting.

But do not fear the portly pumpkin! You can buy these tots at any grocery store—aim for one the size of a large acorn squash. Even I was surprised at the soft flesh once I cut inside; spongy and soft rather than hardened and dense. I've provided detailed instructions on how to cut, scoop and skin the pumpkin below—I don't think the whole process took more than 10 minutes. (Oh, and then you get to roast the pumpkin seeds—the best part!)

I've been a huge fan of pumpkin stews ever since posting my Moroccan Pumpkin Stew recipe. I loved how the rich savory notes lent themselves to spices like cumin and coriander, but how the innate sweetness (it is called a sugar pumpkin, after all) blended harmoniously with cinnamon and cloves.

Shifting continents, today's pumpkin stew recipe is all about spice. Embodying more of a Latin American flavor, it utilizes fresh cilantro, spicy serrano pepper and of course, smoked paprika. Savory or sweet flavors notice you will not; rather it's that spicy note beneath every bite that rounds out each simmering, flavorful pot. Even before I prepared the pumpkin, I could tell this dish was going to be a hit: the fragrant flavors of stewed tomatoes, onion, garlic, broth and cilantro were just that aromatic. The sugar pumpkin and beans transform the chili-like cognizance of the base into an emboldened fall stew with a lovely texture, and a generous squeeze of fresh lime rounds out the dish at its finale.

White Bean and Smoked Paprika Sugar Pumpkin Stew (adapted from Whole Living)
Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 15 oz can white kidney beans

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, minced (about 2 cups)

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 serrano chile, sliced

Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon hot or sweet paprika

1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

15 sprigs cilantro

1 small sugar pumpkin (peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks)

Juice of ½ lime

Directions:
1. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onion, garlic, serrano chile, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt. Saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in hot or sweet paprika and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Add beans, chicken broth and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes.

2. Peel, seed, and cut the sugar pumpkin. (See below for detailed instructions. Remember to save the seeds for roasting!) Add pumpkin to bean mixture, plus additional broth to cover, and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove and discard cilantro. Sprinkle soup with limejuice, and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately.

How to cube a whole pumpkin in under 10 minutes:

Here is your sugar pumpkin. Be nice to it! It's very cute.
Apologize for your previous bias towards the canned version
 in the kitchen.

Chop off the stem and split the pumpkin down the middle. 

With a spoon, scrape out the flesh and seeds. (Strain seeds in a colander
 if reserving for roasting, which you definitely should.) 

When you are done flesh-and-seed-scraping it should look like this.

Cut each pumpkin half in half (so you have four even quarters.)
With a vegetable peeler,  peel off the skin, securing the pumpkin with
 your thumb and peeling away from you in even strokes.

Yay, you did it! Now time to roast the seeds. 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the surface with a light mist of olive oil.
3. Place the cleaned seeds in a single lawyer on the foil, and sprinkle with salt (and cinnamon & cayenne peper if desired.) Top off with another layer of misted olive oil.
4. Toast for 15 minutes, flip and toast for another 15 minutes, or until seeds are slightly browned on the edges.

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

Big news! I moved. So same kvelling, new kitchen! (I had to point this out incase you were concerned why the fire escape blurrily visible in the background of all my photos has changed colors.) Wait, what do you mean you didn't notice?

OK fine. That's not why I'm telling you I moved. This is a sheepish explanation for why this post is lacking the robustness of, well, a full meal. A smoothie? You ask. That barely even requires a recipe. I know this. But let me state my case. This Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie is a great way to ease into the classic, beloved flavors of Fall, without launching into the hassle of an entire classic autumn meal (yet.) With the chilled weather, my mind is screaming pies! roasts! preserves! breads! However, my exhausted-from-moving self (and unpacked boxes labeled "kitchen pantry" sitting, still taped, in the living room) prevent me from wholeheartedly throwing myself into the cooking of the season. So, I present you with a compromise. The delightful flavors of sweet potato pie filling, lightened up.

In this recipe, sugary starch, silky soymilk, and warmly spiced cinnamon with a dash of vanilla are all blended together for a drinkable dessert ready in 5 minutes — all without the guilt of a traditional baked good. Indeed, this smoothie packs a mega nutritional punch between the beta-carotene and fiber rich sweet potato and fat-free yogurt, which thickens the consistency and richness without adding fatty cals. Light soymilk (feel free to use vanilla almond milk instead) adds one last touch of sweet and a cream-like nuance. I was totally obsessed with vegetable juices and fruit smoothies this summer, so think of this smoothie as a bridge between the fresh, liquid goodness of summer and the rich hearty fare of fall.

To lighten up the smoothie even more, try cubed butternut squash in place of the sweet potato. Still craving the real thing? Add a "crust" of crushed graham crackers into or on top of your smoothie.

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie (from Organic Authority)
Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients:
1¼  cups vanilla soymilk (or vanilla almond milk)
1/2 cup canned or cooked* sweet potato, skin removed, cold
1 container (6 ounces, or 3/4 cup) fat-free plain or vanilla yogurt**
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (can add nutmeg too)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Optional: 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers

*Raw sweet potato can be easily cooked in the microwave. Puncture a few times with a fork, and microwave whole potato on high heat for 4-5 minutes. When a fork easily slides though the flesh, it is cooked through.
**If using Greek yogurt, substitute 1/4 cup of yogurt with 1/4 cup extra soymilk to ensure a light consistency.

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend for about 1 minute, or until smooth.
2. Pour into 2 glasses. Serve immediately.