Fluffy Maple Cocoa Cake

Dear Turkey,

Yogurt cupcakes are a standby in my house, but I had never applied the technique to a cake before. I wanted something chocolate-y and maple-y, but not too sweet. This cake is fluffy, tender, and just chewy enough, but, truthfully, it's really a quick bread and is awesome for breakfast with cream cheese.

I used vanilla yogurt, so I only added 1/2c maple syrup; since maple syrup is so expensive, I wanted to be sure I'd be able to taste it, but not go overboard. If you want something more cake-like, I would increase it to 1c. You could also throw in some chocolate chips. Omitting the eggs and adding a few T of canola oil, soy milk, and/or flax seed would also work great (I have replaced the yogurt totally with soy milk to make a vegan cake). And, no, it's not a typo that there's no salt. Maybe that's a French thing?

Beans and Gnocchi

Dear Turkey,

I love beans and I love gnocchi. But sometimes when I combine them, I am faced with the quandary of going "Mexican" or "Italian." This dish is a light, garlic-y compromise. I made it for lunch and ate the rest for dinner (meaning, I ate a whole package of gnocchi and a whole can of beans in 6 hours -- go me).

I used whole wheat gnocchi and I really liked how it's not quite as chewy as regular gnocchi, but you could use regular gnocchi, too. If this looks boring (it's not!) you could add a can of tomatoes or some fresh ones.

Beans and Bulgur

Dear Turkey,

Due to my ongoing interest in different beans and rices, I was inspired to make beans and bulgur. I knew that bulgur is awesome, cheap, healthy, and good for tabbouleh. So I figured that it would be good for beans, too. The best part is, you don't even have to cook it! I know!

I soaked my bulgur until it was just past al dente. It provides a great contrast to the soft/sweet/salty/saucy beans. Or, if you're bored, you can add some salt/lemon/bbq sauce/whatever to the bulgur, too.

No-Bake Vegan Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Maple Cookies

Dear Turkey,

The name says it all. I used to make these cookies with my mom when I was little. In fact, this recipe may have been the first thing that I ever "baked" myself (and, since baking is mostly about eating the batter, I think I got the experience). My mom used to use dried milk; I was going to replace it with flax, but the dough came together just fine without it.

These cookies are vegan, sweet enough for dessert, and healthy enough for breakfast. They are easy to make, and your toddler can crush the crackers, roll the cookies out, and stick on raisins for eyes (cookies with more than 2 raisins also have a nose, or, perhaps, ears).

Quick and Easy Curried Quinoa

Dear Turkey,

Since my constituents don't enjoy quinoa, I usually make it for myself. I think quinoa is awesome, and I could probably eat it for breakfast with butter and brown sugar on it. Or dessert.

This recipe has that satisfying curry taste without the gross feeling that can result from eating a ton of takeout Indian food. And it's really healthy, especially with the nuts and spinach. Quinoa cooks quickly, so it will be done by the time everything else is ready.