Meyer Lemon Bars with Pistachio Ginger Crust

Meyer lemon season is coming to an end soon, so let’s take advantage and squeeze out every bit of fragrant lemony-ness we can.  Pistachios and ginger pair extremely well with lemon, and are the prominent flavors in the buttery crust of these bars.  The filling uses both the juice and zest to get the most Meyer lemon flavor.  A simple glaze of confectioners’ sugar and more Meyer lemon juice tops it all off, along with a dusting of chopped pistachios to give it a salty crunchy balance.  And don’t worry.  We’ve got gluten free and whole wheat variations covered.  So go ahead, raise a glass (or lemon bar) to another citrus season.

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Chocolate Pavlova Two Ways

Pavlova may seem like an intimidating dessert to make, but it is actually quite easy.  A couple years ago, we featured a Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries.  So good for spring and summer months!  But chocolate pavlova is my favorite kind of pavlova.  In fact, it is probably my favorite chocolate dessert.  The key to a good chocolate pavlova is figuring out the perfect cocoa ratio.  Cocoa powder deflates egg whites, so black cocoa powder is a must in this recipe to deliver the most chocolatey flavor and still keep that fluffy marshmallowy interior.

Since pavlova uses a lot of egg whites, making curd out of the egg yolks to top the pavlova with is a no-brainer.  This post includes a recipe for pomegranate curd and orange curd, as well as instructions for one large pavlova or smaller individual sized ones.

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Baked Falafel

This month we’ve tackled eating more veggies with cauliflower rice and the shredder attachment (bonus blog for subscribers only), adding whole grains to your diet with Spelt Oat Bread, and now we are rounding out the healthy eating New Year’s resolutions with a meatless meal using the meat mincer attachment: Baked Falafel.  That’s right, meat grinders aren’t just for meat.  You can use them to make veggie burgers, like Mushroom Walnut Burgers, or let it do all the work for you when making falafel.  And since this is about healthy eating, these falafel are baked instead of fried.

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