Quick-to-make chia pudding, with the right touch, can turn an everyday yogurt bowl into something beautiful and irresistibly creamy. The secret is to keep the chia mixture loose and treat it like a condiment, rather than the main event. (Chia thickens as it sets in liquid, so you’ll need to add fewer seeds if you plan to let it sit overnight.) Serve this creamy, coconut-milk goodness with loads of fresh fruit, as a quick morning breakfast bowl that’s nearly ready to go when you wake up. 

You’ll need:

— ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, or almond, coconut, or hazelnut milk
— 2 or 3 tsp pure maple syrup
— 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
— 2 to 3 Tbsp chia seeds
— Plain yogurt, for serving
— Currants, peaches, berries, honey, or maple syrup, for topping

Instructions:

Combine the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and 2 Tablespoons chia seeds in a mason jar or any glass container with a tight-fitting lid.

Shake or stir the mixture and refrigerate up to overnight, or stir in the remaining chia to thicken if you plan to use it right away. 

Spoon the chia mixture over yogurt, and top with fresh fruit and honey or maple syrup.

This classic combination is akin to the infamous salad Niçoise of France with a bit of Italian influence. Repeat this satisfying dish from Spring to Fall (although Spring is high season for its main ingredients); it’s as easy to prepare as it is gorgeous. This is one of those sum-of-its-parts stories: simple ingredients that, together, shine.

You’ll need:

— 8 oz (226g) small potatoes, such as fingerlings or new potatoes
— 2 Tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
— 6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
— Fine sea salt
— Freshly ground black pepper
— 1 handful (about 4 oz/115g) of green, yellow, or purple wax beans, trimmed
— ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
— ¼ cup (35g) plump green olives, such as Castelvetranos, pitted
— 1 Tbsp capers, plus brine
— ¼ cup (10g) fresh, flat parsley leaves or tarragon, or both
— 4 anchovy fillets (optional)
— 4 hard(or soft)-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
— Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Instructions:

Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with heavily salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Whisk together the vinegar, oil, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and pepper to taste, and set aside.

Cut the cooked potatoes into quarters (if large) or halves (if small) and arrange them on a platter in an even layer. Spoon over about ⅓ cup (80ml) of the dressing and set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Bring another pot of water to boil, with a bowl of salted ice water ready nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water; when their color is deeply saturated (a couple of minutes), transfer them to the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat them dry. 

Toss the beans, onion, olives, capers (with their brine), parsley, and anchovies (if using) together with the remaining dressing in a large bowl, then transfer them to the platter. Add the eggs, sprinkle with flaky salt, and serve at room temperature.

Think of tahini toast as peanut butter toast’s chic older sister. She’s always got the latest fashion, all dolled up with her lemon juice and black sesame seeds. But, as I learned from my friend Linsay Hunt (author of the cookbook Healthyish), she has a wild side, too, and never minds a dollop of tangy orange marmalade or chunky strawberry preserves on top. Of course, you need to start with a quality jar of tahini. If that’s too hard to find, peanut butter or almond butter works with these toppings, too.

You’ll need:

— 4 slices thick-cut bread
— Butter or olive oil, for the bread
— ¼ cup (55g) tahini
— Honey or orange marmalade, or any other preserves
— Black sesame seeds
— 1 lemon, quartered

Instructions:

Toast the bread and brush evenly with butter.

Spread the tahini on the toast and drizzle with honey or top with a healthy dollop of marmalade and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Squeeze with lemon and eat with gusto!

This spot-on cake comes from Sarah Kieffer’s (wonderful) Vanilla Bean Baking Book. I made it a half dozen times within the month the book arrived, so often our whole neighborhood started asking for it. So, maybe it’s a stretch to say it’s famous but… almost. I tweaked this version with almond flour, less sugar (so we can have it more often), and bitters instead of Grand Marnier, but it’s decidedly delicious either way.

As for the glaze, most days I don’t think it needs it, but it’s definitely seductive when you want to dress this beauty up. 

You’ll need:

Cake:
— 1 ½ cups (3 sticks/336g) unsalted butter, at room temp, plus more for the pan
— 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
— 1 Tbsp grated orange zest
— 5 large eggs, at room temperature
— 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
— 1 hearty dash bitters
— 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour or (310g) gluten-free flour, plus more for the pan
— 1 cup (120g) almond flour
— ¼ tsp baking soda
— ¾ tsp fine sea salt
— ¼ cup (60ml) fresh-squeezed orange juice
— 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
— ¼ cup (60ml) half-and-half
— 2 heaping cups (200g) cranberries or (280g) wild blueberries, fresh or frozen

Vanilla-Flecked Glaze (Optional)
— 1 ½ cups (180g) confectioner’s sugar
— 2 to 4 Tbsp half-and-half
— Seeds of 1 vanilla bean, scraped, or ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
— Pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions:

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Position a rack in the lower middle. Butter and flour a 10-inch, 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan.

Beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each until uniform. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, add the vanilla and bitters, and stir to combine. 

In a separate bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the juices and half-and-half, and beat on low to combine, scraping the bowl after each addition. Stir in the cranberries. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it will come to the top of the Bundt pan) and bake on a baking sheet until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a tiny crumb, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan, and let cool completely on the rack.

To make the glaze:

Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, half-and-half, vanilla seeds, and salt to make a slightly runny glaze. Set the cake on a wire rack on parchment paper and drizzle the glaze over. Let it set slightly before slicing and serving. 

You can also powder with confectioners’ sugar only and devour!