No-Cola cake
No-Cola cake? What? Simple: this cake tastes like it was made with a commercial cola (e.g. Coke, Pepsi), but without any actual soda at all. It’s culinary sleight of hand: lime + cinnamon + molasses = cola flavor. Dessert magic.
Author Archives: Mike Bierschenk
Spicy roasted cauliflower
If you think you don’t like cauliflower, this may well be the recipe that proves you wrong. The cauliflower undergoes a sort of alchemy in the oven, transforming from a sad crunchy mutant into a show-stopper snack or side dish.
Chickpea stew with Ethiopian flavors
This chickpea stew is new in my house, but I see it coming back frequently: it’s warm and comforting, thick with spinach and tomatoes in a fragrant broth. It’s a very satisfying vegetarian meal, and it couldn’t be easier to put together.
Stuffed cabbage soup
This is, essentially, a deconstructed cabbage roll: same great flavor, way easier prep, and done in an hour.
Coconut creamed spinach
Absolutely the best spinach I’ve had to date. A half-hour simmer transforms a pile of disconnected vegetables into a rich stew with flavor far beyond its components.
Pick-me-up peppermint mocha
A quick-fix fancy coffee drink for the days when the world gets to be just the teeniest bit too much.
Honey-vinegar butternut squash
Tender squash combine with deeply roasted onion, and fragrant thyme before marinating in a tangy-sweet honey-vinegar marinade. If you, like me, aren’t a huge fan of syrupy sweet squash and sweet potato dishes, this your antidote.
Mushroom bisque
This is a rich, thick soup with a secret ingredient: coconut milk gives heft, but fades to the barest whisper of an aroma. Serve it in a mug for a simple midweek lunch, or use your finest china for an elegant Thanksgiving starter — it can do both!
Sweet-salty brown rice and kale salad
This hearty grain salad has been a favorite in my house for years. The brown rice gives it a hefty backbone, while the kale and raisins round out the flavor. The dressing is the star, though: a little salty, a little sweet, a little pungent, and entirely delicious.
Cilantro chicken pinwheels
Bright, green-flecked spirals of spicy chicken salad are a party show-stopper, but take almost no time to throw together. Better make two trays.
Optional Kitchen 