“Blueberries have been touted as the food with the most antioxidant potential. Their power comes from their anthocyanins, which give them their color, and loads of vitamin C. This delightful pie is loaded with these dark-blue gems. The cooked and cooled filling is poured into a 9-inch baked pie crust.”

“Homey yet festive enough for the holiday season, serve this cake with breakfast, brunch or as a simple dessert.”

TIP
Kitchen tip To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped. Kitchen note A nonreactive pan—stainless steel, enamel-coated or glass—is necessary when cooking acidic foods, such as cranberries, to prevent the food from reacting with the pan. Reactive pans, such as aluminum and cast-iron, can impart an off color and/or off flavor in acidic foods.

Equipment: 9-inch springform pan | To make ahead: Cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

“Almost everyone loves cookies. Most store bought varieties, though, are filled with partially hydrogenated oils and other undesirable ingredients. These tasty little cookies are actually made with olive oil and a host of other wholesome additions like tofu and chopped almonds. Enjoy a cookie with a cup of hot green tea to make you feel that life is really worth living!”

“The glowing colors and the smooth texture of cooked winter squash are evocative of winter feasts, home and the holidays. These sturdy gourds have been around since long before the Pilgrims shared their first Thanksgiving with Native Americans. Squash is believed to have been eaten as long ago as 5,500 BC. The winter squash family boasts a bewildering number of varieties, from acorn to Hubbard, the most recognizable
of which is probably the pumpkin. But despite great differences in shape, size and the external color of their hard skins, most can be treated the same in the kitchen — baked, pureed, or as a component of soups and stews. Perhaps best of all is the rich nutritional value they have in common. Beta carotene, potassium and fiber are just some of their most notable assets. With a nutty and often sweet taste and a smooth texture, winter squash is good and good for you.”

For a single-crust pie or 4 to 6 tart shells.

This is the recipe that I use for all my pies.

This is from the Joy of Cooking article from the NYTimes magazine.

“These scones are the perfect answer for the morning rush! Unlike a lot of low fat foods, which can be so loaded with sugar that you feel hungry soon after eating them, these are quite filling — you can eat just half of one and still satisfy the need for morning sustenance. Plus, you’ll get in a nice amount of bran for the day, an appropriate source of roughage.”

Nutrition Info
Per Serving (71g-wt.): 290 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 0g dietary fiber, 0g protein, 51g carbohydrate, 25mg cholesterol, 5mg sodium

This old-fashioned recipe makes a muffin batter that can be kept in the refrigerator so you can make 1 or 2 muffins at a time. Or you can make them all at once and freeze them. They thaw in just a few minutes if left on the kitchen counter.