more veggies, please!

This dessert is inspired by the knafeh my aunt and uncle made the last time I was in Los Angeles. This is light and crunchy, tasty and aromatic. 1 hour and 15 minutes – serves 9 1/2 package of shredded phyllo dough* 1 stick butter, melted 1 lb Ricotta cheese 3 tbsp pine nuts 1 cup sugar zest of half a small orange 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place a rack in the middle of the oven. 2. Pull apart the phyllo in a bowl until all filaments are separated. 3. Add the melted butter (after letting cool a bit) and continue to shred the dough so that it does not clump together. After the butter is completely absorbed, separate the dough into two equal portions. 4. In a buttered pan, spread out half the dough evenly, but do not compress. 5. Make patties out of the Ricotta cheese and lay them to cover the first layer of dough in the pan. Note: you will have some left over. 6. Lay the second half of the dough on top of the cheese. Place the pan on the middle rack and ba...

... which is why I am including a new recipe, modified from Molly Wizenberg's "Everyday Granola." The ginger gives it a subtle complexity and the pumpkin seeds and cinnamon pair nicely with the turning leaves this time of year. 55 min - makes 5 cups 3 cups old-fashioned oats 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds 3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon fresh finely diced ginger 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt 1/3 cup honey 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup apricots 1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. 2. Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. 3. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss. Spread on prepared sheet. 4. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes. 5. Place sheet on rack. Stir granola; cool. Mix in fruit. Can be stored in an airtight container for 1 week.