Today is the spring equinox, when the sun is positioned directly above the earth, giving us equal amounts of day time and night time, and welcoming spring. In celebration, I give you two recipes. One for a lovely, healthy springtime salad and another for a heavenly, unhealthy chocolate cream pie (It’s the most balanced day of the year–healthy salad balances unhealthy pie is my Libra logic).

Recipe: Spring salad
Serves one

Large handful greens of your choice, washed (spinach, romaine lettuce, green or red leaf lettuce)
1 Tbsp goat cheese, crumbled
1 clementine, peeled and separated
1-2 Tbsp walnuts or pecans

Place greens in bowl and top with goat cheese, clementine slices, and nuts. Drizzle dressing (below) overtop and toss to coat.

Recipe: Sweet and sour salad dressing
Makes 2 cups

3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp salt

Combine sugar and vinegar in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well and chill before serving. Store in refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. I use an old spaghetti jar with lid.

Recipe: Heavenly chocolate cream pie
Serves 8

1 9-inch baked pie crust (find my recipe here)

Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2-1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp flour
2-1/2 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate, chopped
3 cups whole milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp butter
1-1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar through flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk and chocolate and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils for one minute. Remove from heat. Slowly add half of mixture to egg yolks, stirring to emulsify. Add egg mixture back to saucepan with remaining milk mixture. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Allow to cool slightly, then pour into baked 9-inch pie shell. Cool completely in refrigerator for at least four hours.

Topping:
(You can use store-bought whipped cream, but I like to make mine from scratch because it’s so easy and so much better)

1 small carton (1/2 pint) heavy whipping cream
Honey to taste (about 1 Tbsp)

Whip cream in a mixer on high or with a whisk. Add honey to taste and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Toast coconut in a medium skillet over moderate heat, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Keep a watchful eye on it to avoid burning. Carefully spread whipped cream over cooled pie. Shave a few curls of chocolate overtop for garnish.