Cookthink

Soaking tapioca pearls in water before cooking encourages their natural starches to come out, making the pudding creamier. Be sure to let them sit for the full 30 minutes. If your stove’s lowest setting isn’t really, really low, you should probably be by the stove to mother your pudding as it simmers. Read more about this recipe at hogwash.

Avocado-Coconut Milk Shake

If someone tells you to live on meal replacement drinks for a week, by all means, substitute this. I like it best sprinkled with a little sea salt. Read more about this recipe at hogwash.

Three-Hour French Bread

The secret to this bread? Knead the dough for 2 minutes, let it rest, then knead again for 3 minutes. Letting the dough rest allows the gluten to relax, making a smoother dough. Read more about this recipe at Steamy Kitchen.

White Gazpacho With Mint And Apple

This cooling cucumber soup is flavored with nutty almonds, a tart apple and aromatic mint. It's a perfect light lunch on a hot summer day. The raw garlic will definitely be noticed, so if you'd rather not have a strong garlic flavor, use only one clove.

Chickpea Soup With Cumin and Cilantro

Earrthy, smoky cumin and meaty chickpeas are a natural match. Rounded out with tangy yogurt and bright cilantro, this is a simple, hearty soup for a weeknight or as a dinner party first course.

Sweet Onion Salad

A really good sweet onion like a Vidalia can be enjoyed on its own as a salad with a minimum of fuss. Be sure to use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you have for this dish.

Spicy Beet Salad With Dill

This fresh beet salad/slaw is great next to a sandwich -- or even inside of it. Read more about this recipe and what to do with it at the Cookthink blog.

Lentil, Cabbage And Potato Soup With Merguez

A hearty vegetable soup is spiced up with slices of merguez sausage. This is a great soup to make extra of and freeze for later warm eating.

Cucumber And Pear Gazpacho With Mint

Even though cucumbers are (obviously) vegetables, their watery texture make them a perfect pair for similarly juicy fruits like pears, where all the clean flavors can blend together. Combined with sour greek yogurt, this is a wonderfully cooling soup.