nana: January 2015

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Beetroot Chocolate Einkorn Cake

This easy, moist beet and chocolate cake recipe comes from Nigel Slater. The plain cooked vacuum packed beetroot keeps this rich chocolate cake wonderfully moist and extra delicious.

Cake	Glaze
200 g Unsalted butter plus extra for greasing 250 g Vacuum-packed beetroot 200 g 70% Dark chocolate 4 tbsp Hot espresso 130 g Einkorn grain, ground into flour (or spelt flour) 1 tsp Baking powder 3 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder 5 Eggs, separated 0,6 g Pure stevia extract powder (or 190 g golden caster sugar)	80 g Powdered sugar, sifted 2 tbsp Organic beet juice

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 20-cm / 8-in cake tin with a little butter and line the bottom of the tin with a disc of baking parchment.
Blend the beetroot in a food processor to a rough purée.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water), then pour in the hot coffee.
Stir in the butter in small pieces and leave to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa together in a bowl and set aside.
Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks in a bowl until frothy. Stir the eggs into the chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in the beetroot.
Whisk the egg whites until still peaks form when the whisk is removed. Fold in the stevia, then fold into the chocolate mixture, then the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin.
Combine the sifted powdered sugar with the beet juice until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cake and allow the icing to set.

I am sending this to Chocolate Contest held in Torta Della Figlia.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Orange Pomegranate Salad with Pistachios

A simple and lovely winter salad with oranges, pomegranate, and pistachio nuts, topped with truffle oil, lemon juice and fresh parsley leaves. This salad is as much a feast for the eyes as it is the palate.

3 Oranges
1/2 Pomegranate
1 tbsp Finely chopped parsley leaves
1 tbsp Pistachios, chopped
Truffle oil
Lemon juice
Salt and black pepper

Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, then cut into thin slices, crosswise. Arrange nicely on a large plate.
Remove the pomegranate seeds and scatter on top of orange slices. Scatter the chopped parsley leaves and pistachios over, then drizzle the truffle oil and squeeze some lemon juice over. Season with salt and pepper.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Black Quinoa, Anchovy and Quail Egg Salad

A blissfully simple and healthy black quinoa salad with Chinese cabbage, arugula leaves, quail eggs, and a delicious vinaigrette prepared with anchovy fillets. Quinoa gives this delicious salad lots of textures to chew on and of course it's packed with protein. it is a perfect recipe for any clean-eating.

Black Quinoa, Anchovy and Quail Egg Salad

adapted from Gourmet Traveller

Salad	Anchovy and Lemon Vinaigrette
125 g Black quinoa, well rinsed 10 Quail eggs 200 g Chinese cabbages, sliced 1 handful Arugula leaves 3 Anchovy fillets, halved Large pinch of sumac	60 ml Olive oil Juice of 1 small lemon, or to taste 3 Anchovy fillets, finely chopped 1 Garlic clove, crushed

Cook black quinoa in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes or until tender, then drain and spread on a tray to dry.
Meanwhile, cook quail eggs in boiling water for 2.5 to 4 minutes depending on your preference. Drain, then refresh, peel and set aside.
For anchovy and lemon vinaigrette, whisk ingredients in a bowl to combine. Season to taste and set aside.
Combine sliced Chinese cabbages, and arugula leaves in a bowl, add black quinoa and dressing, toss to combine, and spread on a platter. Halve eggs, anchovy fillets and arrange on top, scatter with sumac and serve.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Poppy Seed Spelt Roll

Tender, soft, sweet yeast bread swirled with a creamy, rich, beautiful homemade filling of poppy seed. The roll can be finished with a chocolate icing after baking as the original recipe suggested. If you can't find poppy seeds, use walnuts or hazelnuts instead.

Bread	Filling
30 g Fresh yeast 200 g Lukewarm milk 420 Refined spelt bread flour 0,2 g Pure stevia powder (or 60 g sugar) Pinch of salt 1 Large egg, lightly beaten 125 g Butter, softened	250 g Poppy seeds, ground into flour-like 125 ml Hot milk 80 g Butter, softened 1 tsp Cinnamon powder 1 Small egg

Dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm milk in a bowl. Whisk together the flour, stevia and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of flour mixture, add in yeast mixture, egg (reserve one tablespoon for the glaze), and butter. Stir with a hand mixer fitted with dough hook until smooth.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour until dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Pour the hot milk over the ground poppy seeds in a bowl and leave it aside for 10 minutes. Add in the softened butter, cinnamon powder and egg. Stir until well combined.
Line a 30-cm long loaf pan with parchment paper. Roll out the dough into 1-cm thick rectangle on a lightly floured work surface.
Spread the poppy filling evenly over rectangle of dough, leaving about 1 1/2 inches around edges. Roll jelly roll fashion and tuck in ends. Place the roll in the prepared pan.
Brush the roll with the reserved beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Persimmon Pomegranate Salsa

This slightly spicy winter salsa recipe from My Recipe, which I modified a little, uses the winter favorites of persimmons and pomegranate in place of tomatoes. Serve over smoked fish, chicken or steak, or as an appetizer atop cheese or crackers with a dab of sour cream. It can be made up to one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.


1 Large ripe persimmon, peeled and coarsely chopped Pomegranate seeds from 1 medium pomegranate 1 Onion, diced 1/2 Cucumber, deseeded and diced Fresh parsley, chopped 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice 1 tsp Grated peeled fresh ginger 1 tsp Chilli flakes 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

Combine diced persimmon, pomegranate seeds, onion, cucumber and chopped parsley in a medium bowl.
Combine lemon juice, ginger, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir together and drizzle over persimmon mixture. Toss to coat.