Summer fruits chocolate frosted cake

I might sound strange making your own birthday cake. Maybe a little sad even!

But I just had so many ideas that didn’t bother me in the slightest. My friends and family had said they’d have given me a cake but were too nervous to know what to get! Oops sorry- I don’t tend to make things easy for them ;-)

I had so many ideas of my own, that just like last year, I made a birthday cake for myself...I even blew out my own candles (well I had to light them for the photo shoot!)  This year the cake came a day late. If you read this post you’ll understand why!  But hey, it was still part of my birthday weekend so it still counts!

It was the perfect cake to make for a day when I was off to eat lots of Thai food with friends.  I knew
I’d be stuffed full of lunch so this little treat was just right for a super light morning snack, and then also served again as dinner! Yep this beauty is super light and healthy. 

It’s not just a birthday cake....it would be perfect for any summer gathering or BBQ. Vary the fruits as you wish or according to the season.  My super speedy healthy frosting  also made for the perfect companion, and I added some cocoa to it for a chocolatey hit.

Remember to throw on some sprinkles. The world is always a better place with sprinkles!!

This time I've even given you a few step-by-step process shots! Hope it helps....

Summer fruit frosted cake

Makes 1 cake (size depends on size of melon)

Ingredients:

1 medium water melon (mine was approx 20cm round)

½ cup strawberries (or other fruits)

½ cup banana (or other fruits)

Approx 1 cup chocolate frosting*

Approx ½ cup vanilla frosting*

Handful of chocolate sprinkles*

Method:

Prepare the melon by slicing of the top and bottom (I sliced a larger chunk off the top so that I could have a small top layer), slice the skin off the sides to form a fairly neat round ‘cake’

Prepare the frosting. (see linked post and notes below) I prepared both together and then divided them and added cocoa to the larger portion.

Place the watermelon on it's final serving plate, and begin spreading the frosting over the surface with a palette knife or spoon. Dollop some of the vanilla round the edge of the top surface (or all over the top if you are not having a smaller top piece) place the strawberries and banana or other fruit around the edge and then position the top piece. Cover the top piece with the remaining vanilla frosting and decorate with the top with the remaining fruit.

Add sprinkles, such as these, or any types of sprinkles, seeds, nuts, cocoa.... as desired over the surface.

Serve immediately.  It will keep for a couple of days but always nicest eaten on the same day...so make sure you have a crowd (or like a lot watermelon!)

Frosting:
For frosting refer to this post (for more details) adding 2-3 tbs cocoa powder to one cup’s worth of mix. To make a thick frosting for spreading mix 4:1 yoghurt to coconut flour ratio plus vanilla extract and a few drops of stevia and drizzle of maple syrup (or other sweetener), you may need to increase the yoghurt quantity slightly for the chocolate version.

Sprinkles:
For sprinkles, I used a cocoa version of these sprinkles, also referred to here for the choclatey version.  Feel free to use whatever you like to add a touch of sweetness.

chocolate sprinkles!!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Crispy cauliflower bites

Cauliflower is pretty special. It has so many uses.

So of course there is the more regular cauliflower soup or cauliflower ‘cheese’ recipes.

But then you have the more quirky recipes...the chance to get a little creative with this mild flavoured white vegetable...the perfect canvas for experimentation?

Cauliflower rice risotto?...ok not quite crazy enough. How about baked banana oatmeal (remember when I snuck it is there?) I’m sure I’ve also used it in muffins to replace the apple puree (which in turn replaces part of the fat content) but I can’t seem to find it on the blog...maybe it hasn’t yet been written up (perfect excuse for a retest!)

Anyway back to the point of this recipe. I love cauliflower as a great way to make a really substantial meal without loading up on calories, calories I can make use of elsewhere in the day. It’s also perfect as a light snack, so here we have these crispy little cauli bites. Serve them as a side or as a snack on their own.... nibbly and moreish!  Mix up the flavours to your own preference. Don’t worry about the banana, this was simply to get the sticky consistency to coat the cauliflower, I found that the power of the spices more then cover any bananary flavours tones.

Recipe: Crispy cauliflower bites

Serves 2 as a side or snack

Ingredients

2 cups loose packed cauliflower florets (chopped in approx 1” size)

¼ cup banana- mashed

1 tsp ground flax

2 tbs water

1 tsp smoky chipotle sauce (or other hot spice)

½ tsp cumin

1 tbs nutritional yeast (optional but recommended)

1/3 cup polenta meal

Method

Prepare the cauliflower florets and set aside. Blend the banana, water, flax, and spice to make a smooth sticky paste. Coat the cauliflower in the mixture and then roll in the polenta meal to coat as evenly as possible. You can add extra spice to the polenta meal if you desire.

Spread the coated florets in a single layer on a line baking sheet and bake at 150C for approx 30 mins until golden and crispy. 

Note: I lowered the temperature to prevent premature burning and to help dry the coating as it cooked and crisped up.

Eat very soon after baking to ensure a crisp bite.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Cauliflower and white bean soup

Souping it up! The perfect way to get a light but protein rich meal.

This one is a little different to my normal tomato based soups and is a beautiful creamy white which a beautiful creamy texture to match.  This a beany based soup that I made earlier this week, but for those who read the update to my challenge...you should be seeing a lot more lentil and tofu based recipes in the coming days.

Don't ask why there are mushrooms on the side...I just fancied them and they looked nice! (they are not in the soup itself)

My soups often tell a lot about the contents of my fridge and on this occasion I had a surplus of cauliflower. Throw in some beans, a little onion and some herbs and you are good to go.

When it comes to soups I do love my Thermomix as it literally does everything for me! It chops and sautes the onion and then I set it to 100C cook/stir as I prep the remaining ingredients, then I throw those in too and increase the speed to chop them up a little before reducing back down to 'stir' mode and adding the veg stock to simmer for as long as necessary, then with one final blend you have a silky smooth soup. It totally frees me up to get on with washing up and photo shoot prepping. It's also particularly good for recipes that need to be stirred more constantly, like risotto or polenta.

That said, soup making is not difficult in any situation...a big pot and hand blender is usually all you really need, and since I know most of you don’t have a Thermomix, I tend to write up my recipes accordingly, just thought I’d share that little explanation with you.

I recently had a reader request to share some videos on my blog...in particular the ‘legendary’ TM in action. Videos are something  I’ve never considered before- a whole new world to me. I will see what I can set up in the next few weeks once I transition my blog to it’s new platform...that’s taking a lot longer than I originally anticipated (isn’t that always the way!)  but hopefully it won’t be too much longer!

Recipe: Cauliflower and white bean soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 ½ cups cauliflower

1 400g can cooked white beans (i.e cannellini or butter beans)

1 small white onion- sliced

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic- crushed

2 ½ cups vegetable stock

1tsp mixed dried herbs

Fresh parsley to garnish- optional

Method

Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and cook for approx. 5-6 minutes until beginning to soften.

Meanwhile saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 4-5 minutes until soft.

Add the onion, dried herbs and can of beans and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and blend the soup until smooth.

Serve immediately garnished with parsley or other herbs as desired.

 
For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Roasted cauliflower salad

This was my lunch yesterday...it was delicious, so much so I might make it again today as I have the remainder of the cauliflower that needs using up.

I love roasted cauliflower. It's one of those vegetables you often don't think to roast, I'm more used to roasting root vegetables, but in recent months i've recently taken a liking to all things cauliflower...

...Even in more unusual ways, like my baked banana bread oatmeal and this risotto.

The original recipe came from the BBC Food website, as it popped up when I was having a browse for salad recipes of a little more unusual variety. I changes a few of the flavours up a bit and i found it didn't take as long to cook as they'd suggested...so it is a pretty speedy dish. The perfect light lunch or side dish. I made a single serving but I have doubled the quantities below to serve two since that may be more likely. You can use herbs of your choice although I loved the rosemary in this dish, it had a real strength of flavour that was a great compliment.

Recipe: Roasted cauliflower salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower- chopped into small florets
a little olive oil- to coat cauliflower
1 small red onion- sliced thinly
2 tbs balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp agave-mixed together
small handful raisins
2 tbs flakes almonds (toasted or natural)
handful of fresh rosemary
2 handfuls spinach or salad leaves (I used a salad mix)

Method:

Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil in a medium bowl, seasons with salt and pepper.

Lay in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake at 180C for approx. 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the onion and toss with the oil remnants n the same bowl that the cauliflower was in. After 10 minutes the onion to the cauliflower tray and continue to bake for approx. 10 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile prepare the balsamic/agave mix and add the raisins to soak.

Pile a handful of spinach/salad on each serving plate, and pile the cauliflower mix on top. Finish with the raisin dressing and a sprinkle of almonds and fresh rosemary.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Chocolate mousse pie...two ways!

This month is 'super healthy month' ...so why the chocolate?

Baked mousse pie with gooey centre

Three reasons:

1- I actually made this pie over Christmas but ran out of time to post it. (See the christmas props!)

2- This pie filling is super low in fat so perfect after a period of over indulgence in fat laden foods

3- I did say i'd throw a few sweets in here and there...this is your first offering!

The inspiration for this recipe original came from here. I kept the recipe for the pie filling largely the same and created my own oat crust which I really love. I also then went further still and tried a baked option, this was so that I had more versatility in how I presented the pie and its crust....the unbaked veraion was tricky to remove from the dish (my fault for using a dish without a removable bottom to help 'poke' it up) and would have been impossible if the crust did not cover the sides as well, whereas with the baked version even though the crust is used as a base only the sealed baked sides are still easy to remove from the pan....plus its still lovely and gooey inside. 

Take your pick or use mini pie dishes (like I did) and try both options with the one recipe! You can also team this filling with your own favourite pie crust if you prefer.   Add any toppings you fancy...I opted for hazelnut chunks for the baked version as these were nicely roasted as the pie baked, and then I added some coconut flakes for the un-baked version.

Un-baked chocolate coconut pie

Recipe: Chocolate mousse pie

Ingredients- pie filling:

1/3 cup agave and 1/2 tsp stevia

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup cornflour (cornstarch for non-UK readers)

1/3 cup cooked mashed potato (regular white potato)

2 cups soy milk (or other non-dairy of choice)

3 tbs almond flour

pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp nutritional yeast extract (optional for a slightly more 'buttery' flavour

toppings of choice

Ingredients- oat crust:

1 cup coarse oat flour (I ground my own)

1/2 cup almond or cashew nut butter

3tbs brown rice syrup (its thicker than agave and better suited)

3 tbs chia or flax

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Blend all of the pie filling ingredients together to achieve a smooth 'batter'. Transfer to a sauce pan and bring to boil and then simmer for a minute until the mixture just thickens. 

Allow to cool and thicken further, stir occasionally to prevent a skin forming on the surface. This filing can be used 'raw' or baked.

Meanwhile, whilst the mixture cools make the crust by mixing all the ingredients in a food processor so that they are well mixed and begin to form a ball, the mixture should be quite tacky.

Crumble the mixture evenly into a pie dish and press firmly to fill the base and edges as desired.

Pre-bake the pie crust for 10 mins if baking the filling also, or bake for 20 mins until golden if filling with raw mousse. For the baked mousse pie, fill and bake for a further 10 minutes until the edges are sealed.

For more healthy pies, tarts and crumbles check out the collection!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

DAY TWENTY SIX: Pumpkin granola

whoop whoop granola time.  Oh the excitement…! (time for a few explanation marks too, I just can’t help myself!!)

I had lots of pumpkin puree left after blending up this soup ‘bowl’ and I’ve been having fun using it up.  I froze it in silicone cupcake  trays and then popped them out once frozen for easy storage (and to save on using lots of freezer bags).

My go to granola recipe is usually this gingerbread granola or the fruity nutty variety, but you know what, I think I quite the autumnal spices going on here!  I baked the dried cranberries in with the mixture, which is ok but they do have a tendency to get a little burnt before the granola has crisped up since I like chunky granola clusters so it takes that bit longer to cook. You’d be fine if you went for a less chunky granola, otherwise maybe add them in afterwards.  There is not oil in this recipe which makes for a lovely chewy granola, feel free to add a couple of tablespoons of melted coconut oil if you fancy a little more bite.

My favourite way to serve this granola was as a breakfast bowl with soy yoghurt and fresh pear chunks. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon or ginger over the top and you are good to go!

Recipe: pumpkin granola

Makes one large bowlful

Ingredients

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbs maple syrup and 1/6^th tsp stevia

1 ½ cup oats

½ cup pumpkin seeds

4 tbs flax or ground chia

¼ cup walnut pieces

¼ cups dates or dried cranberries –chopped

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp mixed spice

¼ tsp salt

Method:

Mix the pumpkin puree, vanilla, maple syrup and stevia together in a small bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl and then add the wet mixing until everything is well coated. Spoon onto 2 lightly greased baking sheets making sure a thin even layer with some clumpy bits if preferred. Bake at 170C for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden. Allow to cool fully before storage. Stores in cupboard for a few weeks.

What Vegan MOFO means to me.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.