Beetroot, chocolate and blueberry loaf with zesty, vanilla ricotta icing

I have a thing for beetroot but unfortunately my husband doesn't. I like to use it many different ways just to see if I can convince him. I have grated it through salads, roasted with some of his faves (think sweet potato and zucchini) and blended it with Greek yoghurt to make a dip. After all that, he STILL doesn't like beetroot....SO, I thought I would make him a cake. Everyone likes cake right?

There are many recipes around for beetroot cake but this is my interpretation. Do you think my husband liked it? 

NOPE....he didn't. But I hope your family likes it just as much as I did.

This recipe is gluten free for those requiring a gluten free diet and packs in the goodness through the beets, blueberries and ricotta.

Ingredients - Serves  12

2 Large beetroots, grated raw with skin

3 Eggs

 1 Teaspoon vanilla essence or vanilla bean paste

 ¼ Teaspoon of salt

 1 ½ Cups ground almond meal

¼ Cup of cocoa powder

¼ Cup olive oil

¼ Cup honey

1 Cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or substitute for raspberries)

1 Teaspoon baking powder

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced.

Combine raw beetroot, eggs, vanilla, ground almonds, cocoa powder, honey, oil and baking powder into a large bowl.

Fold through ¾ cup of the blueberries.

Spoon mixture into a paper lined loaf tin.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from the oven and cool for approximately 15-20 minutes in the tin then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool.

Zesty ricotta icing

Ingredients

250g Low fat ricotta

2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract/essence

Zest of a lemon

Lemon juice from ¼ of a lemon – or to taste

Method

While the loaf is cooling, combine the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and spread over the loaf.

Top with remaining berries and some lemon zest if desired.

SANTORINI FAVA

Last year while on holidays, my husband and I made a little stop at Santorini, one of the most beautiful Greek Islands.

Santorini blew us away with the most amazing views and fresh Mediterranean eats.

Most of you will know my love for the Mediterranean way of eating, which I spoke about earlier this week on the blog. A love certainly for the many healthy benefits it provides, but also for its fresh, simple nature and a philosophy that encourages people to share, enjoy and celebrate food and family.

One of my favourite Mediterranean dishes was the Santorini specialty called fava. A dish traditionally made with the broad bean, is now made with yellow split peas and is served as an appetitzer (mezi) with crusty bread or as a feature in a share plate.

Fava from a little restaurant that we visited

This simple dish exhibits some of the features of the Mediterranean way of eating that makes it such a healthy eating pattern for us to follow - legumes and olive oil, LOTS OF OLIVE OIL...

After enjoying a few dishes of fava during my stay I was so keen to come home and try to replicate this dish. So here is my interpretation of Santorini fava.

My version of Santorini fava

Ingredients

1 cup of yellow split peas

1 onion, 2/3 finely chopped and 1/3 thinly sliced

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, pressed and chopped roughly

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil + extra to drizzle once serving (don't use the 'light' stuff)

Sea salt to season

Lemon juice

Method

Rinse the yellow split peas.

Add rinsed split peas, garlic, bay leaves and 3 cups of water to a saucepan.

Bring to the boil, and then reduce heat to simmer for approximately 25-35 minutes – or once tender and mushy.

After about 15 minutes of simmering add the 2/3 of chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with a small amount of sea salt and stir until combined.

When the split peas are tender, remove bay leaves and blend until a smooth mixture forms – you can add some extra water if you would like a runnier texture.

Serve in a bowl, top with a squeeze of lemon  (as much as desired – I like about ½ a lemon), a good drizzle of olive oil and the thinly sliced onion.

You can serve this warm or cold.

In Santorini it is served as an appetiser with crusty bread. You could also use it as a dip or spread for vegetable sticks, wholegrain crisp bread, rice cakes or rice crackers.

Enjoy! 

RICOTTA FILLED BAKED PEARS

I have to admit, I have never loved pears. NEVER! They would have been the last fruit that I chose to eat when I was younger.

I have now learnt to love pears. LOVE!

Not the way that nature intended for us to love them, but a love all the same.

My way is a little more indulgent and involves red wine (think poached pears) or flake chocolate (think sprinkles of flake chocolate over ricotta filled baked pears)....YES this is the recipe that I am going to share.

This recipe is quick to prepare and is a delicious way to get the family to eat a piece of fruit. 

Ingredients (serves 4-8)

4 large firm pears, halved
1 cup of of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (this is a lot so you can always reduce this quantity to taste)

Serving options - honey, grated dark chocolate, Cadbury flake chocolate

Methods

Preheat the oven to 180° and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Scoop out the seeds of the pears, leaving a small hole that can be stuffed with the ricotta mixture.
Combine the ricotta, walnuts and cinnamon.
Spoon the ricotta mixture into the pear hollows.
Place on the baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pears are tender.

You can serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey. If you want to be more indulgent and use this as a dessert, grate dark chocolate or sprinkle flake chocolate over the pear and serve on its own or with a scoop of ice-cream.

I will leave that one up to you!

Beet & Lentil Salad

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 medium-large beetroots, leave skin on

 1 cup of brown or black lentils

 ½ of a fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Seeds from 1 pomegranate (or thinly sliced pear when pomegranates aren't in season)

2 large handfuls of greens – either rocket, baby spinach, thinly sliced kale or the beetroot greens from the bunch

½ bunch of loosely chopped flat parsley leaves

50g of crumbled feta if desired

Simple dressing

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (fan forced).

Wrap beet bulbs individually in foil and cook for 45-60 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, cook lentils in enough boiling water for about 20-25 minutes.

Once lentils are cooked and drained, combine with the fennel, pomegranate seeds, greens and parsley.

When the beetroot has cooled, peel skin and chop into chunks and add to the lentil mix.

Make dressing and gently stir through the dish.

Serve in individual bowls or on a large platter and top with feta if using.

A few notes about this beautiful dish:

• This is a great dish to make at the start of the week and enjoy for lunches.
• Lentils are a great vegetarian meat alternative, providing protein and low GI carbs, therefore leaving you full and satisfied!
• This dish is gluten free for those requiring a gluten free diet.
• The plant compounds that make beetroot the beetroot the colour that it is, packs powerful antioxidants.

• The different textures help us slow it down, chew thoroughly and take our time to eat.