Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Cranberry Christmas Cake

 

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I don’t have much time to write today, but in the spirit of Christmas I’ll leave you all with a great Christmas recipe that I came across a few weeks back and after trying it and eating the whole cake in less than 3 days I can tell you that it is completely approved! Smile

You can easily substitute fresh cranberries for frozen and if cannot find or don’t like cranberries, just use whatever you have at hand: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, nuts, candied fruits, or whatever smells like Christmas to you. Also, remember to use only organic ingredients for a healthier and tastier cake.

Enjoy the recipe and Merry Christmas/ Happy holidays to all!

Cranberry Christmas Cake

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Ingredients:

3 eggs

2 cups sugar (I used organic cane sugar – demerara)

3/4 cup butter (melted but not hot)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

12 oz. fresh cranberries

1/2 tsp baking soda

 

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 F.

Grease a 9X13 inch pan with butter.

Using a stand mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar together in high speed until very fluffy and white. (about 10 minutes) – ribbon stage

Add the melted butter and the vanilla and keep beating in medium speed until incorporated.

Add the flour and baking soda together and beat just until incorporated.

Add the fresh cranberries and mix by hand.

Pour over the buttered pan and spread with a spatula. It’s quite thick, similar to a brownie batter.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Allow it to cool completely before cutting.

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Healthy Pizza Crust


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So I saw a picture of a pizza dough made with cauliflower last week that looked amazing and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about so I decided to give it a try.
Well, what can I say….. it really is delicious and it does look very good, but I gotta say, it doesn’t substitute pizza at all. At least not for me! If you’re craving pizza, just have a slice of the real thing because this one will not do. But, if you’re up for something fun to make, absolutely delicious and very different and healthy, than yes, you should definitely try this recipe.
This one is my version as I adapted the original recipe by adding a few ingredients and the toppings. *Remember to always use organic ingredients*.
Hope you all enjoy as a substitute for pizza or just a great snack!

Cauliflower pizza with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and arugula

Ingredients:
for the dough:
1 cauliflower (roasted with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, 2 bay leaves and freshly grated nutmeg)
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup shredded mozzarella
for the toppings:
Tomato sauce
5 –6 sun dried tomatoes
6-7 artichokes
1 extra cup shredded mozzarella
fresh arugula

Directions:
Roast the cauliflower until very soft.
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Using a food processor, purée the cauliflower.
Add 2 eggs and pulse all together.
Add flour and mozzarella and a little salt and mix.
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Spread this dough over a pizza pan/tray lined with parchment paper. Use the back of a wooden spoon to create the desired shape.
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Bake it for about 20 minutes on a 375 F oven.
Take it out of the oven and add all the other ingredients (tomato sauce, mozzarella, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes), except for the fresh arugula.
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Bake it for another 30 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.
Add the fresh arugula and serve it hot.
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