“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
Jim Davis
Saw something stunning the other day – Zucchini & Orange Marmalade Tea Cake. The minute I saw it at Manggy’s No Special Effects,I could hear Ten in 10 yelling at the back of my head. Having made a Chocolate Zucchini Cake in the past, and the children not figuring that out was a gleeful experience. But I hardly ever make that one because of all the butter it takes to make the cake luscious and delectable.
So when I read that Manggy had made this cake probably 4 times in nearly two months, it was bookmarked in my head. They say that the brain can remeber just about 140 friends on social networking sites, and more than that is forgotten. I’m not really sure about that, because I remember more frineds than those on Twitter, and have even more recipes stashed away in my mind. I’m quite past filing them away on the PC because I just can’t ever seem to find them.
My new mental filing system is good so far. I had this Zucchini Tea Bread in my Ten in 10 folder. What added to the joy was that I had a couple of jars of fab homemade bitter orange marmalade, some waiting to jump right into this tea bread. The daughter loves orange/marmalade anything, so I thought I could pull this off. Veggies in there and no butter. This is as healthy as cake can get this end with veggies within!
Scared of the kids detecting zucchini and running a few miles had me hypnotically adding some dark chocolate chips. I like walnuts in tea breads, even thought the daughter doesn’t seem to care for them. Crossroads as always with nutty decisions… Truth be told, I just thought if she gets the chocolate chips in there that she so loves, then she shall need to learn to live with walnuts too. Oh the lessons in life I dream of teaching them through food…he he!Might I add, a lot of them backfire!!
The response was very good. Mr PAB loved the cake. The daughter asked for a second slice, and then a third, and she liked it enough to ask for 2 more the next day. That was be a good enough verdict! The son was a bit iffy about it, but ate it happily just the same. He thought it was a fruit cake!
Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cake Recipe adapted minimally from Manggy @ No Special Effects Adapted fromTartine
1 & 3/4 cup s + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 small ones)
1/2 cup orange marmalade
3/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
Method:
Spray, line, and spray again a 23cm x 12.5cm (9×5 inch) loaf pan and set aside (you can also just spray if you’re confident about your pan’s non-stickiness).
Preheat the oven to 175°C.
Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Mix all the remaining ingredients (except the walnuts, if using) in a large bowl until combined (no giant lumps of marmalade at least).
Sift the dry ingredients into it and stir until just combined (don’t worry about it being smooth, just be gentle). Stir in the walnuts if using. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle the top with the about 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar.
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
“Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite.”
Auguste Escoffier
Just when we thought that winter was finally on it’s way out, it snowed in the hills up North, & the temperatures here in the plains plummeted. Shiver me timbers…brrrrrrrr…so back it was to slurping hot soup & being bundled into duvets again! The daughter will NOT touch soup in any avatar, but the son loves a hearty tomato soup & I make it often. This time I tried a different one because I had zucchini & wondered how the zucchini would feel to share space with tomatoes! Nudge, nudge…donno about the zucchini, but the soup sure tasted good, & the tomatoes looked happy in there. The son’s had it on 3 occasions, 2 cups each time, with a generous smattering of baked croutons. Then yesterday he asked me if I had posted it, & also asked for the recipe. ??? hmmmmmm…GULP! Should I or shouldn’t I come clean & tell him the soup had ‘green’s? The question haunted me for a while, & then I thought, Why not?. So, I gingerly showed him pictures of the soup & the ingredients, & surprisingly he didn’t as much as bat an eyelid. All he nonchalantly said was, “Oh, what’s that? I didn’t taste the zucchini! Maybe it doesn’t have any taste.” All’s well, that ends well…& this one certainly did. The croutons are yummy, baked, & crisp! My croutons are now always either of multi grain bread or brown bread, whichever is on hand, & only baked. I stopped frying them ages ago.I think these croutons would do well tossed in a salad too!!
TOMATO & ZUCCHINI SOUP My recipe Ingredients: Tomatoes – 8 medium; cut into 4 quarters Zucchini – 1/ roughly chopped Spring onions with greens – 4 Onion – 1 medium; chopped fine Garlic – 2 cloves, chopped Garlic – 4 cloves, whole Butter – 1 tbsp Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper Cream & fresh basil for garnishing
Method:
Heat butter in a heavy bottom pan (or pressure cooker which is what I use), & saute the chopped garlic & onion will light pink.
Add the rest of the veggies, add salt to taste, add about 1 cup of water, & cook till done (under pressure for 5-7 minutes).
Once cool, blend & strain.
Heat through & serve with a swirl of low fat cream, baked croutons & a sprig of basil.
OVEN BAKED HERBED CROUTONS My recipe Ingredients: Whole-wheat brown bread – 4 slices, cut into small pieces Oregano or grill seasoning – 1 tbsp Oil – 1 tbsp Method:
Toss all ingredients well. Spread out evenly in a cookie tray & bake in a preheated oven at 180C till golden brown & crisp / 15-20 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t get too dark/ burnt.
“Light, refined, learned and noble, harmonious and orderly, clear and logical, the cooking of France is, in some strange manner, intimately linked to the genius of her greatest men.”
Rouff Marcel
Salut! There’s a new event at Antonio Tahan’s blog that has had me inspired ever since I read about it. A Taste of the Mediterranean… … “The premise of this culinary excursion is to virtually travel to the different regions of the Mediterranean through food and our blogs. Hold on, it gets better. Each month a traditional dish of the region we are visiting will be presented.” “The first challenge for A Taste of the Mediterranean is a stop-over at France this January, where you create your own tart, sweet or savory.”January has been a devilishly busy month & time is flying by at an astonishing speed. It’s never been so hurried before, but this is one post that has to be put out. Here is my twist to the classic French pastry dough, pate brisée. I desperately wanted to use my new rectangular tart pan that I bought from Sydney in November, & savoury was on my mind. January has been sugar high until now, & this tart seems to be just what the doc ordered!! C’étaitdélicieux! Buckwheat made an entry back into my life just at the end of last year… here, when we returned from Sydney. It’s been a fun journey experimenting & baking with this nutty flour. The texture of this flour is slightly sandy, & adds a characteristic crunch to baked goods. Healthy too, as I tread carefully, trying to incorporate it in Savoury Herb Creame Cheese Crackers here, in NibblyBuckwheat Chocolate-chip Cookies here, & now in the pastry dough for this savoury tart. The tart shell came out nice & crisp…nibbly & delicious. It’s a wonderful pastry base if you are looking at weaning off plain flour, & exploring alternative grains.
My romance with balsamicvinegar also began sometime last year when I found this yummy Balsamic Tomato Bruischetta at Nic @ Cherrapeno & some fabulous Balsamic & Herb Grilled Chicken@ Proud Italian Cook that Marie posted. The aged vinegar adds a good punch to food. I love the flavours it draws out. A marriage of buckwheat tart & balsamic marinated roasted bell peppers & mushrooms made this tart delicious? TresBien!
The tart can be made in advance, like a quiche. Sliced & served as finger food, packed in the picnic basket, or included in the snack box…it’s good!! I made 2 variants. The very veggie laden one for us with sliced zucchinis in the base, & then everything mixed together sans zucchini one for the kids. The hub loved both, but I preferred the kids version where the creamy mix was flavoured with the marinated & cooked peppers & mushrooms. The pastry can also be made in advance, & the shell frozen too for future use. I prefer a thin pastry so I rolled out 2 shells. SAVOURY BUCKWHEAT VEGETABLE TART
My own recipe…
Pastry for tart shell Makes 2 thin crust rectangular pastry shells
Ingredients: Buckwheat flour – 1 cup Flour – 1 cup Butter – 1/2 cup; chilled Salt – 1 tsp Freshly ground Pepper 2-3 tbsps of chilled water
Method:
Put the flours + salt + pepper with chilled butter into food processor. Pulse short durations till breadcrumbs mixture forms.
Add chilled water gradually & pull together to form a firm dough. Don’t over knead, or the crust will become tough. Divide into 2 patties, cling wrap & chill for 15 minutes & roll out thin to line the tart pan.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Bake blind for 15 minutes, & then remove pie weights / beans & bake for another 10 minutes to allow pastry to dry out & become crisp.
The pastry was really good enough to nibble away on its own…light & oh-s0-crisp!!
Filling: Enough for 2 thin crust savoury tarts Ingredients: Curd cheese – Made from 1 kg of curd hung for 24 hours, (or you can use cream cheese) Low fat cream – 150ml Eggs – 2 Cheese – 100-150 gms; grated Red bell pepper – 1 Yellow bell pepper -1 Button mushrooms – 200gms; finely sliced Balsamic vinegar – 2 tsps Splash of red wine (optional) Olive oil – 2 tsps Demerera sugar – 1 tsp Garlic – 1 head (roasted) Salt & pepper to taste Method:
Roast the bell peppers & garlic in the oven for 30 minutes a 180C. Turn the peppers over 2-3 times to ensure even char-grilling. Remove from oven, & shut the peppers in a baggie till cool. Then remove outer skin & seeds, & chop up.
Squeeze all the garlic out, with whatever juices. (I usually keep a small tub of roasted garlic with olive oil & freshly ground black pepper in the fridge.)
Toss the roasted garlic, bell peppers & mushrooms into a pan. Add 1 tsp of olive oil, the balsamicvinegar & a splash of red wine (about 1/4 cup).
Stir well on high heat till all the juices have been absorbed & the mushrooms are cooked through & wilted. Season with salt & freshly ground pepper. (This can be made in advance)
Version 1:
Slice 1 zucchini & line the base of 1 of the tart shells. Top with half the bell pepper/mushroom mix. Top with half the cheese/egg mix, grate a little cheddar over it.
Bake at 180C for 30-40 minutes till set. Rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
Version 2:
Take the remaining bell pepper/mushroom mix & mix it well into the cheese/egg mixture. (I added some extra cheese, sweetcorn & oregano for the kids.)
Fill into the pastry shell, top with thickly sliced tomatoes, grate cheese over the top. Bake at 180C for 30-40 minutes till set. Rest at least 30 minutes before slicing up. (I made this 3 hours before the kids ate it for dinner)
Bonappetit!This is also headed for Original Recipes @ Culinarty for Lore’s event.
“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
Jim Davis
Have a question … CAN YOU CONSPIRE WITH ZUCCHINI?Are you like me, terrified of the mere thought of being discovered sneaking shredded greens into chocolate cake? Elle’s New England Kitchen post made me conspire. Some time back she made this Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, swore her elder 2 into silence, & fed the cake to the other 2. No-one noticed anything amiss, zucchini was far from their minds. Mental note made when I read her post, ‘this I had to make’; though I was very underconfident, & had some extra conspiring to do. I have 2 kids … Elle has 4; so I decided to hide the zucchini from both mine. And then there was the hub hanging around too … had to hide the blessed veggie from him too. He did look at me strangely though when I ran from room to room trying to take pictures of chocolate cake & zucchini. Fortunately for me, he leaves me to my adventures & misadventures now!
I made 1 loaf cake & 3 little mini bundts. Wanted to finally inaugurate the mini bundt cake pans my elder sis had sent last year. I thought they looked really cute & was dying to use them.
My hearts’ still beating fast; even the green feeling when the cakes were out & sitting pretty on the counter, waiting for the kids to get back from school & do the honours, make me shiver.
Excuses flew thick & fast through my head…
‘Oh the green thingies in the cake? Oh, that’s just pistachios!’,
‘What green are you talking about?’,
‘I can’t see any green’,
‘It’s just a regular chocolate cake!’…
Shouldn’t have bothered actually; didn’t really need any of those excuses!! Sailed through like the perfect conspirator, coz the kids were far too busy enjoying the chocolaty goodness of this moist cake, & there I was panicky for nothing at all!! THIS WAS A GOOD, MOIST, DELICIOUSLY CHOCOLATY CAKE!! They still don’t know…LOL, though I let the hub in on my secret!! Thanks for posting this one Elle!!Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake adapted fromElle’s New England Kitchen & she adapted it from Food Network Kitchens Makes 1 loaf & 3 mini bundt cakes, or 2 loaves
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (NOT dutch process) 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 cup oil 2 large eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups zucchini, unpeeled and shredded (I used 1 8-10″ long zucchini) 1 cup dark chocolate chips Method:
Heat oven to 180°C. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans/bundt tins.
Whisk the flour with the cocoa and baking soda in a medium size bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in a medium bowl with a mixer on med high until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
While you’re mixing, drizzle in the oil, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk.
Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.
Fold in the zucchini and chocolate., & divide the batter into the pans.
Bake until tester comes out clean, about 55 minutes. (be careful, the tester may look chocolaty from the chocolate in the bread–don’t over bake)
Cool in pans on rack before removing and slicing. (I took them out in about 15 minutes though)
