Belated Birthday Cake with a Side of Fresh Fruits and Veggies

This past weekend I went to Michigan to see some family and get out of the city for a bit. It was a lovely little visit filled with fresh veggies and fruit, family history, games and baking. My cousin and I baked this delicious Chocolate Mousse cake to celebrate our birthdays. Not everyone was around to eat it, but it was still scrumptious!

When I got home, I decided to try this enchilada recipe I've been hanging on to for a while. I found it on Pinterest and it looked like it would be fun to try. I had bought the rhubarb and swiss chard the week before but hadn't had time to make them until I returned from my trip. They sure are yummy, if a little unique.

The last two recipes are things I made in the last few weeks but forgot to post. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse Cake 

Inspired by Lulu at Home

(Multiple servings, including 1 serving of fruit) 

Cake:

1 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 cup Butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2/3 cup Buttermilk (or 2 Tbsp Sour Cream mixed with 2/3 cup Water)

Chocolate Mousse:

200 grams of Dark Chocolate

4 Eggs

150 ml Whipping Cream (very cold)

4 Tbsp Espresso

1 Tbsp Vanilla

2 tsp Sugar

Blueberries, peaches or nectarines for decoration

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan or an angelfood cake pan. Set aside.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

With electric beater, mix the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and continue mixing. Add eggs, one at a time. Continue beating for around 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternate to butter mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely.

To prepare mousse, make a double boiler and bring the water to a soft simmer. Put the chocolate in a heat resistant bowl and leave to melt. Put a mixing bowl in the freezer.

Split the eggs and whip the egg yolks with the sugar till it becomes light and creamy. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla and espresso.

Put the cream in the bowl that came out of the freezer and whip until it becomes stiff. Add the cream to the chocolate mixture and combine with a spatula until it becomes one liquid.

Beat the egg whites until it becomes stiff and forms peak and add that to the chocolate mixture.

Pour the chocolate mixture onto the cool cake.

Keep in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Decorate with fruit just before serving.

Swiss Chard and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Rhubarb Sauce

Inspired by Naturally Ella

(3 servings, including three servings of fruits and vegetables)

Sauce:

2 cups diced Rhubarb

1/4 medium Onion

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Chipotle powder

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/4 cup Chicken broth (homemade and stored in freezer)

1/2 cup Water

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Enchiladas:

1 can low sodium Black Beans

1-2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Garlic powder

2 cups Swiss Chard, washed well and chopped

4-6 low sodium Whole Wheat Tortillas

Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 375˚.

In a larger pot, heat olive oil over medium. Add in onions and saute until the onions become translucent. Stir in rhubarb and continue to cook until rhubarb begins to soften. Next, add remaining ingredients. Stir and bring sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let cook for 10-15 minutes. Rhubarb will begin to break down and sauce will smooth out.

For filling, heat beans (and their liquid), lemon juice and garlic in a medium skillet.  Remove the swiss chard stem and shred greens. Add to beans and cook until barely begins to wilt.

To assemble enchiladas, spread 1/4 cup the rhubarb sauce in the bottom of an 8×8 pan (or something similar.) Spread one Tbsp of sour cream on tortilla, add 1/4 cup bean mixture and roll. Repeat until beans are gone. Cover with remaining rhubarb sauce. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Lemon Blueberry Puffed Pancake

3 Eggs

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 cup Flour

2 Tbsp Butter, melted

1/3 cup Blueberries

1 Tbsp Lemon juice.

Powdered Sugar

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Beat eggs and add milk. Sift in flour. Whisk until well combined. Add lemon juice and blueberries. Grease baking pan with melted butter.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down heat to 325 and bake for about 10 more minutes, or until pancake is puffed and browned. 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Sweet Potato, White Bean and Green Bean Salad with Leafy Greens

Dressing:

1 Tbsp dried parsley

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tsp. Garlic powder

1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed

1/2 a Purple Onion

2 cups Green Beans, fresh or frozen

1 can of White (Cannellini) Beans

2 bags/boxes Leafy Greens (Spinach, Arugala, Lettuce)

Boil sweet potatoes until just beginning to soften. Then transfer to oiled pan and roast in oven until browned on edged. Meanwhile, sauté onions and green beans. Add white beans and cook until beans are warmed.

Allow heated vegetables to cool. Combine with greens and pour on dressing.

What happens when fruits meet vegetables, and other un-seasonable recipes

I am continually on the hunt for a healthy pancake recipe. Looking through Pinterest, I know they're out there, but I wanted something unique. So I created my own, and they turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. next is a creamy pesto with some rather unique ingredients. It's not my best concoction, but it was fun to make. And soup! I know it's still summer, but I was in the mood for a good soup, so I crockpotted (new verb?) a chicken last week to make some broth and bought all the right ingredients (at the same time not knowing what type of soup I was going to make--don't you love it when that happens?) Anyway, as if the weather knew my cooking plans, this week is rather chilly and damp. Perfect soup weather! The last recipe comes from my impromptu desire for fried rice. It's a rather odd combination of things, but it tastes pretty wonderful. Enjoy!

Strawberry-Zucchini Oatmeal Pancakes

2 servings (including two servings of fruit and vegetables)

2 eggs
1/3 cup. Oil
2/3 cup. Milk
2 tsp. Lemon juice
2 cups oats, ground in a food processor/blender so as to resemble flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
about 1/2 cup shredded Zucchini

5-6 Strawberries, diced

Butter or cooking spray

In a medium bowl, mix wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients on top and lightly sift. Stir well so that oats absorb liquid. Add strawberries and zucchini.

Fry in a buttered skillet. Serve with Butter or Jam.

Creamy Pasta with Zucchini-Kale Pesto

1 serving (includes three servings of vegetables)

1/2 cup Whole Wheat Pasta

1 cup Milk

Kale

Zucchini

Onion

Lemon Juice

Olive Oil

Dried Basil

Garlic Powder

Black Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

In a medium sauce pan, combine milk and pasta. Bring to a simmer and immediately reduce heat and cover for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is soft.

In a blender/food processor, combine onion, zucchini and kale. Chop finely. Add lemon juice, olive oil, spices and parmesan and blend once more.

Pour over pasta and enjoy!

  

White Bean and Kale Italian Soup

Multiple Servings (includes three servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Red Onion, chopped

Zucchini, chopped

Corn, frozen or fresh

Garlic Powder

Paprika

Black Pepper

Ground Sage

Marjoram

Parsley

1 can of Diced Tomatoes, no salt added

24 oz (3 cups) Homemade Chicken Broth

1 cup water

2-3 cups Kale, chopped

2 cups white Beans, either Cannellini or Great Northern (canned or dried and cooked the night before)

2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp White Vinegar

Parmesan or Romano cheese

In large soup pot, sauté vegetables in olive oil. Add spices and herbs and continue to cook until begins to brown. Add tomatoes, broth and water. Stir well. Add beans, kale and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Asian Apricot-Ginger Dirty Rice

1 serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

1/4 cup Rice

Sesame Oil

Onion, chopped

Asparagus, chopped

Carrots, chopped

Peas

Corn

Chicken, cubed

Garlic Powder

Ginger Powder

Paprika

Black Pepper

Oregano

Basil

1 Tbsp Apricot Jam

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Spicy Brown Mustard

1 Tbsp Butter

In a small sauce pan, cook rice according to package instructions.

Sauté vegetables and chicken in small amount of sesame oil. Add spices and herbs. Add rice and continue to cook until begins to brown. In the rice pan, combine apricot jam, lemon juice and mustard. Pour over rice mixture. Add butter (Why? Because it's delicious.) and serve.

Cornmeal, Chicken, and a little bit of Color

This last week I've been watching Season 3 of Master Chef on Hulu. It's been pretty intense. I would honestly hate to be under so much pressure to cook an amazing meal. I like the slow-and-steady-wins-the-race method, myself. But I have enjoyed seeing the ingenuity and passion of the home-cooks on the show. It's been inspirational. Here are a few recipes from this last week. As you'll see, cornmeal has been a staple. And I have no problem with that.

Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes

2 servings (includes two servings of fruit and vegetables)

1 Egg

1/4 cup Apple Sauce

2 Tbsp Sour Cream

1/4-1/2 cup Water

2 Tbsp Oil

1/4 cup Cornmeal

1/2 cup Masa Flour

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Soda

Frozen Blueberries

Butter

In a medium bowl, mix together wet ingredients. Pour in flour and corn meal. Add sugar and baking soda, sifting dry ingredients lightly with teaspoon. Stir everything until just blended. Add more water is needed. Stir in blueberries.

Heat skillet. Melt butter. Pour in batter. Flip when pancake begins to bubble. Cook until lightly browned.

Serve with Apricot Jam and Butter.

Cornmeal Flatbread Caprese Pizza

1 serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

1/4 cup Cornmeal

1/2 cup Masa Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 cup Water

1 Tbsp. Oil

1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic

Black Pepper

Fresh Basil

Fresh Thyme

Tomato, sliced

Asparagus, chopped

Mozzarella Cheese, cubed

Mix together dough ingredients. Pat out on greased pan. Sprinkle on oil, vinegar, spices and herbs. Add chopped asparagus, sliced tomatoes and cubed mozzarella.

Cook at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.

Vindaloo Chicken and Zucchini over Couscous

1 serving (includes 2 servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Garlic

Onion, chopped

Zucchini, sliced

Chicken, cubed (Cooked in a Crockpot the night before)

Oregano

Vindaloo Spice (coriander, garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, mustard, cayenne, jalapeno, cardamom, turmeric, and cloves)

Black Pepper

Balsamic Vinegar

Couscous

Sauté vegetables in small amount of olive oil. Cook couscous according to instructions. Top with vegetables, chicken, spices and vinegar.

Cornmeal Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

1 serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Tortilla Chips, crumbled

Spinach, chopped

Oil

Onions, chopped

Green Bell Peppers, chopped

Tomatoes, diced

Chicken, cubed (Cooked in a Crockpot the night before)

Sour Cream

Garlic Powder

Black Pepper

Chili Powder

Chipotle Powder

Cumin

Cornmeal

Lemon Juice

Saute onions and green peppers in small amount of oil. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine sour cream and spices. Pour in chicken and stir, making sure each piece is well covered. Next, sprinkle chicken with corn meal. Reheat oiled skillet and add chicken. Cook until browned.

Arrange chips, spinach, vegetable and chicken in a bowl and top with lemon juice and a little more sour cream.