We are really into rhubarb at the moment.
It is just such an appealing vegetable: pretty colours (red and green), a veg which is used as a fruit, good in cakes, as a compote with plump raisins, poached with strawberries and served alongside a deliciously wobbly panna cotta or even as a sauce with mackerel/herring/salmon where the astringency cuts beautifully through the oily fish.
So next week we’re baking ……
Rhubarb polenta cake (£ 2.50 each)
These dinky, individual cakes make a great tea-time treat: not too sweet and pleasingly crunchy because of the polenta which usefully soaks up the juices from the rhubarb. They would also work really well as a pudding, perhaps with a drizzle of cream or a blob of mascarpone (or lower fat ricotta).
This cake is make with live bio yoghurt, eggs, polenta and a wheat-free flour blend. Rhubarb is 94% water and therefore extremely low in calories. It is a good source of potassium which works with sodium in the body to regulate fuid balance in the body. The live yoghurt supplies “good” bacteria and prevents the growth of “bad” bacteria. Like other dairy foods, yoghurt is a valuable source of calcium, a mineral essential for healthy bones and teeth.
Nutrition per cake
|
Energy (kcal) |
Protein (g) |
Fat (g) |
Of which saturates (g) |
Carbo- hydrate (g) |
Of which sugars (g) |
Fibre (g) |
Sodium (mg) |
Salt (g) |
|
361 |
6.5 |
13 |
7 |
57 |
34 |
1.5 |
277 |
0.7 |
Dark chocolate & hazelnut brownie (£ 1.50 each)
These don’t really need an introduction….
They are in my modest opinion easily the best, most chocolate-y brownie around. The hazelnuts (which are toasted first to bring out their nuttiness) make a nice change from the ubiquitous walnuts and provide a lovely contrast with the soft brownie.
Dark chocolate is a good source of copper and provides useful amounts of iron. Indeed there is scientific evidence that eating chocolate can be good for you. Studies suggest that people who indulge once in a while tend to be more relaxed and happier….. and medical evidence shows that happy people live longer! Hazelnuts are particularly rich in vitamin E, a powerful anti-oxidant.
Need I say more!
Perhaps, how about a big pile of brownies instead of a pudding or as a birthday cake (very cute with lots of small candles – I have tried it).
Perhaps the “good for everything” brownie should be the image for The Big Treat movement?
Nutrition per brownie
|
Energy (kcal) |
Protein (g) |
Fat (g) |
Of which saturates (g) |
Carbo- hydrate (g) |
Of which sugars (g) |
Fibre (g) |
Sodium (mg) |
Salt (g) |
|
415 |
6 |
27 |
12 |
40 |
32 |
1.5 |
121 |
0.3 |
Orders please by midday Tuesday 23/6 for delivery on Thursday.
Best,
Monique
Savvy Cook's Blog 
hi Savvy Cook. We are expecting a large harvest of plums from our trees later this summer. I plan to make jam with some of them and also some crumble puddings. I wonder whether you might be baking a seasonal plum cake in August or September?, and whether you have a tasty recipe.
warm greetings, Sarah.
We’d love to receive some apples + plums when they are ready….I am working on a couple of new recipes, although some of the simplest things are often the nicest I think. For example, apples baked with a little honey, smear of butter, some cinnamon and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts. I should not wish the summer away, but I find autumn is quite an exciting time in the kitchen: with the colder nights setting in thoughts turn to casseroles and (fruit) puddings. Monique
by the way, Savvy Cook, we would be delighted to send up lots of our apples to you again this September for using in your cakes. warm greetings, Sarah.