Chocolate Beetroot Cake - In My Kitchen, September 2021

             "Food connects people, and the Kitchen is where the magic can happen."                                                                    

There are days when nothing but a rich, moist chocolate cake will do. I'd been wanting to make a Chocolate Beetroot cake for a while, ever since I went out to coffee with some friends at the Soul Food Market in Mackay, North Queensland, where we had a slice of Chocolate Beetroot cake, which was gluten free, lactose free, sugar free, and perhaps egg free, but not delicious free, because as you have probably already guessed, it is a health food shop and a bulk foods shop, which also specialises in vegetarian foods for dine in or take away. It's an amazing little business tucked away in an unpretentious arcade.

There is always a delicious aroma floating out of the front door, with soups and ratatouilles etc cooking on the stove. One of my friends has allergies to everything it seems, so we chose to eat at the Soul Food Market so that she could enjoy something delicious to eat without any after effects.  My Chocolate cake recipe isn't vegetarian or vegan or sugar free but it does contain beetroot, and dark chocolate, both healthy additions, which also makes it exceptionally moist. These comments about the Soul Food Market are purely my own and we all paid for our own morning tea. So here's the recipe my friends, it is adapted from a Taste.com recipe. 

Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Note: This is a one pot saucepan recipe. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (125 ml vegetable oil or light olive oil)

1 cup (220 g) firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) maple syrup

60 g dark chocolate (70 %) chopped

250 g (around 2 cups) raw beetroot, coarsely grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature

1 1/2 cups (225 g) self raising flour  or 1 1/2 cups plain flour sifted with 3 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Ganache

3/4 cup (185 ml) thin cream

150 g dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 tbsp. maple syrup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160 deg. C.

Grease a 20 cm round cakepan and line with baking paper.

On a low heat, warm the oil in a medium size saucepan, which is large enough to hold all of the ingredients when needed.

Add the brown sugar, maple syrup and chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted. Remove saucepan from the heat.

Add the grated beetroot to the pan.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and then add them to the saucepan.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and stir into the cake and beetroot batter.

Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 50 minutes - 1 hour or until the mixture pulls away from the side of the tin and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, before turning out and cooking completely.

Ganache Method:

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over a low heat. 

Stir over a medium-low heat, for 5 minutes, or until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes, when the mixture should thicken slightly, and pour small amounts gradually over the cake. Cover the top of the cake first, and then smooth the ganache around the sides of the cake.

Perfecto.

This post is part of the In My Kitchen series hosted by the lovely Sherry from Sherry's Pickings, where we share lots of interesting stories from our kitchens over the last month. Today is the deadline to post so my apologies that this might be a bit of a rush job.

Cumquat Marmalade, 2nd Batch 

We were given some more cumquats, a completely different variety of cumquat to last time. These were almost the size of half a small mandarin, and had the largest seeds, and lots of them.

Amazingly, it seemed that every quart in each cumquat contained a seed, we were still removing them from the pot even as the jam was nearly ready to be bottled. Mr. HRK and I both removed all the seeds, or so we thought, the day before so that they could be soaked to extract the pectin, which is the jam thickener. Well weren't we in for a surprise, when seeds kept popping up in the pot as the jam was cooking, until the end of the cooking time. I also had to remove half of the skin when I sliced them up to soak, as some of the skin had dark spots on it.

Anyway not to be deterred, I followed exactly the same formula to  make this marmalade as I did a couple of weeks ago when I made my first batch, although I had a lot more cumquats this time, I just increased the ratio of quantities according to weight. This batch is still delicious, and thickened well, but isn't as clear as the first batch. I'm blaming it on the fruit which I think had been left on the tree too long, anyway it still tastes delicious. "I'm certainly not looking a gift horse in the mouth". Cumquats are a precious commodity. This is the link to my previous Cumquat Marmalade batch recipe in August if you missed it. Dear reader, if you are gifted a jar of Cumquat Marmalade by a friend or relative, please be very appreciative. The maker of this marmalade put her/his heart and soul into making this jam. Jam making is a labour of love and every batch can turn out differently given the differences in fruit quality. I am getting better at it and feel a lot more confident now with jam and marmalade making. This one such a delicious marmalade.

Did I tell you about my new pot? I cooked this latest batch of marmalade in my new beautiful Blue cooking pot. It's a Baccarat Le Connoisseur Limited Edition 6.3 litre model. (I think that's the correct volume.) I needed a large pot that I could transfer from the stove top to the oven and then to the tabletop. I know I'll use it a lot. 

My daughter in Cairns was unwell recently, so we sent her a Care Package from Mum and Dad which she always loves to receive and so did our Son in Law. I hope it helped her recovery. So I did some baking and made a a large Cherry and Brandy cake and a batch of Lemon Crispies. The secret ingredient in the Lemon Crispy slice is corn flakes, and here's the link to the recipe.  So delicious

Lemon Crispies

Nasturtiums from our garden give the slice some colour for afternoon tea at home.

I often make this Boiled fruit cake into two smaller cakes, but this time I used a large square cake tin and sent the whole cake North. Two packets of cherries, lots of mixed fruit and a swig of brandy give this cake a delicious flavour. Here's the recipe and it's story for you.

It's Spring here, and we've been doing a lot of gardening, planting new seedlings, repotting and enjoying being outside in the beautiful weather. I pruned my Pineapple Sage plant a couple of weeks ago and it has responded beautifully by thickening up and flowering. The red flowers bring some nice colour and attract the bees and insects. I added some of the Pineapple Sage leaves to my

 Chickpea and Vegetable Korma curry during the week and they brought a nice little burst of flavour to the dish, in addition to the fresh curry leaves.

Pineapple Sage coming into flower

I've planted beans under the trellis, and two rows of radishes. They are coming along nicely in the warmer weather.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos from our Spring garden. There is a close synergy between the garden and the kitchen at our place, and most gardeners who also enjoy cooking know how beneficial and rewarding it is to grow some of their own produce and how lovely it is to share it with friends and family. Only this morning, our friends P & J dropped off some excess cucumbers and eggplants from their garden which are very much appreciated. Our vegetables are only at the seedling stage, however some orchids are flowering nicely. Mint is a wonderful herb to grow in a pot, however it won"t be long and I'll need to move it into the orchid house for protection from the Summer heat. I love having mint on hand for cooking.

Spring orchids are flowering. This is the Phais Tankervilleae or Swamp Orchid, which I am thrilled to have in flower.

This yellow soft cane Dendrobium orchid is as pretty as a picture.

The Lemon Tree in a pot below has lots of small lemons on, the bees have done their work.

Warm wishes,

Pauline x

Impromptu Spring Chicken, Tomato and Eggplant Traybake Surprise

 It was one of those rare days on the weekend when I hadn't planned what we were having for dinner. It was a beautiful Spring day, perfect for gardening, and that's what we did in the morning and the late afternoon until the sun was setting and it was Sundowner time. When I stepped into the kitchen, I knew I had 6 chicken thighs in the frig which needed cooking but beyond that I hadn't organised any specific ingredients to be on hand for cooking. Not like me at all. Does that sound familiar? I love a tasty traybake, and that is what I cooked in the end using ingredients on hand from the garden and the pantry and the frig.  So here it is my foodie friends, my impromptu Spring traybake and it was delicious. 

Butterflies and Tropical Splendour in Springtime at Cairns Botanical Gardens, FNQ

A Butterfly on a Red Pentas

Surrounded by beautiful butterflies and exquisite tropical orchids, I thought I was in Heaven, however I was in the Orchid House and the Butterfly exhibit at the Cairns Botanical Gardens, in Far North Queensland. The gardens are impressive to say the least. Coastal Cairns like most of Australia, hasn't had any rain, and yet the gardens have retained their tropical Springtime splendour. The Orchid House was our first destination within the Gardens because of my passion for Tropical orchids, and when I could bring myself to leave, we followed the well constructed paths and discovered lots more.  Are you feeling like a visit to the Tropics? Dear Friends, I hope you enjoy some of the photos I took along the way.

This butterfly was undeterred by the amateur photographer taking a close up shot.

Butterflies love Pentas. It's as simple as that.

Red Pentas flowers, loved by the butterflies

This Cochlic Stema Adoratissimum plant from the Orchid House, pictured below was just stunning, so stunning that I took three photos of it. If you live in Cairns, you too can grow this one.

A Cochlic stema adoratissimum

Yellow orchids always make a beautiful show.

A delicate yellow Aggregatum orchid below.

This purple soft cane dendrobium hanging modestly from  a branch was so impressive. One of my aims in life is to grow one to this size. Just beautiful.

A glorious display of Phalaenopsis.

Beautiful Begonias

Most orchid lovers have a Vanda or two in their collection. The purple one looks like one of mine, which unfortunately isn't in flower.

This trailing Button orchid is growing as an epiphyte on a tree with the neighbouring Tillandsias. Then I find the tranquility of the waterlillies in a glistening oasis in the Orchid House.

On venturing out into the gardens we found these red Brazilian beauties.

ACANTHACEAE. Megaskepasma erythrochlamys. Brazilian Red Cloak

One of the benefits for me from visiting Botanical Gardens, apart from enjoying the surrounding beauty of the plants, is also being able to identify and name  plants in my own garden. The Brazilian Red Cloak grows well in the rainforest section of our garden, despite often needing a hard prune back. My Mum who always lived in Rockhampton where I grew up, gave me a cutting of this many years ago however she didn't know what it was called, and neither did we. It was a bit spindly in her back yard garden in Rocky, however it has thrived at our place in Mackay in the more tropical environment. Obviously it thrives in Cairns and makes quite a show. It would do any backyard in a tropical habitat proud. It's full name is: ACANTHACEAE. Megaskepasma erythrochlamys or Brazilian Red Cloak from Venezuela, South America.

It's time to give the fabulous Friends of the Cairns Botanical Gardens a plug.

We were there on a Thursday, and the Friends had an impressive table, full of plants for sale, just near the kiosk. These had come out of a nursery of plants propagated by the Friends themselves and were selling for $8.00 each. We bought a few for ourselves which we are thrilled with, and also bought a couple for Shannon and Dan's new garden in Cairns. If you fancy any of the plants that you see in the Gardens for your home garden, within reason of course,  the Friends welcome meeting you and will walk back to their nursery and most probably have the plant you want. This is such an economical way of buying new plants  such as the Brazilian Cloak, which often aren't available through the commercial nurseries. We left feeling like very happy shoppers with a box full of plants.

Bromeliads

A massed variety of Bromeliads make quite a show, and whilst I couldn't take photos of all of them, this one stood out in the crowd. It is named Queen Mary which is rather nice and originates in Cost Rica. I presume it was discovered a long time ago. However  beware, these can become a very large plant.

I am always attracted to purple flowers in a garden, as are often the birds and the bees. The Petrea Mayensis beckoned me in to take a photo and reminded me of the beautiful Purple Salvia in my garden. This plant could be a must have for my garden one day if I can find a large enough spot for it to grow in.

I love these rich pink Medinillas, and different varieties are growing everywhere amongst the tropical foliage. I bought two varieties from the Cairns Friends during a previous visit to Cairns.

Pretty pink Torch Ginger

Heliconias

Ornamental Gingers are everywhere

Peace Lillies

White Peace Lillies or Spathophyllum lining a shaded pathway are quintessential to Botanical gardens and I love the serenity they project. These were all beautifully healthy and well cared for.

If I had stopped to take photos of all the beautiful plants in the Gardens I would still be there, and Mr. HRK long gone, ha, ha. However I left motivated, and enthused to revisit my garden at home and to just enjoy the pleasure that creating something special in the garden brings. I hoped you enjoyed some of the photos, and if you can, visit these glorious gardens at any time of the year,  you won't be disappointed.

The main reason for visiting Cairns was to celebrate our daughter's engagement to a wonderful young man, with an Engagement and Housewarming party. I've been alluding to that for a few weeks now. We had a wonderful time, and the food catering was a success. More about that later.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

Blueberry and Polenta Muffins and life in the slow lane that they call retirement

Retirement and a satisfying life in the slow lane

As I sit here typing on my computer, it is occurring to me how many other things I have on the go at the same time, and that my brain is processing in the background. Whilst I suppose that my main focus is typing up this recipe and thinking about how delicious these muffins are and when I can justify having another one, I am thinking about the sour dough bread I need to start preparing which I always try to bake on Mondays.

L.c. Gold Digger "Orchidglade's Mandarin" on show in my kitchen

Photo of L.c. Gold Digger from the orchid collection of "Arne and Bent Larsen".

Photo of my Gold Digger "Orchidglade's Mandarin"

My L.c. Gold Digger "Orchidglade's Mandarin"

I love Spring! My kitchen is certainly a happy one when my beautiful Laeliocattleya orchid, Gold Digger "Orchidglade's Mandarin", commonly called a Cattleya,  blesses me with her annual flowers. Every family needs a gold digger. This orchid first came into our lives in 2005, when my late Mum, named Hope, won a Rockhampton Orchid Society prize with her. This is according to Mum's meticulous Orchid Diary which I inherited, along with this beautiful orchid. What a responsibility. Mum loved her orchids. Mr. HRK and I relocated Gold Digger  to Mackay in 2008 and according to her records which I have kept updated, she has flowered every year since except for 2011 and 2012, which is probably when I repotted her, or perhaps she just needed a holiday as well. So here we are 11 years later and she is still alive and going strong. What a performer and obviously has an impressive lineage. Have I been watching too much of Who Do You Think you Are by any chance and of course I live with a passionate genealogist as well. Some of it has rubbed off.

 Her parents L.c. Red Gold and L.c Warpaint would be so proud of their descendants which are spread far and wide. My Gold Digger has survived a relocation from Rockhampton to Mackay, quite a few absences by her owners but she is very much admired by all who see her.

I haven't joined an Orchid Owners Group yet, but this is a really nice interest and it brings me a lot of happiness when my orchids produce flowers and then I can bring them into my kitchen and enjoy them as I work, and they last a lot longer than a bunch of flowers which is so rewarding.

So Spring is here, and now I wait for my other orchids which are in bud to bloom and see how many flowers they will produce.

Perhaps I need to design a food dish named after my Gold Digger which would live on in her memory, however she shows no sign of retiring or calling it a day. I couldn't imagine life without her now. Suggestions anyone?

If anyone reading this enjoys growing orchids and flowers and brings them inside, I would love to hear from you. If you have anymore information on Gold Digger I would appreciate it if you could share it with me. 

Have a great weekend.