Orange, honey and almond cake

I came across a recipe for an almond and lemon cake once. The recipe was very simple and I wanted to see if it could be altered. For example, I thought a sugar free version with honey would go well with orange. I then proceeded to experiment…

You will need:

2 bowls

Sandwich tin with removable sides

3 eggs

1 orange

8 tbsp honey

1 ½ cup ground almonds

1 tbsp oil

Oil the sandwich tin and dust lightly with some ground almonds

Separate the egg whites and yolks and put them in one bowl each.

Grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the orange.

Whisk the egg whites until forming white peaks.

In the second bowl combine egg yolks, orange peel, 4 tbsp of orange juice, the honey and the almond flour. Whisk until combined. (Yes, you will end up with leftover orange juice. Just drink it!)

Using a spatula fold the egg whites into the almond mixture until just combined. Pour into sandwich tin and bake in 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

OK, verdict. I was right in that orange and honey is a fantastic combination. I think the honey is a touch overpowering though and may use less next time and maybe a bit of agave nectar instead. Still, it’s very tasty and I don’t expect it to last very long. Especially as it’s been hours since the tolerant one was fed and dinner is at least an hour away. Yep, he’s already downstairs cutting himself a second piece. (Curses! I thought my ninja-like skills would mean she didn't notice me doing that. It really works and the level of honey is just fine, leave it alone woman! - Tolerant)

And if you want to try the original recipe, I posted it a while ago here

Spiced swede cakes

I don’t do the shopping, I leave that joy to my husband. It’s a good thing he’s such a tolerant man really. I do have rather strong opinions of what he should buy whenever he does the shopping though.
(Only 'rather strong'? You're fooling nobody you know - Tolerant)
Occasionally I wish we ate a bit more seasonally, without having to think about it, and wonder if ordering food boxes online would be the answer. So one day, when I didn’t have anything more important I wanted to do, I went on Abel & Cole’s website. And promptly got stuck on the recipe page.

I found this recipe for spiced swede cakes that I absolutely wanted to try.

Here's the ingredients:

• 1 swede, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• A good splash of olive oil or a nugget of butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• A pinch of chilli powder
• A handful of finely chopped parsley or coriander
• 2-3 mugs of breadcrumbs
• Olive or sunflower oil for cooking

I made a couple of changes as I don’t eat breadcrumbs, they contain gluten after all. So, instead of 2-3 cups of breadcrumbs I used gram flour and ground almonds and took the oil option instead of butter.
When the swede was cooked and the onions and spices fried, it all got mashed together and this is where I added gram flour to make the mix less wet. I then shaped the cakes and coated them in ground almonds. This was followed by the cakes being put on an oiled surface and then put on the other side on an oiled oven tray as I decided to do them in the oven.

What have I learnt from this? Pick a swede that isn’t too big! Mine was very big, quite woody, and took absolutely forever to cook. This meant that it took me two attempts to finish the cakes, as by the time the swede was cooked to a mashable state it was way too late and I had to finish them the next day. I also wish I had added even more gram flour as they were still rather wet. However, they taste absolutely divine!
I had some as a snack at work today and they even work cold. This dish shall become a bit of a winter staple I think.
It’s a great vegan dish; it works as a side dish and as a portable snack. What more could I ask for?

As I don't really like swedes (not Swedes, I mean I married one of those) I wasn't really looking forward to this little experiment. As it turns out you can taste the swede in the background but the spices really make it work. I've got to say I enjoyed them rather a lot, they go really well with pork chops too :)
On a related note, and after a little discussion, we've decided that 'Spiced Swede Cakes' is absolutely not going to be the Intolerant one's new nickname. - Tolerant.

The Health Info Bit
Swedes contain vitamins C, B1, B9 and Potassium amongst other nutrients.
They are a relatively mineral dense vegetable, high in fibre but low in carbohydrates. 
Vitamin C is used by the body to keep bones and collagens healthy and is a powerful antioxidant, hence the belief it helps to fight viruses.
B1, or Thiamine, is necessary for a healthy heart and nervous system as is Potassium
Vitamin B9 (otherwise known as folic acid) is not just important if you’re planning to get, or indeed already are, pregnant. Folic Acid is used to synthesize and repair DNA and therefore helps with cell division and growth.