tonight we had a dinner made with freshest ingredients possible. every thing we ate was touched by our csa farm. we had arugula pesto pasta with chicken and a salad that was entirely farm grown- lettuce, carrots, and black radishes. watching my little ones spoon wads of arugula into their mouths was just about the best thing i've seen all day! and then clamoring for more salad before bath time- are you kidding me?!? my kids will eat anything that they know comes from the farm. take the black radishes as a prime example. i think the trick to being able to successfully eat all the different kinds of vegetables given to us weekly is to think outside of the box. like arugula pesto, or like yesterday when we made a chocolate cake that contained 2 whole cups of beets! i've coined it 'beet by chocolate' cake, and i must say, it's really good (i'm not much of a chocolate person). my husband and daughter who LOVE chocolate really liked it too. so much so my husband even noted that it didn't even 'taste healthy'. this, by the way, is his way of complementing me. anyway you've got to try this, so on with the recipe:
2 cups cooked beets
1/2 cup applesauce
puree until smooth
1 1/2 cups agave nectar (original calls for sugar)
1/2 cup coconut oil (original doesn't specify which type of oil)
1/2 plain yogurt
3 eggs
combine in a large mixing bowl. beat for 2 minutes.
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
add along with pureed beets; beat another 90 seconds
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (original calls for 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour + 1 cup whole wheat)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
sift into batter, mixing it in with a spoon but stirring only til blended
1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts (stirred in)
pour into greased 9x13 pan. bake in preheated oven at 350' for 40-50 minutes.
that's it! so yummy! i have to add that i don't subscribe to the "hide their veggies" train of thought that is sweeping the nation. i believe a vital part of child raising is honesty. how do i raise vegetable eaters if i hide their veggies? moonpie was right alongside me for the entire process. she poured the beets in as though they were the eggs or flour. and she proudly called everyone she knew to tell them she was eating chocolate cake- with beets in it! (her uncle coco informed her that his friend ate a chocolate cake with tomatoes in it...she hasn't quite bought into that one yet.) oh yeah- this recipe is a slightly adapted version of 'surprise chocolate cake' found in 'simply in season' by mary beth lind and cathleen hockman-wert. this is a great cookbook (that belongs to amy! hope i don't accidentally keep it : ) )
3 comments:
i just don't know about beets in chocolate cake.... really, i just don't know about beets at all....
Okay - we made it today! The kids were going wild over having beets in their cake. It was really good. Especially when I smothered it in icing (just in case):)
Mandy
tell the little one that I gave proof
Tomato Chocolate Cake
1 c. green tomato puree (2 or 3 green tomatoes)
2/3 c. butter
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1/2 c. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. beer
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and chocolate, mix. Add vanilla. Sift together rest of dry ingredients. Add puree to 1/2 of the dry ingredients. Mix and add to cream mixture in mixing bowl. Mix well. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients. At last add the beer. Blend well.
Spoon into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Smooth out tops. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool. Frost with your favorite frosting.
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