The Iron Dinner Party

June 14, 2014June 14, 2014 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

Most people probably decide on a dinner party menu by selecting dishes that they’re comfortable making or would be crowd-pleasingly practical. It is less likely that social dinners are designed solely around one health benefit; however, that is what we did. When several family members developed significant iron deficiencies, we thought it would be helpful and fun to focus on iron-rich foods at family gatherings. In the most recent dinner party, we kicked into iron chef mode with our best feast yet. Our iron-powerhouse meal included:

Baked Kale Chips – Kale has loads of calcium and vitamin K.
Liverwurst with rice crackers – Pork liver is a good source of vitamin A, D, B and C but also zinc.
Panko-Crusted Fried Oysters – Oysters are high in zinc, good for immunity, protein and Omega 3’s.
Steamed Mussels with gluten-free beer – Mussels are high in minerals.
Marinated Octopus – High in selenium, an antioxidant and vitamin B12 good for energy.
Grilled Asparagus with Spinach salad – Asparagus is high in B vitamins, good for nervous system. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K and Omega 3.
Baked Yam Fries – High in antioxidants like beta carotene, great for eyes.
Chocolate and Raspberry Trifle – Beets and spelt flour adds iron to this dessert.

All deliciously healthy but easy and fun to make! We’ve included Kake’s dessert recipe and Kale’s directions for preparing the oysters and octopus. Enjoy! {Kake} & {Kale}

Panko Crusted Oysters serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Directions:

Rinse raw oysters (18-20 medium size) and drain on paper towel.
Coat each oyster with flour then dip in egg mixture (1-2 beaten) followed by a dip in panko (Japanese style bread crumbs). Make sure the oyster is fully covered.
Pan fry the oysters in hot oil until they are golden brown and cooked through. Lay on paper towel to drain oil.

Marinated Octopus serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Directions:

Simmer fresh Octopus (2 lbs) in hot water for about 40 minutes until tender (pinch with fork).
Let cool a bit and lay tentacles over an upside down bowl or hang them over the ridge of a bowl.
Place in fridge for 2 hours.
Cut octopus into slices. Make a marinade by mixing pressed garlic with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon (approximate amounts by taste).
Toss octopus in marinade and add cut parsley. Place in fridge for another 30 minutes prior to serving.

Grilled Asparagus with Spinach Salad & Baked Yam Fries

Kale Chips & Steamed Mussels

Chocolate and Raspberry Trifle Serves 10

1 1/4 cups light spelt flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 398 ml can beets drained
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups heavy cream
2 T. Bailey’s Irish Cream
2 T. Chocolate syrup
2 cups fresh raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Puree the beets.
With an electric mixer beat the sugar with the oil in a medium sized bowl for 2 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla. Then add the beets.
Gradually beat in 1/3 dry ingredients, till just blended. (Don’t over do it, or cake will be tough) Then 1/2 of buttermilk, keep alternating and end with dry ingredients.
Pour batter into pan till 3/4 full, if you have more batter, make cupcakes.
Bake for 30-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick inserted in the center, if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs it is ready.
While cake is cooling whip the cream until it is partly whipped, then add the Bailey’s and chocolate syrup. Continue to beat until cream is fully whipped. (Coconut cream may be substituted, just make sure the beaters and the coconut cream is chilled prior to whipping. Buttermilk has very low lactose so if coconut cream is used, this dessert is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.)
Once cake is completely cooled, cut into squares and place half of the cake chunks in a serving bowl (a glass one is pretty) dollop half of the cream over top, and repeat, then sprinkle the raspberries over the top. Chill for a couple of hours, then serve to oohs and ahhs!!

You don’t even have to let on that this dessert is nutritious, I even had some for breakfast the next day and did not feel the slightest guilt, now that’s having your cake and eating it too! {Kake}

Banana Coconut Bread with Chocolate Chunks

June 6, 2014 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures / 3 Comments

One summer when I was a teenager obsessed with my macramé handbag and wearing bell bottoms, our family went on a road trip to the Eastern seaboard and stopped in Boston. Whilst there, we visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and as usual went into the gift shop afterwards. And there my Mom bought me the most beautiful cookbook I had ever seen, it was a cookbook that compiled recipes of dishes made for special functions at the museum and along with the recipes were pictures of the art from the museum. Appealing to my love of art and food I consider this cookbook one of my treasures. The recipe that I made the most often from it is a banana bread. It is the only banana bread recipe I’ve seen where the bananas are not mashed but sliced, which to me is less work. Mom and I have made this recipe many times, always to spectacular results.

These days I have been baking a lot with almond flour; I love it, but not the cost. So I decided to add coconut flour to the mix, because coconut flour, though not cheap, is still less than almond flour. By adding coconut flour I am not only bumping up the fiber and nutrition but I also get more of a dense, pound cake-like texture. This banana bread, which I’ve renamed to include coconut, can be eaten any time – as a quick breakfast that gives you lots of energy or an afternoon snack to stave off junk food cravings. My recipe is inspired by Elana’s Pantry.

Superfoods in it are:

Almonds: Good source of vitamin B’s, magnesium, vitamin E and zinc. It also contains some Omega 3’s. The B’s and magnesium both help with feeling calm and collected because they help the body produce serotonin, which is sometimes called the happy hormone. Serotonin affects many functions of the body like, sleep, appetite, aging, memory, just to name some benefits.

Coconut: Contains protein, vitamins A and E, lauric acid which is in mother’s milk and help to fight off infections. It’s fat is in the form of MCT’s which are medium chain-triglycerides which has been proven to be turned into an immediate source of fuel and not stored as fat. A bonus for all you fiber lovers like me, a tablespoon of coconut flour has 5 grams of fiber!

Bananas: Contains Vitamin C, fiber, a significant amount of potassium. High potassium intakes are also associated with a reduced risk of stroke, protection against loss of muscle mass, preservation of bone mineral density and reduction in the formation of kidney stones.

Dark Chocolate: High in vitamin B’s and magnesium, both of which supports the nervous system. It also has phenylethylamine, which stirs up happy feelings, and releases stress.

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and does not have added sugar.

Banana Coconut Bread with Chocolate Chunks Serves 12

2 ½ cup almond flour
½ c. coconut flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. sea salt
¼ c. melted coconut oil
3 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3)
¾ cup chocolate chunks, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F, then line a 9-inch pan with parchment paper, set aside.
Into a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, mix the coconut oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Then mix this into the dry ingredients. Then fold the bananas and the chocolate into the batter and pour into lined pan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown and when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly, it is done. I don’t usually wait for it to cool, because it is soooo darn good warm out of the oven!! Let cool, if you have patience.

Eat well, feel great! – {Kake}

Ginger Kale Cake

May 16, 2014 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

Kathy and I have been friends for the longest time, since we were children playing with our Barbies. Our families immigrated from Hong Kong to Canada when we were just kids. There was a close knit group of Chinese families that met up regularly for parties, mah jong, generally just to be together because they wanted to create a mini Hong Kong. Assimilation into Canadian society looked different in each of our families. Kathy’s Mom worked at an office job during the day and taught Chinese Cooking to eager Canadians at night. While my mom studied Radio and TV broadcasting, taught piano and in her spare time baked her heart out trying to be a good housewife in this new land.

To prepare for life in Canada my Mom took a baking course from a professional baker, I remember her bringing home cakes with clowns, elephants, a Barbie cake, it felt like Christmas every time she came home from her baking class.

To inaugurate our blog I thought it would be fitting to make a ginger kale cake and to lend some sophistication to the humble kale, a limoncello icing. It is a little sinful, but it is offset by superfoods:

Kale – high in calcium, high in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and K, anti-inflammatory

Ginger – helps with digestion, anti-inflammatory

I have baked a spice kale cake twice before with wonderful results, it didn’t taste much different from a carrot cake. It seems intimidating to eat a cake with this pungent hardy veggie, but the taste of the kale fades into the background while giving the cake a bright verdant hue.

This cake is a moist dense cake, you can certainly add more grated ginger if you’d like, or add 1 tsp of lemon extract if you want more lemony flavor in the cake. This recipe actually had enough to make one Bundt cake and 5 cupcakes. Just check the cupcakes after 20 minutes. – {Kake}

Ginger Kale Cake Ingredients Serves 10-12

2/3 c. grapeseed oil
2 c. kale (4 big leaves with stem removed, blanched and shocked)
2 3/4 c. spelt flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3 T. grated fresh ginger (peeled)
1/2 c. honey
3 eggs
2/3 c. ginger ale
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. chopped crystallized ginger
zest of two lemons

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan.
Put oil and kale in a food processor or a good blender and puree, set aside.
In a medium size bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, crystallized ginger and lemon rind.
In a large bowl, mix honey, eggs, yogurt, grated ginger, beat until blended. Mix in kale puree and ginger ale.
Next add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined, don’t over mix.
Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 45 -50 minutes. Do the toothpick test to see if it comes out clean.
Then cool in pan for ten minutes, then flip onto plate and let it continue cooling. Once cooled, ice the cake, then devour with your 10 friends!!

Limoncello Icing