Rhubarb Bundt Cake

Rhubarb time is fast approaching. All of my rhubarb is already popping out of the ground, mostly just the leaves (don’t eat those, they are poisonous) but it will only be a week or two before the stalks are big and juicy so I can now safety use up the rest of the rhubarb that I had stashed in the freezer. And for that a cake was in order. Nothing super fancy, just a straight up rhubarb situation, with a little lemon drizzle. No strawberry. No nuts. Just a lot of rhubarb because sometimes that is all you need. (Plus the cake was for the mr and he doesn’t like other things to encroach on his rhubarb). A big delicious rhubarb bundt cake.

It is a spring time essential. You need this.

Now to the rhubarb bundt cake!

The stuff. Flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon. Chopped rhubarb (frozen and thawed), plant milk, oil, brown and white sugar, vanilla ,applce cider vinegar, powdered sugar, and a lemon.

In a large bowl miix the oil, vanilla and sugars together until completely combined, In a smaller bowl whisk all the dry ingredients together.

Add the dry to the wet along with the zest of the lemon and the gently mix while pouring in the vinegar and milk. Fold in chopped rhubarb.

Cake batter.

Pour batter into a WELL greased and floured bundt pan. Trust me, don’t forget to get all the nooks with grease. A stuck bundt sucks.

And pop that bundt into the oven and bake.

A little over an hour later you got yourself a gorgeous golden brown cake.

And ever so gently get that bundt out of pan. If your top gets stuck like mine did, all is well, just repair as best as you can. The cake will still taste amazing..

Once cake is out of pan, let cool on a wire rack.

Make a little lemon glaze while its cooling. Just powdered sugar and lemon juice. Mix until a thick but drizzle -able consistency,

Drizzle on the glaze. And because I screwed up the top when taking it out of the pan I wanted to gussy it up a little so I added a few plops of strawberry jam.

I think is looked nice, not better, but nice. Ha!

Then you eat cake. Simple as that.

-C

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Rhubarb Bundt Cake

makes a bundt cake

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablepoon cinnamon

• 1/2 cup neutral oil like canola

• 1 1/8 cup plant milk

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 cups chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen and thawed and chopped into 1/4-1/2 inch chunks)

• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1 lemon

• 2 tabslpoons strawberry jam (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Add vinegar to the milk.

In a large bowl mix together the oil, vanilla, and brown and white sugar until compelelty combined. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, zest from the lemon, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon. Dump the dry into the wet and gently mix while pouring in the milk and vinegar mixture. Once mixed fold in the chopped rhubarb.

Grease and flour a bundt pan. Pour the cake batter into the pan, tap the bottom on the counter to remove any bubbles , then place into preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour or until a deep golden brown and a tester poked into the center comes out clean.

Once baked, remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

While it is cooling make the glaze. Squeeze the juice of the half the lemon into the powdered sugar and mix until combined. If it seems to thick to drizzle, add more juice. To thin, add more powder sugar.

Once cake has cooled, drizzle glaze all over. If you want fancy and a little flavor pop, add a few plops of strawberry jam on top.

Then you eat cake.

Cake will be good in airtight container on counter for 4-5 days. Any longer just cut it up and freeze it.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Carrot Muffins

The people in my family, they really enjoy a muffin, so I find myself making muffins more often then any other baked good. This is fine by me because muffins are pretty easy to whip up and the flavor choices are endless.

This past batch of muffins were for the purpose of a dessert like treat so I made them chocolate and because it’s spring and carrots go hand in hand (right?) they needed to have carrots too. And sure some might question the flavor combination of chocolate and carrot but let me just stop you right there and say that nothing but good things happen when you pair the flavors. Would a 15 year old girl stuff her face with these muffins otherwise?

No, no she would not.

And so I declare this another winner for delicious muffins that the people in my family will now bug me to make them. Oh the burden of being an awesome baker. It is hard sometimes. 😂. But for real.

Now to the muffins!

The stuff. Carrots, cocoa, flour, baking powder and soda. Salt, cinnamon, brown and white sugar, plant milk, oil, chocolate chips, and some walnuts,

First you need to prepare the carrots so chop them up into chunks.

Place the chopped carrots into a pot with some water and steam until tender. Once tender, blend them up into a smooth puree.

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

And dump the carrot puree, milk, sugars, and oil into a big bowl and mix until completely combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until the dry is incorporated into the wet then fold in the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.

Scoop batter into greased or lined muffin tins and pop into preheated oven.

Baked muffins.

When baked and all nice pop them out if the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Then you got yourself muffins to eat at your pleasure. Share if you want. No pressure.

-C

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Chocolate Chocolate Chip Carrot Muffins

makes 16 muffins

• 1 1/4 all purpose flour

• 2/3 whole wheat flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup neutral oil

• 1 cup plant milk

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup carrot puree (about 4 large carrots and 1/3-1/2 cup water)

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

preheat oven 350

Take whole carrots and cut into small chunks. Place into a pot with enough water to just cover them and place on medium heat and cover. Cook for about 8 minutes, checking after 4 or 5 minutes, unitl tender. If water completely evaporates before, just add more.

Once carrots are tender, place in a blender with about 1/3 cup cool water and blend until smooth. Add a little more water if needed to get the carrots to a smooth puree.

In a medium bowl mix together the flours, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl mix together the oil, carrot puree, milk, and sugars until completely combined. Add in the dry and minx until everything is just incorporated (don’t over mix), then fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Scoop batter into well greased or line muffins pans, filling each well up about 3/4 of the way, then pop the pans into preheated oven. Bake for about 17 -20 minutes or until a poke test comes out clean.

Once baked remove from oven and pop muffins from pan. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Eat. Store muffins in a airtight container at room temapture for up to 5 days. They also freeze great as well.

Miso Almond Cabbage Slaw

I see cabbage in your future. Why is that? Because cabbage is amazing and delicious but also because it is St. Patricks Day this coming up week and every single food store is having a massive cabbage sale. Word of advice. Buy as much of that cabbage as you can. It will last for weeks and really is super versatile, can be eaten is sooo many different ways, but basically because it is tasty as all hell.

This is just one yummy and simple way to prepare and enjoy the cabbage. Shredded up nice and fine, roasted until tender and slightly chard, then coated with a creamy miso dressing. Topped with almonds for crunch and goodness, a simple dish with all the complexity of a complex thing.

Get that cabbage.

Now to the slaw!

The stuff. You need cabbage( red and or green) plus tahini, soy, miso paste, minced garlic, powdered ginger, maple syrup, a lime, some black pepper and lastly, some almonds.

First thing first. Finely shredded up the cabbage.

Palce cabbage on a baking sheet and pop into a hot oven.

While the cabbage is roasting, mix up the miso dressing. Place everything in a bowl, mix together with a little hot water until creamy and not to thick, and that’s it.

Pulled from the oven you have tender and chard cabbage. So good.

Dump cabbage into a big bowl and pour on the dressing.

Toss it all around, then toss in the almonds.

And there you have it. The goods. All ready for eating so you should do that .

Enjoy all the cabbage!

-C

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Miso Almond Cabbage Slaw

side for 3-4 people

• 5 cups shredded cabbage (red and or green)

• 1/3 cup toasted almonds

• 2 teaspoons tahini

• 3 teaspoons miso ( I used red miso but any of your favorite miso paste will do)

• 1 teaspoon soy or tamari

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup (more to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 1 lime or 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons warm water

• black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Grab cabbage and shred with a knife or mandolin, super finely until you have 5-6 cups of shredded cabbage. Place on a lined of very lightly oiled baking sheet and spread around so the cabbage is evenly distributed . Now pop into hot oven.

In the meantime make miso dressing. Add miso, maple, soy, garlic, ginger, and the juice of the lime (or the vinegar) to a bowl and whisk until combined. Add in the hot water to thin out a bit.

Once cabbage starts to wilt and char on places, around 20-25 minutes, remove from oven. Dump cabbage into a big bowl, pour on the dressing ans toss until the cabbage evenly coated. Rough chop up the almonds and toss in. Top with black pepper to taste.

Eat.

Green pea and Watermelon Radish Salad

We are getting closer and closer to spring (2 weeks!) and with spring comes color, in the form of all things, food included. (I am so ready for all the greens!!!!)

Speaking of color. Have you ever cut open a watermelon radish? It is pure joy. You have this creamy white and slightly green bulb, nothing much out of the ordinary but when you slice it open the inside is the brightest purplish pink. So freaking pretty! But better then pretty, watermelon radishes taste so freaking good! And then we have peas. They are just the best bright green and creamy little gems which pair perfectly prefect with the radish.

Bright purple radish and green peas tossed together with some onion and tahini. Yes and yes. On freaking tasty as all heck salad. A true spring delight!

Now to the pretty as all heck salad!

The stuff. A large watermelon radish, frozen and thawed green peas, red onion, tahini, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and aa small handful of cilantro.

First thing is to dice up radish. Cut into cubes about twice the size of a pea.

Place diced rashes on a lined baking sheet and pop into a hot oven.

In the mean time cut up the onion nice an thin.

Place cut onion into a big bowl, add a sprinkle of salt, and add in the vinegar. Toss around and let sit for 5 minutes or so then add in the tahini and toss around until creamy.

Slightly roasted radishes. You can roast them more but I find a good 20 minutes so they are slightly tender and haven’t lost have much color to e the best.

Toss the peas onto the hot sheet pan with the radishes and let them sit for a fe minutes just slightly warm up.

Then dump the peas and radishes into the bowl with the tahini onions. Sprinkle with pepper and toss around.

Look at that. Gorgeous right? And if you have and want, toss some fresh cilantro or parsley onto top because why not.

No stop starting at the how pretty it is and you know, eat it.

-C

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Green pea and Watermelon Radish Salad

serve 2-4 as a side

• 2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen andthawed)

• 1 large (softball sized) watermelon radish

• 1 small red onion

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• salt and pwpper

• handful of fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.

Grab radish and cut into small cubes about twice the size of a pea. Place on a lined baking sheet and pop into hot oven.

While radishes are roasting, grab onion and slice as thin as you can Place sliced onion along with the vinegar into a big bowl and toss around with a pinch of salt. Let sit for a few minutes then add in the tahini. Toss around until creamy.

After about 20 minutes pull the radishes form oven They should be slightly tender. Dump peas onto baking sheet with radishes and let them warm up for a few minutes.

Dump the peas and radishes into the bowl with the tahini onions. Add black pepper and another small pinch of salt. Toss around until evenly coasted. Top with sm ripped up fresh herbs (if using).

Eat.

Store any leftovers (there will be none) in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

Black Bean Soup with Cornbread Dumplings

Black beans soup is eaten on the regular around here. Not always the same way but pretty much. Why screw with a good thing you know?

Now soup with dumplings. This is not (yet) a regular thing but I was making the usual blacken soup and planing on making corn bread to go with (in a pan) , when I had a moment of clarity and realized that I should just make the corn bread into dumplings and not have to deal with baking and another pan to clean. Duh. Why don’t I do this more often?

And that is it. A black bean soup, nice and thick, with light fluffy cornbread dumplings cooked in one pot. Quick, easy and all sorts of delicious. Can’t complain about that.

Now let’s get to the soup and dumplings!

The stuff. For the soup there are bLackbeans, and onion, spices, a carrot, garlic, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar. For dumplings we have flour, baking powder, salt, oil, and plant milk. Salt and pepper too.

Start by dicing up the carrot and onion and mincing the garlic.

Dump all that you diced into a big pot, along with the spices, some salt and pepper, and about 1/2 cup of water. Place on stove and cook down on medium heat until the onion is becoming translucent and the whole pot is starting to smell fragrant.

Now add in beans and tomato paste and about 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil then turn down to medium an cook for about 20-30 minutes.

Soup. Cooked and all taste but one more little step.

Remove a third of the soup and blend until smooth and then add it back it.

Dumplings. Mix dry together then add in oil and milk. Mix together unit incorporated.

While soup is still on medium heat, scoop the dumping mixture right into the soup.

Place a loose side on top of pot ans let the dumplings cook util list and fluffy which will take about 15-20 minutes.

Cornbread dumplings looking all nice in the soup.

Then you eat it. Add some avocado on top of you want. Avocado is always a good idea.

-C

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Black Bean Soup with Cornbread Dumplings

feeds 3-4

• 3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 16 oz cans)

• 1 large onion

• 1 good sized carrot

• 3-4 cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon chill powder

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or none if you don’t like the spice)

• 1 tablespoon maple cider vineger

• 1/3 cup tomato paste

• 5 cups water

• salt and pepper

  Dumplings

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup corn meal

• 3/4 cup plant milk

• 2 tablespoon neutral oil

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Start by dicing up the carrot and onion into small pieces. Mince the garlic and then place the garlic, onion, and carrot into a large pot with the cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and about 1/2 a cup of water. Place pot on stove on a medium low heat and sweat the mixture for about 10-15 minutes or until fragrant and the onions are slightly translucent.

Add in the tomato paste, beans , and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and let cook for about1/2 hour. Once soup has cooked down a bit and tastes delicious, remove form heat and carefully transfer 1/3 of the soup to a blender or jar (if using a hand blander) and blend until smooth. Add the blend soup back to the pot and turn the heat back on to medium low. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Now make dumpling mixture. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl then add in the oil and milk and mix until incorporated. Scoops the dumping mixture into the soup while the soup then place a lid loosely on the pot. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or unit the dumplings are nice a n fluffy.

And when they are done, remove lid, tun the heat off, and paddle soup and dumplings into bowl. Eat. Add sliced avocado for a little more yum.