Lemon Rum Apple Bundt Cake for the Quiet Mornings

Today is the last day of winter break, and the last day I can guilt free utilize the morning to bake a delicious something. For Christmas I got a Kitchen Aid mixer, and haven’t had a chance to play with it. If I didn’t color this fancy black new machine with flour and finger prints before the winter quarter started, I know its untouched presence would haunt me, and possibly tear me away from my studies.

I awoke before Dane with the first morning light, and quietly made my way to the kitchen. There she was perched on the counter, sleek as the night. It was time to put this black beauty to use! I craved something moist, something fruity, and something light. I wanted a sweet treat that we could eat with our morning tea, or become a decadent evening dessert. I always have apples and lemons on hand. What better than an aromatic lemon rum apple bundt cake?

A blend of organic whole-wheat flour with unbleached flour makes this treat richer in fiber and B vitamins. I grated an apple into the mixture, to keep the cake moist, reduce added sugar, and increase the fiber. Lemon juice and lemon zest brightens the flavor of the cake, complementing the heavy notes of rum, while vanilla lingers in the background balancing the cake entirely.

Sweetened with only ½ cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons maple syrup, this bundt cake remains lightly sweet and airy. Organic butter can be substituted with coconut oil, but the freshly laid, omega-3 rich eggs, are too good to be replaced. With yolks as deep orange as the sunset, the eggs that our compost-eating hens lay, are like liquid gold.

Prior to serving dust the cake with powdered sugar, and voila you have a beautiful treat! If serving as a dinner dessert, serve with a dollop of freshly homemade whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Lemon Rum Apple Bundt Cake
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 large apple, grated with skin
1 large apple, peeled and cored, sliced thin
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup almond milk, or any other choice of milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 organic lemon, juice and zest
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp rum extract
powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Add the 3 eggs, vanilla, and rum extract.
3. In a separate bowl mix together both flours, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, slowly adding in the almond milk, creating a smooth mixture.
5. Add in the grated apple and lemon juice.
6. In an oiled bundt pan, pour half the mixture into the pan. Then carefully in a circular fashion, place the thin apple slices on top of the layer.
7. Finish by pouring the remaining half of the mixture on top of the apple slices, and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar.
8. Put into preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
9. When done, allow the cake to cool about 20 minutes, and then place a cooling rack on top of the pan. While holding the rack firmly on the pan, quickly flip the pan and the cooling rack upside down to remove the cake from the pan and leave it cooling on the rack.
10. Once the cake is cooled, or prior to serving, dust with powdered sugar. Serve with tea or coffee, and if you crave something decadent, top with a dollop of cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cornbread is my Soul Food

As fall sets in and the leaves are turning, and a light crisp breeze brushes across your cheeks, you know its time to get cozy. I love the light in the fall, warming and orange and am often reminded of my younger childhood years. Fall to me is always full of excitement. School starts, family birthdays are almost every weekend, and Halloween and Thanksgiving are only days away. Scarves and wool sweaters, boots tall or short, start coming out of the back corners of the closet. It is like a new chapter, a new beginning, and a new mindset. So bring on the rain, bring on the winds, and let those few sunny days warm your heart. Its time to start those fireplaces, stock up on teas and cocoa, and huddle around with your favorite people for a game of cards.

Cornbread is my soul food. The coarse ground grits of corn and the delicate hint of maple syrup make my stomach grumble. Even more so, I love it pan toasted in pasture-raised butter. This tops fresh baked cornbread any day! With fall fully present, it is time to break out the comfort foods of cold weather days. Last year I discovered a wonderful recipe by Sally Fallon in her Nourishing Traditions cookbook. This is the recipe I will share with you today and remains to this date the only way I make cornbread.

Most cornbreads I have tried use half or less than half cornmeal. Not only that but the rest is substituted with white flour. This recipe is made mostly with cornmeal and then additional spelt and whole-wheat flours are used. Although light in fat and light in sugar, this recipe remains flavorful and moist. It is simple and easy. All it requires is a day of forethought for optimal fermentation.

Using cornmeal in place of flour products allows you to bring in both B vitamins as well as antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin C into your diet. Also cornmeal is a good source of whole grain fiber. The fermentation process in this cornbread recipe helps reduce the phytic acid content, which can bind to essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Soaking grains in an acidic medium, such as the lime and yogurt, activate the production of phytase, an enzyme produced by good bacteria. Phytase helps neutralize the phytic acid allowing the magnesium, calcium, and zinc available in the grains to be absorbed instead of excreted.

So hurray for fermentation, and yay for some good tasty cornbread!!

Fermented Cornbread (adapted from Nourishing Traditions)

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups medium ground cornmeal

½ cup spelt flour

½ whole-wheat flour

1 ½ cups filtered water

Juice of 1 lime

1 cup non-fat plain yogurt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup organic maple syrup (or honey)

¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1.  Soak cornmeal and other flours in the water, lime juice, and yogurt. Allow to sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours. It will rise better if soaked for 24 hours.

2.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and pour into a buttered/oiled pan (I used a large cast iron skillet)

3.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. Enjoy fresh and warm…..or like me,  heat another iron skillet/pan place a little bit of butter in the center and “toast” a slice of cornbread in the butter. You will find a simply delicious and crispy treat awaiting you!

Optional: Personally I like cornbread kept simple, but you can add cheese, chilies, and/or fresh corn to the recipe to add additional flavors and textures.

Morning Glory Breakfast Goodness

 I have three words for you: Beautiful Olympic Peninsula…….

While still at home in Bothell, and frantically packing multiple bags with clothes for every weather forecast, my mind was racing with excitement. I finally got to go back to the Olympic Peninsula to see Dane’s family, friends, and play in the wonderful outdoors! Gosh how I love this mini road trip! On my way out the door I noticed three perfectly over ripe bananas, left uneaten by Dane, in the fruit basket. I couldn’t consciously leave them behind. Knowing very well that over the weekend I would have the chance to create something delicious with them, I quickly, yet carefully placed the black and yellow bananas on top of everything else in my backpack, making very sure that later I would not be surprised with a gooey sweet mess.

Within two hours, and after a beautiful sunny warm ferry ride to Kingston, Dane was on the other side awaiting my arrival. With arms, back and shoulders full of multiple bags and backpacks, I stepped off the ferry with a huge grin on my face. Finally I was back on the Olympic Peninsula, with three and a half days of great memories awaiting me.

We played, we ate, we drank, we laughed, we relaxed, we had fun! And yes, I did create something delicious with those three black and yellow over-ripe bananas. After a long run out into the countryside, I came back inspired to create a healthy, light, fiber rich, and tasty morning glory muffin.

In my macronutrients class this past week, I learned a lot about fiber, more specifically soluble and insoluble fiber. We learned that soluble fiber is responsible for satiety, decreasing serum cholesterol levels, supporting beneficial prebiotic growth, and ultimately promoting immune function. While insoluble fiber is predominately responsible for increasing stool mass and transit. The health claims of soluble fiber arise due to its viscous gel-forming properties when mixed with water. This attribute decreases gastric (stomach) emptying which is responsible for the longer sense of satiety. The viscous mass also captures fatty acids and cholesterol, inhibiting their absorption, and promoting their excretion in feces. In addition, soluble fiber has been shown to work as a prebiotic. Due to their high fermentability in the large intestine, soluble fibers promote the colonic growth of lactobacilli and bifidobaceteria, both health-promoting bacteria. Short-chain fatty acids are a side product of fermentation, which also boost immune system function by stimulating the production of macrophages, t-helper lymphocytes, and antibodies. 

Now after all that great information, doesn’t that make you want to eat more soluble fiber?? Great! The recommended fiber intake for women is 25g/day and for men it is 38g/day. Sadly most Americans only consume about 15 grams of fiber each day. Eating fresh fruit and veggies, as well as whole grains will help increase your daily fiber intake. However, the fruits, veggies, and grains, most noted with a high soluble fiber content include oats, legumes, barley, bananas, apples, pears, prunes, and berries, as well as some vegetables including carrots, broccoli, artichokes, and onions. Foods rich in insoluble fiber are whole-grains, brans, nuts, seeds, and most vegetables and fruits.

Inspired by what my professor had to say, I decided to make these morning glory muffins rich in soluble fiber, including carrots, apples, prunes, bananas, and oats. Also, the muffins have insoluble fiber with the addition of spelt flour. With low sugar, low fat, and full of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber, these muffins are a great on the go snack or part of a healthy breakfast.

Morning Glory Muffins

Makes 13 muffins

Ingredients:

2/3 cup spelt flour

1/3 cup unbleached wheat flour

1 cup quick oats

½ large apple with peel, grated

1 medium carrot with peel, grated

3 black and yellow over-ripe bananas, mashed

½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

¼ cup brown sugar (or maple syrup)

1/3 cup dried Italian plums (or any other dried fruit)

2 eggs

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter/oil muffin pans and set aside in freezer.

2.  Mix together all the dry ingredients (spelt flour, unbleached flour, oats, walnuts, brown sugar, dried plums, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger) in a large bowl.

3.  In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients (apple, carrot, bananas, yogurt, and eggs)

4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until mixed. Do not stir more than needed.

5. Remove the muffin tins from the freezer and fill with the muffin mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes and test for doneness with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean they are done!

Optional: Sprinkle the tops of muffins prior to baking with a little bit of brown sugar for a crispy sugar top.

References:
Gropper, S and J. Smith: Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism 6th Edition