Spinach and Beetroot Smoothie

This is a healthy and surprisingly tasty smoothie is well worth a try. With the sweet baby spinach leaves adding to your Iron intake in the day and the earthy beetroot giving the smoothie it's distinctive deep scarlet colour this is a healthy treat in a glass. 

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

I have been working on my photography recently, trying to improve my composition and the overall feel of the title shots. Tricky work and like any food blogger I wanted a certain look for my blog and most importantly do the food justice.  

Last last year I joined my local camera club with the sole intention of getting a better understanding of how my camera worked. It had that nasty habit of doing exactly as it pleased - I wanted to have more control of the finished image. I had these great ideas in my head about how the finished shot should look, but I couldn't translate them into workable photos- very frustrating.  

Chocolate Beetroot Cakes

  

Odd combination or culinary delight? Well I have to say that I think these are a culinary delight! Their fudgy texture is very moreish, no hint of the secret ingredient, and believe me I kept it secret, if for one minute my children detected my ruse then not one would have been eaten. Granted there was trepidation the very first time I tried this recipe, but upon the first bite my fears were allayed. So try a (healthy!!) treat and be assured that there is at least some goodness in your coffee morning treat!

Recipe adapted from BBC Food

 Makes 12

Ingredients
75g Cocoa powder or powdered drinking chocolate
180g Plain flour
2 tsp Baking powder
250g Caster sugar
250g Cooked beetroot (the one in the vacuum pack)
3 Large eggs
200ml Vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing sugar for dusting

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4. Arrange paper muffin cases in a 12-mould muffin tin. Sift the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the sugar, and set aside.




In a small bowl, finely grate the beetroot. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and oil and blend until smooth.




Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the beetroot mixture and lightly mix.




Pour into the muffin cases.




Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is firm when pressed with a finger. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar to serve.






























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