Zucchini & Chia Seed Moist Choocolate Cake

You always need chocolate right??

Zucchini and Chia seed, Moist  Chocolate cake 

A chocolate cake with some added goodness.
After 3 years being a tagged on recipe on another post I have finally out this chocyliscious baby on a post all of her own! x

A beautiful, moist chocolate cake (with added goodness).
Most of us love a chocolate cake and if you are going to have a chocolate cake why not have one with some goodness inside!

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 1 cup coconut sugar (or swap for stevia)
• 1 tsp good vanilla
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 cups zucchini finely grated
• 4 free range eggs
• 1 cup almond meal
• 3 cups gluten free self raising flour, OR 2 cups organic self raising flour OR wholemeal spelt with 2 teaspoons baking powder.
• 1-2 cups whipped cream or whipped coconut cream for dairy free
• jam (I use homemade or sugar free with stevia/fruit juice sweetener )
• walnuts
• fresh strawberries to serve

Method

• Pre heat oven to 180`c
• Grease and line with baking paper 2 x 20 cm cake tins
• Gently melt chocolate and butter
• Combine chocolate butter mixture in a bowl with the sugar
• Add in vanilla essence, eggs
• Mix in almond meal and flour, mix together well
• Fold in zucchini and chia seeds
• Pour mixture into lined tins
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until springs back when touched
• Turn both cakes onto a wire rack to cool
• Once cold place one cake onto a dish, spread with a generous layer of rosella conserve and then a layer of whipped cream and some sliced fresh strawberries
• Assemble second cake on top (arrange it flat bottom on top for a neater topped cake), top with whipped cream and decorate with walnuts and fresh strawberries
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Use milk chocolate for a milder version
• Leave the cream out and instead make and use a dark chocolate icing in its place
• Squash can be used in place of zucchini if you find you have lots of them growing in your garden!
• Swap walnuts for more fresh fruit or even choc chips!
• Use wholemeal spelt flour – this does make the cake heavier so I recommend adding in some vanilla yogurt if you use any type of wholemeal flour

Rebecca xx

2 RECIPES Haloumi Bread Salad & Zucchini & Chia Seed Chocolate Cake

Thanks to some gorgeous ingredients from the Sunshine Coast's Maleny Supermarket
I got the chance to create with a stunning and award winning locally produced Buffulo Haloumi Cheese!

This cheese has been in many magazines and is on the menu of many top restaurants in Australia.

Haloumi is an exciting cheese and for those on the Sunshine Coast like me you may have seen a local, award winning buffalo haloumi featured on the cover of Hinterland Times with local cheese maker Trevor Hart and his award winning haloumi.

If you aren't on the Sunshine Coast you can of course use any good haloumi you might find at your local delicatessen or supermarket.

If it is a cheese you already love or maybe one you have never tried before this recipe really makes it shine!

This is my delicious Zesty Salad with fried Haloumi and Olive Oil Topasted SourDough Bread Croutons.

An easy and very tasty dinner or lunch.

Ingredients:

• 200 g Haloumi, sliced 1cm thick
• 2 slices organic sourdough bread, slice into 1cm x 3 cm pieces
• Assorted salad greens, (include some bitter greens, baby spinach leaves, finely shredded kale, fresh herbs)
• 1 medium red onion, slices thinly into circles
• 1 small cucumber, sliced
• 2 really ripe tomatoes, chopped into big pieces
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Black pepper to taste
• Extra olive oil for the croutons
• paper towel to drain the haloumi

Method

• In a large bowl combine bread, tomato, cucumber, onion and salad greens
• In a small dish mix together olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice, taste and adjust quanities until you get just the right flavour for your palate. (add some fresh chili if desired)
• Heat a little oil in a fry pan on a medium low heat. (I use Neoflam cookware.)
  Lightly fry the sourdough pieces with olive oil until nice and golden on each side.
  Drain on paper towel and set aside.
• Gently fry the Haloumi briefly until nice and golden each side.
  Drain haloumi on paper towel.
• Place salad on to a large serving dish.
• Arrange Haloumi cheese and croutons on top.
• Season with cracked pepper, a little lemon juice and a tiny amount of good olive oil
• Serve

Notes

• This is a great centre table dish you can all share from making it great for entertaining
• This would be a lovely big salad to serve at a BBQ or alongside some freshly grilled fish or as part of a smorgasbord at a dinner party.
• Don’t season with salt as the cheese is already salty.

Toddler/Prep/Kindy Tips

• This is a salty cheese so I would serve theirs with lots of fresh salad and a fruit salad for dessert.
• Make their own mini dish by serving small pieces of the Haloumi with an assortment of tomatoes, snow peas, cucumber, sprouts, celery and carrots

Recipe and imagery (c) rebeccamugridge2012