It may not be snowing in Barcelona, but the fact that on the street there is an average of 8 degrees at night makes me crave delicious warm dishes. The best thing of casseroles is that you can make large batches and eat the leftovers the next day, which are even better, with a settled and deeper flavor.

This stew is made with the basic ingredients of the cold season: pumpkin, kale and beans. Made over low heat in a spicy tomato stew, a fairly simple recipe that is one I tend to go always I feel like something warm and comforting. Cumin, cilantro and paprika were the spices I used, but a good curry would also look great. I used black beans but you could perfectly use white beans, chickpeas or even quinoa.

To make this delicious stew of pumpkin, kale and black beans used a hokkaido pumpkin, is a pumpkin with a wider and rounder shape than the usual buternutt squash, have a reddish skin that softens when cooked, you can even eat it!! It is one of the richest and most delicate pumpkins, if doesn’t have many fibers and has a harder flesh and with a delicious chestnut flavor. And besides, you can eat even raw!

Its orange color indicates that it is rich in beta-carotene, a provitamin that our body can transform into vitamin A. It also contains significant amounts of vitamin B1, B2, B6, C, as well as folic acid, magnesium, iron and phosphorus.

If you make this recipe, let me see it! Tag your photo with @healthyforkful on Instagram.

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Pumpkin, kale and black bean stew

This stew of pumpkin, kale and black beans is delicious, with exquisite and very subtle flavors, perfect for those days that we want something warm and comforting.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Healthy

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion cut in julienne
• 1/2 pumpkin I used hokkaido
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 chilli pepper optional
• ½ teaspoon of paprika
• 200 grams of chopped tomatoes in a tin
• 500 ml vegetable broth or water
• 200 grams of black beans cooked
• 2-3 leaves of kale
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat a little oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

  Add the pumpkin, a pinch of salt, and stir. Let the pumpkin cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, cilantro, paprika and chilli if you want it spicy, leave a couple of minutes for the spices to release their fragrance. Add the tomatoes, broth or water. Cover and simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 20-30 minutes. Add the black beans and cook for 5 more minutes.

  Add the kale, cover and turn off the heat, with the heat it will be done. Try and adjust the spices if necessary.

Notes

The leftover stew can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

The post Pumpkin, Kale and Black Bean Stew appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays, a party which purpose is to give thanks.

And yes, I know we should not need a specific day to express gratitude, it should be something that we practice everyday, because being grateful brings us many benefits and advantages,

• It makes you happier, because it makes you focus on what you have and not on what you do not have, translating into a state of greater happiness.
• The person who receives the compliment will also be happier.
• Strengthen relationships, by thanking someone, you are seeing the positive side of those people, you are recognizing their merit and their value.
• You develop a tendency to be more positive

And many more that remain in the inkwell.

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving in petit committee, just the two of us, so there has been no roast turkey, we had instead a delicious Coq au Vin made with love, slow cooked until the chicken meat came off the bone, a maximum delight.

Do not be intimidated by the name, coq au vin is just the French words for chicken cooked in wine, a classic dish of French cuisine. As I say, it consists of a chicken stew in a casserole for few hours and I just made it healthier by adding extra vegetable.

As long as you can, use free range chicken, make sure that they have grown naturally, and that they have been fed with organic corn and cereals (without toxins), this will make the meat much more juicy, tender, not to mention that it will provide you much better quality nutrients to your body.

The recipe itself is very easy, simple, tasty … and so good. The secret? A little patience, a lot of time over the heat and a lot of fresh herbs.

How is it prepared? Well, sauté chicken, caramelize the onion and garlic, add the tomato concentrate, rest of the vegetables, the wine, the broth, cover and forget about it;)

Normally I do not usually cook with wine, I always tend to substitute it with broth or even miso paste, but today I wanted something traditional and special, and the wine is the heart of this recipe, it provides flavor and helps the chicken to be tender.

Serve with mashed potatoes or better mashed cauliflower and you will have a delicious dinner that will please everyone. And it is ideal for when we have to cook for a large crowd of people as usually happens on these dates;)

If you do this coq au vin, I’d love to read what do you thing, so please, leave me a comment below. And, of course, if you make this recipe, do not forget to tag me on Instagram too! One of my favorite things is to look at all the photos of the dishes you have prepared!

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Coq au vin | Wine Chicken Casserole

Ideal dish for when we have a large crowd of guests at home. It is simple, it is rich and it will please everyone.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Christmas, Healthy, Thanksgiving

Ingredients

• 1 onion cut in julienne
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate
• 2 carrots peeled and cut into pieces of 5 cm
• 2 free-range chicken thighs
• 200 grams portobello or white mushrooms in quarters
• 250 ml red wine
• 250 ml chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• salt and black pepper
• mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower to serve

Instructions

• Put a large skillet on high heat, when hot, seal the chicken thighs until they are well browned. Remove from heat and reserve.

  In the same pan, lower the heat, and add the onion and garlic in the oil that the chicken has released, if you see that it is not enough, add a little more. Let the onion caramelize slowly, about 10 minutes.

  Add the tomato concentrate, take a couple of turns to mix well. Add chicken thighs, carrots and mushrooms.

  Pour the red wine, the chicken stock, the bay leaves, the thyme and the rosemary. Season, cover and cook at low temperature for 2 hours. Take a look every half hour to see that it does not run out of broth and that the boil does not stop. If necessary add more hot chicken broth.

  Once the time has passed, uncover it and turn up the heat, let it boil for 15-20 minutes to reduce the sauce. Remove the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme and discard.

  Serve chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes.

  If you wanted the sauce a little thicker, you could thicken it with a little cornstarch. In a bowl, add a teaspoon of cornstarch and a spoonful of the stew stock, disolve the cornstarch and then add to the stew. Take a couple of turns and let it boil until it thickens. If you wanted it very thick, add more cornstarch, but always keep in mind that when it gets a little cold it will thicken more.

The post Coq au Vin | Wine Chicken Casserole appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

Last weekend I posted in Insta Stories this delicious tender spiced pumpkin cake and it caused a total furore. Lots of messages asking for the recipe, and because nothing please me more than satisfying my beautiful followers, here it is, the magic secret for this beautiful cake!

Pumpkins are in season, oooh yeah!! Halloween and Thanksgiving is making my house to look like a pumpkin yard, I love it, also it challenge me to use up all those pumpkin in sooo many different ways, soups, stews, pasta, currys, pancakes, tarts and cakes are my favourite way to use all those pumpkins. But I’m open to suggestions

I baked this in a cold night, and let me tell you it’s superb. It might be healthy, but trust me, it tastes so good. It’s super moist, and spiced with my favorite mix of fall spices…ginger, cinnamon and cloves.

Eating pumpkin is good for your health, it’s a highly nutrient-dense food, and one of the best sources of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. It’s rich in fiber and vitamin C help us support heart health and regulating blood pressure.

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Spiced Pumpkin Cake

Course cake

Cuisine Healthy

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 free range egg
• 200 gr roasted pumpkin pureed
• 90 ml plant based milk
• 60 gr coconut sugar or panela sugar
• 110 gr spelt flour or oat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• a handful pecan nuts chopped

To serve

• thick yogurt or whipped cream

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 170ºC, line a loaf pan with partchment paper.
• Add the egg, milk, pumpkin puree, oil, coconut sugar to a bowl and whisk until combined.
• Add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and baking powder to a different bowl and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the chopped pecan nuts on top. Bake on a middle rack for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes. Slice and serve with thick yogurt or whipped cream.

The post Spiced Pumpkin Cake appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

Have you ever been in the middle of a flu domino effect? Yes, when a family member, one of your friends or a co-worker suffers a terrible cold and all the people around them go down one by one?

All started over New Years, and I’ve been the last one to get it. It wasn’t very bad, just a couple of days knocked out in bed although it has last for a couple of weeks and I’m only now just getting over it.

When it was my boyfriend’s turn, I was feeling great, although I started to take propol, lots of liquids, ginger, citrus and followed all my tips for keeping your immune system strong. But if you sleep with the devil, you will wake up in hell. And it was exactly what happened 

This winter citrus smoothie keeps being my very best friend every morning. Loaded with vitamin C, flavonoids, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant agents, will help you feel your best and stay energized all day long!

What are your magic remedies for when not feeling your best?

PS. For those of you asking over Instagram, the beautiful knife was a present from Santa. It is wonderful, pretty and super useful. It’s beautiful made by Pallares, a local company from Solsona-Lleida (Spain) whom has been making knives since 1917. All knives are made with high quality materials and are sharpened by hand !

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Winter Citrus Smoothie

Boost your immune system with this delicious citrusy smoothie

Course Drinks

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 people

Ingredients

• 1 kiwi peeled and diced
• 3 tangerines juiced
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• a piece (hazelnut size) fresh ginger grated
• a pinch black pepper cracked

Serve

• hemp seeds
• bee pollen
• raspberries

Instructions

• Place all ingredients (except the serving ones) in your blender and blend ultil smooth. Pour into a glass.

The post Winter Citrus Smoothie appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

This Pumpkin Tamarind Light Curry has become a classic in my house. It is so easy and quick to make, that you won’t believe how tasty it is!!

Most curries uses lots of spices, but this one just combine fennel and mustard seed and tamarind paste, making a vibrant and delicate curry. You could serve it with brown rice, quinoa or couscous, either way will be delicious and satisfying.

The first time I meet tamarind was when living in Cambodia. They use it in many dishes and you could easily find it in the street markets. Here in Spain is not as common, but you can find it in Asian food stores. I always like to have some at home, I don’t use it as much as I would like, but give a great tangy flavour to any Asian style dish.

Tamarind facts

For those of you who don’t know what tamarind is, just keep in mind that is another ingredient star of the Asian cuisine. It is a sweet and sour fruit that grows in long pods with brown shells. It has a sticky, fleshy, juice pulp and can be consumed raw into paste or dried and ground into a spice.

It is super healthy, is considered a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. it is rich in vitamin C, E and B, plus calcium, iron, potassium and dietary fiber. There are tons of trusted studies that shows the healthy benefits of tamarind. It can reduce inflammation, improve vision, circulation, boost respiratory health, reduces fever, relieves pain and can heal skin conditions plus many other properties.

Curry is the classic dish to use tamarind but you can make so many other delights with it. Like I’ve said, add a teaspoon to your curry, dhal or pad Thai. Stir into Bourguignon, mix it with lemon juice and ginger syrup for a tropical lemonade,combine it with tahin and maple syrup for granola, add it to a crumb cake instead of pomegranate molasses, in your gingerbread cake or even make ice cream with it.

Your imagination is the limit, just play, experiment and enjoy the results!

Today I leave my adventurous side and made a classic Pumpkin Tamarind Light Curry so you can start experimenting with it too.

Have you ever use tamarid before? How is your favorite way to use it? I would love to read about it so don’t forget to leave a comment below or tag #healthyforkful on Instagram so I don’t miss it.

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Pumpkin Chickpea Tamarind Light Curry

Delicious tangy tart Tamarind Light Curry with a delicate coconut flavour

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves of garlic mince
• fresh ginger, hazelnut size mince
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1-2 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 400 g chopped tomatoes tinned
• 400 g coconut milk tinned
• 1/2 zucchini cut in half moons
• 1 red pepper diced
• 400 gr pumpkin or butternut squash peeled and sliced in half lengthways and into quarters
• a handful kale chopped
• 200 gr chickpeas cooked
• extra virgin olive oil

To serve

• brown rice, quinoa or couscous
• fresh cilantro
• Greek yogurt

Instructions

• Put a teaspoon of oil into a saucepan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook other 5 minutes.

  Add the fennel, mustard seeds and tamarind and cook a couple of minutes. Then add the tomatoes, coconut milk, zucchini, red pepper and pumpkin. Cover with a lid, reduce heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes, until thick, adding a little hot watter if it gets too thick.

  When curry is cooked, stir in the kale and chickpeas cover with the lid and let it wilt and warm for 5 minutes.
• Serve with fresh coriander, brown rice and a little Greek yogurt if you like.

The post Pumpkin Tamarind Light Curry appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

Today’s Sweet Potato Soup flavoured with roasted garlic and sumac, exotic flavours for an impressive soup. There are tons of sweet potatoes soups out there, but not many have such sophisticated combination involving so many elements. This one will really blow your mind. It wasn’t so long ago I haven’t had a soup soooo good! Tasty, fulfilling and comforting.

Not doubt we are in soup season, and the thing is that soups are one of the most comforting dishes you can prepare. They are great for when you are busy, stressed or just need something quick and warm.

I love to make big batches so I can freeze them for later use. An amazing tip is freezing them in individual bag portions, so you can defrost quickly over the heat in a pot.

You can make soups with nearly any vegetable. The traditional base is made with onion, carrots and leeks, and then any veggie you like, water or homemade stock and that’s it. although, I many times don’t follow this rule.

To make soups more thrilling I love to add them different spices, herbs and seeds, they make that normal and not so special soup in something exciting and sexy! Add a bit of fennel to your zucchini soup, some apple to your pumpkin soup or curry powder to your carrot soup, you will enjoy your soups in a different way!! You can also play with the toppings to make it more nourishing, add crunchy quinoa, roasted lentils or even some crumbled cheese.

Ground Sumac is a spice used long ago in Europe to add tartness and sour to the dishes, it could be substituted for lemon juice but is really worthy to use the real sumac. Ground sumac is available in Middle Eastern markets and little by little it’s making its way into the spice aisle of grocery stores. It’s one of the main components in the spice mix za’atar and it’s essential in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.

Garlic is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties to help fight against infection. When roasting garlic, we are transforming a raw, crunchy and astringent ingredient, into a soft and caramelized with a gentler flavour that borders on sweetness. It’s a wonderful way of eating garlic, spread roasted garlic on toast, mash it into salad dressing or add it to your hummus. You will experience the incredible change of flavour.

Sweet potatoes are a healthy low GI carb source. High in beta carotene, important for eye health. A study in Africa showed how eating a sweet potato instead a normal white potato a day could change drastically the health of their people, they could get the amount of vitamin A needed daily with just one sweet potato.

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Roasted Sweet Potato, Roasted Garlic & Sumac Soup

Course Soup

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 500 grams sweet potato whole
• a whole head of garlic we will use only a couple of cloves
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt & black pepper
• 2 sticks celery sliced
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 teaspoons sumac
• 1 litres water homemade vegetable stock

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
• Place the whole sweet potatoes on a try, prick it with a fork and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Place a whole head of garlic beside the sweet potato.

  Roast for 40-50 minutes until the potato is soft and the garlic is caramelized. Let them cool down a bit and peel the potato.
• To make the soup, heat the other tablespoon of oil in a pot over a medium heat. Sautée the onion and celery for about 15 minutes.
• Add the roasted sweet potato, two cloves of roasted garlic (you can use the rest for salad dressings or as butter for garlic bread), the sumac and the water. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
• Blend in a food processor or with a hand blender. Check seasoning.
• Serve with a spoonful of yogurt and a dusting of sumac

The post Roasted Sweet Potato, Roasted Garlic & Sumac Soup appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

Well, Christmas Day is already over!! And before we pass to the next big celebration in a few of days, less keep our healthy routine on track.

Yes, because let’s be real, all of us have slip up in some extra sweets or drinks. But don’t worry, it’s all about balance and how we respond to those slip up. No guilt is allowed, we will get back on the path as soon as we can.

And about me, I take advantage of the few days between holiday, they are perfect to go back to those delicious soups, fresh and vibrant salads, fully nutritious main dishes and fruit or herbal teas as dessert.

Today’s Roasted Pumpkin Za’atar Spinach Barley Bowl is one of those super filling and comforting dishes perfect for cold winter days, but also if you have it cold as summer salad (in this case I wouldn’t sautèe the spinach). It’s loaded with seasonal ingredients which are in it’s highly nutritional point.

Barley is a cereal grain with a particular rich nutlike flavor and with a pasta-like consistency (it’s quite chewy). It’s an excellent source of fiber which will make you feel full for longer and will keep healthy your intestine. It prevents osteoporosis thanks to its high amount of calcium, manganese and copper. Barley also helps to preserve skin elasticity, improves our heart, pancreas and immune system functioning.

I actually love barley, it’s one of my favourite cereals. It’s texture and nutty flavor is great for stews and salads and I have a lot of fun slowly chewing this grain. Further more the barley bowl, you could also enjoy it in liquid form like plant base milk or grind the groats and use it for baking instead wheat flour.

This is one of my mains to go for when I want something fulfilling and nutritious. What about you? How do you get on track after big feasts?

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Roasted Pumpkin Za'atar, Spinach & Barley Bowl

Amazing lunch bowl loaded with delicious goodness.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 small pumpkin cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon za'atar spice
• 1/2 red onion sliced
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 handful pumpkin seeds
• 300 grams barley cooked (or 150grams raw)
• 3 handfuls fresh baby spinach
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

Tahin Dressing

• 2 teaspoons tahin
• 1 teaspoon apple vinegar
• water
• salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• To roast the pumpkin, place the dices on a oven tray, drizzle with olive oil and za'atar spice. Bake for 30-40 minutes until soft and a bit brown.
• Meanwhile, in put a pan over a medium-low heat. When hot, add olive oil, sliced onion and garlic and sautée until onion is cooked.

  Turn up the heat and add the pumpkin seeds and toast for a couple of minutes.

  If using raw barley, rinse it and boil it in a pan with plenty of water. If using already boiled barley, add it to the pan with the onion mix and stir to coat well the barley with the oil. Season. 

  Turn off the heat, add spinach, cover and let them wilt with the leftover heat.
• Now prepare the dressing by whisking tahin, apple vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Add as much water as need it to make it a bit thin.
• When the pumpkin is roasted, add it to the barley pan, stir and add the dressing.
• Serve immediately.

The post Roasted Pumpkin Za’atar Spinach Barley Bowl appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

You will love any of these warm and cozy festive drinks. Beetroot Latte and Chai Hot Chocolate (caffeine free) are perfect for sipping on while opening presents on Christmas morning, for a slow afternoon while chatting or playing board games with your family and actually during any cold day.

Along with your golden latte, they are also great alternatives to your morning coffee (sorry, I don’t like coffee) and the perfect elixir for curing almost any cold. Warming antioxidant loaded beetroot, the anti-inflammatory ginger, powered cinnamon and the cold fighting honey will rescue you from any annoying cold this winter.

You could even mix it up sometime today or tomorrow and warm it up when you are ready to enjoy it! And about the kind of milk, feel free, I’ve tasted it with cow’s milk, coconut milk and almond milk and all versions are delicious! (Note, did you know mylk with “y” refers when your lattes are made with plant-based ‘milk’? Yes, a new foodie term for our vocabulary )

I would love to know if you think you’ll enjoy these mylks during the holiday, so please leave a comment below or tag #healthyforkful on Instagram if you try any of the recipes.

PS. From this digital corner, I would like to wish you all, a beautiful and happy Christmas, with lots of healthy and nutritious food surrounded by your loved ones!

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Beetroot Latte

Course Drinks

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 400 ml milk of your choice a bit extra for foaming
• 2 teaspoons honey or any other sweetener
• 1-2 beetroot*, roasted or boiled peeled
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

• In a blender add all ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Pour on a small pot and heat up until boiling. Pass through a sieve. Foam a little extra milk with a handheld foamer or a cappuccino machine.
• Pour your beetroot latte into two glasses or mugs and top with foamed milk. Sprinkle some ground cinnamon on top before serving. 

Notes

• Instead of using a boiled or roasted beetroot, you could just add two shots of beetroot juice to your mylk and warm it up with the rest of ingredients.

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Chai Hot Chocolate (caffeine free)

Course Drinks

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 400 ml milk of your choice
• 90 grams cacao nibs
• 10 cardamom pods
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1 star anise
• 1 vanilla bean
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 teaspoons honey or any other sweetener

Instructions

• Pour the milk into a pot.
  

  Add cacao nibs, all the spices and honey. Bring almost to simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and let it rest 5-10 minutes to infuse.
• Strain hot chocolate over two mugs, sprinkle some ground cinnamon or cacao powder and serve it immediately!

The post Christmas Drinks appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

A Christmas cake everyone will love!!

I made this cake a couple of weeks ago for a client. She was very easy-going and left to me the decision of what kind of cake to make. I knew she wanted something Xmassy and that she loves chocolate so I decide to mix things up and ta-dah… Chocolate Pumpkin Spiced Cake was born!!

It was so good that I made it again for my mother in law birthday and everyone was so please and really enjoyed.

Despite its decadent and indulgent look, this cake is still in the healthy range, it is made with vegetables (pumpkin), protective heart health olive oil, antioxidant-rich chocolate, fiber-high flours and it’s low in sugar. What else can we ask to a holiday cake?

If you are looking for ideas for your Christmas magic table, just look in my celebration seccion and enjoy a healthy holidays!

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Chocolate + Pumpkin Spiced Cake

Delicious and healthy cake, perfect for the holiday season.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 16 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 56 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 50 grams pure cacao powder
• 50 grams coconut sugar
• 250 ml boiling water
• 2 eggs
• 50 grams coconut sugar
• 125 ml olive oil
• 225 grams spelt flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spiced Cake

• 3 eggs
• 100 ml olive oil
• 50 grams coconut sugar
• 200 grams pumpkin peeled and grated
• 70 grams pecan nuts chopped
• 120 grams spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice or a mix of nutmeg, clove and ginger

Whipped Cream Cheese Icing

• 400 ml cream whipped
• 375 grams cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons honey or any liquid sweetener
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180ªC.

  Line the bottom of two 20cm round tins with baking parchment.

For the Chocolate Cake

• Put the cocoa and 50g of coconut sugar into a bowl and pour in the boiling water. Whisk to mix and set aside.
• Cream the eggs and the rest of coconut sugar. Add slowly the oil and vanilla essence and keep beating.
• In another bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and bicarb together. 
• Incorporate the dried ingredients to the egg mixture and fold in the cocoa mixture.
• Pour in one of the prepared tins and bake for about 30-40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it cool.

For the Pumpkin Spiced Cake

• Beat the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl, then add the oil, grated pumpkin and chopped pecans. 
• Sift in the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden or metal spoon.
• Pour the mixture into one of the prepared tins and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it cool.

For the Icing

• Whip the cream cheese, cinnamon and honey in a bowl until soft and aerated.
• In another bowl, whip cream until it forms soft peaks.
• Add the cream cheese mixture and whip until it forms stiff peaks.
• Building the cake
• Cut the bun of the cakes to make them flat.

  Cut each cake in two layers. 
• Place one of the chocolate layers in a cake stand or plate and spread 1/5 of the icing. Top with a pumpkin spiced layer and spread another 1/2 of the icing. Repeat finishing spreading the remaining icing over the top and sides, swirling away with your spatula.
• Decorate with some ground cinnamon or chocolate curls.

The post Xmas Magic: Chocolate + Pumpkin Spiced Cake appeared first on Healthy Forkful.

How is it possible? Fall season is ending and I haven´t posted any apple recipe ?!?

Looks like this year I have been cooking more pumpkin meals than ever. Probably because I have to give an use to the 35kg of pumpkin we bought for Halloween Yes, my home was very cosy and well fallish decorated .

But because there isn’t a fall without an apple pie, I wanted to bring you a special one. A Cardamom Apple Pie with a crunchy thin spelt crust.

I love to use Fuji apple variety, they are sweet and super crunchy and always end up cooking wonderfully. I marinated them with delicious and fragrant cardamom, a bit of cinnamon (just love the combo of apples and cinnamon too much) and some coconut sugar.

Classic crust is delicious but also loaded with fat and refined flour, that why I prefer to play with it and make it more nutritious. I’ve changed the butter for coconut oil and reduced its quantity. I’ve just swapped the plain flour for half spelt flour and half almond meal giving the pastry a sutil sweet flavour, so I could leave out the bit of sugar the classic pie pastry have.

You could serve this cardamom apple pie warm or at room temperature, with some homemade vanilla ice-cream or a delicious creme anglaise (I just try one made with coconut cream and is superb!).

Because is a fruity cake and healthy carbs I love to make it just about any day of the week, it helps to make the weekdays fun and easier!

What about you? How you make your days funnier? Tag #healthyforkful on Instagram or leave a comment below so I don’t miss any of your happy moments!

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Cardamom Apple Pie

Fall Cardamom Apple Pie. Make it into two individual tarts or one big.

Course Dessert

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

Pastry

• 100 grams spelt flour
• 100 gram almond meal
• 60 grams cornstarch
• 75 grams cold coconut oil
• 6-10 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 3-4 Fuji apples* Diced
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

Instructions

• To make the pastry, place all ingredients except the water into a big bowl. Rub the coconut oil with the flour until you get a sand texture. Tablespoon by tablespoon, add the cold water, mixing with a spatula until the dough just hold together. Wrap it with plastic wrap, flatten and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, diced the apple and marinate them with the sugar and spices*.

• Divide the dough into 4. Over slightly dusted table, roll one of them into a round, big enough to cover the base and sides of an 11 cm round mould. Trim the edges.
• Fill with half of the marinated apples, brush them with melted coconut. Roll another dough ball into a round, lift it and cover the apples. You could decorate the top making some holes on it or just making a draw with the leftover dough.
• Repit the same to make another small pie.
• Bake it 20-30 minutes until the dough is golden and apples are soft.
• Serve it with homemade vanilla ice-cream or creme anglaise.

Notes

* You could cook your apples in advance with the spices, sugar and oil.

** If you prefer, you could make just a big 20-22cm round pie, by dividing the dough into two balls, using one for the bottom and other for the top.

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