Tasty Tangerine Cake

I am unsure if I should call this a 'cake' recipe. For most people, that means it's an indulgence of sugar. This cake is a little more on the healthy side with not too much sweetness but enough to get your sugar fix if your sweet tooth is hollering!

It's really more like a coffee cake and if you do not have tangerines, feel free to exchange a large orange for them. By using the entire fruit, skin and all, it gives this cake a really unique taste. I think it is perfect with a good rich, dark coffee or a hot cup of green tea. I hope you will agree!


Tasty Tangerine Cake

2 Tangerines

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9-inch pan or tube pan.

1. Squeeze tangerines and reserve the juice, place tangerines in a blender.

2. Blend entire tangerines with milk and eggs on high until smooth.

3. Pour tangerine mixture into a bowl. Add the flour and baking soda.

4. Mix together gently

5. Melt butter. Add the honey and butter to the tangerine mixture.

6. Add raisins and walnuts, mix well.

6. Pour into a well greased pan or tube pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until top springs back. Pour reserved juice over hot cake and leave in the pan until almost completely cooled. Remove from pan and let finish cooling!

If you like, you can sprinkle powder sugar over the top to make the presentation prettier.

(Recipe modified from The Horn of the Moon Cookbook by Ginny Callan)

Nutritional Tip:

Tangerines are an excellent source of vitamin B and C Vitamins. During the winter months, in order to help fight off colds, it is helpful to increase your vitamin C consumption. Not to mention that Vitamin C makes your skin look fantastic throughout the year!

If you are going to eat cake you might as well eat one made with healthy fruit and less refined sugar. We all need to watch the amount of sugar coursing through our veins these days! We do not want to contribute to the diabetes epidemic spreading to our friends and family.

This recipe retains all the fiber of the fruit and includes more with the addition of whole wheat flour. Fiber helps slow down the absorption rate of food and helps us to feel full. I have heard people say they could eat an entire sheet cake without thinking about it. That's because it is basically flour, sugar and water with ZERO nutritional benefits. That combination seems to disappear like air in our mouths and in our stomachs, leaving us hungry a short time later. It is too bad it does not disappear like air on our hips! Haha! This recipe gives you more nutrients than most cakes. Let me know if you enjoyed it!

Living Out Loud,

DandelionHeart

Healthy One-Dish Winners

I'm baaack~ Hi everyone! I first have to apologize for taking so long to post. Life's pace has picked up and quick standbys of past entries are all I have found time for these days. However, I love being able to hunt back through the blog for that easy meal! I have made the pizza recipe a few times (June 21st), changing up the toppings every time. Another go-to meal is the black bean burger (Aug 19) and the cilantro potato soup (Sept 10). The potato soup is quick and really good on a cold night! Today's entry is pork chops with roasted winter veggies. I used brussel sprouts and carrots all in the same dish. It's an easy prep and an easy clean. You can't beat the no-fuss meal!


Pork Chops, Brussel Sprouts and Carrots


1 package of boneless pork chops or pork roast (as always, hormone/antibiotic free)
2 cups brussel sprouts
4 large carrots
1 cup chicken broth
2 TB mustard (I used a spicy, german mustard)
1 tsp garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste


1. Place pork chops in a baking dish and sprinkle salt and pepper over top.
2. Mix together mustard and garlic. Spread it over the pork chops.
3. Trim the ends off of the Brussels sprouts and add them on top of the chops.
4. Clean the carrots and cut them into large chunks. Add to the baking dish.
5. Pour broth over it all.
6. Place in an oven at 375 degrees for 1 hour.


Super simple, healthy and quick. What more could you ask for in a dish?


Holiday Food Tip:

In order to prepare for the holidays, start cutting back now in small, incremental ways to stay trim and healthy throughout the season. One way to do this is to start now, not serving breads or heavy starches with your dinner meals. Start eating lean protein with healthy vegetables and aim at cutting your calorie count by 100-200 calories a day. If you do this, it is like having a bank account that you've placed a nice little savings in. You can 'withdraw' from this account during the holidays without putting on the extra 5-10 lbs that most of us gain during the season! Have your piece of pecan pie and then the next day 'pay your account back' by going for a long walk or cutting 200 calories from another meal.


Take Control and Enjoy the Holiday Season This Year!

Sending Out Much Love,
DandelionHeart