Wellness in a Bowl

cranberry beet soup with hearty rye bread

There's something about beets--their rustic, earthy appearance, the vibrant color and subtle sweetness they develop when cooked, and, most importantly, they have an array of health benefits, to boot. Not only are beets are a good source of iron, they also contain vitamin C, which, among other things, helps our bodies absorb iron.

And, of course, one of my favorite things about beets: their earthy sweetness goes deliciously well with the hearty taste of fresh rye bread.

hearty rye bread with pumpkin seeds

In fact, rye bread is what started it all. The other day, as my Hearty Rye Bread loaf was baking in the oven, and the kitchen smelled warm and sweet, I felt inspired to make an equally warm and wonderful soup, using the flavors of beets, orange and cranberry. Like beets, fresh cranberries are packed with nutrients (vitamin C, fiber, manganese, and vitamin K, to name a few), and they are (still, although barely) in season. The cranberries also add a little tartness that compliments the sweetness of the orange juice, creating a delicious soup with several layers of flavor.

In the photo at the top, I topped the soup with a bit of tarragon (which makes everything taste better, in my opinion). The next day when I was eating leftovers, I also added some golden raisins and sunflower seeds, and I think that added so much to the recipe. The raisins add a simple sweetness that compliments the tartness of the cranberries, and the texture of the nuts and seeds makes the soup much more interesting.

Cranberry Beet Soup:
3 whole beets, tops removed and cleaned thoroughly, roughly chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 handfuls fresh cranberries
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
salt to taste
sunflower seeds, golden raisins, and fresh tarragon for serving

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over the stove; add the onions and cook until they begin to sweat, then add the caraway seeds and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. Add the beets and cranberries and then the orange and pomegranate juices. Add enough water to barely cover everything and simmer until the beets are tender (depending on how large you chopped your beets, about 30 minutes). Wait until cooled and then blend in a blender until smooth. Sprinkle the tops with tarragon, sunflower seeds and golden raisins.

iron cupcake earth: cranberry cupcake petits fours glacés

cranberry cupcakes petits fours glacés

For my first round of Iron Cupcake, I felt inspired to try something a little different. It seemed like a good idea, but it turned out to be an Iron Cupcake failure. I think, however, with a different recipe and quite a bit more practice, it could be a really good thing.

I based my cupcake recipe off of Shmooed Food's Fluffy White Cupcakes.

I changed a bit of the ingredients and the amount, and I only came up with 18 cupcakes (instead of the original recipe's 22). Here is what I did:

Light Almond Cupcakes:
scant 1 cup vanilla almond milk
6 oz plain soy yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line or spray a cupcake tin for 18 cupcakes.

Pour the lemon juice into the cup measuring cup and then fill the rest of the way with the almond milk. Mix together in a bowl with soy yogurt and set aside.

Mix together all the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.

Add oil, vanilla, and almond extracts to milk/yogurt mixture.

Add wet mixture to dry and stir with a fork. Stir just until everything is well combined, and then divide the batter between the prepared cupcake tins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

I ate one (or two) before trying to turn them into petit fours, and they were delicious. They were really light and fluffy (maybe I've become too accustomed to whole grain baked goods), and although that isn't the best textured cake for a petit four, I decided to continue anyway.

I refrigerated the cooled cucpakes, sliced them in half horizontally, and filled them with my Port Cranberry Sauce.


Port Cranberry Sauce:
about 12 oz cranberries
1/2 cup ruby port
1/2 cup sugar sugar

Put everything in a saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer for about 25 minutes, until it reaches your desired consistency. If necessary, add more port or cook for longer to adjust.

I also used the Port Cranberry Sauce to coat the sides of the cupcake.


Finally, I tried this poured fondant recipe to top the cupcakes.

That was the big mistake. I was trying to make things easier for myself by not having to grind massive amounts of my sugar into powered sugar (per all the other poured fondant recipes I'd seen). So, I got out my candy thermometer and got to it.

I should have never tried to blend the mixture. Perhaps I heated it too much (past the soft ball stage), because even though I have a really good blender, it wasn't working well. I added some of the leftover cranberry sauce, and still, the blender was having a difficult time. As you can see from the picture, it isn't a pretty sight.

Things I would change:
-make mini cupcakes instead (or, really, just make cake and cut it the real way)
-use a denser cake recipe
-blend my jam so there are no cranberry chunks
-use a different poured fondant recipe

Despite all these problems, I feel like I've learned a few things, and at least I'm not completely discouraged. Next month I'll start a little early, and hopefully have something that looks a little better.

vegan MoFo: quince chestnut bread pudding with orange cranberry sauce

quince and chestnut bread pudding with orange cranberry sauce

I've never made bread pudding before, but I was knew that this needed to be rich. I figured omitting eggs, butter and cream and subbing low-fat plant-based alternatives (although that would make it healthier), would drastically reduce the quality. So, I decided to use rich alternatives (although still plant-based and still healthy). I did use 2 T margarine to cook the quince, but I think that could be easily substituted with coconut oil or apple juice without effecting the result.



Quince and Chestnut Bread Pudding:
1 (9 oz) baguette, cut into 1" cubes (about 7 cups)
1 cup cashews*
1/3 cup hempseeds*
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons margarine
2 quinces, cut into 1/2" dice (about 3 1/2 - 4 cups)
7-8 fresh chestnuts, or 1/2 cup roasted, peeled and chopped

*I used this combination of nuts and seeds to give a creamy taste and consistency with only a slightly nutty flavor. Feel free to use other nuts or seeds as you feel suits your recipe.


To roast chestnuts, use a sharp knife to cut an X through the shell of the chestnut to allow steam to escape. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 425F for about 20 minutes. The shells will pull apart at the X and should be able to peel off easily. Remove all of the shells and chop the insides; set aside.

roasted chestnuts

Place cubed bread in 2 quart baking dish and set aside.

In medium/large saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat and stir in quince, sauteing for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cashews, hemp seeds and water and blend until completely smooth (this may take a couple of minutes). Add the next 6 ingredients (maple syrup through nutmeg) to blender and process. Pour contents of blender over quince and add sultanas. Cook for a couple of minutes and then pour over diced bread. Sprinkle with chestnuts and gently stir to combine. While the oven is preheating to 325 F, allow the bread to soak up some of the liquid for about 15 minutes. Bake for about 45 minutes until center is set and top is golden. Alternatively, bake individual-sized portions in lined muffin tins for about 30 minutes. Serve with Orange Cranberry Sauce (recipe below).

orange cranberry sauce

Cranberry Sauce:
12 oz fresh cranberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon orange zest

Combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin popping. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes. The sauce will still be a little runny, but it will thicken more as it cools.