Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

Rhubarb Walnut Chia Seed Muffins

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When I found this recipe on Maria’s blog I didn’t know what chia seed was. “OK, whatever it is it can be bought in Hungary” – this was my first reaction. “If I bake these muffins I will leave out the chia seed” – I thought. Then I went to my favourite wholesale store and as I was walking between the shelves looking for spelt flour I found chia seed. I was surprised. I bought a packet, went home and surfed on the Internet to find information about chia seed.

Chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Chia seeds are one of the most powerful, functional, and nutritious superfoods in the world. The chia seed is an excellent source of fiber, packed with antioxidants, full of protein, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and the richest known plant source of omega-3.

And if we can believe all the facts that are on the internet… not only do chia seeds give you a boost of energy that lasts, they also provide stamina and endurance. A single tablespoon could sustain Aztec warriors for an entire day. 🙂

I changed some of the ingredients in the recipe and I added the same rhubarb compote to it that I also used in the rhubarb redcurrant muffins.

Rhubarb Walnut Chia Seed Muffins

Ingredients

For rhubarb compote
– 1,5 cups finely diced rhubarb
– 3 tablespoon honey
– 2 tablespoons water

For muffins
– 100 g whole wheat spelt flour
– 200 g white spelt flour
– 100 g natural cane sugar
– 250 ml oat milk
– 50 ml olive oil
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 organic egg
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– 2 tablespoons chia seeds
– 1/2 cup walnut, roughly chopped
– rhubarb compote
– cinnamon

Method

Place the rhubarb in a pot with honey and water. Stir and stew on low heat until soft. Purée with a blender and set aside.Preheat the oven to 175C (350F) and line 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases. (From this quantity of ingredients you might have 16 muffins.)

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl beat the egg with the cane sugar until light, then add oatmilk, olive oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until smooth. Fold in rhubarb compote, chopped walnut and chia seeds. Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them about two thirds full, dividing the batter evenly. Bake the muffins about 20-25 minutes on 175C (350F). Remove from the oven when a cocktail stick just comes out of the muffins cleanly. Leave them to cool on a wire rack and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon.

Rhubarb Redcurrant Muffins

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Meeting Béa (the writer of the beautiful blog, La Tartine Gourmande) last weekend at Food Blogger Connect in London was a dream come true experience for me. She is my role model in food photography and styling. I love her colourful kitchen props and I hope one day I will have as many cutleries, plates, napkins, glasses and bowls to choose from as she has.

I know… everything goes step by step. And to be honest, I like my small steps. I can see the development on my work. I also hope I will be able to attend next year’s Food Blogger Connect because I’m ready to learn more and meet again my new found food blogger friends from all over the world. If you read this, I miss you guys! 🙂

I found this redcurrant rhubarb muffins recipe on Béa’s blog. I love rhubarb so much. The base of the muffins is rhubarb compote that would be also great dribbled on vanilla ice-cream. Yum! I changed some of the ingredients and I didn’t have raspberry at home so I used redcurrant instead of them. The muffins turned out to be absolutely moist, not too sweet and delicious!

Rhubarb Redcurrant Muffins

Ingredients 

For the rhubarb compote
– 1,5 cups finely diced rhubarb
– 3 tablespoon honey
– 2 tablespoons water

For the muffins
– 100 g whole wheat spelt flour
– 70 g white spelt flour
– 60 g almond meal
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
– 2 organic eggs
– 7 tablespoons coconut oil
– 1/2 cup oatmilk
– 70 g natural cane sugar
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– 1/2 cup finely diced rhubarb
– 1/2 cup red currant
– rhubarb compote

Method

Place the rhubarb in a pot with honey and water. Stir and stew on low heat until soft. Purée with a blender and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 170C (350F) and line 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, almond, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl beat the eggs with the cane sugar until light, then add oatmilk, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until smooth. Add rhubarb compote, then fold in the diced rhubarb and red currants.

Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them about two thirds full, dividing the batter evenly. Bake the muffins about 20-25 minutes on 170-180C (350F). Remove from the oven when a cocktail stick just comes out of the muffins cleanly. Leave them to cool on a wire rack.

Raw Cashew Raspberry Dreamcake

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One day before we left to Paris (in the beginning of April) I made this dreamcake for my boyfriend’s birthday. Last year I baked ginger carrot cake (with orange mascarpone frosting) for him and that was a hit. But this raw cashew dreamcake… I have to say it is heavenly.

Because it is raw – it means 100% healthy! All the minerals, vitamins are presented in this cake. Of course we couldn’t eat all of it in the morning before leaving to Paris so we freezed the leftover. We knew it will come handy when we arrive home from the city of love. Paris was wonderful and oh so romantic but when our plane landed in Budapest, the only thing we could think of, was this cashew cake. Eating the leftover was the first thing we did after dropping our backpacks in the flat. 🙂

The recipe is from one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots.

Raw Cashew Raspberry Dreamcake

Ingredietns

For the crust
– 1 cup raw (peeled) almonds
– 1 cup fresh dates, pitted
– 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the cream
– 1 and 1/2 cups raw cashew, soaked for at least 5 hours, then drained
– 1/3 cup honey or agave syrup
– 1/3 cup coconut oil
– 1 cup raspberry (thaw completely if using frozen)
– 2 lemon’s freshly squeezed juice
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

Method

Place dates, almonds and salt in a food processor and pulse to chop until the fineness is a bit chunky (good if you spoon out a small amount of mixture, you roll it in your hands and the ingredients hold it together). Line a spring-form pan (diameter about 20 cm) with clingfilm and scoop out crust mixture in it. Press firmly the mixture with your hands, making sure the base is well packed. Rinse the food processor well.

Place soaked cashew, lemon juice in the food processor. Start blending it, then slowly add honey, coconut oil and vanilla until very smooth. Pour about 1/3 of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add raspberries to the remaining cream in the food processor and blend on high until smooth creamy. Pour onto the first cashew layer of the cake. Place in freezer until solid. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes before eating it. You can keep the leftover (???) in the freezer for one or two weeks.