I stopped at a great little Mediterranean market on my way home from work for some ingredients for a cake I wanted to make. It's called Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Marketplace and they have some of the best homemade pita chips around! I got some almond paste and almond extract for my cake, as well as bags of inexpensive red, green, and black lentils.
On the other side of Park Ave, right on Pleasant St, I picked up some homemade corn tortillas and guacamole from Sol de Mexico. This place has delicious vegetarian tamales, and even sells sweet pineapple tamales! Like I said, tonight I was planning a Mexitalian meal.
After a 5 mile run, I threw together a corn tortilla meal, complete with CSA corn, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and Sol de Mexico corn tortillas and guac. I cooked some egg whites in the spicy soup-turn-sauce I made on Friday night, and mixed in red beans for an extra dose of protein and fiber.
I made an almond cake for dessert. This recipe came from "Cooking For Mr. Latte" by Amanda Hesser. This cake is certainly not a diet recipe, but in moderation can be part of a balanced diet, especially after a weekend of lots of miles run. Here it is.
Almond Cake
2 sticks of butter, softened, more for buttering pan
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
7-oz. tube almond paste, cut into small pieces
4 egg yolks
1 tsp almond extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides and bottoms of two round 8-inch pans. In bowl #1, mix sour cream and baking soda. In bowl #2, sift flour and salt. In bowl #3, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add almond paste, a little at a time, beating at medium speed for 8 minutes. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, and mix until incorporated. It will look curdled; don't worry. Blend in the almond extract and sour cream mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, just until blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake about 55 minutes. It is done when you press the top and it returns to its shape and shrinks from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a baking rack to cool in the pan.
Makes 16 slices of cake, perfect with warmed berries on top and a soothing cup of Good 4 You "Simmer Down" Herbal Tea. Jess Morgan, the Good 4 You Tea owner and teamaker sent me a sample of this tea. With Vanilla soymilk and a touch of honey, it was a heavenly accompaniment to the almond cake.
25, 25, 25
Day 3 - 22 days until 25: Don't be afraid to show the people you love some love! Hugs, kisses, and words of love, encouragement and assurance can make someone's day.
Posts
Post a Comment