Will Run For Pomegranate, Kale & Quinoa Salad

pomegranate, kale & quinoa salad.

Lessons that I've learned this week.  Don't casually tell people that you have a "quivery liver".  They become alarmed.  Similarly, don't tell people that you are having liver salad.  They become disgusted (unless they are my grandmother and think liver and onions are just the greatest thing).

  After a trip to the emergency room a few weeks ago and some blood work it seems that my liver isn't quite itself.  My doctor isn't quite sure why.  So until my next doctor's appointment I decided to self diagnose (with the help of google): "quivery liver". Treatment: eat lots of kale and other liver friendly foods such as beets, blueberries, etc..

Even if you aren't a kale lover this salad is worth a try because who doesn't love blueberries, pomegranate, pepitas, hemp hearts, beets, balsamic vinegar & maple syrup.  Yum!

Salad

(serves 4-6 kale lovers)

1 bunch dinosaur kale (chopped into small pieces...think Edward Scissor Hands)

1/2 C chopped fresh parsley

2 small beets shredded

1 C fresh blueberries

1 1/2 C pomegranate seeds

2 C cooked red and white quinoa (any colour will do)

1/4 C toasted pepitas

2 T hemp hearts

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. 

Dressing

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C white balsamic vinegar

1T maple syrup

Whisk all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over kale salad.  The longer the salad sits the more delicious it becomes. 

Cuddle break for Lenore & Jeb

Will Run For Mrs. Kirk's Spice Layer Cake

Spice Cake

I am not a big fan of winter.  I live in Northern Ontario.  This is a problem. 

 It shouldn't be a surprise that our winters are long, cold, and full of snow (and I curse the people who complain about this even though I am one of them.  I am a jerk.)  But sometimes I can't help but take it personally.  Doesn't the universe know that day after day of indoor recess wears on a person?  Doesn't she know that four dogs who haven't gone for a walk in days is a little much to handle (even if one is named Lenore and is the cutest bulldogge that you ever did see)?

So what do you when you have had enough of winter and it's Friday night and your report cards were due on Wednesday and you haven't even started writing them?  You bake a 5 layer cake.  Your Granny's mother's cake.

Spice Cake

Two 6 inch pans (or alternatively use two 8 inch pans and adjust cooking time)

Prepare pans by greasing and then lining with waxed paper.  Preheat oven to 350 F.

2 1/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

* sift all dry ingredients together then add spices.

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp dried ginger

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

Cream 2/3C butter

Beat in 1 3/4C white sugar

 Add three eggs and

1 tsp vanilla bean paste until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add 1 1/3 C milk to creamed mixture and then add wet ingredients to dry.  

Pour approximately 2C of batter in each pan (this will fill 2 1/2 six inch cake pans).  Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until cake springs up when touched.  Allow cake to cool thoroughly before icing.

Vanilla Butter Frosting

3 C powdered sugar

1/3 C butter (softened)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/8 tsp cinnamon

2-3 T milk

Mix sugar, cinnamon and butter.  Stir in vanilla and milk.  Mix until a smooth spreadable consistency is reached.  Line cake plate with wax paper.  Place first layer of cake top down (in theory this will keep you from having a weird dome shaped cake...in theory).  Start icing from the inside out always making sure to have plenty of icing on your spatula otherwise you'll be fighting with crumbs.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if you wish.  Let it sit and then tackle taking the wax paper off of the plate.

* I made 1 1/2 batches of the icing recipe for the 5 layer cake but it makes more than enough icing for a double layer cake.

Enjoy in the middle of February with someone you love.

lovely layers

How I feel about winter