Orange and Beetroot Quinoa Salad

It's been one of those stifling Melbourne weekends where all I seem to be able to manage is lying in a puddle on the floor when I should really be writing a thesis and going for runs and other things of that nature.  At least this weekend I managed to eat well.  


This salad works hot or cold, but if it's been 38 degrees then I'd go with cold.  It's refreshing, tangy with little crunchy almond surprises scattered throughout.  I have also been telling myself it's full of nutritional value, which makes that potato cake I had before seem all okay.


Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 oranges
• 1 beetroot plus leaves
• 1 cup almonds
•  teaspoon cinnamon
• good olive oil 
• salt and pepper for seasoning

Cook the quinoa in 1.5 cups liquid made up of the juice of one orange and the rest boiling water.*  While it's cooking prepare you're other ingredients.

Strip the beetroot of its leaves and reserve them.  Peel the beetroot and grate.  Rinse the leaves and finely shred.  Halve the remaining orange, remove the pith and peel from one half and chop into small pieces.  Juice the other half of the orange and reserve for the dressing.

Roughly hew the almonds and toast in a dry pan until beginning to brown.

Once the quinoa is done add the orange, beetroot, leaves and almonds and toss through.  Dress the salad with the remaining orange juice, a drizzle of olive oil, the cinnamon and a little salt and pepper.  Delicious.

*If you've never cooked quinoa, a basic method involves placing it in 1.5 times the quantity of boiling water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then with the lid still on take off the heat and rest for another five minutes.

Jaffa Cake

I magnanimously volunteered to bake for our weekly Work-In-Progress meeting, because I was desperate for an excuse to make this cake, and Leith has (very wisely) asked that I don't bake enormous things just for the two of us, as we'll only eat them and head further down the road to Roly-Poly Town (let's just assume I'm paraphrasing).


But my oh my, this cake!  I love Jaffa.  It's one of my all-time favourite flavours that is one half chocolate.  You know what I'm saying, right? Choc mint is wonderful, mocha is devine, choc strawberry is good but nothing to write home about, choc ginger is massively under-rated, and jaffa or choc orange? It's the bomb!  So in hunting around for a jaffa cake recipe, I discovered a slightly different interpretation of a Jaffa Cake over here (where many good recipes reside, incidentally), and decided that this was the one! 

It's basically a super moist orange syrup cake, with a delectable chocolatey glaze.  My workmates approved.

Ingredients (Cake):

• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
• Juice and rind of one orange
• 185g butter

 Syrup:

• Juice of 3 oranges
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

Delicious chocolatey glaze:

• 200g dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• splash of strong black coffee

Heat the oven to 160 degrees (fan forced, or 180 regular).  Grease a 23cm round cake tin and line the bottom.  Beat the sugar into the egg yolks until pale and fluffy.    Add the sifted dry ingredients, and the orange juice, melted butter and rind and fold into the mixture with a wooden spoon.  In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold these into the mixture.  Then pour into your tin and bake for 50 minutes.

Prepare the syrup by stirring ingredients together in a small jug for about 30 seconds or until the sugar is dissolved.  When the cake is ready, allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes and on a wire rack for another couple of minutes.  Then carefully place the cake back in the tin, and spoon the syrup over the top.  Leave to cool completely.

When the cake is completely cool, prepare the glaze by melting the chocolate (this can be done over water on the stove, or in the microwave, as long as you check it every 15 seconds or so to ensure it doesn't burn), and mix in the coffee and sour cream.  Smear this over the whole cake and put the cake in the fridge - the glaze will set to a semi-firm consistency.

Then take into your meeting and scoff it right down.  Your colleagues on the phone line in Sydney will hear the scrape of forks on plates and know, deep in their hearts, that the Melbourne office is totally winning at meetings.