Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah-Egg-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free

Honey cake is one of the traditional desserts that we eat on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year! My mother always made her honey cake using a cup of strong black tea and added chopped walnuts to the batter.

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My cake is similar to my mother's recipe, but I've adapted the ingredients to be plant-based. Although some vegans do not eat honey, I do. 

I heard somewhere that they call honey-eating vegans,"bee-gans. " 

The cake brings back memories of when I was a young girl. We always had a slice of honey cake for breakfast with a cup of tea or coffee before we left for the synagogue for the religious holiday service. It's wasn't a super sweet cake and it tended to be a tad dry.  I'm not sure if that was intentional, or my mom's cake just came out dry! Well, we spread it with a little extra honey and were very happy.

I made my honey cake and guess what, it is a tad dry. I found a way to moisten it up. I cut it into squares and stored it in a large  Zip Loc baggie. That night, the cake was much moister!  I didn't add the walnuts because my grandkids are not happy when I do. 

It's a tasty dunking cake! We will enjoy it for breakfast on the holiday. 

If you are looking for, or are just interested in reading about other Rosh Hashanah traditions and recipes, see my Rosh Hashanah post from 2106.

This honey tea cake is egg-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Ingredients: 

2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour 

2 teaspoons of baking powder

2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

1/2 cup of coconut crystals or sugar of your choice

1 cup of dark tea

1/2 cup of honey

1/2 cup of avocado or olive oil

1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce 

1 teaspoon of lemon zest 

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Optional: 1 cup of chopped unsalted walnuts 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, and coconut sugar. Using a whisk, mix well and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the oil, applesauce, lemon zest, tea, vanilla, and honey and stir with the whisk. 

Slowly begin adding the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing with the whisk until all dry mixture is absorbed, but do not over mix. Add the lemon juice and stir.

Pour batter into an 8X8 brownie pan that has been lined with parchment paper on the bottom and grease the sides. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a pre-heated oven until testing with a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes: I used 1/2 cup of oil in the recipe.

For a moister cake, perhaps try 3/4 cup of oil? Let me know if you try. You can leave a comment below- just click on comments.

Fall Potato Dill Vegetable Soup- Vegan

We loved our flavorful potato dill vegetable soup! 

The weekly local outdoor farmer's markets are thriving and have lots of beautiful seasonal vegetables and herbs for sale! This week I decided to make a fragrant fall vegetable soup with the produce that I bought from the market.

The key player was a beautiful bunch of dill. As soon as I spotted it, I knew I wanted it! However, I really don't have many recipes that call for dill. 

I have used dill in potato salad before, so I decided to make a potato based soup. I just went with the flow of what I had purchased. I had potatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini, fresh dill and fresh kale- all from the organic farmers at the market!  The only vegetable I added to the soup from my refrigerator was some carrots.

So Fast and Easy

Seriously, what I calling my early fall potato dill vegetable soup came out delicious. I made it in my Instant pot with a cook time of 5 minutes!! If you don't have an IP just follow directions, and cook longer covered until potatoes are soft ( you might need a little more liquid).

The Freshly Chopped Kale Melted into The Cooked Soup 

The outcome was a nice broth-like soup with lots of chunky vegetables and a mellow flavor. The dill gave it a nice fragrance and taste and the kale just melted into the pot after the soup was cooked. The turmeric brightened it up to a lovely yellow color!

We are talking quick, easy, and healthy here!! A comforting easy plant-based, oil-free, soup that is naturally gluten-free too! Just the way I like it..!!

This soup tastes even better the second day!

Author of the blog: Judee Algazi

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time in Instant Pot: 5 minutes + pre-heat time

Serves: 5 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of onions, diced

4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped

1 cup of zucchini, diced

1 cup carrots sliced

3 cups of potatoes, diced

1/2 cup of curly parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric (or more)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 cups vegetable broth + 1/2 cup for sauteeing

3 cups water

1 cup of kale, sliced thin ribbon style 

1/2 cup dill, chopped fine (reserve a little for garnish in each bowl)

Directions: 

Add a 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the bottom of the Intant Pot insert liner to sautee the vegetables. Add onion, garlic, zucchini, and carrots. Sautee for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, parsley, turmeric, and garlic powder. Mix well. Add vegetable broth and water. Secure lid, close steam valve, and set to pressure cook for 5 minutes. When done, carefully release steam manually. When all steam is released, carefully remove lid. Add kale and dill and stir. Garnish with some extra dill. Tastes even better the next day!

Sharing on Souper Sunday  at Kahakai Kitchen where anyone can share a soup, stew, salad, or sammie recipe. Party begins every Sunday!

I feel like it is officially fall since I've seen pumpkins and the leaves are starting to turn around here! Just saying!!!

Vegan Dinner Bowl: Zucchini, Potatoes, Green bean and Chickpea

Take advantage of the beautiful end of summer local produce and make yourself this easy one-skillet vegan dinner bowl.

Peach and Cardamom Breakfast Tea Cake

Looking for a nice breakfast cake to eat with a cup of tea? 

The simple cake is not too sweet, and it is laced with a touch of aromatic cardamom. 
I used a bundt pan and filled it half way. The small delicate gluten-free| egg-free| dairy-free tea cake yields 8 medium slices.

Fresh Peach Bellini

Have you ever had an Italian "Bellini" Cocktail?
It's an incredible drink made with fresh summer peaches and mixed with prosecco. (I made a virgin version too that I mix with seltzer for the kids).

The first time I was introduced to a beautiful Bellini cocktail was many years ago at the exquisite Bellini Bar inside of the The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. It was a memorable cocktail and memorable experience!