Torta di limone - Italian Lemon Cake

Makes a cake 20 cm in diameter.

We use an erythritol as the sweetener. It's natural and calorie free. It doesn't raise insuline levels as well. In case you can't find it at your local grosery stores (very likely) you can use xylitol. I don't recomment stevia, as it has distinctive taste which can't be hidden in this cake.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 125 g soft butter
• 150 g of erythritol
• 3 eggs, separated
• 125 g almonds, finely ground
• 60 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Juice of 2 lemons
• grated zest of 2 small lemons
• sugar powder

Method of preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 180 C
• Blend butter with erythritol in a bowl until creamy
• Add the egg yolks one by one and mix each yolk until well incorporated
• Stir in the ground almonds, sifted flour and baking powder
• Add lemon juice and zest and mix everything well
• Whip the eggwhites until stiff and stir them into the dough
• Grease the cake mold 20 cm in diameter with butter and slightly sprinkle it with flour
• Pour in the batter
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until it is slightly browned and a wooden stick put in the cake comes out clean
• Let it cool slightly before sprinkilng some sugar power on top
• Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve warm or cooled to room temperature.

Italian Chocolate Cake

Makes a cake 24 cm in diameter.

Ingredients:

• 200g good dark chocolate (at least 70 % cocoa)
• 6 tbsp almond milk
• 100g butter
• 4 eggs separated
• 150g xylitol
• 50g gluten free flour
• 1 1/ 2 tsp baking powder

Preparation :

• Preheat the oven to 180 C . 
• Grease the cake mold with butter and slightly sprinkle it with flour.
• Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt with the milk and the butter in a small pot that is put in a bigger pot with hot water.
• Mix egg yolks with the Xylitol in a bowl to form a thick cream.
• Add the melted chocolate and mix everythig energetically.
• Sift flour and baking powder in.
• Bit the eggwhites until stiff and gently fold into the batter.
• Pour the mixture into the the mold and bake for about 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Check with a wooden stick the cake if it's ready. If the stick is clean after you put it int he cake - it is ready.
• The cake should be soft and moist, so it could sink a little in the middle after cooling.
• Serve decorated with grapes and sugar powder.

Chocolate and Grapes Cake

Ingregients (for a cake 18 cm in diameter)

Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup flour gluten-free
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa
• 1/2 cup of Xylitol
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:

• 2/3 cup plant milk (such as almond milk)
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• a few drops of vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups of red grapes 

Ingredients for topping:

• 1 dark chocolate bar (min. 72 % cocoa)
• almond flakes to decorate

Method of preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.
• Grease the pan with fat.
• In a medium bowl, Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly.
• In a small bowl, whisk together milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract.
• Pour the wet ingredients to the dry and thoroughly combine with each other.
• Add the fruit to the dough and mix.
• Pour batter into the mold and bake for 40 minutes.
• During baking melt the chocolate. To do so, you need two vessels - one large with water and the other smaller. In a large pot boil the water and keep on medium heat. Break the chocolate bar into small chunks and throw them into the smaller pan. Dip the small pan in the large pan and wait until the chocolate melts.
• When the cake has cooled, pour melted chocolate over it and sprinkle with almond flakes.
• Cake tastes best when chilled in the refrigerator.

Tomato and Fennel Cream

It is one of the best tomato soups that I've ever eaten and has quite unusual taste - all thanks to the fennel.

Ingredients for two servings:


The soup:

• 2 fennels - approximately 400 grams
• 1 medium-sized onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 400 ml vegetable stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

The nut-and-cheese topping:

• 60 grams of walnuts
• zest of one lemon
• 40 grams of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon of fennel stalks

How to prepare the soup:

• Wash the fennels, separate stems from tubers and cut the tuber into thin strips.
• Peel the onion and cut into cubes.
• Peel the garlic and cut into slices.
• Prepare the vegetable broth.
• In a large skillet heat the olive oil, add the fennel tubers, onion, garlic and fry for a few minutes.
• Add canned tomatoes, broth and cook about 20 minutes.
• Pour the soup into a blender, blend it until smooth, season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with nut-and-cheese topping (see below for instructions on how to make it).

How to prepare nut-and-cheese topping:

• Chop the walnuts and roast in a pan.
• Chop the green stalk of fennel.
• Mix nuts, parmesan, lemon zest and a chopped fennel in a bowl.

Orzo, feta and cherry tomatoes salad.

That's one damn delicious salad! Try not to eat everything at one go, I dare you.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• cup orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup pine nuts - can be substituted by other cashews
• handful of fresh coriander or parsley
• large handful of cherry tomatoes
• 150 grams of feta
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method of preparation:

• First - prepare the orzo pasta - cook it in a large amount of water - it took me about 25 minutes. Drain it well.
• Dice cheese into small cubes.
• Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
• Peel the garlic and chop finely.
• Brown the nuts in a frying pan.
• Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and coriander in a bowl.
• Add feta, tomatoes, peanuts, salt, pepper and gently mix.
• Add the orzo and mix again.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes big 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• 125 g + 1 tablespoon butter (warm)
• 200 g xylitol
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablepoons gluten-free baking flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 egg (bitten)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Method of preparation:

• Mix the butter and erythritol in a mixing bowl.
• Add flour, baking soda, almond flour, agg and buttermilk, mix again.
• Add cocoa nibs and goji berries, mix some more.
• Form 12 round cookies on a baking paper, leaving gaps between cookies (they will grow a little)
• Bake for 12 minutes in an over set to 180 C.
• Take out from the oven and leave to cool down for several minutes.
• Serve.

Banana and Nut Loaf Cake

Number of servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 big ripe bananas
• 115 g butter (warm)
• 1/2 cup + 1 ts erythritol
• 2 large eggs
• 130 g gluten-fee baking flour
• 1 ts baking powder
• 5 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons ground cinamon
• 2 handfuls of nut mix (I used brasil nuts, walnuts and hazelnuts mixed 1:1:1) coarsly chopped

Method of preparation:

• Smash bananas in a bowl with a fork.
• Put butter and erythirtol in a mixing bowl and mix until creamy
• Add eggs (one at a time) and mix a little bit after adding each one
• Add bananas, flour, buttermilk, cinnamon and nuts and fold until the dough is evenly mixed
• Put the dough into the mold and bake in an oven set to 180 C for about 25 minutes
• Check at regular invervals (every 2-3 minutes) if the cake is done. Insert wooden sticks (toothpicks are good for it) in the cake and check if it comes out clean. If so, the cake is ready.
• Put the cake aside until it cools down a little before serving.