Did you ever wonder what to do with leftover juice pulp and felt really sorry when binning it? I know exactly how you feel! I hate wasting food.
I always say in classes when talking about nut milk, to always try to Repurpose and Reuse leftover pulp, because throwing it away is just like putting money in the bin.
This weekend we ended up with a lot of carrots that needed to go asap or they were going off, so I juiced them all. When you have 2L of juice you realise how much can be wasted and felt so sorry to throw the pulp away (even if it was going into the compost!). So, I saved what I could and decided to make a couple of carrot cakes.
Boy, did they come out good!
I’m more of raw cake maker than a baker, so I improvised, crossed my fingers and hoped it was going to work. If I know anything about baking, it is that improvisation is not a good trait :)) But somehow it worked!
Even though it’s not a classic carrot cake (you could always add coconut sugar or whatever sugar you use if you want to make it closer to a sweet bomb), it’s an amazing filling slice that goes perfectly with a cup of tea, a book and a blanket. I used only fruit to sweeten it and discovered how to use excess plums! We have a plum tree in the garden that’s begging to be used, so I threw some in and they were the “cherry” on top. Even better than I expected!
I bring you the epitome of early autumn! Taa-Daa!
Packed with soluble and insoluble fibre it can really help to maintain those intake levels high.
Fibre is so important for a healthy digestive system and overall well-being. It helps normalise bowel movements, lower cholesterol levels, control blood sugar levels and achieve and maintain a healthy weight. If you have trouble going, you may need to add more fibre. If you’re not used to whole foods and loads of fruit and veg, it’s really important that you add it gradually over a period of time, as you can prevent bloating, intestinal gas and cramping.
I find this to be the first experience when people give vegetarian/vegan/more plants a chance overnight and then they think the symptoms would stay forever, which often puts them off. This is just a reaction from too much fibre all of a sudden for the gut bacteria to deal with. It’s normal and goes away quickly.
LEFTOVER JUICE PULP CARROT PLUM CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
BASE
– 350g carrot, apple, beetroot leftover pulp from juicing (if you’re not juicing but still want to make this, you can grate 400g carrots)
– 225g flour of choice(I milled rice into a fine powder)
– 2 blended ripe bananas with 100ml water
– 2 tablespoons chia seeds or psyllium husk, covered in water (instead of egg)
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon nutmeg
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 100g walnuts or pecans (soaked – keep some for decorating)
– 200g plums, pitted and roughly chopped*(You could replace the plums with other sweet ripe fruit)
– 1 teaspoon coconut oil
– 20cm round cake tin
ICING
-3 bananas
– 100g tahini
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 tablespoon coconut oil
– 100g raisins, pitted
– 1 unwaxed lemon’s zest
– 1 teaspoon rose petals* optional for decoration – you can use tea bag ones if you have rose tea
– 1 tablespoon psyllium husks (or chia)
HOW TO:
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 Use the coconut oil to grease the tray and line with baking paper.
2. Mix the chia seeds with water and allow to sit while you prepare the rest.
3. In a bowl mix all the ingredients, except the plums and walnuts, with your hands and make sure they’re thoroughly incorporated. You should have a thick mixture.
4. Scoop the mixture into the baking tray and add the plums and walnuts evenly, pressing them into the dough.
5. Pop in the preheated oven for 40min, until golden and slightly risen. Poke a fork through and if it comes out clean the cake is ready. Leave the cake to cool for at least an hour.
6. While the cake is baking you can prepare the icing, blend all the ingredients together, except the psyllium/chia seeds, for 3 minutes, until everything is incorporated. Add the psyllium/chia and blend again. Transfer to a bowl and allow to sit in the fridge until ready to spread over the top of the cake.
7. Finish off with walnuts or pecans, sesame seeds, rose petals and grated carrot for a contrast look. Enjoy!
Notes:
– If this is your first sugar-free cake, bear in mind that it might seem different in taste and you may need to add a banana or two extra to adjust.
