Savory Vegetable Loaf Cake Recipe

Happy new year!

My jeans are really tight with all the lasagne, panettoni, nougat, chocolate and glasses of Prosecco I have been scoffing during these last festivities…this year it has really been non-stop eating. I spent new year’s eve in Italy and I had a big “cenone” or a big dinner where you eat all night non-stop… it was FANTASTIC! We ate and danced until 3 am and some people waited till 5 am to have breakfast with brioche and cappuccino at a bar but I could not do that I felt too full. Years ago when I was younger I used to manage that.

Still, I loved the evening and I feel really happy and that what’s counts! I think I needed to let my hair down as they say.

My first recipe for 2016 is this easy vegetable loaf which is super tasty, light and nutritious. You can take this at work with you and have it maybe with salad or tomatoes. Perfect to slice and take away and you can serve it cold too.

I am now thinking of some light and healthy recipes for the following weeks. I believe in shedding the extra weight slowly and naturally to make sure you don’t put all the weight back on again.

It is a New Year and a new ME.

• Prep Time : 25 minutes
• Cook Time : 50 minutes

Ingredients

• self raising flour – 200 g – 2 cups
• milk – 100 ml – 3 ½ fluid oz
• olive oil – 3 tbsp
• grated Parmesan cheese – 4 tbsp
• zucchini – 2
• carrots – 2
• peppers – 3
• peas – 100 g – 1 cup
• dried oregano – to sprinkle
• eggs – 3
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Cook the peas in boiling water until soft then drain (or you can steam them). Wash and thinly slice the vegetables, put them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and pepper, oregano and drizzle generously with olive oil. Mix well and cook for 12 minutes at 200C or 400F.

In a bowl mix the eggs, the oil, parmesan, salt and pepper and the milk. Add the sifted flour and mix well.

Take the vegetables out of the oven and add them to the mixture. Mix well. Leave some aside for decoration. Add a little extra flour if the mixture seems very runny.

Grease and flour a loaf tin measuring approx 11 x 21 cm or 4 x 8 inch and pour the mixture on it.

Put the remaining vegetables on top, drizzle with olive oil and cook at 180C or 350F for about 50 minutes. If you find that the vegetables on top are cooking too quickly cover the tin with tinfoil and continue cooking.

As the vegetables release lots of moisture, after cooking your loaf, I would suggest leaving your cake in a little longer with the oven switched off and the door left ajar.

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