Couscous-Fruit Cake
This is an easy, quick, fat-free cake recipe perfect for a hot summer day as it requires no baking and it is served chilled. Eat it as a desert, snack or even breakfast but make sure you keep any leftovers in the fridge to retain its moisture.
Ingredients
- 1.25 liter sugar-free Fruit Juice (pear, peach or apple)
- 2 cups Whole Grain Couscous
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons Agar-agar* flakes
- 2 ½ -3 cups Berries of choice – preferably the ones in season
- 2/3 cup raw Sugar
- 1/3 cup of Flax seed (Optional: for extra fiber)
Preparation
Put 1liter of juice, vanilla and 1/3 cup of raw sugar in sauce pan and heat at a high temperature until sugar is dissolved and mixture is boiling. Turn off the heat and put couscous and flax seed into the boiling juice. Stir well and let sit covered for 5-10 minutes until juice is completely absorbed. Put couscous mix in an 8-inch springform pan or a 30 x 10 cm loaf pan and put in fridge.
Put remaining cup of juice in a small sauce pan. On medium heat , add the agar-agar flakes and 1/3 of a cup of sugar. Boil for 15 minutes. Wash berries and fold into sauce pan slowly. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes and pour berry mixture over cake mix and place in fridge for at least an hour. Serve cold, fresh from the fridge.
Food as Medicine:
*Discover Agar-Agar
Most popular in Japan, this vegetarian gelatin substitute is extracted from red algae rather than animal bones. This healthy jellifying agent can be used in jams, puddings, fruit jelly, deserts, sauces, purées, etc.
Why you’ll love agar-agar:
- Calorie-free
- Slight appetite suppressant
- Rich in Calcium, Phosphorous and Iron
- Recommended against cholesterol
- Good source of fiber, slightly laxative
- Tasteless, therefore can be used in any type of recipe
