Bookmarked Vegetable Cakes, Desserts and Sweet Recipes

There used to be nights when I would lie awake at night thinking about what to create with my home-grown organic vegetables, For those of you who have been following me since the inception of this blog, will know that I was putting vegetables into everything - Rhubarb and beetroot in curries, courgette and parsnip in cookies, avocado and pumpkin in mousse, spinach and kale in smoothies, beetroot in cakes,waffles and pastry crust, carrot in muesli, flapjacks and jams and jellies, butternut squash in ice-cream, and much more, now I lie awake with real life distractions. I also seem to have lost my mojo, before the inspiration would just come naturally ...life was much kinder then. I know it will return in time.

I was looking over some of my bookmarked recipes from years back.  It occured to me that raw food and vegan blogs have been a fantastic source of inspiration for many mainstream foodies whether or not we like to admit it.  Many raw and vegan food bloggers cook outside of the boundaries incorporating ingredients that mimic meat and dairy products flavours, textures and tastes.  Raw and Vegan cooks have introduced mainstream cooks and chefs to new techniques and ways of cooking with ingredients that they would never had considered.  Avocado Chocolate Mousse for a start - need I say more, and Kale and Spinach in Smoothies that have now evolved now to ice-creams and yogurts. Many of these recipes have been around for years, but are only just being discovered here in the U.K. 

Here are a handful of bookmarked recipes made with vegetables from around blogospere that I hope to make in time.  I have provided links to the original source.  I do hope the bloggers I've linked to don't mind me sharing the images with you. 

Beetroot Ice-cream by White on Rice Couple.

Here are Lagusta's amazing vegan Beetroot Truffles. She has also made other flavours, such as Chipotle, Wasabi, Curry and Miso! 

Beetroot and Coconut Terrine featured on Va Va Voom.  I know this one is savoury, but I am planning on sweetening it up a little when I make it at home. 

Red Chocolate Hot Chocolate by Yuppie Chef!  I was thinking of making this one with beetroot and making Red Beetroot Hot Chocolate!

I also have Beetroot Meringues bookmarked from Canal Cook, as well as vegan ones by Eddie Shepherd; and also Carrot Meringues bookmarked from Love the Garden Competition in 2011.

Here are some sweet recipes made with cauliflower.  For a start Chocolate Cauliflower Shake from The Green Forks which can easily be frozen and turned into a lollipop; and even a Cauliflower Rice Pudding from Maria Mind Body Health. 

Hulk Smoothie aka Green Smoothie from Carissa at Attached At the Nip.  Carissa introduced me to Green Smoothies in 2009.  She has so many variations with mangoes, apples, all with appealing names such as Green Goddess, and Simply Green Juice. 

This amazing vegan Kale Cake with Sweet Potato Filling from Lancaster Fresh Farm CSA website shared in 2011 by a CSA shareholder, Laura Forer.  I so want to make this with my homegrown kale.

Sweet Pea Cupcakes with Soured Cream Frosting from Vanilla Garlic as above (2009) and also Garden Peas and Ricotta Cupcakes  (no image) bookmarked from Cupcake Project (2011).

Another one from the Cupcake Project, this time its Cucumber Cupcakes.  So gorgeous. 

The Baker of Brighton also has Cucumber Cupcakes this time topped with Elderflower Cream.  But if you want to make one big cake, then check out this Cucumber Cake recipe bookmarked from Honest Cooking.  It shows that cucumbers can be substituted for courgettes. 

There is a sweet Turkish cake called Ispanakli Kek made with Spinach.  I had it when I was in Turkey but have never got round to making it at home.  I've had this Sweet Spinach Cake bookmarked by Binnurs Turkish Cookbook.  A similar Spinach Cake and Spinach Cupcake recipe appears in Mom Whats for Dinner !  I was also intrigued by Binnurs Mushroom Cookies.  

Spinach Ice-cream from Chocolate Covered Katie.  I was also recently reminded of this Mint Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with Chocolate Chips also made with spinach by Circardian Wellnesss via Jessica Seinfields book Double Delicious, you can find the original recipe here.

Peruvian Sweet Corn Cake from Peru Delights.  Follow this link for  22 Peruvian Recipes that vegans and vegetarians should try. 

Mexican Sweet Corn Cakes from Marcie at Flavour The Moments.

 Home-made Sweet Potato Latte by Grace Su featured on MichellePhan.com.  Sweet Potato Latte is a Korean cafe speciality that will soon be made in my kitchen come Autumn.  The recipe can be easily adapted, and has also been made with Japanese Purple Sweet Potato. 

Spiced Sweet Potato Doughnuts by Leanne Bakes.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake Squares from Seasonal Veg Head via Everyday Food.

Or maybe something a little more cooling with these Pumpkin Lollies or Popsicles depending on where you are in the world, bookmarked from a Healthy Jalapeno. 

And these don't even include those from my well thumbed raw food, vegetarian and vegan cookbooks such as this one from which I have already baked Celery Cookies.