BBC Good Food Show Recipes

Chocolate beetroot roulade with chocolate cream (pictured above)

Using vegetables in cakes is nothing new, of course,
 but I really like this combination. Beetroot has a great flavour and a sweetness that softens the bitterness of the chocolate. I've put it just in the filling and the glaze, as 
I find that adding it to the cake unbalances the recipe.


Serves 8–10

200g dark chocolate (53% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
200g butter
300g packet cooked beetroot, juices reserved, roughly chopped
100g icing sugar
150g cream cheese
5 eggs
175g light brown soft sugar
75g self-raising flour
10 cherries, stalks left on

For the chocolate cream
300ml double cream
200g dark chocolate (53% cocoa solids)

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5 and line a 23cm x 33cm Swiss roll tin with a sheet of silicone paper.
Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering (not boiling) water. The bowl should not touch the water. Heat to melt, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the chopped beetroot and juices in a food blender and blitz to a fine purée. Pour all but 125ml of the puréed beetroot into the warm chocolate.

In a separate bowl, beat the icing sugar and cream cheese together until smooth, then beat in 75ml of the puréed beetroot. Set aside with the 50ml puréed beetroot in the fridge while you make the cake.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a kitchen mixer, or in a large bowl with electric beaters, until very thick and pale in colour. Carefully pour in the cooled chocolate-and-beetroot mixture and whisk until just combined. Sift the flour into the mixture then gently fold in, making sure it has all been incorporated.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for
10–15 minutes until risen. The sponge should spring back when pressed lightly. Lift the sponge out of the tin and leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, heat the cream in a saucepan until just simmering, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring all the time until the mixture is smooth. Pour into a large bowl to cool. When the mixture is at room temperature, whisk until it just holds its shape.

Spread the chocolate cream over the cooled sponge, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Score a line 1cm in from one of the longest edges and bend this border over gently. Spoon all but 2 tbsp of the beetroot cream in a line 2cm wide inside the border. Using the silicone paper underneath, roll up the sponge quite tightly, making sure the filling stays inside. Pull the paper towards you as you roll the sponge away from you.

Roll the sponge onto a serving plate – the bottom will be uppermost, giving a smooth finish. Pipe or drizzle over the remaining beetroot cream and puréed beetroot. Finish with a line of cherries down the centre.

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Chicken, Broccoli and Spelt Salad by Hemsley & Hemsley

Serves 4

olive oil spray
400g boneless, skinless chicken
thighs, trimmed of fat
100g uncooked spelt, well rinsed
or 300g ready-cooked spelt
250g sprouting broccoli, trimmed
100g mixed salad leaves, well
washed
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt

Dressing
1 small can of anchovies in olive
oil (30g drained weight)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Heat a griddle pan until it's very hot, and spray it with olive oil spray. Add the chicken thighs and grill them for 5–7 minutes on each side until they're cooked through and golden brown. Remove the thighs from the pan and set them aside to cool, then slice them thickly.

If you're not using ready-cooked spelt, put the spelt in a saucepan, add plenty of water to cover and season it with a good pinch of salt. Bring the water to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer the spelt for 15 minutes or according to the packet instructions until the grains have softened but still have a slight bite to them. Drain and allow the spelt to cool.

Cook the sprouting broccoli in boiling water for 3–4 minutes until just tender.

To make the dressing, finely chop the anchovies and put them in a small saucepan. Add the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and whisk together over a low heat until the dressing thickens and emulsifies. Add the chilli flakes, if using.

To serve, arrange the mixed leaves on a large platter. Sprinkle over the spelt and drizzle with some of the dressing. Top with the sprouting broccoli, cherry tomatoes and chicken and add the rest of the dressing.

Hemsley + Hemsley and James Martin will be at the BBC Good Food Eat Well Show featured at BBC Good Food Show Summer in the City on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May.