Carrot Cake

I woke up on Easter Sunday, and to my very surprise... I mean, who would have thought... the Easter Bunny had dropped by at an undisclosed time, and delivered two of my "top of the wish list" cookbooks!
And sneaky he must have been!! Because, as with all previous Easter Basket, Christmas Stocking, St. Nickolaus' boots, Valentine gifts, and all other holidays that require late night secrecy, I had been the last one going to bed! So... just when DID he deliver my new books??? It's pure Mystery to me!

Anyhow, when thinking of Easter and big family Easter Dinner, I cannot help but think of Carrot Cake! Now, I would be fooling you if I'd say that's the only time I think of carrot cake. There are many more moments of weakness! But Easter is the time I give in to the craving.

This recipe is my favorite version.  It is from one of my favorite Food Network Ladies - Ina Garten! There are millions of carrot cake recipes out there, and it would be impossible to try them all! But I have altered and butchered around with this pastry many times. There was the quick fix "Spice cake boxed mix". I thought if I just added shredded carrots and a slab of cream cheese frosting from the can this could be completed and consumed in NO time. Those are low moments, and they certainly make you appreciate the real deal! 

Then there was the total health kick "white bean - no flour, no sugar, no refined anything" version. Well, let's just say we won't bake that one again! 

 My favorite part however, when making the "real" carrot cake, is crafting the little Marzipan carrots! Not everyone is a fan of Marzipan, but I happen to love it! It's made from ground almonds and sugar mostly, and is then ground into a sweet and tasty paste. It can be shaped into all kinds of things, flavored, tinted, baked into pastries, or eaten raw! My mother still sends me Marzipan from Germany in any possible flavor combination! Pineapple, Rum Raisin, Nougat filled, Orange Scented, the list goes on! If you don't like it, you can skip it! If you do - buy some in a can in the bakery isle and get creative! Think eatable play dough!!  

Carrot Cake Recipe

serves 12

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 lb carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, fresh or canned, no large chunks

FOR THE FROSTING

• 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, very soft
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter, (2 sticks) at room temperature, very soft

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 lb confectioners' sugar, sifted

FOR THE DECORATION

• 4 ounces Marzipan
• food color: red, yellow, green

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

For the cake:.

Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the carrots and pineapple. Add to the batter and mix well.

Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack.

For the frosting:

Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Place 1 layer, flat-side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with 12 little Marzipan carrots!

Chocolate M&M Oatmeal Cookies and Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Oatmeal M&M cookie with flax and Omega 3's

Yup, I'm still on the same kick as a little while ago. I do get obsessed sometimes with the variations of a recipe, and at times make myself sick of it by preparing it to many gazillion ways. This Oatmeal Cookie thing seems to be heading that way. There is a good chance you won't be seeing this for a year when I'm done with her!
Speaking of - this blog might be a handy thing to check in a year or two from now what I liked cooking back then!

Well, well... so it happens I am in the cereal aisle of a well-known Minnesota grocery store, and with no hidden agenda I run into a bunch of different looking instant oatmeal containers. These look somewhat wholesome, they are made from the whole rolled oats, not the shredded little Quaker instant oats. They advertise added flax and omega 3's and interesting flavor combinations! If you want to check them out they have a website at: www.betteroats.com with even more flavors!

So, at less then a $1.50/box what's a girl supposed to do?

Make more cookies, I guess?!

Now, I have to admit, one other culprit had his hands in the cookie jar! My brand new ice cream scooper! I have been dreaming about one of these for years! It's the kind that scoops and then releases it all with a swift swoosh of a little blade inside by pressing the little handle! For ice cream of course, even sized cookies, filling muffin tins or cupcake papers with the perfect amount, making pretty scoops with mashed potatoes or rice, and so forth! This one is the biggest size they had at 1/4 cup size! I get so excited! So, finally I had to bring this one home. Except, now I want one in every size for even the tiniest bite size cookies!

After all that I couldn't wait to make something "scoopable"! But first the two Oatmeal mixes needed to be "enhanced". There was just too many possibilities in reach to bring these to a new level! So, the Apple Cinnamon oats were accompanied by walnuts and a finely peeled, cored and diced apple. To the Dark Chocolate oats I added an extra 1/4 cup of cocoa and some M&M's. These particular oats came in a 5 pack box. So I adjusted the butter accordingly using a little less. 

Here is the recipe again. I almost have it memorized now! :o)

~

1 3/4 - 2 sticks of softened butter (adjust according to #of packets)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

5-6 packs of Instant Oatmeal of your choice

1 cup flour (or 3/4 cup flour + 1/4 cup cocoa powder for the chocolate ones)

1 tsp. baking powder

about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of things you want to add (nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, raisins, etc.)

~

Preheat oven to  350F.

Beat soft butter and brown sugar until creamy.

Add egg and combine.

Add dry ingredients, and add-ins until fully incorporated.

Drop plops of dough onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. With this big scoop it yields 12 gigantic cookies! For that size I increased the baking time to 15 min. Still yielding soft cookies!

Apple Cinnamon and Walnut

These cookies won't last more then a day or two. They will get very soft in an enclosed container due to the moisture of the fresh apple. You could substitute dried apple or use the mix as is. I might go that route next time. However, they are delicious the first day!!

 Dark Chocolate M&M Oatmeal cookies

you can see the whole rolled oats!

the dough looks a lot darker after you add the additional cocoa powder,
giving it a nice intense chocolate flavor!

Baked pork chops

Whew! I haven't had much time to cook lately. I've been stirring a different kind of pot these days! Paint can that is. 

Found myself in the midst of redoing the kids bedrooms!
Now, I am talking about complete gutting of both bedrooms. Paint, furniture, carpet, everything. There has been a lot of "mental" planning for the past year or so, and I finally pulled the trigger!
Might be because it's Spring? Might be the fact that my 22 year old nephew is living with us right now for a few months (who does all the labor)? Or might be that I am just sick of waiting!

So, the paint is dry, the old carpet ripped out, all furniture removed to unpractical locations in the rest of the house (... we are talking two bedrooms worth!) and I find myself waiting for the carpet installer to call (who hasn't yet). Meanwhile, to bridge the agony of staring at my phone waiting for it to ring, I do what I do best - make a mess in the kitchen. And since I have a busy afternoon and evening coming my way, I thought I'd prepare a little dinner for my loved ones! How nice of me.

Now, as I have mentioned before, I am a HUGE fan of repurposing and reusing!! Coincidentally, this concept can be easily applied to today's pork chops! Not the meat part but the crust that is!

See, I haven't bought bread crumbs, ever. I am a hater of the end "butt" part of bread loaves. So every time we are done with the regular slices, I throw the ends in a bag in the freezer. After I accumulate a significant amount I take them out and thaw them a little, rip them into smaller chunks, and run them thru my trusty food processor! The crumbs are somewhat coarse, but I suppose you could blend them longer and they might get finer. I don't mind, it ends up giving the meat a nice chunky crust. And it's all WHOLE WHEAT!! :o) ... Well, I guess that depends on the bread you eat?!

Before I put the bread crumbs back in a zip-loc bag or container I add some salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder... but you can add whatever floats your boat to season them, or leave them plain, or make them "italian" with some oregano, thyme, and basil (.. I am seeing Chicken Parmesan in the future!). You get the idea! Freeze to keep them from getting stale.

Anyways, I am trailing off, "painting a picture" as my husband calls it.
Todays pork chops were supposed to be easy, non greasy, baking on their own - because I didn't want to smoke up the kitchen by frying them in batches in a pan.

Here is all you need:

4-6 pork chops
1 egg
2 tbsp. grainy mustard (or whatever kind you have)
1/4 cup buttermilk (regular milk will work too. I like the extra "tangyness")
a few cups of seasoned bread crumbs (2-3?)
1 Tbsp Canola oil for the dish
1-2 Tbsp. butter, cut into 4-6 very thin slices

Preheat oven to 425F.
Grease 9x13 glass dish with the oil.
Using two large plates: Add egg, mustard, buttermilk/milk to one plate, whisk with a fork to combine. Add bread crumbs to other plate. Arrange in order left to right: egg mix plate, crumbs plate, glass dish.

Coat each pork chop in egg mix, then roll in seasoned crumbs, then put into greased dish.
Bake in 425F oven for 10-12 minutes on one side. Flip, add a thin slice of butter to the top of each chop, and bake for another 10 minutes. Let rest a good 5 minutes before cutting to let the juices inside the chops redistribute. Do not overcook or they will dry out. A little pink in the middle is okay, and at times very desirable for pork!

Orange Soup

 

Here is another all time favorite of mine! Orange Soup! Made from all things "orange"! Well, almost...we are talking reds, yellows and oranges. It's a beta carotene bomb! It will shoot happy nutrients and vitamins through your veins like no other dish!
The fact that it is a one pot meal takes it to the next level! The level of "less cleaning" that is!
Fresh ginger in the soup recipe does make for a not so common ingredient, but don't dismiss! It has it's place for a reason. If you must, I guess you could substitute dried ginger, but I am just a fan of "fresh".
Originally, I saw this recipe on Food Network Television - which I am addicted to, well, only when I have the rare chance of holding the remote, and therefore am in charge of the channel choice. So, basically, whenever nobody else is home.
Rambling on... when I saw the soup it looked amazingly smooth, and the ingredient list promised "tanginess" which I am a big fan of. It begged for a fresh crusty slice of bread or baguette to dunk, and a little swirl of cream or sour cream on top. So, who am I to deny?



Here is what you need:

1 sweet potato, cut in chunks
1 red pepper, cut in chunks
1 medium onion, cut in chunks
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (about a 1 inch piece of ginger root)
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/2 lime, juiced

In a large pot bring all ingredients to a boil. Simmer for 20 min. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Blend soup in a blender in batches until smooth. Be very careful with hot liquids!
Return pureed soup to the pot. Add the peanut butter and lime juice. Stir to blend.
Serve with crusty bread and a little drop of cream!

Chocolate Hazelnut Latte Oatmeal cookies

With all the spring in the air it seemed appropriate to do a little Spring cleaning and organizing! The cleaning ... not a fan, but the organizing I like!! So, what better place to start then my pantry! I heart food!

So, here I am, rotating cans from front to back, refilling my olive oil bottle, combining half empty containers of brown sugar into one, and clearing out the empty boxes and bags my kids leave behind when crackers and chips are empty (I swear they think the dang box refills itself)! 

As I am checking through the inventory of culinary possibilities, my eye catches a box of instant oatmeal in the far back. I bought it a while ago for two reasons I thought : 1) oatmeal is good for you, and 2) the flavor was calling my name - "hazelnut latte"...can't go too wrong with that!

Now, I am usually a whole foods, unprocessed kinda girl, and live off the big round container of whole grain rolled oats. The one that takes a whole 5 minutes to cook, and has no flavor until you top it with healthy, fresh and fruity deliciousness such as blueberries.  Whatever possessed me to shave off another 2-3 minutes of my morning routine and go "instant"? I don't know?!?!                    

There were 6 little pouches left in the box. But the thought of tossing them in the trash just gives me the chills. I am a HUGE fan of re-purposing. I hate throwing away food! There seems to be always some kind of mystery meal that could be invented with that sad leftover ingredient!

So, the wheels were turning and an old trusty friend was re-invented.

Happens to be that 6 pouches make about 2 to 2 1/3 cup of oatmeal which happens to be the correct amount of oats needed in my good ol' oatmeal chocolate chip recipe!! Tadaaa!!

The end result promised to be the perfect marriage between my favorite Cariboo "Foofoo" coffee (hazelnut, mocha with whip cream) and an old fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that would have been dunked into the aforementioned anyways sooner or later!

Now here comes the real highlight!! Do you know how many different kinds of instant Quaker oatmeal are out there?!?! Can you just imagine the oatmeal cookie possibilities?!?! Apple Cinnamon, Peaches and Cream, Raisin Walnut, Wild Blueberry Muffin, etc! The add-ins are endless!!!

What's there to think??? Oh yeah, last minute it occurred to me that the flavored oatmeal pouches already have some sugar in them - so, reduce the sugar from old trusty recipe!!!

And, one more thing, if you only want to sacrifice 3 bags of your trusty oatmeal pouches, or feel like experimenting without wasting a bunch of ingredients - just go ahead and half the recipe! You can keep the 1 egg, reduce sugar to a heaping 1/4 cup, 1 stick of butter, ...you get the idea?!

Here is the modified version:

Ingredients (makes 16-18 big cookies)

1 cup of softened butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

6 packs of flavored oatmeal (Hazelnut Latte or any other kind) about 2 1/3cup

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 bag of chocolate chips (5-6oz)

directions

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Beat soft butter and sugar until creamy. 

Add egg and combine. 

Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

Drop big plops of dough ( I like them a heaping tablespoon full) onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper for easy release.

Bake 9-10 minutes. Cookies might seem soft when time is up. 

Don't over bake or they will get hard!

Cool on a rack and store in a closed container.

Cilantro Lime and Peanut Coleslaw

picture courtesy of www.101cookbooks

Now, it's hard to preach "Nutrition" to people when you are still blaming your 8 year old for the "baby fat" you haven't lost yet!
So, since Springtime seems to slowly creep upon us, here is a delightfully light salad that I have made a gazillion times. It is so simple and yet so yummy! It tastes so fresh and citrusy, and only has about 5 ingredients. That's my kinda meal!!

I found this recipe on one of my all time favorite food blogs: www.101cookbooks.com.
The author Heidi Swanson is a whole foods lover like me, and a Vegetarian, but all her meatless meals are perfect companions for my husbands steady "need for meat".
In fact her latest cookbook just came out yesterday: "Supernatural Everyday" and yes, it's on my Amazon Wishlist!! :o)

first little crocus peeking out!



recipe adapted from: www.101cookbooks.com

Lime & Peanut Coleslaw Recipe

Leave out the jalapeno if you like it milder. 

1 1/2 cups lightly salted peanuts
1/2 of a medium-large cabbage, or 1 small
2 baskets of grape tomatoes, washed and halved
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced (optional)
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped (about a bundle)

Dressing (shake all in a small jar)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, 2-3 Tbsp. honey,
1/4 cup olive oil  + 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tsp. cumin

Cut the cabbage into quarters and cut out the core. Cut quarters in half again. you'll end up with 8 wedges. Using a knife shred each wedge into whisper thin slices. The key here is bite-sized and thin. If any pieces look like they might be awkwardly long, cut those in half. Combine the cabbage, tomatoes, jalapeno (opt), and cilantro in a bowl. (this can be done the night before)

In a small jar or bowl combine the lime juice, honey, olive oil, salt and cumin. Add to the cabbage mixture no sooner then 30 minutes prior or just before serving and gently stir to combine.  Right before serving fold in the peanuts (add them too earl and they lose some of their crunch). Taste and adjust the flavor with more salt if needed.

So, the weatherman says warm and springy this weekend! I say grilling out, turkey burgers and a nice Cilantro Lime Coleslaw salad on the side, followed by a nice crackling bonfire to finish of the night!

"Put the lime in di coconut" bars

"Put the lime in di coconut" bar

My latest endeavor: Fruit and nut bars! I have now made at least five different flavors, but this one is my favorite right now! Let me back up...
I'm a big fan of the infamous "Larabar" spelled with the German umlaut "a"with two dots on top. Now, these of you who like these bars know that at a roughly $2.00 per bar price those little babies can get spendy! So, what's a girl gotta do? Experiment!!!
The good and nutritious thing about larabars is that they are made from only a handful of ingredients, all of which you can recognize and pronounce. They contain no refined sugar or additives. The sweetness solely comes from the dates (who also provide the stickiness to hold it all together). The nuts range from cashews, almonds, peanuts, to coconut and pecans and probably other ones I forget right now. The fruit are dried cherries, apples, banana, carrots, the dates of course, tropical fruit, and more. If you are curious, here is a link to all the flavors they offer:

http://www.larabarstore.com/?trk_src_ss=LAR32011WEBPAYPC&gclid=CO7m3t31hagCFZFoKgodeh-fsg

Okay. That said. I had to try to make my own. Now, here is where the fronts divide! Some of you non-foodies-hate to cook-don't like to be in the kitchen-people will say:"Why????" "Don't fix it if it ain't broken!". So, if you are one of those people who think peeling an apple is too much of a chore, and should not be part of making or eating an apple crisp - then you are better off forwarding this blog to your foodie friend or neighbor, and ask THEM to whip up a few bars for you!
The other half - or shall I say - the other one or two of you - might get as excited as I did, and start to  break out the food processor!!!

Like I said - three to four ingredients, and a new all natural whole foods bar is born and chilling away in your fridge! Give it a try!!

dates

dried pineapple

Ingredients
makes about 6 bars

1 1/2 cups of chopped dates (about 12) ...find in your produce section
1 1/2 cups of dried UNSWEETENED coconut ...find in your health food/ bulk organic / nut section
1/2 cup of roasted UNSWEETENED cashews ...found mine at Target
6 oz. dried pineapple chunks
zest of 2 big or 3 small limes

Roughly chop the dates and pineapple and put in food processor. Add cashews, coconut and lime zest and process until thick and doughy. It's done when dough stays together in a clump when you pinch it between your fingers.
Transfer to wax paper. Shape into an approximately  4 x 10 inch rectangle (4" will be the lengths of each bar) about 1/2 inch thick, or to your liking. Can also be shaped into small bite sized morsels. Wrap it with the wax paper and chill in the fridge for an hour or overnight.

dried unsweetened coconut

lime zest

food processor 

shape into 4x10x1/2" rectangle

Can be cut into individual bars and wrapped in wax paper for ease of transportation.

Food Blog

I am still trying to figure out just what exactly this blog is? A bunch of recipes and pictures? Or will I add the occasional "other" post? Stuff I like, stuff I do, stuff that inspires me, stuff that drives me nuts? We will have to see. I got time to figure that out I guess.

I think I want to write about food for now. It's just fascinating to me lately! Well, I've been eating it for decades, but recently I am all into the composition, nutrients, altering recipes, etc.! ...Sugar free, natural sweeteners, whole wheat pastry flour, different whole grain flours, oils, nut butters, the list goes on and on!

And the best/worst part is - that 99% of the time it produces quite the tasty dish, which keeps me searching for new experiments, and the vicious cycle never ends! Somebody 's gotta eat all that food in the end!

Zucchini Pie

Okay, time to confess! I think about food ALL THE TIME!

And that might be an understatement! I drive those around me crazy by talking about it 24/7.

A small group of "victims" has been enduring the taste-testing of my concoctions, including my husband, kids and neighbors! Some of them more willing then others I must say!

So, last night was one of those nights. A new recipe that I had discovered a few days ago was begging to be baked. "Zucchini and Ricotta Galette" courtesy of Smitten Kitchen! Oh what a beauty! And as a lovely side effect she even tasted amazing!! I couldn't shut up about the crust (as mentioned earlier... the talking can be a problem!). Picture the offspring of American pie crust meets buttery French Croissant! The filling was equally delicious! Oooey, cheesy ricotta-parmesan-mozzarella mix with a little garlic-infused olive oil. All of it topped with thick, fresh zucchini slices, and wrapped around by this amazingly buttery, flaky crust! Have I mentioned how much I LOVED the crust?

Alright, I'll post the recipe and a picture!

Serves 6 (not really...unless you have perfect restraint I'd say 3-4 people for a nice meal)
For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
Filling:
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon slivered basil leaves
Glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Make dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make filling: Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops of the zucchini dry with paper towels before using. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and the garlic together; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of the garlicky olive oil together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare galette: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (though if you line it with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer it to a plate later). Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Shingle the zucchini attractively on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of the garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze.
Bake the galette until the cheese is puffed, the zucchini is slightly wilted and the galette is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.