My Favorite Cake (Chunky Carrot)

My favorite cake is carrot cake.  It’s super moist, has lots of flavors, and it’s a vehicle for cream cheese frosting.  However, I don’t like boring carrot cakes where the only interest is carrots and maybe a little cinnamon.  I like my carrot cake to be really chunky, full of spices, and a mixture of textures.  I found an Ina Garten recipe for carrot and pineapple cake that I tried and loved.  However, this recipe is not in any of her cookbooks and I cannot figure out why.  It is available on foodnetwork’s web site. 

I only have this particular carrot and pineapple cake on my birthday because it’s a special cake to me (not to mention it’s quite large and rich).  I was happy again this year to eat it!  Enjoy! (Thanks to my mom for making it this year!)

Carrot and Pineapple Cake

2 cups sugar

1 1/3 vegetable oil (or you can use half oil and half unsweetened applesauce)

3 eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, divided

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup raisins

3 tablespoons dark rum

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional- I do not like my cake with nuts in it)

1 pound carrots, grated

½ cup diced fresh pineapple (canned is fine too)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 pound cream cheese at room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 pound powdered sugar

Butter and flour 2 (8 inch) cake pans (tap excess flour out) and line the bottoms with parchment paper

In a small bowl, combine raisins and rum

Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute

Uncover and set aside to cool (this plumps the raisins and infuses them with flavor)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat sugar, oil (and applesauce if using), and eggs until light yellow

Add vanilla

In another bowl, sift 2 ½ cups flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt

Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients

Toss raisins and walnuts (if using) with 1 tablespoon flour

Fold in carrots, pineapple, rum soaked raisins (don’t add the liquid), and walnuts into the batter

Divide batter equally among the cake pans and smooth out the top

Bake 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick come out clean

Cool cakes completely in the pans set over a cooling rack

For the frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until combined

Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth

Place 1 layer, flat side up on a cake stand or plate and generously frost the top

Place the other layer, flat side down, on top and frost the top

Garnish with fresh pineapple

(you can double the frosting to frost the sides of the cake if you wish)  

Buffalo Meatloaf

The first main dish that I ever made for my husband (then boyfriend) 10 years ago was meatloaf.  This was before I started cooking and I used to think it was such a “big deal” dish because it involved chopping.  I think it was probably just meat combined with raw onion and bread crumbs.  I’ve come a long way since then…

We still love meatloaf, but get tired of the same old boring loaf.  I’ve jazzed it up by adding different herbs (thyme, parsley, rosemary, and basil are good), different sauces (Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar are tasty), and various spices (cumin, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper).  I’ve also learned to cook the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, or whatever vegetables you add to your meatloaf.  The veggies are caramelized and have so much more flavor than raw ones.  Plus, the meatloaf doesn’t have the harsh taste of raw onions.

A little while ago, my mom gave me a recipe for buffalo meatloaf that she and my dad loved.  I made it and it was a winner.  It was spicy, yet not overwhelming, and was a good and fun interpretation of buffalo chicken wings.  I made a few tweaks and this is the version that I came up with.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Meatloaf

1 onion, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped carrots

3 large cloves garlic (or more- depends how garlicky you like it), minced

3 heaping tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 pound ground chicken breast (or turkey if you can’t find chicken)

1 cup buffalo wing sauce, divided

1 egg

1 cup panko

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup crumbled feta or blue cheese

¼ cup honey

Preheat oven to 375

Spray skillet with cooking spray (or olive oil) and heat over medium high heat

Add the onion and carrot and cook until softened

Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds until the garlic is cooked

Cool vegetables slightly

In a large bowl, add ground chicken, parsley, ½ cup of the buffalo sauce, egg, panko, salt, and pepper

Add cooled vegetables and mix lightly with your hands or a fork

Place half of the mixture into a greased meatloaf pan or form it in a loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Top evenly with the cheese

Add the rest of the meat, covering the cheese and forming a loaf

Combine the remaining ½ cup buffalo sauce and the honey

Brush over the meatloaf

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until cooked through

Let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing 

Dad's Pesto

I'm not sure when my dad started making pesto.  Maybe it was when my mom decided to grow a jungle of basil every year and had no idea what to do with it.  Thank God he started making it though because it's probably one of my favorite (fast) dishes of all time.

Basic pesto is 7 ingredients:  basil, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt, and pepper.  The only tool you need is a food processor.  There are many variations of pesto too:  add walnuts, spinach, parsley, asparagus, different cheeses, and spices.  It's a very creative dish that's incredibly easy and oh so tasty.  As soon as summer comes around, I'll be experimenting with a lot of variations of pesto.

Serve pesto over pasta (the most popular way), salad, chicken, seafood, or dip veggies in it.  Add crushed red pepper and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese over the top.  It also freezes really well- just add a thin layer of olive oil over the top to keep it bright green.  Enjoy!

Dad’s Pesto

1 cup pine nuts

1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese, grated

6 large garlic cloves (roughly minced)

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup good olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

In the bowl of a food processor, put pine nuts and Parmesan cheese and pulse until broken down

Add the garlic and basil leaves and pulse until broken down

With the motor running, add the olive oil slowly until mixture comes together

Season with salt and pepper (taste for seasoning)

Irish Soda Bread

Irish soda bread is a wonderful bread to make if you don't like to wait.  It doesn't require rising, resting, or yeast.  It rises due to baking soda (hence the name "soda bread") and is incredibly easy to make.

There are numerous recipes for Irish soda bread, but I chose Ina's version (of course) and it's a sweeter bread made with orange zest and dried fruit (not very Irish, but it tastes good).  However, it's a great match for any meal and a perfect compliment.  It was easy, took me 5 minutes to make, and I had all of the ingredients in my pantry.

Ina's recipe called for butter in the mix, but I left that out since it wasn't necessary (enjoy soft butter spread on your slice).  I also reduced the amount of sugar she called for and added dried cherries, not currants. 
If you want to impress guests with homemade bread, make Irish soda bread and they will think you slaved all day.

Irish Soda Bread (Ina Garten “At Home” page 234)

4 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 ¾ cups buttermilk, shaken

1 egg

zest of one medium size orange (between 1-2 teaspoons)

1 cup dried cherries (or cranberries/raisins/currants/dried fruit of your choice)

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment

Mix on low until ingredients are combined

With a fork, beat buttermilk, egg, and zest together in a measuring cup

Combine dried cherries with a tablespoon of flour

Add wet ingredients then the cherries to the flour mixture

Dough will be very wet

Dump dough onto the parchment paper and form into a round loaf (dough will be very sticky- lightly wet your hands to make this easier)

Cut an X on the top of the dough with a serrated knife

Bake for 35-45 minutes (it should be browned and when tapped, it will have a hollow sound)

Cool on baking rack.  Serve warm or room temperature

(Healthier) Chicken Pot Pie

I really didn't have chicken pot pie (or any pot pies) growing up.  I remember having the microwavable kind (yuck), but that was it.  When I started watching Ina Garten, she made a chicken pot pie that looked incredibly easy and delicious.  I made it just like she said and was sick sick sick!  It was absolutely amazing, but the filling had a whole stick of butter in it, cream, and a crust made with shortening and butter.  Even though my Crohn's disease flared up, but I didn't want to stop making it.  So, like with most recipes, I made it healthier by ditching the butter and cream, including more veggies, and made a thin puff pastry top.  It's easy, really yummy, and quite healthy.  Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie (makes 2-3- can be easily doubled)
(please note that I really don't measure very well in this recipe.  I eyeball how many veggies I want- sometimes I want more carrots and less onion and other days, I want more herbs, etc.  So, this is hardly an exact recipe, but that's what's great- you can't mess it up!  Make it your own!  I also included other add ins and variations at the end)

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons flour
2-3 cups chicken stock
Splash milk
1-2 cups carrots (I use frozen, but you can use fresh- just blanch them first)
1/2-3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2-3/4 cup frozen small whole onions
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
Crushed red pepper
1 whole sheet puff pastry (dethawed, but keep cold in refrigerator until ready to use)

Preheat oven to 400
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place on baking sheet
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until done
Cool enough to handle then shred into bite sized pieces

Meanwhile, heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat
Add onion and cook until translucent
Add olive oil and flour
Stir and cook over low heat for a few minutes until flour is dissolved and sauce thickened
Add chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes, stirring, until thick (add more stock if you like yours soupier)
Add milk, 1-2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper
Add shredded chicken, carrots, peas, onions, parsley, thyme, and crushed red pepper
Stir until combined and mixture is warmed through (taste for seasoning!!)

For the puff pastry:  Place sheet on a floured board or counter
Roll out until you have enough pastry to cover your bowls and it can hang over the edges (it will be on the thin side)
Using your bowl as a guide, cut a circle of pastry with a knife and leave about 1/2 inch overhang over the bowl's edge
Brush the edges of the bowls with egg wash (an egg beat with a drop of water)
Divide the filling up among the bowls (about 3/4 full at least)
Place pastry on the top of each bowl and press down on the edges slightly
Make 2 slits on the top of each with a knife
Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Bake for 30-45 minutes (at 375 on a sheet pan) until the top is browned and filling is hot
Let cool before you dive in

Variations/Add ins
Shrimp
Lobster
Cooked, chopped broccoli
Chopped fennel
Vegetable stock
Saffron
Celery
Biscuit tops
Make pot pie filling in a 9x13 pan and place puff pastry over the whole top (easy for a crowd)
Rosemary
Tarragon
Mushrooms
Pizza pot pie- make with tomato sauce, onion, mushrooms, pepperoni, cheese, with a pizza crust top)
Use your imagination!

My Grandma's Stew

It never failed.  We would arrive at my grandma’s house, always at night, and she would have hot beef stew, homemade bread, lemonade, and sponge cake.   I looked forward to this meal the whole drive there and it always tasted good.  However, it never tasted the same either.  My grandma didn’t measure and didn’t write her recipes down (I take after her in this regard).  Therefore, her food was never the same, but it always had a familiar taste to it. 

My mom has tried over and over to replicate her bread recipe.  She’s convinced it cannot be done.  It was like cracked wheat bread, dense, but flavorful.  Her sponge cake was a basic sponge cake, her lemonade was very pulpy, and her beef stew was loaded with beef and vegetables.  My mom never tried to duplicate her stew.

A few years ago, I decided to make Ina Garten’s Parker Beef Stew (Back to Basics, pg. 124).  I was not at all prepared to be taken back to my childhood.  I took the first bite and exclaimed, “It’s grandma’s beef stew!”  I was so excited that I think I called my mom. 

I make it all of the time now, but have revised the recipe to make it healthier and a little more like my grandma’s.  It’s incredibly flavorful with the tender beef, rich wine sauce, lots of vegetables, and a hint of spicy rosemary.  I highly doubt my grandma’s had red wine or rosemary in it, so this is my version, but still just as good as hers.  Enjoy!

My Grandma’s Beef Stew (adapted from Parker’s Beef Stew, Ina Garten “Back to Basics” page 124)

2 pounds chuck beef (I use round) cut into large chunks

1 bottle (750 ml) good quality dry red wine (I use Cabernet Sauvignon)

3 whole garlic cloves, smashed

3 bay leaves

1 large onion (or 2 small), chopped

½ pound carrots, cut into large chunks

½ pound small potatoes, halved or quartered

6 large cloves garlic, minced

2 cups beef stock (1 can)

1 large branch fresh rosemary

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons flour

8 oz. frozen peas

Crushed red pepper

Kosher salt/pepper

Place beef, garlic cloves, and garlic cloves in a large bowl

Add the whole bottle of red wine, cover, and refrigerate overnight

Preheat oven to 300

In a Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon olive oil (or cooking spray) and heat to medium high

Add onion and cook until translucent

Add carrots and potatoes and cook until slightly softened

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until softened

Take beef out of the marinade (discard the garlic cloves and bay leaves) and add beef to the Dutch oven

Add 2 cups of the wine (from the marinade) and discard the rest 

Turn the heat to high and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot

Add beef stock, tomatoes, Worcestershire, rosemary branch, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper

Cover and place in oven for 1 ½- 2 hours until the meat is tender and the vegetables are softened, stirring once during cooking

When the stew is done, take it out of the oven and discard the rosemary branch

Ladle 1 cup of the juices into a bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons flour

Pour it back into the stew, stir, and simmer for 3 minutes, until thickened

Stir in frozen peas and add as much crushed red pepper as you like (or not), taste for seasoning, and serve hot

Hope you’re proud Grandma!!