Time to Cook!

Inspiration for wholesome weeknight & weekend cooking.

Posts tagged ‘carrots’

Morning Glory Muffins

Oh, these muffins.  Don’t ask me how many I just ate!  The recipe was given to me over a year ago from my friend Jackie and I don’t know why it took me so long to try them myself.  She was 41 weeks pregnant at the time and anxiously awaiting her home birth.  She waddled over (sorry, Jackie — we all have that “waddle” in the final month!!) to my house with a basket of these warm from the oven.  She was panting and out-of-breath when I opened the door and I gasped, “Is it time?!”  I thought she was having contractions!  So, I secretly call these Jackie’s Contraction Muffins.  She was just winded from her walk, but I think she did go into labor the next day.  These are wonderful, earthy, sweet muffins from my Earthy Mama friend — I’m so glad she shared these with me!  Note: you can substitute raisins for any dried fruit that you like.  I made half of the recipe and it made a ton – about 10 regular muffins and 17 mini muffins, which I baked for 21 minutes.  Enjoy!

Morning Glory Muffins

Recipe from my friend Jackie who found it in The Gourmet Cookbook.

Ingredients:

4 cups white flour

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking soda

4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons salt

12 carrots, peeled and grated

1 cup raisins (or other dried fruit like cherries or diced apricots)

1 cup unsweetened coconut (if you only have sweetened, just omit 1/4 cup of sugar)

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

2 Granny Smith apples, grated

6 eggs

2 cups vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter muffin cups well.

Whisk together flour sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Stir in carrots, raisins, pecans, coconut and apples. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling them to the top. Bake until muffins are springy to the touch, about 30 minutes (or 21 minutes for mini muffins). Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature.

Leave a comment

Baked Vegetable Fries

I love this veggie — it’s healthy and tasty (almond coating adds a nutty taste to the vegetables) and each bite offers a different flavor: carrot, parsnip or sweet potato.  Note: you can grind the almonds in a mini prep processor or I have an extra coffee grinder that I dedicate to grinding nuts and spices only.  I double this recipe (you’re going to want more!) and roast on two baking sheets (you don’t want to crowd the veggies).

Root Vegetable Fries

Recipe from cookbook “The Little Paris Kitchen.”

Baked Vegetable Fries

Ingredients:

3 1/2 tablespoons ground almonds

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 sweet potato, cut into thin strips

1 parsnip, cut into thin strips

1 large carrot, cut into thin strips

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together the ground almonds, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper.  Toss the vegetables in the mix and then spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp, shaking the sheet halfway through.

2 Comments

Lentil Kale Soup

This is one of my favorite, easy soups that I make regularly.  You could easily double the recipe and freeze extra into gallon ziplock freezer bags for future dinners.  This is a great vegetarian dinner (since you get protein from the lentils) served with a toasted baguette or rice.  My whole family loves this!

Lentil Kale Soup

Recipe inspired by one that I saw on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Mother’s Group.

Lentil and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup carrots, finely sliced
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups dry lentils (I prefer red)
  • 4 bay leaves
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 2 bunches of kale (or spinach), chopped roughly

Directions:

In a large pot, sauté the onions and carrot in the oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until onions turn clear.  Add the garlic and sauté.  Add the lentils and brown for 5 minutes (be careful not to burn the onions and garlic).  Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and salt.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes (less for red lentils). Remove bay leaves.  Throw in kale (or spinach), cover and simmer until greens are soft (about 10 more minutes).  Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and purée in blender before serving.

Great for the whole family.  Add more salt for adults when serving.

Leave a comment

Mixed Greens with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

I am obsessed with this salad dressing.  My whole family is.  Once you get all of the ingredients, it’s not hard to make and it keeps in the fridge for a week.  We love it on top of mixed greens and my boys love it as a dipping sauce for raw veggies (peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocados).  I’ve even tossed it into some leftover quinoa.  It’s good on everything!  This was the first recipe I tried from Gwyneth’s cookbook “It’s All Good” and I’ve been hooked ever since.  Enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Dressing

Recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook “It’s All Good“.

Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons sweet white miso paste

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons light raw honey or xylitol (I just used regular honey)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Purée everything together in a powerful blender until absolutely smooth.

1 Comment

Carrots with Black Sesame & Ginger

This is a different take on carrots as your vegetable!  Very colorful and delicious with Asian flavors and can be made ahead!

Carrots with Black Sesame & Ginger

Recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook “It’s All Good”

Carrots with Black Sesame + Ginger

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger

4 large carrots cut into matchsticks (about 4 cups)

Coarse sea salt

A couple of drops of hot toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce or Tamari

1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet set over high heat.  Add the ginger and cook, stirring it into the oil, until it becomes fragrant, just 30 seconds or so.  Add the carrots and stir to combine them with the gingery oil.  Add a big pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of water and turn the heat down to medium-high.  Cook until the carrots just begin to soften and the water evaporates, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds and serve.

1 Comment

Lemon Lentil Soup

My friend Leanne introduced me to her favorite lentil soup from this Canadian cookbook.  I’ve tweaked it and it has become one of our family’s favorites.  The bright lemony taste balances well with the earthy, starchy taste of the lentils.  I could eat this once a week!  Sometimes I make twice the recipe and freeze the extra in gallon ziplock freezer bags.

Lemon Lentil Soup

Recipe adapted from Canadian cookbook Company’s Coming (May 16, 2008).

Lemon Lentil Soup

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped carrots

2 ½ teaspoons oregano

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

12 cups chicken stock

3 cups dried red split lentils

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in Le Creuset on medium-high. Add onion and carrots. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until onion starts to brown.

Add oregano, garlic, rosemary, salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add chicken stock and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are very soft.

Discard bay leaves. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top individual bowls of soup with fresh parsley, if desired.

Leave a comment