Carrot Cake Loaf

Ingredients  

For the cake:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, can use canola or vegetable oil (I used vegetable oil)
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• scant 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs beaten, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and shredded carrots, pack when measuring

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Stir in the shredded carrots.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix!
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely cover the top with aluminum foil hallway through.
• Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
• While the loaf is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and salt together on medium speed until smooth.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled bread. 

Recipe adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

Red lentil, garbanzo and carrot curry

2 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (or 1 tsp dry)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can garbanzo beans
2-3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups red lentils
3 medium carrots, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

fresh cilantro and yogurt, to serve
cooked brown rice and/or naan to serve

In a large pot, heat the oil or ghee. Sautee onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices, cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, lentils and carrots, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook until lentils dissolve, about 20 minutes – check to see if additional water is needed.
Serve over rice with cilantro and yogurt.

Moroccan carrot red lentil soup

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
7 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups red lentils, rinsed until water runs clear
1-15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro and yogurt to garnish

Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices (cumin through cinnamon) and sauté for one more minute. Add carrots and sauté until carrots are thoroughly coated with the onion-garlic-spice mix, 1-2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, coconut milk and lentils and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for 30-35 minutes until lentils are tender.
To create a creamy soup, use a blender and blend soup in portions or use an immersion blender.
Serve soup with fresh cilantro and a dollop of yogurt.

Recipe adapted from acedarspoon.com

Roasted parsnip, carrot and kale salad with lemon vinaigrette dressing

2 pounds carrots, cleaned and chopped into 1 inch chunks
2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced on a bias into 1-inch-long pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
2 small garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 bunch kale–tough stems and ribs removed and the leaves stacked, rolled and sliced crosswise into thin ribbons

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, add the carrots, parsnips, 1½ tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper and toss to combine. Turn the vegetables out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the rosemary sprigs among the vegetables, sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and roast until the vegetables begin to brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and continue to roast the vegetables until they are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and discard the rosemary sprigs.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1½ tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and the ½ teaspoon of pepper. Add half of this vinaigrette to a large bowl along with the kale ribbons. Use your hands to massage the kale until it becomes slightly brighter in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
To the kale ribbons, add the roasted carrots and parsnips and the remaining vinaigrette. Toss to combine and serve.

Recipe adapted from tastingtable.com