carrot cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting

Last week my roommate threw a bridal shower, and these were a huge hit.
via Martha Stewart

carrot cupcakes

1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 42 mini muffin cups with mini cupcake liners; set aside.

2. Beat sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until well combined.

3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add three-quarters of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture; mix until well combined. Add carrots and raisins to remaining flour mixture; toss to combine. Stir into batter until well combined.

4. Fill each muffin cup with about 2 teaspoons batter. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

maple cream cheese frosting

1 package cream cheese, room temp (8 oz)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (pure isn't necessary)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth with an electric mixer. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and sugar; continue beating until well combined and smooth.

Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cherries

super easy, good and healthy.

1 package (6.2 oz.) fast cooking long-grain and wild rice mix (I’ve used brown and it’s just as good)
1 medium unpeeled apple, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
½ c. dried cherries (I've used craisins)
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. water
2 t. sugar
2 t. cider vinegar
1/3 c. dry-roasted peanuts, toasted

Cook rice mix as directed on package – except omit butter. Let rice cool while you prepare the rest. I put spread it out in the serving dish. Let cool 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cool.
Mix apple, bell pepper, celery and cherries in large bowl.
Mix soy sauce, water, sugar and vinegar in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
Add rice and soy sauce mixture to apple mixture.
Gently toss until coated. Add peanuts; gently toss.

From: Betty Crocker’s Diabetes Cookbook

Macadamia Nut-Crusted Sea Bass

This one came from Allrecipes.com, but I left off the sauce they recommended because my husband didn't want it. For that matter, I didn't eat this because I'm not a fish person at all, but my husband loved it.

1 lb fresh or thawed frozen sea bass fillets (you can actually use any firm white fish, like tilapia or cod)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1/2 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Season fish with salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear fish fillets quickly, about 1 minute on each side, and remove from heat.

Transfer fish to an oven-safe pan lightly oiled with olive oil. Roast at 350*F for 15-20 minutes, until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, combine nuts, bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon olive oil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Process until smooth.

When fish is cooked through, cover tops with macadamia crust. Return to the oven and continue roasting until crust browns, about 5 minutes. (I actually just broiled it for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.)

Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I've been baking all of our bread at home for the last few months, and this is by far our favorite everyday bread. I found it in The Joy of Cooking and played with the proportions just a little. You can skip the second rise, but it really does make the bread lighter.

4 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup warm (105*F-115*F) water, divided
1 cup warm (105*F-115*F) milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour

Dissolve yeast completely in 1/4 cup warm water, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 cup water, milk, butter, honey, and salt. Stir gently until honey and salt dissolve. Add liquids to yeast mixture, stirring until combined. Add all of the whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup bread flour; beat on medium-low speed until well-combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add another 1 1/2 cups bread flour and beat on low until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead in enough remaining flour to make a soft, non-sticky dough. Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Turn dough out, knead briefly, and return to bowl (re-oil if necessary). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, then throw down onto a lightly floured surface to break up air bubbles. Knead briefly if necessary. Divide into 2, form each half into a loaf, and placed in a greased loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray and let rise until dough crests nicely above the pan, about 1 hour.

Bake at 450*F for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350*F and continue baking for another 25 minutes, until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Easy Pizza Dough

Found this one in a magazine, and we love it!

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm (110*F-115*F) water
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in water, about 5 minutes. Add flour, olive oil, sugar, and salt; beat until well combined. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, turn out, and roll into a 15" circle. Top as desired, leaving off cheese. Bake in a 400*F oven for 15 minutes. Add cheese and bake 5 minutes more.

Note: if you use a pizza stone, bake for only 10 minutes before adding the cheese, and then bake just 5 minutes more. Also, I find it's easiest to roll out the dough on parchment paper, and then just transfer the paper to the pizza stone.

Pumpkin Roll Dessert

This is an old recipe of my wife's. She taught me to make it after we were married. If a guy can make it, then it must be easy!

For Roll:
3 eggs
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

For Filling:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together eggs, pumpkin, lemon juice, and sugar. Add flour baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix well and spread on greased jellyroll pan. Bake 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees. When done, loosen and flip onto wax paper. Roll in wax paper and cool.

For filling, mix cream cheese and butter, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Open chilled pumkin roll, spread filling on inside and reroll. Refrigerate and serve chilled.


I'll post a pic of this when we make it next, probably this weekend. Let me know what you think.

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Vegetable Lasagna with Red Sauce

I found this recipe a while ago and have made it several times, always to positive reviews. Unlike most vegetable lasagna dishes, this one uses a standard red sauce (hence the name of the recipe.) Even my meat-loving husband really likes it!

6 dried lasagna noodles
1 lb ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 oz. chopped frozen broccoli, thawed & drained
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (optional)
1 1/2 - 2 cups spaghetti sauce (I make my own using this recipe but process just until chunky)
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, and pepper.

Saute onion in oil over high heat for about 5 minutes; add carrots and saute 2 minutes more. Stir in bell pepper, broccoli, and garlic, if using. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender, approx. 5 mins more. Mix all into ricotta mixture.

Spread small amount of sauce in bottom of a 9"x13" pan to prevent sticking. Layer noodles, vegetables, sauce, and cheese. Bake at 350*F for 45-60 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

UPDATE: Last week I made just the vegetable filling for the recipe (cut in half) and used it to stuff about 10 - 12 jumbo shells. Drizzle red sauce over it to taste, the cover and bake for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes more. Fabulous.

Rhubarb Blueberry Muffins

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw frozen berries before using)
1 cup fresh or frozen chopped rhubarb (measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely
before using; allow to drain but do not press out liquid)

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and sour cream; mix well. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, stirring well. Fold in blueberries and rhubarb. Fill foil-lined muffin cups 2/3 full; bake at 400*F for 20-25 minutes.

*These are fabulous muffins, but because there contain so much fruit, they will get soggy after a while. They're best right out of the oven; if you're going to save them, leave them out uncovered.

Blackened Tilapia Sandwich w/ Cilantro Lime Mayo

Awesome fresh flavor...

1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 (10-ounce) tilapia fillets
4 Kaiser buns, split, buttered and toasted
Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise, recipe follows
Store-bought mango salsa

-In a shallow dish, combine first 6 ingredients.
-Pour melted butter into another shallow dish. Dip fish fillets in melted butter and coat with seasoning mixture.
-Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook prepared fish, in batches if necessary, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
-Spread Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise evenly over toasted buns. Place blackened fish on bottom half of bun, top with mango salsa, and cover with top half of bun.

Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

Paula Deen, 2007
Show: Paula's Home Cooking
Episode: Purse Pleasers

Iced Carrot Cookies

I got this recipe from the Lion House Classics recipe book. It turned out great!

1 cup shortening
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cooked, mashed carrots
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup coconut

In large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs; beat until fluffy. Add mashed carrots. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in coconut. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool, then ice with Orange Frosting (below). Makes 4 dozen small cookies.

Orange Frosting
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons soft margarine

In small bowl, combine all ingredients; stir until well mixed.

Variety Cake

Mandy and I had these at a friends house the other night and thought they were Lugubrious Worthy. Enjoy!!

1 package of cake mix, any flavor (we had yellow)
1 large bag of chocolate chips
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
about 2 T. water

Mix and spread in 9x13 pan.
Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.

Makes a great drop cookie too.
**Any cake mix will work. LIke Carrot Cake with white chocolate chips or Chocolate Cake mix with butterscotch, etc. The possibilities are endles... that's what I like about it!!

Rinda's - Cinnamon Roll - Bread

2 Tbsp dry yeast (or 2 packages or 2 yeast cakes)
½ c lukewarm water
½ c sugar
½ c butter
3 tsp salt
2 c scalded milk
2 beaten eggs
8 c flour, more or less

Softened butter
Cinnamon sugar

In a small bowl, dissolve about 3 tsp of sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle dry yeast into the water and let stand until dissolved and bubbly.
In the meantime, add butter, salt and the rest of the sugar to the hot milk. Stir until melted/dissolved, and allow to cool to lukewarm.

Stir flour before measuring, then place 4 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour in yeast mixture and milk mixture and stir. Add beaten eggs and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add remaining flour, one cup at a time until mixture makes soft dough. Change to dough hook. Dough is ready if it is relatively smooth and barely sticky, and pops back if you poke it with a finger.

Place in large, well-greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double, approx one hour. Punch down dough, then divide into three equal pieces. Roll out into a 10 x 15 rectangle. Liberally coat with softened butter, and then very liberally sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Use more than you think is enough. Starting from a short end, roll up dough and place edge down in to a greased bread pan.

Allow to rise until double, then bake for about 25 minutes on 350. Brush butter on top, then remove from pan and cool.

This is compliments of our Bishop's wife, Rinda.

Applesauce Muffins

A yummy and super moist recipe from Jessica Seinfeld in her Deceptively Delicious cookbook. The first I've tried from it - and was super pleased. We made it with the squash, and I couldn't even taste it. They are better warm, fresh from the oven. And the next day, they are nothing special.

Chicken Parmesan

Once a month I get together with my mother-in-law (Julie) and sister-in-law (Jenn) and we have a luncheon. We each make dishes we have never tried before. One person makes a dessert, another a salad (fruit or veggie) and the person making the main dish has the luncheon at their home. Today it was my turn to be the hostess. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but it was meant for the Microwave. I baked it in the oven instead and it turned out to be an 'A' on my rating scale. I will definately make it again.

Ingredients for TWO people:
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (consider doubling sauce if you are a sauce person)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed)
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Combine tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Simmer on stove. Set aside
2. In a bowl, combine the crumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Dip the chicken into the egg, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place in a lightly greased glass baking dish. Bake at 375* for 30 minutes, uncovered, turning over each chicken breast after 15 minutes.
3. Pour tomato mixture over chicken when there are about 7-10 minutes remaining; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until meat juices run clear.

Serve with pasta, salad (or veggies) and bread sticks.

I did not have any Italian seasoning, but again found a recipe for Italian seasoning on allrecipes.com:

1 TBSP basil
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP rosemary
1 TBSP marjoram
1 TBSP thyme

I used our hand wheat grinder to grind it up. Wow! It is potent - tastes fresh too.

Anyone Like the Olive Garden?

I stumbled onto this website -- it is the actual Olive Garden Website, with a collection of their recipes. My family loves Italian -- so we will be trying a number of these I'm sure! Check it out! http://www.olivegarden.com/recipes/

Pesto Smashed Potatoes

1 ½ pounds small red-skinned potatoes
Salt, to taste
½ c. chicken broth
½ c. store bought pesto

Cut larger potatoes in half and leave small potatoes whole.
Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water’ bring water to a boil.
Add salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Drain potatoes and return them to hot pot. Add chicken broth and smash the potatoes up.
Add pesto and smash to desired consistency. Serve hot.

Rachael Ray
Yield: 2 servings

Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

1 ½ to 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped (2-3 T leaves)
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 T. grill seasoning blend (ex. Montreal Seasoning by McCormick, or salt & freshly ground black pepper)
½ c. dry white wine or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Arrange chicken in a baking dish.
Add garlic, rosemary, EVOO, lemon zest, and grill seasoning.
Toss chicken to coat, then place in oven.
Roast 20 minutes.
Add wine/broth and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices, then spoon over chicken.

Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer, then remove chicken from oven. Place baking dish on trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken pieces.

I like to serve with mashed potatoes. After stirring my chicken in the "marinade" once it's stood for that last 5 minutes, I add the juices to my mashed potatoes and mix. SO good!

Rachael Ray

Yield: 2 servings

Italian Chicken Chili With Pancetta Croutons

SOOO GOOD!!

· 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
· 1/3 pound pancetta, sliced 1/8 inch thick and finely chopped {italian bacon, if you can't find that, use regular bacon - that's all I've ever used}
· 3 pounds ground chicken
· 2 onions, chopped
· 2 carrots, peeled and grated
· 6 large cloves garlic, 3 grated and 3 crushed, divided
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
· 1 bay leaf
· 4 jarred roasted red peppers, drained
· 1 quart chicken broth
· 4 to 5 sprigs thyme
· 2 tablespoons (a couple palmfuls) chili powder
· 2 teaspoons (2/3 palmful) sweet, smoked paprika
· 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (eyeball it)
· 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
· 1 loaf crusty bread (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch squares
· 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place a large, heavy pot over high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the pancetta and cook until brown and crispy, 3-5 minutes. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.

Add ground chicken to the pot with the pancetta drippings and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon.

Add the onions, carrots, grated garlic and bay leaf to the pot and cook until browned, about 8 minutes more. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then stir in the balsamic vinegar, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

While the veggies are browning, puree the roasted peppers in a food processor. Stir the puree into the pot then add the chicken broth, thyme sprigs, chili powder, paprika and allspice, and season with salt and pepper. Bring up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the fat from the surface, if desired.

While the chili is simmering, place a small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter and crushed garlic cloves, and cook 2-3 minutes.

Place bread in a large bowl. Pour the garlic butter evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the reserved pancetta, Pecorino, rosemary and lots of pepper over the bread and toss to coat. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and crunchy, tossing occasionally. Remove from oven and let cool.

To serve, remove bay leaf and thyme springs from the pot. Ladle chili bowls and top with a handful of the pancetta croutons.

Yields: 6 servings {I needed to serve more, so I added 4 more cups of chicken broth to the above ingredients and it still came out perfect! seasonings and all...}
Rachael Ray

Smoked Turkey Wrapped Asparagus

12 asparagus spears
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 thin slices smoked turkey (about 1/4 pound)
12 chives, optional

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Break the woody end off each asparagus spear and peel the outermost layer off the lower 3/4 of the spear with a vegetable peeler. Place asparagus on a large plate, drizzle with the olive oil and toss gently so the oil is evenly distributed. Slice each slice of turkey lengthwise into three strips.





Wrap one strip of turkey around each asparagus spear, leaving the tips of the asparagus unwrapped. If using, tie a blade of chive around each wrapped spear.

Place the wrapped asparagus on baking tray and bake for12 minutes, turning once.

Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Yield: 2 servings (6 pieces per serving)
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 114 ~ Total Fat: 5 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram ~ Protein: 13 grams
Carbohydrates: 7 grams ~ Fiber: 2 grams